Thomas Arndt posthumously honoured with 2025 Gorilla Award at Loro Parque
Puerto de la Cruz’s Loro Parque has awarded the 2025 Gorilla Award posthumously to ornithologist Thomas Arndt, a notable figure in parrot research and publishing. The ceremony took place at the Government of the Canary Islands, led by Loro Parque’s president, Wolfgang Kiessling.
Attendees included Lope Afonso, vice president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, and Christoph Kiessling, president of Loro Parque Fundación. The award was accepted by René Wüst, who continues Arndt’s legacy through Arndt Verlag, the publishing house he founded.
Wolfgang Kiessling described Arndt as a modest scientist whose passion for parrots was evident through his work and interactions at international parrot congresses. Kiessling emphasised the importance of merging scientific knowledge with animal welfare, lamenting that Arndt could not receive the award in person but noting that his contributions live on in the field.
Christoph Kiessling highlighted Loro Parque’s longstanding philosophy: understanding nature is vital to protecting it. Since its establishment in 1994, the foundation has helped save 18 species from extinction and has been involved in over 300 conservation projects in 56 countries, investing $32 million in biodiversity.
Kiessling also remarked on the success of the recent XI International Parrot Congress held in Tenerife, which attracted over 800 participants from 57 countries, celebrating the knowledge shared by contributors like Arndt.
Rafael Zamora, scientific director of Loro Parque Fundación, shared personal memories of Arndt from his visits to photograph rare species in Tenerife, where he developed a comprehensive photographic encyclopaedia of parrots.
Arndt’s extensive achievements included coordinating the Spix’s Macaw programme for ZGAP in 1986, co-founding the Fund for Threatened Parrots in 1989, and serving on the board of the Strunden Papageien Stiftung from 1998 to 2017. His international contributions included advising Burung Indonesia on protected area management and developing environmental education programmes.
As the founder of Arndt Verlag, he published numerous specialized works on parrots and edited the PAPAGEIEN magazine for over three decades.
Established by Wolfgang Kiessling in 2003, the Gorilla Award recognises outstanding contributions to environmental protection, biodiversity, and animal welfare. Through this award, Loro Parque acknowledges Thomas Arndt’s legacy and reaffirms its dedication to science, education, and the conservation of endangered species.
