Consistency, dedication and a job well done are the pillars that build success. That has been the path that the founder and president of Loro Parque, Wolfgang Kiessling. Born in Cologne, he is one of the best-known Germans in Spain and the world and, without a doubt, the most recognized in the zoological community and the fight for biodiversity. His goal is to work for the protection and defense of animals and ecosystems. Loro Parque, which he fulfilled 50 years in 2022is world reference in species conservation and Kiessling, an example of what commitment to a living and diverse planet achieves.
Loro Parque’s work as a species recovery center has earned it awards and recognition. The most important, however, come from nature: twelve species of parrots saved from extinction, which would not exist today without the extensive and intensive work of the Loro Parque Fundación, created in 1994. «When we started Loro Parque we were not aware of the importance it would have in helping to preserve natural life on the planet. But, little by little, we learned that the only way to preserve it was to intervene directly. For this reason, we created Loro Parque Fundación, to promote projects that achieve a real change in the hope of species. Because leading by example is the best way to show the way. We have already saved 12 species, some have returned to their natural environment. And we continue at it.
In a natural park of more than 13 hectares, Loro Parque is home to 636 speciesamong which there are terrestrial and aquatic mammals, reptiles, birds and parrots, with the largest reserve of psittacines in the world, which includes an immense genetic bank that is key to guaranteeing the survival of these species, essential for their ecosystems.
«Every day there are hundreds of eyes that make sure everything is perfect, that each of the animals feels good. I walk around the park every day to check it out. But, above all, I am proud that each worker puts their heart into making this priority a reality at all times. “There are many eyes and many hands caring for each of the animals.”
Effort and values
A good part of the conservation effort that Loro Parque promotes, supporting the maintenance costs of facilities, personnel and administration of the Loro Parque Fundación, is carried out in countries with endangered species. There they carry out arduous and prolonged work with local communities and governments, so that the ecological situation is once again adequate for threatened species.
Excellence becomes evident when the most demanding international organizations recognize it. Loro Parque prides itself on being a transparent company, which lends itself to external audits and animal welfare certifications. The American company Global Humane carried out a relevant one in 2021. This association works independently and is an observatory that searches, detects and reports situations of risk or animal abuse around the world. Exhaustively, the audit included an analysis of the care of animals and the value that Loro Parque develops in the fight for the protection and recovery of endangered species. As a result, Global Humane awarded the Human Conservation certificate with the highest rating to the best zoo in Europe.
In addition to honoring the company’s founder and president, Global Humane created the Wolfgang Kiessling Award, which values the work of those dedicated to protecting natural life and, thanks to its financial endowment, promoting it. “It is an honor, but, above all, it is a pride that shows me that everything I have built has a meaning that transcends material success and that will remain for future generations,” he says.
This year, the award went to the professor, German naturalist and director of the Cologne Zoo, Theo Pagel, for a life fighting to prevent the disappearance of species.
