Ouwehands Zoo birthday campaign calls attention to nature conservation

In honor of its 90th birthday, Rhenen's Ouwehands Zoo has unveiled customized crosswalks in several cities that resemble crumbling snow, complete with a polar bear painting. Words on the street ask pedestrians to take a moment to consider the polar bear's vanishing habitat.

The special crosswalks can be found in Utrecht, Den Bosch, Wageningen, Veenendaal and Rhenen. The goal is to send a clear message about the importance and urgency of nature conservation, according to the zoo.

"In recent years, it has been our main goal to make people aware of the beauty of nature and the importance of preserving it, for people to commit themselves to species conservation and nature conservation," said Robin de Lange, the zoo's director. "With our 90th anniversary, we think it is a good time to clearly communicate this message.”

The zoo turned 90 years old on Saturday. It evolved from a chicken farm in Grebbeberg that founder Cornelis Willem Ouwehand started in 1919. The zoo has since expanded to 22 hectares.