The Shai Doron Nature Conservation Center is officially opened at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo in memory of the former zoo director, who died suddenly in August 2024 at the age of 64.
The center, within the zoo’s Noah’s Ark display, tells the story of the institution’s efforts to conserve nature locally and globally.
The zoo and its aquarium are involved in multiple breeding programs, in partnerships with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority.
The programs help ensure the preservation of species in danger of extinction, and in many cases have led to reintroductions into the wild.
Doron, who was president of the Jerusalem Foundation when he died, established and funded many of these nature conservation projects during his 25-year tenure as the zoo’s director.
The new center presents a movie, videos and items brought from the Biblical Museum of Natural History in nearby Beit Shemesh.
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From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 1, 2026
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