Debrecen4U
May 21, 2025
Debrecen Zoo celebrates World Biological Diversity Day and Hungarian Nature Day
On 22 May, Zoo Debrecen welcomes the public with special programmes and new residents on the occasion of the World Biodiversity Day and the Hungarian Nature Day.
This significant day is a good opportunity for zoos, as living ambassadors of proactive nature conservation, to draw attention to the diversity of the world’s and our country’s wildlife and the importance of its preservation.
As is customary, the collection of Debrecen Zoo is expanding month by month with new exciting attractions. Now, among others, the brilliant camouflage masters of the Southeast Asian rainforests have arrived from the Amsterdam Zoo; the giant wandering leaves (Phyllium giganteum) and the bark-mimicking locusts (Eurycantha calcarata), are also known for their magnificent mimicry. At first glance, these tiny creatures look like a leaf or a piece of wood; due to their immobility and camouflage color, it is easy to walk past them without noticing them.
The thirty leafhoppers and twenty grasshoppers are now residents of the Zoo “Kuckó”, so guests can even admire them up close. Furthermore, ten Vietnamese moss frogs (Theloderma corticale) which resemble mossy stone surfaces thanks to their patterns and small protrusions arrived from the Düsseldorf Zoo in connection with a two-year nature conservation campaign of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). Also, a young male Abyssinian horned crow (Bucorvus abyssinicus) arrived as part of the European Species Conservation Breeding Programme (EEP).
Thus, the country’s first rural zoo and botanical garden is now involved in the care of 185 animal species and 42 species rescue programmes, which is the largest ever since its foundation.
The zoo aims to bring the values of nature even closer to visitors with its rich collection, spectacular presentations and interactive programmes. After all, the greatest challenge to biodiversity conservation is the destruction and fragmentation of habitats, which is mainly caused by human activity (deforestation, agriculture, urbanisation), which reduces the living space of species, isolates populations and accelerates extinction. New residents can of course be adopted, so visitors can personally contribute to their care and support the zoo’s conservation mission.
In connection with the significant day, the zoo welcomes kindergarten and school groups with advance registration and free professional guidance on May 22 – 23. On May 22, the diversity of domestic species and nature conservation will be in focus, while on May 23, the programmes will take place in the atmosphere of the Children’s Day Weekend. Groups can choose between general or thematic guided tours, which are available and can be booked on Debrecen Zoo’s website.
Source and photo credit:dehir.hu
