The crowned crane is the 2026 Zoo Animal of the Year. The animal, which is native to Africa, is receiving the award from the Zoological Society for Species and Population Conservation (ZGAP) to draw attention to its increasing threat. "The cranes are threatened by the loss of habitat and the increased use of pesticides in agriculture," said project coordinator Viktoria Michel at the presentation of this year's campaign at Dresden Zoo.
The population of the crowned crane, of which there are two different species with several subspecies, has declined by 80 percent in East Africa alone over the past 40 years. Today, there are estimated to be fewer than 100,000 animals left in the wetlands and small-scale farming landscapes of central and southern Africa, explains project coordinator Michel. The birds are hunted illegally, captured and kept in hotel gardens, for example, the veterinarian for zoo and wild animals continued.
