Captive breeding
is the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves,
zooA zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
s and other
conservationConservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual
organismIn biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
s to the wild, when there is sufficient natural
habitat* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
to support new individuals or when the threat to the
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the wild is lessened.
History
Captive breeding has been used with success for some species for some time, with probably the oldest known instances of captive breeding being attributed to menageries of European and Asian rulers, a case in point being the
Pere David's DeerPère David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
. The idea was popularized among modern conservationists independently by
Peter ScottSir Peter Markham Scott, CH, CBE, DSC and Bar, MID, FRS, FZS, was a British ornithologist, conservationist, painter, naval officer and sportsman....
and
Gerald DurrellGerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell, OBE was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter...
in the 1950s and 1960s, founders of the
Wildfowl and Wetlands TrustThe Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust is a wildfowl and wetland conservation charity in the United Kingdom. Its patron is Queen Elizabeth II.It was founded in 1946 by the ornithologist and artist Sir Peter Scott, initially as the Severn Wildfowl Trust...
and Jersey Zoo - who demonstrated success with a wide variety of life forms in the 1970s ranging from birds (e.g.
Pink PigeonThe Pink Pigeon, Columba mayeri, is a species of Columbidae endemic to Mauritius, and is now very rare. It was on the brink of extinction in 1991 when only 10 individuals remained, but its numbers have increased due to the efforts of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust since 1977...
), mammals (e.g.
Pygmy HogPygmy hog is an endangered species of small wild pig, previously spread across India, Nepal, and Bhutan but now only found in Assam. The current world population is about 150 individuals or fewer...
), reptiles (e.g.
Round Island BoaThe Bolyeriidae are a family of snakes native to Mauritius and a few islands around it, especially Round Island. In the past they also occurred on the island of Mauritius, but were extirpated there due to human influence and foraging pigs in particular. These snakes were formerly placed in the...
) and amphibians (e.g. Poison arrow frogs). Their ideas were independently validated by the success of Operation Oryx (under the auspices of the
Fauna and Flora Preservation SocietyFauna & Flora International , formerly the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society, is an international conservation charity and non-governmental organization....
), which captive bred the
Arabian OryxThe Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian peninsula...
starting in 1963 for eventual
reintroduction to the wildThe Arabian Oryx , also called the White Oryx, was extinct in the wild as of 1972, but was reintroduced to the wild starting in 1982. Initial reintroduction was primarily from two herds: the "World Herd" originally started at the Phoenix Zoo in 1963 from only nine oryx and the Saudi Arabian herd...
. The
Przewalski's horsePrzewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
has recently been re-introduced to the wild in
MongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, its native habitat.
Captive breeding coordination
The breeding of endangered species is coordinated by cooperative breeding programmes containing international studbooks and coordinators, who evaluate the roles of individual animals and institutions from a global or regional perspective.
There are regional programmes for the conservation of
endangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
:
- Americas: Species Survival Plan
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild....
SSP (Association of Zoos and AquariumsThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
AZA, Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums
CAZA)
- Europe: European Endangered Species Programme
The European Endangered Species Programme or EEP is the most intensive type of population management for a species kept in European Association of Zoos and Aquaria zoos...
EEP (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria-External links:*...
EAZA)
- Australasia: Australasian Species Management Program ASMP (Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria ARAZPA)
- Africa: African Preservation Program APP (African Association of Zoological Gardens and Aquaria PAAZAB)
- Japan: Conservation activities of Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an organisation for the Japanese zoo and aquarium community. Currently, JAZA has about 90 member zoos and 70 member aquariums in Japan. JAZA seeks to protect nature and animals through educational and conservation outreach.-History:JAZA was...
JAZA
- South Asia: Conservation activities of South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation
The South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation or is an organization for South Asian zoos and aquariums. SAZARC was established on August 4, 2000 at the first meeting of South Asian Zoos, held at Central Zoo, Kathmandu, Nepal, initiated by the Zoo Outreach Organisation . It became a...
SAZARC
- South East Asia: Conservation activities of South East Asian Zoos Association
The South East Asian Zoos Association is an organization for South East Asian zoos and aquariums with the vision that "member zoos utilize their animal collections for the primary purposes of educating our public by imparting messages on the urgent need for environmental conservation in a manner...
SEAZA
Challenges
Such techniques are usually difficult to implement for highly mobile species like some migratory birds (e.g.
craneCranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
s) and fishes (e.g.
HilsaIlish , also spelled Elish, is the most popular fish to Bengalis. Its the national fish of Bangladesh and extremely popular in parts of India such as West Bengal, Orissa, Tripura, Assam as well. Ilish also can be found at India's Assamese-, Bengali- Oriya-speaking regions and in Telugu-speaking...
).
If the captive breeding population is too small,
inbreedingInbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
may occur due to reduced
gene poolIn population genetics, a gene pool is the complete set of unique alleles in a species or population.- Description :A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic diversity, which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intense selection...
, which may lead to the population lacking immunity to diseases and other problems. Over sufficient number of generations, inbred populations can regain "normal" genetic diversity.
Impacts of captive breeding include behavioral problems in released animals and lack of conservation of habitats being destroyed while a species is being bred. Behavioral problems include not being able to hunt or forage for food leading to starvation. Released animals often do not avoid predators and are not able to find ample shelter for themselves and may die as a result.
Golden Lion TamarinThe golden lion tamarin also known as the golden marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae...
mothers often die in the wild before having offspring because they do not have the climbing and foraging skills they need to survive. This results in populations continuing to decline despite reintroduction because the species does not produce viable offspring. Training can improve antipredator skills, but the effectiveness of such interventions is influenced by a number of constraints.
Another challenge with captive breeding is the habitat loss that occurs while they are in captivity (though it is occurring even before they are captured). This may make release of the species unviable if there is no habitat left to support larger populations. The Sumatran Rhino will not survive purely in captivity and loss of habitat is a major factor in their extinction. If their habitat disappears, captive populations as well as wild ones will disappear along with it.
See also
- Breeding in the wild
Breeding in the wild is the natural process of animal reproduction occurring in the natural habitat of a given species. This terminology is distinct from animal husbandry or breeding of species in captivity...
- Ex-situ conservation
Ex-situ conservation means literally, "off-site conservation". It is the process of protecting an endangered species of plant or animal outside of its natural habitat; for example, by removing part of the population from a threatened habitat and placing it in a new location, which may be a wild...
- Species Survival Plan
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild....
or SSP
- European Endangered Species Programme
The European Endangered Species Programme or EEP is the most intensive type of population management for a species kept in European Association of Zoos and Aquaria zoos...
or EEP
- World Conference on Breeding Endangered Species in Captivity as an Aid to their Survival
The World Conference on Breeding Endangered Species in Captivity as an Aid to their Survival is the world's first conference on Captive breeding...
or WCBESCAS
- Panda pornography
Panda pornography refers generally to movies depicting mating pandas, intended to promote sexual arousal in captive Giant Pandas...
- Zooborns
ZooBorns is a zoology news blog that announces animal births at AZA, EAZA, CAZA and WAZA accredited zoos and aquariums. The site was founded in 2008 with the mission to "educate while it entertains", and typically shares conservation information along with pictures and video of baby animals.The...
External links