Vienna, Austria – Schönbrunn Zoo is celebrating conservation successes as “Reverse the Red Day” highlights efforts to protect endangered species worldwide.

A recent survey by the organization Hutan, supported by the zoo, revealed around 870 orangutans currently live near the Kinabatangan River in Borneo, Malaysia. “The orangutan population has thus stabilized over the last 15 years. After decades of decline, this is an important success for this endangered species,” said Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck.

The zoo is also marking achievements in other species conservation projects. In Bangladesh, over 850 Northern Batagur River Turtle hatchlings have emerged since 2010, with 134 successfully released into 16 ponds connected to the Sundarbans river system. Hering-Hagenbeck noted, “When the project started, only around 20 individuals were known to exist worldwide. The Batagur River Turtle impressively demonstrates that even a seemingly hopeless situation can be reversed with a great deal of effort.”

In Austria, Schönbrunn Zoo has released over 40 Ural owls into the wild, helping connect populations between southern and northern neighboring countries. The zoo also coordinates an EU LIFE project for northern bald ibises, where chicks are raised by human foster parents and guided on migration routes using ultralight aircraft. The ibis population now exceeds 300 individuals.

“Reverse the Red Day” aims to counter the increasing number of highly threatened species and raise awareness that everyone can contribute to preserving biodiversity.

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