Ann-Katrine Garn

Ann-Katrine Garn first joined Copenhagen Zoo in 2007. She has served the institution as a zoologist and a conservation manager before being appointed director of conservation in 2024.

Copenhagen Zoo aims to set new standards in animal care through collaborative initiatives, including the breeding of endangered animals, research and communication, and nature conservation.

In her current role, Garn works with threatened species and protected area management and conservation planning, and facilitates cross-regional cooperation and knowledge sharing both in Denmark and globally.

She has a specific interest in insects and particular pollinators.

Garn has over 25 years of conservation experience. She began her career at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), where she held various roles, including project coordinator for its conservation programmes.

She then joined the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) as a project consultant.

Since 2023, Garn has chaired the IUCN National Committee of Denmark.

In this role, she has spearheaded conservation projects that align Danish conservation initiatives with global standards, including applying IUCN Protected Area Management Categories to Danish conservation areas.

She is also a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and IUCN WCPA. In 2026, she was appointed chair of the Standing Committee on Programme & Policy.

Garn also sits on the board of directors for the Red Panda Network (RPN) and has been president of the RPN European Chapter since 2024.

RPN is a world leader in efforts to save red pandas and their habitat, and its conservation programmes extend to over one million acres of forest and half of Nepal’s red panda range.