Animals & science
Stories
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From DNA to nest boxes: garden dormice ready for their return to nature
Garden dormice, a suitable forest and a moving date. What else do you need to bring an endangered species back to nature? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The garden dormouse is endangered in Flanders, and its habitat is disappearing fast. Every opportunity to help the species counts. But returning animals to nature involves much more than simply moving them to a suitable location.
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Planckendael ZOO and De Zegge launch ambitious conservation project
Planckendael ZOO now wants to give threatened populations of lapwings and curlews a helping hand. We pulled on our boots to see how the teams from the ZOO and De Zegge are tackling the challenge. “Every egg we cannot protect in a field goes into our incubator.”
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World Ocean Day: Saving the Ocean Means Saving Ourselves
All life on our blue planet depends on the ocean. Yet humanity continues to treat it with alarming carelessness. Biodiversity is declining year after year as a result of overfishing, pollution, and climate change. This makes World Ocean Day, celebrated annually on June 8, more important than ever. The good news is that with the right measures, we can still reverse this trend.
Upcoming events
Science Festival at Antwerp ZOO from 31 October to 8 November 2026
During the autumn holidays, we’re turning Antwerp ZOO inside out. Discover what happens both in front of and behind the scenes to care for, understand and protect animals.
19th Annual ZOO Research Symposium
On 12 November, the Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research and Conservation (CRC) will host its annual ZOO Research Symposium at Antwerp ZOO.
Blog
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Shade trees, wild animals and farmers: can cocoa cultivation be good for people and nature?
Cocoa, the ingredient of chocolate, grows in tropical regions where forests are under pressure. Tropical agriculture is often associated with deforestation and the loss of biodiversity. At the same time, millions of small-scale farmers depend on it for their livelihoods. Is there a way to grow cocoa more sustainably?
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The “peaceful bonobo” myth may be somewhat overstated
For decades, the story has been that chimpanzees are a violent species while bonobos have earned a reputation as the peaceful ape. This contrast has been so influential that scientists use it to think about the origins of human nature itself. If chimpanzees represent the aggressive side of our evolutionary heritage, perhaps bonobos show an alternative path, one where cooperation and tolerance took the lead. But new research suggests the reality may be more complicated.
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Lucky in love, across species boundaries?
I'm a hybrid, you're a hybrid, ... We're all hybrids. No plug-in hybrids but crossbreeds between species. After all, thousands of years ago, our ancestors reproduced with Neanderthals. The result is that our genome still contains 1 to 2% Neanderthal DNA. Hybridisation does not always have to be disadvantageous but it can have benefits too.