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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yordan Koshev and PhD student Yasen Gensuzov from the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBER-BAS) visited the Leipzig Zoo in the Federal Republic of Germany, where they presented activities from the project “Securing the Recovery of the Endangered Saker Falcon in Bulgaria and Southern Romania”, funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme. Their presentation focused in particular on the research and conservation efforts for the Romanian hamster (Mesocricetus newtoni) in Bulgaria.
Leipzig Zoo is one of the largest in Europe and runs an extensive breeding and reintroduction program for the Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) in the Saxony region. In autumn 2025, the zoo hosted the 32nd Meeting of the International Hamster Working Group, which welcomed over 140 participants.
In September 2026, The Habitat Foundation (Netherlands) and IBER-BAS will organize the “Small Mammal Conservation” Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria. This event will combine the next 33rd International Hamster Working Group meeting and the 9th European Ground Squirrel Meeting.
On this occasion, Thomas Liebenstein, head of the Common Hamster conservation program at Leipzig Zoo, officially presented the ceremonial bell to the scientists from IBER-BAS, which is traditionally used to announce the opening of each hamster-focused conference.