Liberec, North Bohemia, Sept 29 (CTK) – The Czech Republic will head a European campaign for the protection of endangered songbirds in southeast Asia starting in October, Barbara Tesarova, spokeswoman for the Liberec Zoo in which the campaign’s main office will be, has told CTK.
“We expect at least 200 European zoological gardens to join the campaign and 500,000 euros to be raised,” she said.
“Trading in songbirds has become a very profitable business, which leads to an unchecked depletion of bird species,” she said about the Silent Forest – Asian Songbird Crisis campaign organised by the The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
Unless action is taken quickly, these species will die out, Tesarova said.
The campaign is to last two years and approximately 280 million people are to visit the European zoos participating in it during this time. The campaign aims to spread awareness of the need to protect these bird species in southeast Asia and raise money for conservationist projects.
European zoos put more and more emphasis on the protection of animals and plants in the wild, in the natural habitats of the given species.
The Liberec Zoo also takes part in the protection of rare animal species and biodiversity in the Philippines, along with the Talarak organisation, in Indonesia, along with the Lestari group, and in Central Africa, together with the Save-Elephants organisation. It contributes to the return of birds of prey in the wild in the long term.
