Wildlife Conservation with Zoo Biology

Wildlife conservation with zoo biology is a degree that addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing life on Earth: the loss of biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems under the pressure of human activity. Conservation is both a science and a practice, requiring ecological knowledge, population biology, genetics, and behavioural science alongside the practical skills of fieldwork, surveying, and habitat management. Zoo biology brings a distinctive lens: zoological parks and collections play an increasingly important role in conservation through captive breeding programmes, research, and education, and understanding how animals behave and are managed in zoo settings is directly relevant to conservation goals.

At the University of Salford, this three-year full-time programme explores conservation theory and practice across both wild and captive settings. You will study ecology, animal behaviour, population genetics, conservation biology, and the management of wildlife habitats, developing the scientific and practical skills needed to assess and address threats to biodiversity. Your zoo biology studies will examine how captive animal populations are managed, how zoos contribute to species survival plans, and how animal welfare is assessed and maintained in institutional settings.

The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience in conservation organisations, wildlife charities, or zoo settings and the chance to encounter biodiversity challenges in an international context before you graduate.

You will develop strong field and laboratory skills, competence in data collection and analysis, and the applied ecological knowledge that conservation employers seek.

Graduates go on to careers in conservation charities, national parks, wildlife management, zoos and wildlife parks, environmental consultancy, and research. Many pursue postgraduate study in conservation biology, ecology, or related disciplines. The pressing global need for people with conservation expertise makes this a discipline with genuine career urgency as well as intellectual depth.