“Wetlands for Life” launches in Italy with 381 flamingos as campaign ambassadors

A total of 381 flamingos are housed in Italian zoos and aquariums affiliated with UIZA, representing four of the world’s six flamingo species. Starting this summer, they will serve as Italy’s ambassadors for Wetlands for Life, the European campaign promoted by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) to raise public awareness about the protection of wetlands.

The issue is becoming increasingly urgent: according to the Global Wetland Outlook 2025, these ecosystems have lost approximately 22% of their global surface area over the past 50 years. Lakes, marshes, lagoons and river deltas provide essential habitats for thousands of species, including flamingos, which rely on these environments for food and to build their characteristic mud nests.

Throughout the summer, zoos and aquariums affiliated with UIZA will organise activities dedicated to wetlands, reaching around six million visitors every year, including hundreds of thousands of students.

«Ogni anno circa sei milioni di persone visitano gli zoo e gli acquari italiani associati a UIZA», spiega Cesare Avesani Zaborra, presidente dell’Unione Italiana Giardini Zoologici e Acquari. «Attraverso Wetlands for Life vogliamo mostrare come la tutela delle zone umide significhi proteggere non solo specie iconiche come i fenicotteri, ma ecosistemi essenziali anche per la qualità della vita delle persone.»