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Species Survival Plan
 
 
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The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation....
 to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoo
Zoo

A Zoology garden, abbreviated to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity. In addition to their status as tourist attractions and recreational facilities, modern zoos may engage in captive breeding programs, conservation study, and educational outreach....
s and aquarium
Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. fishkeeping use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants....
s, most of which are threatened or endangered
Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters....
 in the wild.

SSP programs focus on animals that are in danger of extinction
Extinction

In biology and ecology, extinction is the death of every member of a species or group of taxon. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species ....
 in the wild, when zoo conservationists believe captive breeding programs may be their only chance to survive. These programs also help maintain healthy and genetically diverse
Genetic diversity

Genetic diversity is a level of biodiversity that refers to the total number of Genetics characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary....
 animal populations within the zoo
Zoo

A Zoology garden, abbreviated to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity. In addition to their status as tourist attractions and recreational facilities, modern zoos may engage in captive breeding programs, conservation study, and educational outreach....
 community.






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The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation....
 to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoo
Zoo

A Zoology garden, abbreviated to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity. In addition to their status as tourist attractions and recreational facilities, modern zoos may engage in captive breeding programs, conservation study, and educational outreach....
s and aquarium
Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. fishkeeping use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants....
s, most of which are threatened or endangered
Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters....
 in the wild.

SSP programs focus on animals that are in danger of extinction
Extinction

In biology and ecology, extinction is the death of every member of a species or group of taxon. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species ....
 in the wild, when zoo conservationists believe captive breeding programs may be their only chance to survive. These programs also help maintain healthy and genetically diverse
Genetic diversity

Genetic diversity is a level of biodiversity that refers to the total number of Genetics characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary....
 animal populations within the zoo
Zoo

A Zoology garden, abbreviated to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity. In addition to their status as tourist attractions and recreational facilities, modern zoos may engage in captive breeding programs, conservation study, and educational outreach....
 community. AZA
Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation....
 accredited zoos and AZA
Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation....
 conservation partners that are involved in SSP programs engage in cooperative population management and conservation efforts that include research, public education, reintroduction
Reintroduction

Reintroduction is the deliberate release of species into the wild, from captive breeding or relocated from other areas where the species survives....
, and in situ or field conservation projects. There are currently 181 species covered by 113 SSP programs in North America.

SSP Master Plan

An SSP Master Plan is a document produced by the SSP coordinator (generally a zoo professional under the guidance of an elected management committee) for a certain species. This document sets breeding goals and other management recommendations to achieve the maximum genetic diversity
Genetic diversity

Genetic diversity is a level of biodiversity that refers to the total number of Genetics characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary....
 and demographic stability for a species, given transfer and space constraints.

See also

  • Association of Zoos and Aquariums
    Association of Zoos and Aquariums

    The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation....
     (AZA)
  • Captive breeding
    Captive breeding

    Captive breedingis the process of breeding rare species or endangered species in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife preserves, zoos and other conservation biology facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient natural habit...
  • European Endangered Species Programme
    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
  • Zoo
    Zoo

    A Zoology garden, abbreviated to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity. In addition to their status as tourist attractions and recreational facilities, modern zoos may engage in captive breeding programs, conservation study, and educational outreach....


External links

Many AZA-accredited zoos engage in SSP programs and discuss them on their websites. The following links are to a small selection of those sites: