On October 4th 2026, the tenth Wild Run charity run will take place!
We invite you to run through the Wrocław zoo or virtually, if you cannot be in Wrocław in Poland.
We are thrilled that our charity run has been so popular for so many years.
The tenth run will be special, we will be running for ten endangered animal species.
Funds raised during this year's Wild Run will go to organizations that conduct conservation projects:
• European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) - Polish Society for Nature Conservation SALAMANDRA in Poland, Europe
• Turkmenian kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) - Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative in Kazakhstan, Asia
• Silver-backed chevrotain (Tragulus nigricans) - Re:Wild in Vietnam, Asia
• African manatees (Trichechus senegalensis) - African Aquatic Conservation Fund in Senegal, Africa
• Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) - HUTAN in Borneo, Malaysia,
• Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) - Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in India, Asia
• Palawan hornbills (Anthracoceros marchei) - Katala Foundation in the Philippines, Asia
• African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) - SANCCOB in South Africa, Africa
• blue geckos (Lygodactylus williamsi) - Kimboza Forest Gecko Project in Tanzania, Africa
• pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) - Polish Society for Nature Conservation SALAMANDRA, Europe.
As always, the main race covers a distance of approximately 10 kilometers — two laps of about 5 kilometers each.
We also invite the youngest participants to a 100-meter race, and youths (aged 9–16) to a race of approximately 1 kilometer.
Registration opens on July 30th 2026, at 12:00 PM. www.wildrun.eu
We invite sponsors to collaborate with us.
WILD RUN – SAVE THE ANIMALS OF THE WORLD!
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 16th, 2026.
We cordially invite you to the 5th 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 20th
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 25th
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 10th 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 10th 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 13th 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 13th 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 27th 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 27th 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.
At 3:45 PM, the youngest runners ran in a symbolic 100-meter race. All the young naturalists received a medal featuring a lynx – this year’s Wild Run ambassador – and small gifts from sponsors. Shortly after 4:00 PM, the youth set off in the 1-kilometer race. Marta Kruk, a personal trainer from Dzień Fit, then took the stage to lead a warm-up for the runners in the main 10-kilometer race. Runners had 90 minutes to complete the race, but the fastest runners completed the distance in just 35 minutes.
The race was held under the honorary patronage of the Mayor of Wrocław, Jacek Sutryk.
We are delighted with the tremendous support from our sponsors and partners.
As every year, since the first edition of the Wild Run, Bistro Laguna has supported us with delicious regenerative meals. For just as long, our runners have been receiving comfortable canvas bags from Orfin as part of their starting packages. This year, they feature a lynx, of course.
In the running village, runners were greeted by interesting stands from sponsors: KGHM, Penta Hospitals Polska, Dzień Fit, the Wrocław Zoo, the Foundation ZOO Wrocław – DODO, and the Medical University.
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.


