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Species Survival Plan ©Species Survival Plans Help Preserve Wildlife
SSP programs serve over 117 individual species through 70 plans. The Central Florida Zoological Park participates in 11 SSPs which include the cheetah, ruffed lemur, elephant, Aruba Island rattlesnake, gibbon, black-footed cat, guenon, spider monkey, cotton-top tamarin, rock iguana and clouded leopard. Through the SSP, institutions like the Central Florida Zoo seek to preserve these species by coordinating long-term breeding programs, which maximize genetic diversity. A species must satisfy a number of criteria to be selected for SSP designation. Most SSP species are endangered or threatened in the wild and have the interest of qualified professionals with time to dedicate toward conservation of these species. New SSPs are approved by the AZA Wildlife Conservation and Management Committee, with input from the appropriate Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), which manages conservation programs for related groups of species (great apes, bears, felines, etc). The Central Florida Zoo is involved in 22 Taxon Advisory Groups for amphibians, apes, canids, crocodilians, felids, lizards, New World primates, parrots, prosimians, snakes, and terrestrial invertebrates. How do SSPs work? An SSP Master Plan outlines the goals for the population. It designs the “family tree” of a particular captive population in order to achieve maximum genetic diversity and demographic stability. Breeding and other management recommendations are made for each animal with consideration given to the logistics and feasibility of transfers between institutions as well as maintenance of natural social groupings. Often, Master Plans include recommendations not to breed animals so as to avoid having the population outgrow the available space. The Central Florida Zoo coordinates the following Studbooks:
Studbooks are fundamental to the successful operation of SSPs as each contains the vital records of an entire captive population of species including births, deaths, transfers and family lineage. With appropriate computer analysis, a studbook enables the species coordinator and management group to develop a Master Plan that contains sound breeding recommendations based on genetics, demographics and the species’ biology. Several SSPs include reintroduction projects, though reintroduction of animals to the wild is not the goal of every SSP. For native species, SSPs are often linked to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Recovery Plans. While captive breeding and reintroduction are not panaceas for the endangered species problem, reintroduction projects have been successful in returning certain species to their natural places in the ecosystem. SSPs for which reintroduction is not appropriate have a positive impact on assisting the wild population through support for field projects and habitat protection, development of new technologies, public and professional education programs, and basic and applied research. |
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Today, zoos are playing an increasing role in wildlife conservation by acting as an "ark" for species in jeopardy. Biologists estimate that thousands of plant and animal species will become extinct during the next 25 to 50 years. Captive breeding programs may be their only hope for survival. To strengthen and coordinate captive programs in North America, the Species Survival Plan (SSP) was developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 1981. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining captive population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. Beyond this, SSPs participate in a variety of other cooperative conservation activities such as research, public education, reintroduction and field projects.