The agreement also provides for the creation of the Kiessling Species Survival Fund, intended to provide annual funding for priority projects led by IUCN SSC specialist groups around the world.
Loro Parque Fundación and the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN SSC) have formalised a global strategic partnership that will strengthen direct action to protect threatened species and mobilise new resources towards some of the most urgent priorities in international conservation.
The agreement, signed by Christoph Kiessling, President of Loro Parque Fundación, and Vivek Menon, Chair of the IUCN SSC, establishes a framework for collaboration until 2029 and links the scientific, technical and financial capacity of Loro Parque Fundación with one of the world’s largest networks of specialists dedicated to species conservation.
As a central pillar of the commitment, Loro Parque Fundación will provide significant financial support to the Office of the Chair of the IUCN SSC to help implement the Species Strategic Plan 2026–2029. Furthermore, the partnership marks the launch of the Kiessling Species Survival Fund, a fund designed to provide annual funding for priority projects led by the IUCN SSC specialist groups on an international scale.
As part of this partnership, Loro Parque Fundación has joined the IUCN SSC Species Philanthropy Council as a Gold Member and has become one of the Species Survival Core Partners, consolidating its role amongst the leading global conservation partners.
The president of Loro Parque Fundación, Christoph Kiessling, emphasised that “this partnership with the IUCN SSC represents a decisive step in our long-standing commitment to conservation based on scientific knowledge. The creation of the Kiessling Species Survival Fund and our direct support for the 2026–2029 Strategic Plan will enable us to channel essential resources to the specialists working on the ground to protect biodiversity”.
“From the Canary Islands, we reaffirm our determination to drive forward global solutions to safeguard the planet’s most threatened species,” added Kiessling.
For his part, Vivek Menon, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), noted that “joining forces with Loro Parque Fundación substantially strengthens the IUCN SSC’s capacity to take effective action where it is most needed. Their support as a Gold Member of the Species Philanthropy Council and their technical contribution to key working groups enhance the work of our global network of experts. This agreement, running until 2029, consolidates a shared vision to ensure that the protection of nature remains a scientific and social priority worldwide.”
Another key pillar of the agreement will be the promotion of the Centre for Species Survival Macaronesia, located on the premises of Loro Parque Fundación. This centre enables the Canary Islands to reinforce international processes of assessment, planning and action for species conservation, consolidating the archipelago as a strategic hub within the IUCN SSC’s global network.
The partnership builds on a track record initiated by Loro Parque Fundación in 1994. As set out in the agreement signed with the IUCN SSC, the Foundation has since participated in more than 300 conservation and research projects across 54 countries and has helped, through its projects, to prevent the extinction of 18 species.
With the signing of this agreement, Loro Parque Fundación and the IUCN SSC have now established a stable framework for cooperation until 2029 that combines science, funding, specialist knowledge, capacity-building and direct action, with a common goal: to ensure that international priorities for species conservation are translated into tangible results where they are most needed.
