The grey crowned crane is the Zoo Animal of the Year 2026
Animal news | 21 January 2026
The Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP) has named the grey crowned crane as Zoo Animal of the Year 2026. With this award, the campaign partners aim to draw attention to the increasing threats faced by the grey crowned crane, the African wetlands and the crane’s preferred habitats of smallholder-cultivated landscapes. Public awareness of the birds’ protection must be raised.
This year’s campaign was presented to the public today at Dresden Zoo. As a prominent patron of the campaign, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer emphasised the crucial role of species conservation: This charismatic crane species is increasingly endangered by habitat loss, the destruction of wetlands and human encroachment on its natural environment. The increased use of chemicals in agriculture, collisions with power lines, the illegal international wildlife trade and hunting by humans for food or as “decorative objects” for home and hotel gardens have also contributed to the decline in grey crowned crane populations in many regions of Africa over recent years. The number of grey crowned cranes in East Africa alone has fallen by 80% over the last 40 years. In Tanzania, a country more than three times the size of Germany, only around 2,000 birds remain.
A commitment to species conservation by numerous zoological institutions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is therefore urgently needed as part of the rescue campaign. Targeted public relations work is being used to inform zoo visitors about the crisis these birds are facing. Donations are also being collected to fund practical measures to protect grey crowned cranes in the wild. These donations are supporting selected conservation projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi, where habitat preservation and long-term population protection concepts are being implemented.
“In this campaign, the grey crowned crane symbolises the close connection between biodiversity, healthy wetlands and our responsibility for preserving natural habitats”, explained Dr Viktoria Michel from ZGAP. “By protecting cranes, we are also preserving precious habitats on which countless other species depend and benefit.” The same approach is being pursued by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU). The foundation and NABU have been working specifically to protect grey crowned cranes in Africa for many years and, as campaign partners this year, will help to expand and intensify conservation efforts at an international level.
The “Zoo Animal of the Year” campaign
For 10 years, the “Zoo Animal of the Year” campaign has been working to preserve highly endangered species that do not have a strong lobby behind them. In the past, major projects have focused on the conservation of red-fronted macaws in Bolivia, Asian box turtles in Cambodia and giant armadillos in Brazil. Through this campaign, ZGAP, together with its partner associations, Gemeinschaft der Zooförderer e.V. (GdZ, Association of Zoo Supporters), the Deutsche Tierpark-Gesellschaft e.V. (DTG, German Zoological Society) and Verband der Zoologischen Gärten e.V. (VdZ, Association of Zoological Gardens), aims to raise awareness of species conservation, impart knowledge and provide practical assistance on the ground. The selection of the grey crowned crane for 2026 exemplifies this approach and is designed to make a lasting contribution towards the protection of the species and its habitats.