At Terra Natura Benidorm we collaborate in the European project, called Biobank, which is promoted by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). So far, our veterinary team has sent more than 20 biological samples of different species that are part of ex situ species conservation projects, such as the European Endangered Programme and the European StudBook, to be analysed and studied by the scientific community of Europe and the Middle East.

The samples collected at Terra Natura Benidorm have been sent to the Copenhagen Zoo, which is one of the four zoological institutions that make up the sample collection network for this programme. Biological samples of blood or hair have been transferred from species such as barasingha, dhole, Indian elephant, Asiatic lion, capuchin monkey, golden-headed lion tamarin, jaguar, Indian rhinoceros, gaur, siamang, gibbon of white hands, tiger and flying fox, among others.

The EAZA Biobank has three other gene banks, in addition to the Copenhagen one, which are located at Antwerp Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Edinburgh Zoo and the Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW). In these centres, samples sent by zoos are closely kept and registered for research on the conservation of species and the preservation of wild populations.

The Biobank collects the biological material released by animal parks and aquariums in Europe. Thus, this gene bank allows scientific researchers to bring the data offered by biological samples for study, as well as to define and preserve genetic information for the population management of species in danger of extinction.