How Has The Number Of Captive Breeding Programs Grown And Developed Over The Last Decade?

The number of captive breeding programs has not changed very much over the past decade. Thousands of species are maintained by captive breeding in zoological parks all over the world. What has changed is that many more of the programs within zoos and elsewhere are now being managed better.

A few decades ago, programs were haphazard, with little planning regarding the numbers of pairs needed each generation, little attention to good genetic management, poor record-keeping, and often poor cooperation among institutions. For many hundreds of species now, multiple institutions work together, sharing techniques, data, and animals.

The breeding programs that are currently in operation have to meet stated demographic and genetic goals. Pedigrees are maintained and carefully analysed and pairs are selected to maintain high levels of gene diversity. The animals are cared for to the highest standard and a higher rate of successful breeding and release into the wild is expected.