The future of wild animals — among them the mighty elephant, the lowly hellbender salamander and the American burying beetle — will be the topic of discussion when the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums meets this week in St. Louis.
Leading conservationists, including keynote speaker Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, will join about 200 heads of zoos and aquariums from all over the world at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. They will meet for two days of presentations followed by work on plans to implement the organization’s updated conservation strategy.The event is hosted by the St. Louis Zoo.
For at least a century, the association’s members have emphasized conservation and education, as well as providing inviting places to visit. But in recent years, in the face of a human population explosion, climate change and growing public awareness of the importance of biodiversity, their mission has evolved.
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This article was originally published in the St. Louis Beacon.