Conservation Centers for Species Survival - Room to Roam

"Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,

And the deer and the antelope play."

I can relate entirely to the desire of the Jackson Zoo to shake off its dust and relocate to a new facility.  I've often wished that my own little zoo - straight-jacketed within the confines of our neighborhood and unable to expand - could do the same.  It's not just a wish to rebuild, free from the confines of the existing facility.  It's a recognition of the fact that one of the most precious commodities in any zoo or aquarium is also one of the most limited - space.

I read once that all of the zoos in the world could, if they were lumped together in one mass, fit within the borough of Brooklyn, New York.  That's not a lot of room if you think about it.  When you consider that zoos are trying to establish themselves as havens for hundreds of different species, with each population requiring hundreds of individuals to maintain genetic and demographic diversity, you can see how crowded things can get.  Put simply, there's not much room on the Ark.

In recent years, the AZA has undertaken a new strategy to help improve its conservation programs by providing more space for its occupants.  These facilities are known as the Conservation Centers for Species Survival, or C2S2.  There are currently a handful of such facilities, some open to the public, some not.  There ranks include the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia, The Wilds in Ohio, White Oak Conservation center in Florida, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in California, and Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas.

The C2S2 facilities are largely built around the concept of working with large ungulates, especially those that naturally live in large herds.  Maintaining these animals in larger numbers allows for improved breeding and more natural behaviors.  It can also has the advantage of not requiring nearly as much animal transportation, which is cost-effective and safe.  Under the traditional zoo conservation breeding program, each facility maintained maybe a male and two or three females of an antelope, deer, or equid species.  When breeding recommendations were made, animals had to be shipped out, sometimes across the entire country.  By maintaining several individuals in one area, it's easier and safer to swap out breeding partners.

While some of these facilities are open to the public, others are not, and even at those that are, the tremendous importance of their conservation work tends to be done quietly.  This month, we'll be highlighting the extraordinary efforts being made to save endangered hoofed mammals behind-the-scenes at the Conservation Centers for Species Survival.