For a long time, doves have symbolised Peace. And for Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, one of today’s most influential, original and powerful authors, as well as a strong advocate for environmental and feminist causes, the choice of name for one of Zoomarine’s newest and rarest residents could only be Zelensky, in recognition of “the intense defence he makes of his own people”. And so was named one of the fewer than 170 Socorro doves left in the world.

During her visit to the Algarve, Margaret Atwood not only enjoyed a family trip to Zoomarine, where she interacted with dolphins, but also recorded a literary interview for RTP3 (with Ana Daniela Soares, at Zoomarine’s new Butterfly Garden), took a boat trip in the Ria Formosa, and went birdwatching at Lagoa dos Salgados.

This four-day stay in the Algarve was made possible through cooperation between Zoomarine, Algarve Tourism Agency, Albufeira City Council and Faro City Council.Once common in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, located about 600 km west of the Mexican coast, this species, Zenaida graysoni, has been extinct in the wild since 1972. In 2022, only around 170 individuals survive worldwide, spread across just 35 progressive zoos (30 in Europe and 5 in North America).

Zoomarine welcomed its first pairs of these birds in February of this year. The young males (now around two years old) arrived in September 2021 from Ostrava Zoo (Czechia, formerly the Czech Republic), while the females were transferred from Barcelona Zoo (Spain) shortly before Christmas. Since then, Zoomarine has joined the distinguished and highly restricted group entrusted with the challenging and delicate task of serving as a “Noah’s Ark” for one of the most endangered species on the planet.

Meanwhile, Zoomarine’s strategy within the EEP – European Endangered Species Programme [EAZA Ex situ Programme] for this species is already yielding positive results. Two chicks have been born following the pairing of Zelensky and Esperanza – a promising sign for the future of this rare and special group of birds in Portugal.

Nevertheless, the future is far from easy… Even with such a remarkable international writer as their “godmother”, the fight for the survival of the Socorro dove continues to present immense and difficult challenges. Yet hope remains – and here in the Algarve, at Zoomarine, the dream of saving this species lives on. Its ironic name and tragic history only reinforce the urgency of Nature Conservation. And in this mission, even the life stories of Margaret Atwood – a recurring candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature – are vital to help spread the message that every voice, like every species, is unique; every rare individual is essential; and every contribution can become both memorable and urgent.

“Together We Protect”.