The award ceremony will take place on January 14 at Poema del Mar aquarium, attended by Her Majesty Queen Sofía and prominent figures from the regional, national and international spheres.
The prestigious Gorilla Prize, one of the most important international environmental awards, has been granted in its 2024 edition to Her Majesty Queen Sofía, in recognition of her exemplary and sustained commitment to biodiversity conservation, animal welfare and the protection of natural heritage.
Created by Wolfgang Kiessling, President of the Loro Parque Group, the award honours individuals and institutions with outstanding track records in environmental advocacy and the promotion of sustainable development models. The ceremony will be held on January 14 at Poema del Mar in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where Her Majesty Queen Sofía, who will personally receive the award.
Through this recognition, Loro Parque and Loro Parque Fundación pay tribute to a lifetime dedicated to raising public awareness, fostering conservation initiatives and consistently supporting projects aimed at protecting endangered species and vulnerable ecosystems, thereby consolidating Queen Sofía as an international reference figure in the field of environmental protection.
The President of the Loro Parque Group, Wolfgang Kiessling, highlighted the importance of this distinction, stating that “it is an honour for the Loro Parque Group to award the Gorilla Prize to Her Majesty Queen Sofía, a key figure in the defence of nature and an international benchmark in environmental protection. Her commitment and sensitivity towards conservation have played a decisive role in advancing projects that are now essential for safeguarding the planet’s biodiversity.”
The ceremony will take place at Poema del Mar, one of the world’s leading aquariums, internationally recognised for its work in research, scientific outreach and the conservation of marine ecosystems. The choice of this venue reinforces its role as a centre of excellence in the scientific and environmental fields, as well as its strong commitment to ocean protection.
The event will bring together prominent local, regional, national and international figures, as well as institutional representatives, members of the scientific community and spokespersons from environmental organisations. During the ceremony, the Loro Parque Group will also present an update on its main projects and lines of work developed in recent years in the areas of conservation, research and environmental education.
