It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed since the Wrocław ZOO established the Foundation ZOO Wrocław – DODO Foundation.

The idea for the Foundation originated with Radosław Ratajszczak, president of the Wrocław ZOO from 2009 to 2022. Anna Mękarska, our foundation’s first president, came up with the name. The goal was and remains the same – saving endangered animal species in their natural habitat.

The projects our Foundation has supported over this time are numerous. Unfortunately, not all animals were saved, but we will continue to strive and work with you for the good of wild animals! Over the past 10 years, the Foundation has donated nearly 3 million PLN to save animals in the wild. The funds have been used for long-term reintroduction processes, scientific research, and monitoring and analysis to understand animal migration routes, behavior, and population status. These funds are needed for the ongoing fight against poachers and smugglers. Often over the past decade, the Foundation has had a significant impact on the development of infrastructure for in-situ conservation breeding (where species occur naturally). Educating communities about protecting the ecosystems in which they live and providing them with economic support is also crucial. Veterinary care for animals is also a very high cost, covered by funds provided by our Foundation.

For 10 years, the Foundation has been holding regular educational meetings with the ZOO&DODO to rescue, co-organizing the Wild Run charity run with the zoo, and co-creating Animail with students from the University of Economics. All for wild animals.

We are delighted that our events are attended by people who want to come, see, and love wildlife. Together, we have been building awareness of the need for nature conservation for 10 years and have often succeeded in positively changing the fate of animals in our conservation projects.

We thank everyone who remembers DODO, participates in our events, and supports us – together we are creating an organization that has a real and positive impact on the fate of wild animals worldwide.

Guests at the Foundation’s 10th anniversary celebration included Foundation Council members Radosław Ratajszczak, Rafał Guzowski and Tomasz Jóźwik, as well as its first president, Anna Mękarska.

At the link https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11ukFPLQc2l6gZxLG11sCqXCKF1rQUO0W? you will find:
– extraordinary birthday wishes from wonderful colleagues from organizations supported by our Foundation,
– the anniversary song “Szybujący nielot” conceived and written by one of our Foundation’s Board members, Paweł Kurzydło,
– an anniversary presentation about the Foundation ZOO Wrocław – DODO,
– several photos from our Foundation’s birthday celebration on June 16^th, 2026.

We cordially invite you to the 5^th edition of the event called ANIMALIA, which we are co-creating with the Student Government of the Wrocław University of Economics and the Wrocław Zoo.
This time, the campaign’s ambassador is the Sumatran tiger.

– Come to Wrocław Zoo on June 20^th
This is a day designed for parents and children! A great family outdoor adventure is in store for everyone who wants to spend an active and fun-filled day among exotic animals in zoo. We’re transforming the park into an outdoor game with challenges and great activity stations, combining fun challenges and competitions with learning the secrets of the animals. No one – from the youngest to the adults – will be bored here!

– Visit the Beach Bar – Prosto Z Mostu on June 25^th
An evening dedicated to students and anyone looking for a great way to unwind. We’re moving to the Beach Bar for a much-needed evening of relaxation with friends in a completely relaxed atmosphere. We’re combining relaxation in the chillout zone with an evening party! There will be great music, cold drinks, loungers, and fun contests—absolutely everything you need to take a break from the everyday!

Support ANIMALIA fundraiser! https://zrzutka.pl/h9kxru

All funds raised during ANIMALIA 2026 will be donated to the WildCats Conservation Alliance for the Sumatran tiger conservation project in Kerinci Seblat National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia.

We cordially invite you to ZOO & DODO to rescue meeting, which will take place on 15th of May 2026, and will be deticated to Polish fauna.

At 5:00 PM in the auditorium of the Afrykarium,  Jolanta Jurkiewicz-Azab – who works as a theriologist, will talk about her work in wildlife monitoring and the use of camera traps in wildlife research.

Before a lecture, at 4:30 PM, we invite you to meet the European lynx and European wildcat of the Wrocław ZOO.

Those interested in participating in the meeting are asked to make a donation to the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO account: 89 1020 5226 0000 6102 0547 2040 with the note “FOTOPUŁAPKA”
100% of all donations will support the PTOP “Salamandra” for European hamster conservation project in Lower Silesia in Poland.

Entrance to the zoo on 15th of May by the service gate from 3:30 PM.

We cordially invite you to ZOO & DODO to rescue meeting, which will take place on 10^th of April 2026, and will be deticated to Nomascus annamensis.

At 5:00 PM in the auditorium of the Afrykarium,  Dr. Tobias Kohl – who works in the Artenschutz Foundation, will talk about protect of Nomascus annamensis in the Kon Ha Nung Biosphere Reserve in Vietnam. The lecture will be in English.

At 4:30 PM, we invite you to meet the gibbons of the Wrocław Zoo next to gibbons’ pagoda.

Those interested in participating in the meeting are asked to make a donation to the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO account: 89 1020 5226 0000 6102 0547 2040 with the note “GIBONY”

100% of all donations will support the Stiftung Artenschutz organization.

Entrance to the zoo on 10^th of April by the service gate from 3:30 PM.

We cordially invite you to ZOO & DODO to rescue meeting, which will take place on 13^th of March 2026 and will be deticated to biodiversity.

At 5:00 PM in the auditorium of the Afrykarium, Dawid Marczak – assistant professor at the Natural History Museum of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, will give a lecture
about wild pollinators in the urban jungle.

Those interested in participating in the meeting are asked to make a donation to the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO account: 89 1020 5226 0000 6102 0547 2040 with the note “HUTAN”.

100% of all donations will support the HUTAN organization.

Entrance to the zoo on 13^th of March by the service gate from 4:00 PM.

We cordially invite you to ZOO & DODO to rescue meeting, which will take place on 27^th February 2026, and will be deticated to polar bears.

At 5:00 PM in the auditorium of the Afrykarium, Joanna Sulich – who works in an Antarctic research outpost, will talk about her research of the polar bears, how the lives of these animals are connected with sea ice, climate and even our everyday lives.

Those interested in participating in the meeting are asked to make a donation to the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO account:
89 1020 5226 0000 6102 0547 2040
with the note “ARKTYKA”

100% of all donations will support the Polar Bears International organization.

Entrance to the zoo on 27^th February by the service gate from 4:00 PM.

We cordially invite you to the first ZOO & DODO to rescue meeting of the coming year, which will take place on 9 January 2026, and will be deticated to the fauna of the Sunda Islands.

At 4:30 PM we will visit the Wrocław Zoo Aquarium (near the Odrarium).

Then, at 5:00 PM, in the auditorium of the Afrykarium, Jakub Kordas, Director of Ectotherms at the Wrocław Zoo, will talk about the fauna of the Sunda Islands and the conservation efforts being conducted in Java and Sulawesi.

Those interested in participating in the meeting are asked to make a donation to the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO account:
89 1020 5226 0000 6102 0547 2040
with the note “SULAWEZI”

100% of all donations will support the Sulawesi Keepers organization.

Entrance to the zoo by the service gate from 3:30 PM.

On 12 December 2025, we invite you to the last ZOO & DODO to rescue meeting of the year. This time, the event is dedicated to BLUE GECKOS.

We will begin at 4:00 PM with a meeting with gecko keeper Jakub Leśniewicz in the Terrarium.

At 4:30 PM in the auditorium of the Afrykarium, Paweł Sroka from the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO will talk about the blue gecko conservation project in Tanzania. There will also be a competition with prizes.

Those interested in participating in the meeting are asked to make a donation to the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO account:
89 1020 5226 0000 6102 0547 2040
with the note “GEKONY”.

100% of all donations will support the Kimboza Forest Gecko Project in Tanzania.

Entrance to the zoo by the service gate from 3:30 PM.

The ninth Wild Run charity run in history is behind us. Once again, we managed to break the record – the combined total for Polish animal species: Eurasian lynxes, gray wolves, European hamsters, European bison, and European pond turtles amounted to PLN 115,872!

The event, organized by the Wrocław Zoo, the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO, and the Pro-Run Wrocław Association, was a great fun-filled event with excellent weather.

Very important for everyone participating in this year’s Wild Run. Wonderful runners competed over three different distances (100 m, 1 km, and 10 km).

We ran for Polish species

The goal of this year’s run was to support Polish animal species. The organizations receiving the proceeds from the run were with us on October 5, 2025, during the Wild Run. Guests had the opportunity to meet Michał Figura, a member of the Board of the Association for Nature “Wolf,” who eagerly signed his book “Wolves. True Stories.” Guests had the opportunity to take photos with a giant European hamster and talk with Urszula Eichert, who coordinates conservation efforts for the North line of the European hamster on behalf of the Polish Society for Nature Conservation “Salamandra.” Guests were also able to visit the stand of Lidia Sternik-Stempkowska and Jolanta Kaczmarska from the European Bison Friends Association, which was full of materials about the majestic bison. Guests also had the opportunity to talk with Borys Kala and Anna Grebieniow about the European pond turtle conservation project conducted as part of the Chelonia Program.

We broke last year’s record. Thanks to the financial support of sponsors and contributions from competitors, the total raised amounted to PLN 115,872!

The proceeds from the race will go to:

• the Association for Nature “Wilk”;

• the European Bison Friends Association;

• the Chelonia Program run by PTOP Salamandra;

• the European Hamster Protection Program.

The race opened with a competition with prizes for dressing up as an animal – a Wild Run tradition. Many runners received awards, including a beautiful owl, a fowl, bees, and flamingos.

As part of the “Drink Tap Water” campaign, Wrocław tap water was once again the official water of the Wild Run thanks to our collaboration with MPWiK Wrocław.

As last year, we asked runners to return their race numbers, which will be used in future Wild Runs. Runners who “threw their race numbers into the second oBIEG” were entered into a drawing for numerous prizes from sponsors and partners.

Financial sponsors of this year’s Wild Run include: KGHM, Penta Hospitals Polska, ProCleaner, and Aqua Serwis.

Prizes were provided by: Zegarki.pl, Skalnik, Penta Hospitals Polska, the Wrocław Zoo, Pol-Vending, DzieńFit, Lody Wanda, Przystanek ZOO, Cafe DODO, and the Medical University of Wrocław.

As with previous editions of the race, the Pro-Run Wrocław Association was responsible for professional timing, and ambulances from the Emergency Medical Service provided medical assistance.

Volunteer support from students from the Husarz Main Military Secondary School in Wrocław, the Volunteer Club at School Complex No. 8 in Wrocław, and numerous friends of the DODO Wrocław Zoo Foundation helped organize the Wild Run at the Wrocław Zoo.

We would like to thank all the runners, partners, and volunteers for their involvement in the Wild Run initiative.

We’d like to thank you for your support of our campaign to help endangered Asian animal species on the “Ubrania do Oddania” platform – Save Endangered Asia’s Animal Species with the Foundation Zoo Wrocław – DODO”!

Over the past two years, by decluttering your wardrobes you’ve donated a 3,825.13 kg ♻️ of unwanted clothes, giving them a second life while contributing a total of 3,825.13 PLN ? to the Foundation DODO. We’ve directed these funds toward conservation efforts for snow leopards, Visayan warty pigs, pangolins, Indian rhinos, and pygmy hogs in the wild.

Your actions mean more than just foundation financial support – thanks to you and your clothes passed on for reuse, we’ve saved approximately 3 million liters of water and prevented around 50,000 kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere! This is equivalent to:

? the amount absorbed in a year by over 7,500 trees!

? the emissions produced by a car traveling nearly 200,000 km!

With this summary, we must unfortunately inform you that we’re ending our campaigns on the “Ubrania do Oddania” platform.

This year brought significant changes – as the company reports, new regulations on selective collection of textile waste have resulted in a decline in the quality of donated items and an increase in disposal costs. Furthermore, restrictions on the export of used clothing, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the oversupply of low-cost clothing imported from Asia have caused to a huge increase in the stock of second-hand clothing in Europe and a drop in its market value.

In response to these market changes, the company has modified its operating model. According to the new regulations, parcel collections will no longer be free of charge, and instead of receiving 1 PLN per 1 kg, organizations now receive only 0.50 PLN.

This means that sending a 25 kg parcel requires paying at least 21.50 PLN, while the Foundation can receive no more than 12.50 PLN in return. Therefore, although we fully support the idea of a circular economy, we have decided not to continue the Foundation DODO’s campaign on the UdO platform.

Of course, we continue to encourage you to be environmentally responsible with unwanted textiles, and once again we sincerely thank again for all your support so far.