Breeding Loans
Zoo's often produce more animals of certain species than they can keep, yet it is not always in their best interest to sell or trade these animals and so lose their ownership and all contact with them. To avoid this it is now common practice amongst zoos to send or receive certain animals on breeding loan. Breeding loans allow us to retain ownership of our animals and give an equal share of the offspring that result to other zoos.
Species Survival Plans
What is a Species Survival Plan?
The species survival plan (SSP) was developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1981 to strengthen and coordinate captive programs in North America and to help ensure the survival of selected wildlife species.
Why have Species Survival Plans?
Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to “maintain a healthy and self-sustaining captive population that is genetically diverse and demographically stable”. SSP’s also participate in research, public education, reintroduction and field projects. These plans allow AZA member institutions to manage all captive individuals of a given species as one collection, preventing inbreeding and loss of genetic vigour. SSP’s help find good breeding conditions and suitable mates for animals that are not well represented in zoos. The SSP will also restrict breeding of animals that have already had numerous offspring.
 
How are species selected for Species Survival Plans?
A species must satisfy a number of criteria to be selected for a SSP. Most SSP species are endangered or threatened in the wild and also have the interest of qualified professionals willing to dedicate time towards the species conservation. There are currently 107 SSP’s covering 161 individual animal species. Saving Our Natural Heritage
Manitoba is blessed with a rich variety of natural communities, which support countless species of plants, animals and other organisms. These ecosystems and their wildlife bring wonder and beauty into our lives, but we are risking them by destroying wildlife habitat, carelessly polluting with pesticides and other hazardous substances, introducing invasive speces and ignoring wildlife regulations.
Once a species is eradicated, it can never reappear again - extinction is forever. Its unique genetic characteristics and its biological role in the community.
When natural communities and their species are destroyed, we not only impoverish the world, we lose the chance to make important discoveries and comparisons of processes between original ecosystems and intensively used areas such as agricultural lands. We waste opportunities to learn about nature and to generate new products for the benefit of people. In addition, we weaken the intimate relationships of wildlife with their environments, alter natural cycles of the land, water and atmosphere, and threaten the collapse of support systems for all life on Earth.
It is vital to wildlife and wild spaces that we take responsibility to protect our natural heritage through education and by supporting conservation. The Assiniboine Park Zoo and the Zoological Society of Manitoba are working in partnership to encourage visitor knowledge and appreciation of wildlife and to preserve wildlife species at risk.
Mission: Big Foot
Help us reduce our carbon footprints by participating in our wonderful new Planet Partnership program and support environmental education programs here at the zoo a the same time! Click Here for More Information
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