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Farewell to the zoo pioneer: Junhold hands over management to Nuremberg!
Prof. Dr. Jörg Junhold says goodbye after six years as director of Leipzig Zoo and president of VdZ.
Farewell to the zoo pioneer: Junhold hands over management to Nuremberg!
An important change has taken place in the zoological environment: Prof. Dr. After six years as President of the Association of Zoological Gardens (VdZ) and Director of Leipzig Zoo, Jörg Junhold handed over his position to Dr. Dag Encke, the director of the Nuremberg Zoo. This reports thueringen24.de. Junhold, who has been at the head of the VdZ since 2019, was able to set a clear course during his term of office and significantly increase the association's visibility in Berlin.
“Zoos as important nature and species conservation centers must be better perceived by the public and politicians,” emphasized Junhold at the handover. His track record shows that he has successfully tackled the challenges - from the corona pandemic to the Ukraine war. He also worked significantly on opening up the political decision-making processes to zoo experts and promoting their involvement, according to information from zoo-leipzig.de.
Redesign and new structures
“We have proven that zoos have a voice in times of crisis,” said the outgoing president. During the pandemic-related closures, institutions were offered a platform to illustrate the social importance of zoos. His motto remains: “Zoos are more than just recreational places, they make an indispensable contribution to species protection,” like that Berlin Zoo underlined.
A farewell with foresight
Overall, the change at the top of the VdZ represents a significant step into the future of zoological gardens and shows the increasing importance of zoos not only as places of recreation, but above all as active players in species protection and environmental education.