Evaluating the Contribution of North American Zoos and Aquariums to Endangered Species Recovery

Abstract

The challenge of recovering threatened species necessitates collaboration among diverse conservation partners. Zoos and aquariums have long partnered with other conservation organizations and government agencies to help recover species through a range of in situ and ex situ conservation projects. These efforts tend to be conducted by individual facilities and for individual species, and thus the scope and magnitude of these actions at the national level are not well understood. Here we evaluate the means and extent to which North American zoos and aquariums contribute to the recovery of species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), by synthesizing data from federal recovery plans for listed species and from annual surveys conducted by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. We found that in addition to managing ex situ assurance populations, zoos frequently conduct conservation research and field-based population monitoring and assessments. Cooperatively managed populations in zoos tend to focus on species that are not listed on the ESA or on foreign listings, and thus it may be beneficial for zoos to manage more native threatened species. Our results highlight the existing contributions, but also identify additional opportunities for the zoo community to help recover threatened species.

Expected demographic and genetic declines not found in most zoo and aquarium populations

“…Although not all species with managed populations in zoos are threatened (Che‐Castaldo et al . 2018) and not all threatened species are appropriate for ex situ breeding (Conde et al . 2011; IUCN SSC 2014), maintaining viable animal populations continues to be an important way in which zoos and aquariums help to preserve biodiversity (Balmford et al .…”

Commonalities in Management and Husbandry Factors Important for Health and Welfare of Captive Elephants in North America and Thailand

“…About a third of Asian elephants today are managed under human care, used in religious, cultural, educational, and tourist activities [4]. Though not a panacea, captive breeding can aid species conservation efforts [5][6][7], and in the case of elephants, serve as sources of animals for reintroduction [8,9]. Most captive Asian elephant populations are not self-sustaining, however, due to higher mortality than birth rates.…”

Maximizing biodiversity conservation through behavior change strategies

“…Zoos need to have an increased focus on selecting activities that can mitigate direct threats to the species or environmental issues. This is supported by the findings of Che‐Castaldo et al () that zoos need to redirect their efforts on more threatened species, and invest less action in the well‐protected species. As such, zoos can be more strategic in the projects they select, when identifying threats, when promoting more purposeful activities to specifically address them, and finally, when encouraging conservation behaviors and public engagement, for which zoos are primed to lead impactful conservation projects.…”

“…In recent years, zoos have added the push for biodiversity conservation to their list of roles (Patrick, Mathews, Ayres, & Tunnicliffe, ). To date, these organizations have been found to have hundreds of projects for endangered species conservation, including managing ex situ populations, in situ conservation research, and active attempt to engage their visitors in conservation actions (Che‐Castaldo, Grow, & Faust, ). Zoos share their conservation efforts on their websites, social media, and with annual reports (AZA, ).…”