Rewilding Futures: Shaping Tomorrow's Wild

Gerardo García, born in Barcelona, began his conservation career with the Recovery Programme for the Mallorcan midwife toad. He earned a Ph.D. on the ecology and conservation of the Madagascan side-necked turtle. He led the Herpetology Department at Jersey Zoo until 2012 before becoming Head of Ectotherms at Chester Zoo. He has directed captive breeding programs and linked ex situ and in situ conservation and research efforts across multiple continents. An active EAZA member and IUCN Specialist, he became Chair of EAZA's Conservation Translocation Working Group in 2020, focusing on conservation, research, and capacity building for threatened species.Gerardo Garcia manages the Ectotherm Department at Chester Zoo, overseeing more than 300 species and contributing to global research and conservation programs. His work primarily focuses on species recovery and the reintroduction of ectotherms, playing a key role in advancing these conservation efforts. As the chair of the Conservation Translocation Working Group for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), Gerardo leads the development of a multidisciplinary network to assist institutions in adhering to translocation guidelines across various taxonomic groups. He also works to disseminate best practices across the field. In addition, he serves as the EAZA EEP Studbook Coordinator for Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) and Palawan forest turtles (Siebenrockiella leytensis), and has previously held similar roles for the mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax) and achoques (Ambystoma dumerilii). Currently, Gerardo's conservation activities focus on endangered species in diverse regions, including Britain, Spain, France, Madagascar, Bermuda, Montserrat, Mexico, Madeira, the Philippines, and Indonesia.