Conservation

Learn, Conserve and Fundraise: Together we can create a better future for the animals on our planet!

Here at The Fenn Bell Conservation Project, we are passionate about saving endangered species, conservation education and research. This is reflected through our species and habitat surveys for pollinating insects, fundraising events and the collaborative work we do with local schools and colleges.  

At The Fenn Bell Conservation Project, we participate in ex situ conservation. This means that all conservation efforts to protect a species from extinction is conducted outside of the species natural habitat. Our participation in ex situ conservation includes housing species who are involved in captive population management by being a suitable species for captive breeding programmes. To find out more about our ex situ conservation click the box below.

We regularly participate in in situ conservation for pollinating insects. This means that all conservation efforts to protect a species from extinction is conducted within the species natural habitat. Our participation in in situ conservation includes species and habitat surveying for bumblebees and other pollinating insects. To find out more about in situ conservation click the box below.

Staring in 2020, we have been holding an annual Zoo Do! to raise awareness and money for AEECL, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, IOSF, The Fishing Cat Conservation Trust and VulPro. All of which are in situ conservation charities. Alongside this we have also regularly celebrated world animal days where we have raised awareness for a particular species and raised money to support an in situ-based charity for that species. To find out more about the charities we support, and our past and present fundraising event click the box below. 

Here at The Fenn Bell Conservation Project, we believe in a sustainable future. Because of this we have ensured that where possible our site is sustainable, whether this is by using recycled or reclaimed wood for making animal enrichment or reducing plastic within the catering we provide. To find out more about our sustainability goals click the box below.

Education is at the heart of all the work we do here at The Fenn Bell Conservation Project. We believe that educating and inspiring the next generation can create a caring environment and lead to the next generation of conservationists. In the words of Sir David Attenborough “If children grow up not knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it, and if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it, and if they don’t protect it, who will?”. Which is why we focus our time working with local schools and colleges. To find out more about our conservation education click the box below.

The IUCN Red List is a key component in selecting which species is a priority for conservation and its terminology is used across our animal signs at the zoo and on our website. To learn more about the IUCN Red List, click the box below.

We are proud to say that with your support and the hard work from our dedicated team, we have been able to achieve a wide range of conservation goals that we are incredibly proud of. Listed below are some of these achievements we have been able to make over the past few years.

Conservation Achievements

  • 2024: Silver Winners of a Kent Wilder Award by the Kent Wildlife Trust in recognition of our species and habitat surveying, providing native wildlife a home on our site, conservation education and sustainability. – Wilder Kent Awards Winners 2024 | Kent Wildlife Trust
  • 2024: Head Keeper, Connor, becomes a member of The Fishing Cat Species Committee.
  • 2024 & 2023: Keepers have been able to participate in collecting data to show Medway is home to an extremely rare Shrill Carder Bumblebee species. – Rare Shrill Carder Bee found on the Isle of Grain by keepers from Fenn Bell zoo (kentonline.co.uk)
  • 2023: Research publication in RATEL – Does Providing Additional Environmental Enrichment Increase Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Visibility Regardless of Potential Visitor Position or Presence?
  • 2022: We created a British Wildlife area on our site, this included bug hotels, hedgehog homes, bat boxes, bird boxes, a pond and we planted a variety of native plants around the area.
  • 2021: Birth of two critically endangered Black and White Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia variegata).
  • 2020: We held our first ever Zoo DO! to fundraise for AEECL, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, IOSF, The Fishing Cat Conservation Trust and VulPro.