Expo 2020 Dubai links up with Zoological Society of London to highlight conservation

Charity will help curate the 'conservation for hope' programme

The Zoological Society of London is dedicated to conserving the world's wildlife. It will co-curate a pavilion at next year's Expo in Dubai and here are some images illustrating its work. The black rhino is one of the world's endangered species. All photos Courtesy Zoological Society of London

Badger vaccination and tracking in the UK.

The society is involved in saving baby pangolins in Thailand.

A Belgian shepherd training to tackle the international wildlife trade in Mongolia.

Richard Attenborough face to face with a Komodo Dragon at the society's London Zoo.

The scimitar-horned Oryx was reintroduced to wild in the southern Sahara in 2017.

A female Asiatic Lion with cubs in Gujarat, India. The Big Cats are facing many threats.

Tagging a shark. Numbers of sharks have declined in recent years.

One of the society's scientists, Alex Thomas, dusts a cheetah skull for fingerprints to tackle the international wildlife trade.

The society's conservationists in Douala-Edea, Cameroon.

The society is also involved in tagging turtles.

The Zoological Society of London will highlight the importance of wildlife conservation during Expo 2020.

The charity - devoted to the worldwide protection of animals and their habitats - will help curate the fair’s "conservation for hope" programme.

It will work with Dubai's global ports operator, DP World, to curate the programme tackling the “looming threats” of climate change and human encroachment.

“The current global health crisis has highlighted the fragility of the human existence and what happens through our over-exploitation of nature,” said Dominic Jermey, director general, of society.

“It is part of a broader crisis caused by the worsening loss of biodiversity and the impacts of climate breakdown. We know that only through major systemic change can we change the course of wildlife loss.”

Reem Al Hashimy, director general of Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau and UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, said the fair’s alliance with the society recognises the need for collaboration to address the “looming threats” of climate change and human encroachment.

“Its global work on animal and habitat conservation will help shape our thought-provoking content and conversations  ... engaging our 200-plus international participants and millions of visitors on the greatest climate and biodiversity-related challenges of our time to create a lasting legacy of global environmental conservation for decades to come."

Sustainability and conservation are important aspects of Expo 2020. The event will also feature a pavilion that focuses on the impact of humans on the planet to encourage people to make more sustainable choices. Visitors to Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion for example, will be guided through a series of habitats to highlight the wonders of the natural world and underscore the urgent need to solve problems like plastic waste. The event is scheduled to begin on October 1, 2021.