The Selected Papers of the 4th International Meeting on Zoo Research, Conservation and Biodiversity

Dear Colleagues,

The 4th International Meeting on Zoo Research, Conservation and Biodiversity (IMZRCB) will be hosted by the Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen in Germany from 3 to 6 April 2024. This yearly meeting was created to provide a platform for scientists, conservationists, academia, zoo researchers and all persons interested to discuss and exchange information on new science-based innovations and research topics. Such a platform offers perspectives and future-oriented solutions to biodiversity changes, while also addressing environmental sustainability. This year, the hybrid event will take place during the 50th anniversary of the park. As such, the conference theme is “50 years of the Serengeti-Park and what an animal park of this dimension has, in those 50 years, really contributed to animal conservation and biodiversity in the local area and back in nature”.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present new and emerging research on animal welfare, conservation impact and challenges, and policies for animals in zoos. It will also highlight discussions on the future of zoos and how to leverage the past. Submissions to the Special Issue may include original full-length articles of posters, symposium or workshops presented during the 4th IMZRCB conference or from other attendees of the conference that did not give a presentation at the event. We welcome short communications, extended abstracts, full-length articles and review articles. The preferred topic areas are as follows:

• Science–policy interaction;
• Comparative animal behaviour and adaptations;
• Animal–visitor interactions.

Manuscripts regarding the works of your parks, zoos, organizations, institutions, or research areas and their contribution to global conservation efforts are also welcome in this Special Issue.

Dr. Idu Azogu-Sepe
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• environmental sustainability
• zoo exhibit design
• conservation strategies and programs
• comparative cognition
• zoo research
• ex-situ population management
• biodiversity changes
• animal welfare assessment
• global conservation efforts
• Serengeti-Park Hodenhagen