The World Zoo - International Union for Conservation of · PDF fileThe World Zoo Conservation...

The World Zoo

The Role of the Zoos and Aquaria of theWorld in Global Conservation

IUDZG—The World Zoo Organization and

The Captive Breeding Specialist Group of IUCN/SSC

Executive Summary

© 1993 IUDZG—The World Zoo Organization. All rights reserved.Published by the Chicago Zoological Society, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, Illinois 60513, U.S.A.

Citation: IUDZG/CBSG (IUCN/SSC), 1993. Executive Summary, The World Zoo Conservation Strategy; The Role of the Zoos and Aquaria of the World in Global Conservation.

Additional copies of this publication are available free upon request to:CBSG, 12101 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124-8199 U.S.A.Please include $3 U.S. for postage and handling.

Printed on recycled paper with soybean-based ink.

ISBN: 0-913934-21-6

Illustrations and AcknowledgmentsCover: Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). Mike Greer.Page 1: Black rhino (Diceros bicornis). Bruce Brewer.Page 3: Evolution of Zoos. George Rabb.Page 6: Grevy‘s zebra (Equus grevyi). Mary Rowen.Page 10: VORTEX. Robert Lacy and Terry Kreeger.Page 11: Lowland gorilla (Gorilla g. gorilla). Mike GreerPage 12: Simulated African national park in a zoo. Nancy Pajeau.

Designed by Diane Cavalieri and Krista Mozdzierz.Published by means of a generous gift from the Chicago Zoological Society.

community is able and pre p a red to dedicate itsg reat potential to conservation, and that there isa definite course of action to be followed to thispurpose. The primary aim is to support the con-servation of species, natural habitats and ecosys-tems. The many aspects of zoo conservationelucidated in the Strategy are intended to com-plement and not substitute for other conserva-tion activity. The Strategy strongly advocatesintegration of zoo conservation efforts with thoseof other conservation bodies. By endorsingp reparation of the World Zoo ConservationS t r a t e g y, IUCN and WWF—The Wo r l d - Wi d eFund for Nature, have shown their support.

Executive Summary of

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy

The Role of the Zoos and Aquaria of the World in Global Conservation

I n t ro d u c t i o n

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy is an ini-tiative of IUDZG—The World Zoo Org a n i z a t i o n ,and the Captive Breeding Specialist Gro u p(CBSG) of the Species Survival Commission ofIUCN—The World Conservation Union. Manyzoo and aquarium professionals contributed to the contents of the Strategy, and thus, it truly is a document of the global zoo and aquariumc o m m u n i t y.

The World Zoo Conservation Strategyclearly demonstrates that the zoo and aquarium

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy, Executive Summary1


The World Zoo Conservation Strategy sum-marizes current views on the role of zoos andaquaria in global conservation. Being a “livingdocument”, the Strategy will evolve over timeas conservation needs change and philosophiesa re further defined. With the release of the firstedition of the Strategy it is fully recognized that,while many zoos and aquaria and their org a n i-zations have pro g ressed far in their contributionsto conservation, others still have much to achieveb e f o re they can reach the goals set out by theS t r a t e g y. The Strategy anticipates, however, thatall responsible zoos will increase their conserva-tion activity, and it provides guidance and sup-port for this pro c e s s .

Aim and Objectives of the World Zoo Conservation Strategy

The aim of the World Zoo Conservation Strategyis to help conserve the earth’s fast-disappearingwildlife and biodiversity in general. Its mainobjectives are :

1 . To identify the conservation areas in whichzoos and aquaria can make a contribution andto determine how these institutions can sup-port and facilitate the processes leading toconservation of the nature and sustainable useof natural re s o u rc e s .

2 . To develop understanding and support for theconservation potential of zoos and aquariaf rom national and international authorities aswell as other social and political bodies ando rganizations.

3 . To convince local zoo and aquarium authori-ties and conservation agencies that pre s e n t l ythe greatest purpose to be served by the exis-tence of these institutions is the contribution

they can make to conservation, both dire c t l yand indire c t l y.

4 . To assist zoos and aquaria in the formulationof conservation priorities and policies.

5 . To indicate how contributions by the individ-ual zoo and aquarium can be augmentedt h rough the extension and intensification ofcontacts in the global zoo and other conserva-tion networks.

To Whom is the Strategy Addre s s e d ?

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy is primar-ily written for:

1 . National and international policy and deci-sion makers and local government authorities,who can influence the contribution of zoosand aquaria to conservation.

2 . Zoo governing bodies, councils, benefactorsand others, who can directly influence andsupport the conservation policy course ofindividual zoos and aquaria.

3 . Zoo and aquarium professionals, includingd i rectors, curators, animal keepers, educators,and public relations officers, who may use theStrategy as a tool to enhance their institution’sconservation efforts and convince others ofthe need.

4 . Other conservation organizations and govern-ment agencies responsible for conservation inthe wild.

Zoos in a Changing Wo r l d :Their Evolution Will Continue

Collections of wild animals have been in exis-tence since antiquity. The history of modernzoos, however, started some 200 years ago withthe creation of the first public zoos. Since thattime large numbers of zoos have been estab-lished in all parts of the world, and a great diver-sity has arisen among these institutions, whichnow vary from zoos with general collections tospecialized institutions such as aquaria, bird-parks, primate zoos, and safari parks. The Wo r l dZoo Conservation Strategy refers to all of thesezoological institutions as “zoos”.

G reat changes have taken place in theworld since the establishment of the first publiczoos. Changes in human society include ani n c rease in the amount of free time and an ele-

Section 1

Conservation: The Central Theme of Zoos

vation of the overall educational level. An enor-mous gain in knowledge of all aspects of life haso c c u r red in the biological sciences. But, at thesame time, there has been, and still is, an ever-i n c reasing threat to species, habitats, and ecosys-tems throughout much of the natural world.These and other changes, have had far- re a c h i n gconsequences for zoos, which have evolveda c c o rdingly from menageries into highly com-plex, professionally managed zoological parks.

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy con-cludes that this evolution of zoos should con-tinue. Caring for our planet’s biological systemsis one of the greatest challenges to humankind.C o n s e q u e n t l y, conservation is being seen as thecentral theme of zoos, and zoos should thus fur-ther evolve into conservation centres. The lead-ing zoos have already taken the first steps on thispath; many other zoos should be stimulated,guided, and helped to follow.


Zoos are rapidly evolving to servein multiple ways as conservationcentres. The horizontal arrowsindicate that professionalcapacities of concern and subjectscommunicated to the public in earlier phases of zoo develop-ment are now vital services toconservation. As conservationcentres, zoos must additionallyaddress sustainable relationshipsof humankind and nature, explainthe values of ecosystems and the necessity of conservingbiological diversity, practise theconservation ethic throughout zoooperations, and cooperate withinthe world zoo network and withother conservation organizations.Immersion exhibits involve zoovisitors in the environmentalcircumstances of the animals, andsuch experiences are conducive tofavourable reception by visitors ofstrong conservation messages.

The World ConservationStrategy: Zoo Initiatives Wi l lHelp Achieve its Goals

The World Conservation Strategy issued by IUCN,U N E P, and WWF in 1980, its successor Caring forthe Earth published in 1991, and various re l a t e ddocuments, as well as the Convention on BiologicalD i v e r s i t y, have provided the impetus for the for-mulation of the role that the zoo community willplay in conservation. These documents urg esustainable use of the earth’s natural re s o u rc e sand biodiversity, and establishment of a newequilibrium between human societies and thenatural enviro n m e n t .

The World Conservation Strategy empha-sizes that there are three major initiatives bywhich the zoo community can help to achievethese goals:

1 . By actively supporting the conservation of endangered species populations and theirnatural ecosystems.

2 . By offering support and facilities to incre a s escientific knowledge that will benefit conser-v a t i o n .

3 . By promoting an increase in public and polit-ical awareness of the necessity for conserva-tion, natural re s o u rce sustainability, and thec reation of a new equilibrium betweenhumans and nature .

These objectives will provide the basis for themission statements of all zoos that will play arole in reaching the goals of the World ZooConservation Strategy.

The Global Zoo Network: G reat Potential forConservation Eff o r t s

Although there are many more institutions thatcould come under the term “zoos”, the Strategyis directed primarily at the more than one thou-sand zoos that are organized in zoo associations.Such associations exist at the national level inmany countries throughout the world, and at aregional level on several continents and subcon-tinents. At the global level, IUDZG—The Wo r l dZoo Organization, re p resents the zoo commu-n i t y. The zoos participating in this network havedemonstrated a desire to work together in as t ru c t u red manner towards a common future ,and thus form the basis for further develop-ments in the framework of the World ZooConservation Strategy.

The global zoo network is unique in twoways. Firstly, collectively the zoos of the net-work are visited annually by at least 600,000,000people (approximately 10% of the current worldpopulation). This number of visitors is unequal-led by any other group of public, conservation-oriented institutions. Secondly, zoos form anetwork of public institutions which—in numer-ous countries, cities, and urban areas of theworld—focus on living organisms and naturef rom all parts of our planet, instead of concen-trating only on local or regional conservationi s s u e s .

The enormous numbers of people re a c h e dby the zoo network, coupled with the global per-spective in which each individual zoo pre s e n t sthe elements of nature, results in great potentialfor global conservation through the zoo network.The World Zoo Conservation Strategy there f o readvocates further development of this networkand strengthening of all ties within the zoo com-munity as well as links between the zoo networkand other conservation organizations and initia-t i v e s .



mal adaptations, behaviour, re p roduction, andnutrition, but also more complex subjects such asevolution and ecology. Conservation themes areof special importance in zoo education pro-grammes. Zoo programmes can explain howeasily the subtle balances in natural habitats andecosystems are disturbed by human interfere n c e ,and the connections between human consump-tion and lifestyle and the survival of species andbiological systems. Species and habitat conser-vation projects and re s e a rch activities conductedby zoos offer living illustrations for zoo conser-vation education, and form direct links with thepractise of conservation.

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy con-cludes that zoo education programmes deserves t rong support from authorities and conserva-tion agencies. However, the Strategy specifies anumber of important conditions for good edu-cation in zoos, such as the necessity of a pro f e s-sional approach, knowledge of composition andmotivation of the zoo public, the adoption of ac l e a r-cut educational plan for the zoo, and theuse of evaluative techniques. The maintenanceof high standards of animal housing and hus-b a n d r y, resulting in optimal well-being and nat-ural behaviour of zoo animals, is also crucial toe ffective zoo education. Additionally, exchangeof educational knowledge, information, andexpertise between zoos in all parts of the worldwill enhance the effectiveness of the global zoonetwork for conservation education.

Section 2

Education: An Essential Conservation Ta s k

The sheer mass visitation to zoos makes themexcellent institutions to increase public aware-ness of the irreplaceable values of nature .Education is there f o re an essential conservationtask of zoos.

The living animals that attract the visitorsform the basis for zoo education. They provide aunique harmony between the re c reational pur-pose of a visit to the zoo and effective education.The attractiveness of living charismatic animalsserves as a starting point to stimulate the visitors’i n t e rest in the subtle relationships and balancesof the living world.

The zoo public is not only large, but alsob road in its composition, including all levels andsections of society. Informal zoo education there-f o re should be directed towards widely diverseg roups, not exclusively towards childre n .People from a variety of educational institutionstake advantage of zoo facilities and thus formspecific target groups for formal education. Sucheducational institutions range from nurseryschools to universities.

Because of the diversity of audiences forzoo education, great skill, cre a t i v i t y, and inven-tiveness is re q u i red of zoo educators, as is theuse of a wide variety of educational techniques.C o n s e q u e n t l y, zoo education must continue tobecome a profession in its own right.

An inexhaustible array of biological andother themes can be explained through zoo edu-cation. These include classic themes such as ani-

Zoo Animal Collections:Basic to All Zoo Conservation Ta s k s

It is estimated that the thousand-plus federatedzoos of the world collectively house some1,000,000 animals, predominantly higher verte-brates. An increasing proportion of this totalnumber is made up of individuals belonging toe n d a n g e red species. The World Zoo Conserva-tion Strategy encourages zoos to dedicate moreof their space to such species, and to register allindividual animals with ISIS, the InternationalSpecies Information System.


Responsible zoos base their animal collec-tion plans on conservation objectives—includingeducation, re s e a rch, and species conservation—while clearly considering animal welfare issues.In several parts of the world, national, andregional zoo associations have started pro c e s s e sto coordinate collection planning of memberzoos. The Strategy advocates eventual globallyc o o rdinated fine adjustment in the planning ofall zoo collections.

Living animal collections are basic to theconservation tasks of zoos, and these collectionsthemselves can only be conserved by guarantee-ing satisfactory longevity, propagation, and wel-f a re of individual animals. Knowledge of wild

Section 3

Species and Habitat Conservation: D i rect Zoo Contributions

animal husbandry has increased greatly in re c e n tyears, resulting now in the need for populationsof many species to be regulated by cooperativezoo efforts in order to avoid over- p o p u l a t i o n .Collective efforts are also re q u i red to exchangeaccumulated husbandry and re p ro d u c t i o nknowledge and experience for species that donot as yet breed optimally in zoos.

Although zoos have pro g ressed far, andwill continue to support the establishment ofstable captive populations of the species theykeep, the acquisition of animals from the wild isimportant under certain conditions, particularlywhen necessary to the survival of species disap-pearing in nature. Animals should be re m o v e df rom the wild only if this, in one way or another,contributes to the long-term survival of thesespecies, especially in their natural habitats.F u r t h e r m o re, collection of wild animals mustalways take place in agreement with the re s p o n-sible conservation authorities. The World ZooConservation Strategy takes the position that thec o m m e rcial trade in animals taken from the wildshould cease as soon as possible as a source foracquisition of zoo animals.

Ex Situ ( O ff Site) Conservation:Supporting Species Survivalin the Wild

Apart from maintaining animal collections as abasis for zoo education and re s e a rch, zoos canalso directly contribute to preventing of extinc-tion of endangered species. This is accomplishedby propagation of populations of such speciesex situ ( o ff site—away from their original naturalhabitat). Ex situ conservation is not an alterna-tive for, but rather is complementary to conser-vation of those species in their original habitats(in situ, or on site). Consequently, ex situ z o opopulations should be managed so as to supportthe survival of species in the wild. In accord a n c ewith the IUCN Policy Statement on CaptiveB re e d i n g (1987) and the Convention on BiologicalD i v e r s i t y (1992), the World Zoo ConservationStrategy asks for strong support of ex situ c o n-servation programmes from the zoo community

as well as from authorities and conservationagencies where such programmes are shown tobe in the species’ best interest. In an incre a s i n gnumber of cases, ex situ populations are cru c i a lcomponents of species survival.

Risks of genetic degeneration and domesti-cation can be minimized by cooperatively man-aging ex situ zoo populations according to strictguidelines. Population management guidelinesa re directed towards retaining as much of theoriginal genetic variability as possible. Populationsp roperly managed can serve as valuable geneticreservoirs for species survival in nature .

Small population management theory hasadvanced significantly during the past decade,and is being continuously refined. Tools for pop-ulation analyses are available in the form of stud-books, sophisticated population managements o f t w a re, and computerized animal re c o rd data-bases (such as the ARKS system, used by over400 zoos, and the International SpeciesInformation System, ISIS). Population manage-ment practises are organized in regional bre e d-ing programmes. These have been, or are being,developed in all major regions of the world.C u r re n t l y, there are regional breeding pro-grammes for over 300 endangered species. TheWorld Zoo Conservation Strategy calls for fur-ther increase in the number of such pro g r a m m e s .National and international authorities are askedto facilitate legal transfers of animals within theframework of ex situ p rogrammes aimed at sup-porting propagation and at minimizing loss ofgenetic variability and other unwanted eff e c t s .

The Captive Breeding Specialist Gro u p(CBSG) of the Species Survival Commission ofIUCN forms a link between the Wo r l dConservation Union and zoo-based ex situspecies conservation. It acts as a catalyst inb reeding programme development and facili-tates global coordination of regional pro-grammes. Furthermore, it enhances liaisonsbetween zoo programmes and the in situ c o n s e r-vation activities of IUCN, the SSC’s many spe-cialist groups, other international conservationo rganizations, supranational authorities, andgovernmental agencies. Such liaisons should bedeveloped as much as possible.



Liaisons between ex situ and in situ c o n s e r-vation efforts are expected to become of everg reater importance: captive and wild populationsof endangered species may have to be managedinteractively and then should be considered ascomponents of “metapopulations”. Species sur-vival will come to rely on cooperation between allparties involved in ex situ and in situ c o n s e r v a-tion, and on recognition of the interd e p e n d e n c yof their conservation efforts and the need for theirmutual re i n f o rcement.

Capacity: Space Limitations Require C a reful Choice of Species

Depending on species-specific parameters, apopulation of 250 to 500 individuals is re q u i re dto maintain sufficient genetic variability for aperiod of at least 100 years. Based on the appro x-imately 1,000,000 animals living in the 1,000o rganized zoos of the world, and assuming thathalf of the available space in these zoos will beavailable for animals in ex situ b reeding pro-grammes, it is estimated that the zoo communitycan maintain healthy populations of 1,000 to2,000 endangered species. The number could bei n c reased if a higher proportion of space is usedfor endangered species, if more zoos join theglobal zoo network, or if private breeders ofe n d a n g e red species participate in breeding pro-grammes and abide by the cooperative ru l e s .

Nevertheless, space is very limited andc a reful choice of species for ex situ c o n s e r v a t i o nsupport is re q u i red. Firstly, the conservationcommunity should determine which specieswould benefit most from support by ex situ p ro-grammes. The Captive Breeding SpecialistG roup has developed techniques for this assess-ment, and other IUCN specialist groups andconservation agencies are called on to gives t rong support to CBSG’s efforts. Secondly, zoosshould determine which species they can bestmaintain and breed, and which species are likely toraise public consciousness through zoo education.

Conservation needs and zoo stre n g t h sshould be combined in the formulation of

Regional Collection Plans (RCPs) that identifywhich endangered species will be supported byex situ b reeding programmes of regional zooassociations. Global attunement of regional col-lection plans will lead to Global Captive ActionPlans (GCAPs) for all major animal groups likelyto be held by zoos.

O b v i o u s l y, the careful choice of whichspecies will benefit most from zoo-based bre e d-ing programmes re q u i res lengthy consideration.At the same time, prompt action must be possi-ble in cases where quick rescue operations arethe only possibility for survival of criticallye n d a n g e red species.

Although the total number of specieswhose survival can be directly supported by e xs i t u p rogrammes is limited, the World ZooConservation Strategy emphasizes that theimpact of this contribution on conservation ismuch greater than the raw figure of 1,000 to2,000 would indicate. Sometimes the speciesconcerned are key species in their habitats, andtheir conservation is crucial to hundreds or eventhousands of other species in the same enviro n-ment. More often, species involved in ex situp rogrammes can serve as flagships, raising con-siderable public interest in the conservation ofthe natural areas from which they originate.

Artificial Reproduction and Cryopre s e r v a t i o n :Biotechnology in Support of Conservation

The use of techniques for artificial re p ro d u c t i o nmay one day enhance the management of ex situpopulations, and can aid in the retention of max-imum genetic variability. Various pilot studieshave shown that techniques such as artificialinsemination and embryo transplantation can beapplied to several vertebrate groups. Muchm o re re s e a rch is needed, however, to explore thefull range of applications of these technologiesfor species conservation.

C r y o p reservation of gametes andembryos may also be used to great advantage in

re i n t roduction. Additionally, factors thre a t e n i n gre i n t roduced animals should be eliminated fro mre i n t roduction areas, and the carrying capacity ofsuch areas should not be exceeded.

R e i n t roduction and restocking pro j e c t shave been undertaken with more than 120species. Fifteen of these re i n t roductions haveresulted in the establishment of self-suff i c i e n tpopulations to date. Many projects, however,a re still in too early a stage to assess their out-come, and techniques are rapidly impro v i n g .The World Zoo Conservation Strategy empha-sizes that well pre p a red and managed re i n t ro-duction and restocking projects are of cru c i a limportance to gather knowledge and experiencefor future efforts. Scientifically based pro j e c t st h e re f o re deserve full support of the zoo com-m u n i t y, IUCN/SSC specialist groups and con-servation authorities. Such projects are not likelyto be successful within only a few years; ratherthey re q u i re long-term commitment of all partiesi n v o l v e d .

Zoos will not be operating independentlyin re i n t roduction and restocking pro j e c t s .Instead, cooperative groups of zoos will act assuppliers of animals, with studbook keepers andb reeding programme coordinators of the re l e-vant species being actively involved in thisp rocess. Animals will be supplied on a sustain-able harvesting basis, and a genetically anddemographically healthy zoo population will beretained for possible future projects. Projects willalways be carried out in agreement with IUCNguidelines and within regulations of the conser-vation authorities of the recipient countries, aswell as in cooperation with IUCN/SSC specialistg roups and other conservation agencies.R e i n t roduction projects can often benefit habitatand species protection through careful publiceducation and publicity.


species conservation programmes. Banks off rozen germplasm can serve as genetic re s e r-voirs, and can act as a third component of speciesconservation, with in situ and ex situ p o p u l a t i o n sbeing the other components. As with artificialre p roduction techniques, much re s e a rch isneeded before the advantages of cryopre s e r v a-tion can be fully used for the conservation of awide range of endangered species.

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy callson all involved parties to intensify exploration ofartificial re p roduction and cryopreservation astechniques for supporting species conservation.It also calls for an integrated use of cryopre-served genetic reservoirs in ex situ and in situpopulation management strategies. Yet theStrategy cautions against an overestimation ofthe value of cryopreserved genetic material.Living populations—in situ as well as ex situ—a re essential to preserve non-genetic learnedbehaviour patterns, for these may be crucial tospecies survival. Thus, deep frozen geneticmaterial is useless without living populations.Zoos are called on to use all knowledge andskills available to preserve crucial natural behav-iours in ex situ p o p u l a t i o n s .

Back to Nature: ZooAnimals for Reintro d u c t i o nand Restocking

Ex situ zoo populations can directly support thein situ survival of some species by providing thenuclei for re-establishment or re i n f o rcement ofwild populations in nature .

The World Zoo Conservation Strategyemphasizes—in accordance with the IUCN posi-tion statement on Translocations of LivingO rg a n i s m s issued in 1987—that such re i n t ro d u c-tions and restocking projects, when pro p e r l yapplied, can bring great benefits to natural bio-logical systems. Careful consideration should,h o w e v e r, be given to genetic and behaviouralquality of animals for re i n t roduction, to pre v e n t-ing transfer of pathogens and parasites to nat-ural areas, and to mixing of subspecies thro u g h

The World Zoo Conservation Strategy, Executive Summary1 0

Zoo-based knowledge and re s e a rch notonly are important to ex situ conservation, butalso have great relevance to in situ c o n s e r v a t i o n .The World Zoo Conservation Strategy calls onthe global zoo community to continue addingits special knowledge to nature conservation,and whenever possible to increase the amount ofthis contribution. Conservation org a n i z a t i o n sa re encouraged to utilize fully the special knowl-edge of zoos and to support zoo-based re s e a rc h ,as ex situ and in situ re s e a rch are closely inter-twined in re g a rd to nature conservation. In par-t i c u l a r, zoo knowledge of the biology of smallpopulations will become more and more re l e-vant to conservation of wild species as habitatsa re further reduced in area and the geographicranges of species are increasingly fragmented.

Zoos have always been, and continue to be, gre a tpotential sources of basic scientific knowledge.All zoos are encouraged to make their animalcollections available for ethically re s p o n s i b l ere s e a rch endeavours. The scientific communityis encouraged to make good use of the facilitieszoos off e r.

P roper management and conservation ofzoo collections and ex situ populations re q u i reextensive scientific knowledge in a wide range ofbiological and veterinary disciplines. Muchknowledge has been accumulated over the pastc e n t u r y, but still more needs to be acquire dt h rough scientific re s e a rch. As the average zoohas only limited staff to undertake re s e a rc h ,cooperation with re s e a rch institutions, universi-ties, and nature conservation agencies should besought. Zoo authorities and re s e a rch and con-servation bodies are called on to increase finan-cial contributions for zoo-based re s e a rc h .

In view of limited re s e a rch re s o u rces, thezoo community must identify re s e a rch priorities.Individual zoos, zoo associations, breeding pro-gramme coordinators, and regional bre e d i n gp rogramme organizations all have a role to playin this process. The Captive Breeding SpecialistG roup of IUCN/SSC will assist in integratingre s e a rch action plans.

The World Zoo Conservation Strategyencourages the establishment of banks ofre s e a rch material and databases of re s e a rch datain order to enable more effective zoo re s e a rch. Inaddition to being published in scientific booksand periodicals, re s e a rch data should be madeavailable to zoos in an easily accessible form ino rder to ensure the best practical use of suchdata. Data should not remain in internal re p o r t s ,but should be distributed as widely as possiblewithin the zoo and conservation community.

Section 4

Knowledge and Research: C rucial to Conservation

VORTEX is apowerful computerprogramme forassessing speciespopulation viabilityon the basis ofgenetic, demographic,ecological, andcatastrophic factors.It has been applied to wild populationsof rhinos, puma, and other species aswell as to captivepopulations. It isavailable throughC B S G .

Zoos are institutions that can uniquely integratetheir three major conservation tasks of enviro n-mental education, re s e a rch, and species andhabitat conservation. Combined with the enor-mous public interest in zoos and the ever moreintensive cooperation within the worldwide zoonetwork, this integrated approach provides ag reat potential for conservation. This potentialshould be used to the very best advantage.

When this is realized, the zoo communitywill be a powerful ally to conservation agencies,authorities and networks in the construction ofa time bridge. Such a time bridge will be neces-sary to help as many species, habitats, andecosystems as possible survive the destru c t i o nthat is likely to continue for at least some timeinto the future. By supporting the survival ofnatural elements and by continuously working

to increase public awareness, zoos will help tolimit the degree of the expected crises, thusi n c reasing the chance of restoration of naturalsystems there a f t e r.

The World Zoo Conservation Strategys t rongly emphasizes that cooperation, coord i n a-tion, and interaction in all conservation eff o r t sa re the only means for success. The time haspassed for diverse conservation groups to insistdogmatically upon their individual viewpoints.The Strategy there f o re urges the entire global zoonetwork and all other conservation-oriented net-works to integrate and intensify their eff o r t st o w a rds their mutual goals. This great muster-ing of all available re s o u rces will be crucial togiving our Earth’s biosphere the best possiblechance for survival of its biological wealth ofgenes, species, and ecosystems.


Section 5

The Way Forward: To w a rd sa New Integration


A simulation of a warden‘s station of an African national park in a zoo. Visitors are immersed in the environmentalsetting here, and experience the human elements as well as the biological. The conservation efforts of zoos are primarilyexpressed through such educational exhibits, research, and ex situ population management of species threatened withextinction. More and more, zoos are linking their work directly to the survival of species in the wild, especially in thenational parks and protected areas of the world, and are engaged in outreach and training activities to assist governmentalagencies and others in management of these areas.

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