Great news for coral conservation, as a new technique for cryopreserving and reviving entire coral fragments has been developed by researchers from Smithsonian’s National Zoo and several universities. This methodology facilitates the quick collection and preservation of coral fragments, which can be a vital tool in securing coral biodiversity and genetic diversity.

Twenty-two Burmese mountain (or Asian giant) tortoises hatched at San Antonio Zoo - their first successful hatching of this species! The Burmese mountain tortoise is critically endangered due to the illegal wildlife trade, and San Antonio Zoo is also supporting a headstarting programme that aims to reintroduce this species into the wild, in northeast India.

Success in the Lear's macaw conservation programme, as a pair bred at Loro Parque, and reintroduced into the wild, has bred in its natural habitat in Brazil. Three chicks were produced, a great achievement that is rarely observed in this species in the wild. The Lear's macaw almost went extinct in the 1990s, and this conservation programme by Loro Parque, the Brazilian government and other partners has been key in bringing the species back from the brink of extinction.

Thirteen Ural owls, bred at several zoos, were sent from France to Germany to be reintroduced in the Bavarian Forest National Park. The goal is to create a new population that will link with an existing isolated population and increase genetic diversity.This is the result of a collaboration between Parc Animalier de Sainte-Croix - the coordinator of the EEP (European Ex Situ Programme) for this species, VLAB - Verein für Landschaftspflege, Artenschutz & Biodiversität e.V., and other organisations.

One of the five Eastern black rhinos that were bred in European zoos and reintroduced into the wild in Rwanda has given birth to a calf! The five reintroduced rhinos were born under the European Ex Situ Programme (EEP) for the species, managed by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), and were translocated to the Akagera National Park in 2019. Sadly, two of them have died of natural causes, but the other three are thriving in the wild, with this birth representing a very important milestone in the reintroduction programme.