The celebration of World Chimpanzee Day and International Shark Awareness Day offers, every July 14, an opportunity to reflect on the accelerated loss of biological diversity. Although the rainforest and the ocean seem like completely different worlds, both share the same threat: the pressure exerted by human activity, responsible for habitat degradation, resource exploitation, and the decline of numerous species.
To mark this double anniversary, the Bioparc in Fuengirola and Valencia, along with the Gijón Aquarium, are highlighting their comprehensive model for biodiversity protection. This model includes participation in over one hundred European Endangered Species Programmes (EEPs) and direct action in the fauna’s native habitats through the BIOPARC Foundation. All of this presents a cutting-edge concept of “leisure with a worthy cause” and an impressive zoo-immersion design to ensure maximum animal welfare, bring wildlife closer to the public, and a strong commitment to outreach that connects emotion and knowledge to foster greater environmental awareness.
Chimpanzees: Commitment and Science to Protect Great Apes
July 14th commemorates the start of Jane Goodall’s pioneering work in 1960 in Gombe National Park (Tanzania), a date that gave rise to World Chimpanzee Day. One of the subspecies, the western chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus), classified as “critically endangered” according to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is a sad example of the most visible effects of human pressure on biodiversity and the urgency of ensuring its survival.
But the “verus” also show how unity and a real commitment to saving these species can have a “happy ending.” Djibril’s story symbolizes this tenacity of the BIOPARCs for the preservation of the chimpanzee. Now seven years old, he is a paradigm of the synergies between the BIOPARCs of Fuengirola and Valencia. Another female was able to “adopt” him to ensure his growth and integration with his peers, demonstrating the importance of scientific knowledge, cooperation between specialized teams, and coordinated population management.
The group at the Valencian park is the largest of its kind in Spain and represents a milestone in ex-situ conservation programs, offering hope, especially with the latest offspring, Cala and Ekon. Their constant curiosity evokes tenderness among visitors and highlights the comfortable environment in which they live. In fact, two enormous, artistically designed trees have recently been added to the primates’ enclosure. Their design encourages natural behaviors such as climbing, exploration, play, and foraging, and incorporate various environmental enrichment elements, such as puzzle feeders, termite mounds, and other nooks and crannies filled with food that promote cognitive activity and the species’ natural behaviors.
At the same time, the BIOPARC Foundation collaborates with the Tacugama Chimpanzee Rescue Center (Sierra Leone), contributing to the recovery of individuals who are victims of illegal trafficking and habitat destruction. This combination of ex situ and in situ actions is fully aligned with the One Plan Approach model, which allows for a comprehensive strengthening of the survival of a species whose situation remains particularly precarious.
Sharks: Essential Guardians of the Ocean
International Shark Awareness Day, also on July 14, highlights the value of these predators. Victims of an image unfairly associated with danger; they play an essential role in the balance of marine ecosystems.
Sharks have inhabited the oceans for more than 400 million years, long before the appearance of dinosaurs. Today there are more than 500 species, from giant filter feeders like the whale shark to smaller ones that could fit in the palm of your hand. Thanks to their extraordinary sensory abilities and their role as apex predators, they regulate food chains and act as indicators of the health of the marine environment.
However, every year more than 100 million sharks are killed due to overfishing, bycatch, and the fin trade. It is paradoxical that, while shark attacks on humans are extremely rare, human activity causes the death of millions of these animals every year.
In this context, BIOPARC Acuario de Gijón reminds us that only what is known can be protected. The center promotes intensive outreach and conservation work on elasmobranchs, housing species such as the Sand Tiger Shark, Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark, Grey Carpetshark, Common Smoothhound, Smallspotted Catshark, and rays. To this end, it combines public awareness through educational programs, workshops like “Shark Superpowers,” talks, and active preservation projects, most notably the reintroduction of Smallspotted Catshark to the Cantabrian Sea. Furthermore, this summer visitors can participate in the guided tour “Sharks: Debunking Myths,” an experience that offers a close-up look at shark biology, allows visitors to observe specimens such as teeth and skin, and helps them understand why caring for sharks truly means protecting the health of the oceans and the balance of marine life.
