IZA Test 4

What are the 4 reasons we manage populations in zoos

biodiversity
ecosystem services
Genetic diversity (AZA) wild and captive
Space in zoos (AZA)

what do we managing in regards to biodiversity

variety of ecosystems, species, populations within a species, and genetic diversity within a species, variety, variety, variety

why conserve biodiversity

economic value of bioresources, ecosystem services, aesthetics, rights of living organisms to exist

what are ecosystem services

essential biological functions provided by living organisms like oxygen production, climate regulation, pollination, etc all split up into cultural, provisioning, regulating, and supporting services
what nature gives us

what is genetic diversity

the variety of alleles and genotypes present in the population
generated by mutation, migration, selection, and chance
Required for populations to adapt to environmental change
usually reduced in small populations and species

What is good genetic diversity

it allows the species to adapt better to environmental change and maintain higher fitness

Why does IUCN focus on conserving genetic diversity

its needed for populations to evolve and adapt to environmental change, loss of diversity is usually associated with inbreeding and reduction in reproduction, it contributes to ecosystem diversity which makes ecosystems more resilient to environmental shocks

what happens when there is low genetic diversity

reduced reproduction fitness and short-term evolution cannot occur

what is the genetic drift

change in allele frequencies of a population change over generations due to chance, occurs in all populations, is overpowers effects of evolution in small populations, may result in loss of some alleles or fixation of others
the slow drift of genes when diversity is low

what is fixation

100% frequency of an allele (no diversity)

what is the bottleneck effect

drastic decrease in population, affects genetic diversity in future generations, extreme form of genetic drift, restriction in breeding

What is the Mauritius kestrel an example of

The bottleneck effect, it was down to 4 birds and one breeding pair then went up in population but low genetic diversity caused the population to go back to decreasing

What was Isle Royal

the national park near off the coast of Michigan that closed due to hunting, animals can only cross from mainland during ice bridges so low genetic diversity in species that get trapped on the island, it focused on the moose and wolf species
the moose arrived first and then one female and two male wolves arrived and how their populations keep fluctuating, the wolf population declined dramatically and hasn't really recovered after parvovirus came to the island

what is the goal genetic diversity for managed populations

greater than 90% of diversity for 100+ years or 10 generations but that only refers to the captive population

what do zoos do when genetic diversity is too low

add founders or genetic manipulation (not great because it's expensive, and not well-researched for zoo animals)

What is a surplus animal

when there are more animals than there are resources to provide for them
Animals can become surplus as a result of space limitations, criteria may differ between institutions

what are population managers concerned with surplus

mainly with potential genetic contribution to population viability

what are institutions concerned with surplus

with display and care of individuals in a physical setting

what are the two designations for surplus

1. designated by population managers for individuals not necessary for the long-term genetic and demographic management of a captive population
2. designated by a holding institution for individuals held but no longer desired for display or breeding

What are the responsibilities of the zoo in surplus

Commitment of resources to research contraception
population management
improve the amount of higher quality off-exhibit space
develop regional retirement facilities

why might the genetic value of an animal change

population management (animals who have high genetic representation, the number of males usually exceeds what is needed, new imports may lower the genetic value of others who may then not be recommended to breed)

origin of surplus animals

Appeal of babies (babies = conservation success, media, attendance increases), Strategic planning (recommended at global, regional, and institutional levels), regional priorities change, the success of the RCP, changing institutional collection plans like changes in personnel and interest, master planning, and integration of regional and institutional planning will improve effectiveness in reducing surplus

What does RCP focus on

keeping fewer species in order to have higher capacity to build sustainable populations
they create surplus animals by choosing species to phase out

who is in charge of the disposition of surplus animals

the individual institutions even if the phasing out was recommended by an RCP or population managers

what are the disposition options

placement in other zoos (most desired option), Dealers (once common not anymore, decline in AZA dealers, don't know if the animals might end up somewhere bad), Off-exhibit holding (most common way to deal with surplus, usually not as good as exhibit space), Culling (most controversial, not allowed in Germany), Sanctuary placement (not really a viable option), Others (EAZA, WAZA, non-zoo facilities, release into wild)

Is reintroduction the main function of zoos

no

Who runs reintroSAG

AZA

Who runs the reintroduction specialist group (RSG)

IUCN

is reintroduction becoming its own scientific field

yes

What do animal rights activist believe

that animals should have the same rights as humans and therefore should not be held in zoos or owned

What do both AZA and IUCN groups say about reintroduction

it should not be carried out merely because captive stock exists or solely as a means of disposing of surplus stock

What should you consider for reintroduction

program objectives, necessary conditions, necessary conditions for release site, taxonomic issues, suitable release stock characteristics (do they have all the right skills to survive), socioeconomic and legal requirements in local area, release designs, health protocols, monitoring animals after release

what is translocation

moving animals from one place in the wild to another place in the wild for conservation purposes - common in nature preserves like moving an animal from amboseli to tsavo west
It can initiate recovery process faster than captive breeding

What are some issues regarding reintroduction planning

they can be complex, captive breeding is expensive and takes a long time, success is not guaranteed, evaluating effectiveness is difficult and goals can vary

What are some disease risks for reintroduction

transmission for captive to wild or vise versa, transmitted to animals from humans, increases mortality rates, greater concern with captive to wild than translocation

what are some things that need to be done to reduce disease risk in reintroduction animals

pre-release exam, quarantine period before release, avoiding contact with/housing near similar or same species, monitor necropsy results

what is behavioral competence

teaching skills needed for release

what do you need to consider for behavioral competence

captivity effects behavior, missed developmental opportunities, genetic changes from adapting to captivity, teaching skills is easier with some species
can be done through behavioral training programs

what are skills needed for survival in the wild

orientation and navigation
foraging
finding suitable nest/breeding sites
predator avoidance

California condors reintroduction

22 left in wild were captured and moved to aza zoos
captive population increased to 200 birds within 20 years under ssp
219 living in the wild in 2014, total of 425
more than 50 animasl join the population each year from reintroduction
12-15 chicks hatching in the wild annually

Golden Lion Tamarin reintroduction

only about 200 left in wild in 1970
28 institutions from Europe, North America, and Brazil met to develop long-term recommendations for husbandry and conservation
upgraded from CR to EN in 2003
currently about 3200 tamarins in the wild, 1/3 raised from human care

Puerto Rican Crested Toad Reintroduction

northern population extirpated by 1992 and southern population lived in small pond with two adjacent sites
listed as CR in 1987
3400 toads released
since them over 300,000 tadpoles have been reintroduced from over 20 zoos

what is accreditation

the establishment and maintenance of professional standards and evaluation of organizations
through the process a profession is judged based of criteria selected by experts in the field

according to aza if its not documented...

its not happening

What are performance standards

they measure the level of achievement considered acceptable to fulfill a performance characteristic

how do AZA achieve and maintain accreditation

must be judged by the AZA Accreditation commission as meeting and/or exceeding aza standards and embracing aza practices and philosophies done every 5 years

what is the key to meeting standards

having proper documentation

what is the visiting committee

an arm of the Accreditation Commission who actually comes out and inspects your institution and then they bring their findings to the whole commission who then makes the final decision

who determines if facilities are meeting standards, incorporating modern practices and philosophies

The Accreditation Commission - they are the final authority

do some standards have to allow for certain levels of subjectivity by both visiting committee and accreditation commission

yes

are institutions expected to continually progress and improve with rising standards

yes

ACM

Animal Care Manual

AED

Automated Emergency Defibrillator

APMC

Animal Program Management Committee

AZA

Association of Zoos and Aquariums

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

FDA

Food and Drug Administration

ICP

Institutional Collection Plan

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

SAG

Scientific Advisory Group

SDS

Safety Data Sheet

SSP

Species Survival Plan

TAG

Taxon Advisory Group

TB

tuberculosis

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture

WAZA

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

ZIMS

Zoological Information Management System

What does the accreditation process include

Internal (stakeholder) and external (peer-review) assessment, ensure zoos are meeting the highest standards, they are dedicated to animal care, welfare, well-being, public engagement, education, science, and conservation, and continuously doing those things

What does it mean to be AZA accredited

they are committed to the best practices and philosophies
its what distinguishes AZA from other institutions that have animals
All performance standards must be met

what are some characteristics of AZA facilities

Extraordinary focus on animal care, welfare, and well-being
modern facilities and practices for comprehensive veterinary care
advancement in animal care and conservation
focus and participation to support sustainable animal populations
exhibit aesthetics and habitat studies, planning, and design
innovative and inspirational educational programs and experiences
Excellence in guest engagement and effective guest services
Economic development and community partnerships
Professional staff development and training
comprehensive preparedness in public and animal safety
sound business planning and financial management
Dynamic and mission-driven strategic and master planning
"Raising the bar" and regularly advancing operational standards

what are the 5 opportunities to thrive

1. Animals receive nutritionally complete diets that bring out the natural feeding response and behavior
2. animal are afforded comfortable living experiences with choice and control to promote mentally and physically healthy behaviors
3. Animals experience good physical health
4. Animals are provided quality spaces to live in with appropriate social groupings that promote natural species-appropriate and motivated behavior
5. Animals develop natural coping skills and avoid chronic stress

what are 5 AZA accreditation standards

All records must be kept current
All animals must be kept in appropriate groupings which meet their social and welfare needs
The veterinary care program must emphasize disease prevention
Capture equipment must be in good working order and available to authorized, trained personnel at all times
Animal food preparation and storage must meet all applicable laws and/or regulations

Who do we have ACMs for

the indigo snake and the otters

Who composes the management group in SSPs

the coordinator, Vice coordinator, AZA regional studbook keeper, elected members and advisors

what is the recommended management group size

7 but up to 15

BTP

Breeding and Transfer Plan

How many goals to SSPs have to have

3, the first two relating to the viability and sustainability of the species

What are the three SSP levels

Secure, Signature, Provisional

GSMP

Global Species Management Plan

IR

institutional representatives

IL

Institutional liaisons

Can government owned species be in SSP programs

no

How long to Provisional SSPs have to make it out

5 years

What are the criteria that populations must meet for SSP

majority of population is housed in AZA member facilities
Its not externally managed
breeding exceeds acquisitions form non-aza sources over the last 5 years
the species is held in at least 15 aza facilities

How often does an SSP need to publish BTP

every 3 years

Do SSPs need to publish ACMs

yes

what is zoo biology

the most famous and prominent journal that publishes research

what are some of the subjects in zoo biology

1/3 behavioral studies
1/3 reproductive biology
the rest is on nutrition, infectious diseases, molecular genetics, environmental enrichments

what animals are most of the researched performed on

large mammals, non-human primates and carnivores make up 60% of the research

where do bird and herpetology research go

they are submitted to specialty journals

who is Robert Sommers

He was one of the first scientists to contemplate the social physiology of zoo animals

what two things can zoo architecture be categorized as?

Hard or soft

POE

Post Occupancy Evaluations the measure of how well exhibits are working all the data is collected from animals, animal care staff, and visitors

what are some future topics for zoo research

conservation psychology (Not a clearly defined field, researched publics attitudes)
Wildlife health
Ecology (studying captive animals can help us understand wildlife better)
Population dynamics and visability
Nutrition
Behavior

What is an independent variable

The variable you want to manipulate like a type of enrichment

What is a dependent variable

The variable you want to measure like the behavior of the animal

What is confounding variables

Other variables that can effect the outcome of the study like age or rain

How often does an ICP need to be evaluated and submitted to AZA

every 5 years

Who creates RCPs

TAG

Who creates specialist groups

IUCN