Cybell Kiessling, Ricardo Fernández de la Puente and Wolfgang Rades participated in a forum, alongside the Global Humane Society, advocating for certifications of good animal welfare practices.
Loro Parque Group Chief Administrative Officer Cybell Kiessling, along with the company’s Director of Institutional Relations, Ricardo Fernández de la Puente, and Loro Parque Foundation Conservation Officer Wolfgang Rades, participated this Tuesday in a roundtable discussion at the European Parliament. This roundtable brought together tourism and animal welfare experts, as well as members of the European Commission and the European Parliament, aiming to exchange ideas on how to build a more sustainable tourism sector with high animal welfare standards.
Cybell Kiessling, Loro Parque Group CAO, accompanied by Ricardo Fernández de la Puente, Director of Institutional Relations, and Wolfgang Rades, Conservation Officer at the organization, actively participated in the roundtable.
Cybell Kiessling reaffirmed Loro Parque’s commitment to animal rescue, care, and protection, principles that have guided the park since its inception and that align with the vision of the humanitarian NGO Global Humane Society. She emphasized that the recent birth of a new orca calf to Morgan, who lives on the premises, reinforces the institution’s commitment to the well-being and conservation of marine mammals.
As part of the event, representatives from the NGO based in Washington —including Kashyap Choksi, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Global Humane Society, as well as Thomas M. Edling, Director and Animal Ethicist—presented the organization’s ecotourism program. This initiative seeks to ensure the humane treatment and care of animals while promoting sustainable practices worldwide.
Some of the highlighted programs include No Animals Were Harmed, focused on certification for the film industry, as well as other conservation, agriculture, tourism, rescue, and working animal protection projects that contribute to raising global animal welfare standards. Last year alone, more than one billion farm animals were protected; more than 85,000 animals were assisted, sheltered, and rescued; and 500,000 animals were safeguarded in zoos and aquariums around the world.
The event concluded in the afternoon with a screening of the Global Humane Society documentary, Escape from Extinction: Rewilding.
