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Threatened species in Denmark getting their own zoos

Christian Wenande
April 7th, 2015


This article is more than 9 years old.

Five biggest cities getting zoos for struggling local species

The Marsh Fritillary is among the endangered butterflies in Denmark (photo: Andrew Curtis)

While conservation efforts for exotic mammals such as elephants and rhinos are well known around the world, Danish species hurtling towards extinction don’t get much coverage.

Until today and the announcement that the national conservation organisation Dansk Naturfredningsforening (DN) has been granted the necessary funds to give endangered animal species in Denmark their own zoos.

“In the battle to save our Danish species – such as the Phragmatiphila Nexa moth, the Purseweb spider and the European Bullhead – we have been allocated funds to establish a number of zoos to ensure the survival of the species,” said Michael Leth Jess, the head of DN.

“It’s sad that it’s come to this, but we don’t see any other way out.”

READ MORE: Every fourth animal species threatened with extinction

Every fourth struggling
The new zoos will be located in the five largest cities of Denmark (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg and Esbjerg).

Every fourth Danish species is threatened to some degree according to the Red List compiled by the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy at Aarhus University.

In Denmark, Europe’s most farmed nation in terms of the percentage of land used, 43 out of its 77 diurnal (day-time) butterfly species are endangered.


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