Slovakian and Hungarian Zoos for the Conservation of Native Fauna along the border regions

Hungarian and Slovakian project partners with complementary competences in animal rescuing, joined forces to raise public awareness on the conservation of natural values with emphasis on rescuing protected animal species of the borderline regions. An essential condition of success is to engage more visitors to touristic attractions related to this topic. We build a rescue center and demonstration facilities in Budapest, where professionals medicate, keep and display more than one thousand individuals of protected bird, small mammal and reptile species in a year, and these animals are in high interest by the visitors. Infrastructures are an educational trail, called "Bottomland forest", as well as breeding facilities for reptiles and aviaries for birds in Kosice. Through joint marketing actions, we develop know-how on the role of innovative solutions in analysing and attracting visitors with education purpose, and develop educational game through mobile application for youth, educational program for public through digital informational board and educational documentary film. We organize professional workshops, webinars, international conferences, and electronical compilation to build professional capacities both in rescue work, education and marketing. We deliver exchange of experience to form long-term, non-formal organizational network of organizations and institutions active in the field of protection of nature and environment. Based on the new attractions, new capacities and findings of the project, direct marketing actions will be delivered to support quality tourism in borderline area of our two neighbouring states, resulting in attracting more than ten thousand new visitors.