Conservation
Endangered Species | Species Survival Plan | Rescue & Rehabilitation
Cactus Rustlers | Cheetah Conservation | AAZK

Species Survival

Among the most celebrated of the Species Survival Plans in the United States is the plan for the California Condor. Thanks to the excellent breeding success at the Los Angeles and San Diego Zoo, the condor population is growing.
The Black-footed Ferret is also benefiting from such careful breeding programs and is being released back into the wild. These are but two of 56 designated SSPs involving 228 American and international zoos.

Several animal exhibits at The Living Desert have signs indicating special breeding efforts in a Species Survival Plan. Attempts to reintroduce Thick-billed Parrots into southeastern Arizona have not met with much success to date. However due to the efforts of facilities like The Living Desert, we are learning so much about reintroduction.

Many endangered animals may soon be extinct in the wild. Captive breeding programs may be their only hope for survival. Some are breeding here quite successfully.

Animal exhibits displaying this symbol indicate that The Living Desert is cooperating with other zoos and aquariums throughout North America to manage and breed these species. Species Survival Plans (SSPs), coordinated by the American Zoo and Aquariums Association (AZA), are attempting to maintain as many different blood lines as possible, with a mix of ages and sexes, to ensure healthy, vigorous animals to breed now and in the future.

If and when the world's natural habitats can be effectively protected or restored, descendants of these animals may well repopulate the wild.

Sensitive species in carefully managed breeding Programs at
The Living Desert include:

In a spirit of organized cooperation, zoo professionals are taking a stand to help save some of the animals most in peril. AZA has recognized that many of the endangered species breed well in captivity and has developed Species Survival Plans to help improve the odds against extinction for many species.

What does a zoo try to do with a SSP species?

Zoos involved in SSPs each attempt to manage a few critical species by:

• increasing the captive population of the species through breeding programs and maintaining a healthy captive population
• providing animals that might be reintroduced into the wild, if proper conditions exist
• serving as a refuge for a species destined for extinction
• maintaining frozen sperm, egg and embryo banks to supplement the germ plasma in wild populations, and using embryo transplants and artificial insemination in captive propagation
• developing more successful techniques of captive animal husbandry

Sadly, there are many more species in trouble than zoos can adequately care for, so strict criteria must be applied to the choice of animals in Species Survival Plans.

Which endangered animals qualify for SSP status?

• There must be enough individual animals to constitute a "founding population." One of the considerations here is that there be sufficient genetic diversity to avoid excessive in breeding
• There must be enough captive breeding specialists to develop and carry out the program until it reaches "captive preservation status," meaning that there is stable and consistent reproduction within the population
• Other determining factors of a breeding program for SSP designation are the relative degree of endangerment, the probability of success, and the uniqueness of the species. If it is the only representative of taxonomic family or genus, the species usually gets priority as long as it meets the other criteria for selection.

Species not selected for SSP management may still be bred in zoos. Special Population Management Plans (PMPs) guide the management of these species.

Bookkeeping for Species Survival Plan animals

There are two main records that must be kept. One is for the ISIS, the International Species Information System, that ties zoos into a central computerized data bank. The ISIS computer has been described as the world's "dating service," because it keeps track of individual animals for breeding purposes. The other important record is the studbook, the main pedigree reference book for the species. Living Desert staff, incidentally, helped design the ISIS system and are studbook keepers for six species.

Using ISIS and studbook records, the SSP managed group analyzes the captive genetics and demographics of the species. The group considers population size and structure, fertility, and patterns of survival. It also determines how much space is available for the species at zoos and in other captive situations. With all of this information, the SSP group makes recommendations on the scientific management of the species

Related Links:

On the trail of Cactus Rustlers
Kids Cactus Page
Cheetah Conservation Fund
U.S. Fish and Game Wildlife Service - Endangered List by U.S. Region
AAZK - American Association of Zoo Keepers
Department of Fish and Game
Felid Taxon Advisory Group
Ultimate Ungulate
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy