The series kicks off on Tuesday 17 November with a talk by Jörn Ziegler from the Wuppertal Nature and Environment Centre. In his talk, ‘Leopardus pardinoides – on the trail of a newly described feline species in the cloud forests of the Cordillera Talamanca’, he will discuss research into this remarkable wild cat and provide insights into its habitat in the cloud forests of Central America.

This will be followed on Tuesday 26 January 2027 by a talk by Marcus Clauss from the Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife at the University of Zurich. Entitled ‘What is our idea of how zoo animals should spend their day? Thoughts on housing, feeding and reproduction’, he addresses fundamental questions regarding modern zoo animal husbandry and the underlying concepts and requirements governing the care of animals in zoos.

Both events begin at 6.00 pm and will take place in the Great Ape House at Wuppertal Zoo. Admission to the Great Ape House is only possible between 5.45 pm and 6.00 pm on each occasion. After that, the zoo gates will close. The talks are open to the public and free of charge.

The ‘Zoogespräche’ series addresses current scientific and socially relevant issues relating to animal ecology, behaviour and species conservation. It combines scientific findings with questions that are significant beyond the academic community. The events create a space where different perspectives can come together and current developments can be discussed collectively.

The lecture series is organised, in terms of both content and organisation, by Prof. Dr Gela Preisfeld (Zoology and Biology Education), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gust (Vice-Chancellor for Third Mission and International Affairs) and Prof. Dr Gerald Hartung (Philosophy).