Captive Breeding

Question	Answer
Conservation	In situ: eg. nature reserves Ex situ: eg. breeding programmes In situ best but not always poss: habitat/species loss, reduced diversification, irretrievable loss of stock
Ex-situ Conservation To protect species from dying out & reintroduction of animals to wild	Extinction is forever! Arabian Oryx, Przewalski's wild horse, black-footed ferret & golden lion tamarind Partula snails of French Polynesia only exist in captivity
Conservation priorities	Need to prioritise species Carefully managed by professionals at national, regional & global levels through TAG Flagship species=chosen to represent environmental cause
Captive breeding	The process of breeding animals outside of their natural environment in restricted conditions in farms, zoos, or other closed facilities Controlled by humans
Captive breeding carried out to:	Produce animals for commercial purposes Produce animals for zoos etc Increase captive populations, numbers of threatened or endangered species
In some cases, these individuals are part of a management programme aimed at eventually reintroducing captive-bred animals into wild habitats and populations	In other cases, captive facilities claim to be breeding animals for such purposes, but animals are not suitable o part of legitimate conservation and management
Issues in Captive Breeding	Getting animals together Genetic goals Behavioural competence
Why have breeding programmes?	Awareness and education Information, ideas and skills Safeguarding the gene pool
Care must be taken to ensure that 'genetically' animals are exactly the same as those found in the wild, so that they do not become 'inbred'	EEP has a Species Coordinator responsible for collecting info about that species Assisted by species committee, makes recommendations as to which animals should breed or be exchanged
European Studbooks (ESBs) have a studbook keeper that manages the population to a lesser extent	Studbook keepers only able to advise participants on where to send animals
Genetic variability	To maintain as much genetic material as possible To discourage the possibility of inbreeding between closely related animals All animals born in zoos are entered into studbook database
Studbook Recommendations	Studbook keeper makes recommendations for animal transfers, breeding and husbandry developments Might been particular species cannot be bred from - so neutered or on contraception
Edinburgh Zoo holds studbooks for Diana, L'Hoest's and Hamlyn's monkey, king and Gentoo penguins and Pallas cats	EAZA TAGs decide who will keep studbook for particular species and if book will be kept at all Abilities and conditions for keeping such as studbook are much more important than the number of animals kept
What is a studbook?	International genealogical register of endangered, threatened or rare animals in captivity Studbook keeper is entrusted to person with expertise on species in question
Will they be returned?	Reintroduction is an attempt to establish species in area once part of range, but now extinct Translocation is the deliberate and mediated movement of wild individuals/populations Reestablishment implies reintroduction is successful
Will they be returned?	Reinforcement or supplementation of individuals to existing populations Within former natural habitat Population should be viable. free-ranging Socio-economic and legal requirements
Examples of successful reintroduction	Przewalski's Horse, European Mink Waldrapp Ibis, European Bison Californian Condor, common dormouse Mallorcan midwife toad British Field cricket Scimitar horned oryx
Is conservation breeding important? 1st official recognition by IUCN 1987-document detailing logic/contribution 1993-convention on Biological Diversity	UK CBD involved in action plans for: 391 species 45 habitats 162 local biodiversity Details importance of zoos in-situ conservation
Captive breeding is important for:	Increasing public & political awareness Managing genetic variability Supporting wild populations Managing whilst habitats are repaired Fundraising
Where do animals come from?	Captive bred: majority from here, purchase of animals from other zoos, transfers/exchanges between zoos Donations: public or private, taken from wild, orphans/injuries/disease risk/threat of extinction
E.g. The Panamanian Golden Frog	Taken from the wild due to lethal chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) June 06 - Scientists were forced to remove remaining frogs from wild & keep in captivity
Legal Requirements	Requirement for zoos to include conservation Breeding programmes developed
Conservation	"In a perfect world there would not be a need for zoos or other conservation organisations nor would we be living through this period of mass extinctions. Fortunately, in 21st century, good zoos have risen to challenge and becoming united/powerful force" BIAZA

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	Created by serenacutbill almost 11 years ago