Marwell Zoo into semi finals of British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums competition

As part of this year’s Love Your Zoo Week, which takes place between Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, June 2, the zoo has an opportunity to make history and create a World Scimitar-horned Oryx Day.

The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) invited zoos and aquariums to nominate an overlooked animal for a world awareness day - and Marwell is through to the semi finals.

The announcement has left the zoo staff feeling very hopeful - but there is still one final push to make the Hampshire zoo the winner of the competition. The second round of voting opened yesterday (May 29) and people have been encouraged to cast their vote for Marwell Zoo in a bid to create an awareness day for the Scimitar-horned oryx.

These previously Extinct in the Wild antelope are noted for their long, curved horns that resemble curved swords know as scimitars. The zoo has worked with these impressive animals for more than 50 years, contributing to them being downgraded from Extinct in the Wild to Endangered.

Tania Gilbert, Head of Conservation Science, said: “Our work with scimitar-horned oryx is an example of the real impact zoos can and do have in protecting the most at risk species from extinction.

“Having previously been declared Extinct in the Wild, scimitar-horned oryx are a real beacon of hope for at risk species. Their reintroduction to the wild demonstrate how, by working together, we can help the world’s most at risk animals to thrive in the wild again.”

If you want to find out more information about the competition, click here.