Zoos and Captive Breeding

Balmford, Andrew; Kroshko, Jeanette; Leader‐Williams, Nigel; Mason, Georgia

doi:10.1126/science.332.6034.1149-k

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…For example, the ability of zoos to successfully deliver the establishment of long‐term self‐sustaining insurance populations for a large number of threatened species in their care, and the potential significance of such a population for the conservation of the species involved, remains under discussion (e.g., Bowkett, ; Lees & Wilcken, ; Balmford et al . ; Conde et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Without objective guidelines, the role of ex situ management is likely to remain contested as to its value, viability, and scope. For example, the ability of zoos to successfully deliver the establishment of long-term self-sustaining insurance populations for a large number of threatened species in their care, and the potential significance of such a population for the conservation of the species involved, remains under discussion (e.g., Bowkett, 2009;Lees & Wilcken, 2009;Balmford et al 2011;Conde et al 2011). Also, the impact of generations spent in captivity has been the subject of much debate (e.g., Williams & Hoffman, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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IUCN Guidelines for Determining When and How Ex Situ Management Should Be Used in Species Conservation

McGowan

Traylor‐Holzer

Leus³

2016

CONSERVATION LETTERS

123

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Short running title (<45 characters including spaces)IUCN ex situ management guidelines up to 10 keywords listed alphabetically for indexing purposes (It is essential that the keywords be chosen carefully to assist in the choice of appropriate editors and referees.) captive management, conservation decision-making, ex situ management, intensive management, population management, strategic planning, threatened species, Type of article Policy perspectiveNumber of words in the abstract and in the manuscript as a whole 197 words in Abstract 2879 (introduction to end of Discussion); 3236 (Abstract to end of Acknowledgements) Number of references 32 AbstractThe Convention on Biological Diversity's target of halting extinctions by 2020 is less than a handful of years away. Captive, or ex situ, management has long been cited as having a potential role to play in the recovery of species, although this remains the subject of debate. IUCN's Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) produced guidelines to assist in identifying when ex situ management may contribute to species recovery in 2002. Since then, there have been considerable developments in a range of areas that may influence the design of such programmes (e.g. understanding of constraints o breeding programmes, development of new techniques and approaches, and strategic planning approaches to species conservation). IUCN SSC has therefore revised its guidance and proposes a five step process: 1) Compile a status review; 2) Define the role(s) that ex situ management might play; 3) Determine the precise nature of the ex situ population in order to meet identified role(s); 4) Define resources and expertise, and appraise the feasibility and risks; and 5) Make a decision that is informed based on the above analysis and transparent. These guidelines offer an objective process for considering the role of ex situ management in species conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

IUCN Guidelines for Determining When and How Ex Situ Management Should Be Used in Species Conservation

McGowan

Traylor‐Holzer

Leus³

2016

CONSERVATION LETTERS

123

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“…; Balmford et al. ; Lacy ), ex situ conservation programs will be required to achieve this target because they are vital for the survival of many species (e.g., Bowkett ; Conde et al. ; Pritchard et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Target 12 of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets states that, "By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented" (http://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/). Although arguments over the validity and associated challenges of ex situ intervention in conservation continue (e.g., Snyder et al 1996;Balmford et al 2011;Lacy 2013), ex situ conservation programs will be required to achieve this target because they are vital for the survival of many species (e.g., Bowkett 2009;Conde et al 2011a;Pritchard et al 2011). The global zoo and aquarium community (hereafter zoos) represent one of the most influential and important groups of institutions to undertake such programs (Pritchard et al 2011;Martin et al 2014a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the global zoo response to the amphibian crisis through 20‐year trends in captive collections

Dawson

Patel

Griffiths

et al. 2015

Conservation Biology

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Global amphibian declines are one of the biggest challenges currently facing the conservation community, and captive breeding is one way to address this crisis. Using information from the International Species Information System zoo network, we examined trends in global zoo amphibian holdings across species, zoo region, and species geographical region of origin from 1994 to 2014. These trends were compared before and after the 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment to assess whether any changes occurred and whether zoo amphibian conservation effort had increased. The numbers of globally threatened species (GTS) and their proportional representation in global zoo holdings increased and this rate of increase was significantly greater after 2004. North American, European, and Oceanian GTS were best represented in zoos globally, and proportions of Oceanian GTS held increased the most since 2004. South American and Asian GTS had the lowest proportional representation in zoos. At a regional zoo level, European zoos held the lowest proportions of GTS, and this proportion did not increase after 2004. Since 1994, the number of species held in viable populations has increased, and these species are distributed among more institutions. However, as of 2014, zoos held 6.2% of globally threatened amphibians, a much smaller figure than for other vertebrate groups and one that falls considerably short of the number of species for which ex situ management may be desirable. Although the increased effort zoos have put into amphibian conservation over the past 20 years is encouraging, more focus is needed on ex situ conservation priority species. This includes building expertise and capacity in countries that hold them and tracking existing conservation efforts if the evidence-based approach to amphibian conservation planning at a global level is to be further developed.

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“…For instance, zoos still hold few threatened amphibian species relative to other terrestrial vertebrates (Conde et al 2011b), and they are more likely to consist of smaller population sizes than are viable (Conde et al 2013). This is difficult to explain given that authors with different views towards captive breeding (e.g., those who believe it can play only a small part in overall conservation and those who believe it is central to conservation) unite around the idea that zoos ought to house more species of amphibians (Bowkett 2009;Balmford et al 2011;Conde et al 2011a). The insufficient numbers of individuals for a given species in captivity is also hard to explain because many amphibians reproduce proficiently when in captivity.…”

mentioning

confidence: 83%