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Species Most zoo-to-zoo trips are by a species and then join the SSP. The
Survival Plans land, so we may begin behavioral
modifications to prepare for the trip,
Species Survival Plans (SSPs) of the such as training animals to enter a
Association of Zoos and Aquariums trailer. We also maintain a group of
can determine which species should be trusted animal movers, professionals who
managed among multiple zoos and even understand and are dedicated to caring
which individual animals should move. for our precious cargo. In some cases,
members of our own animal care staff
The Chicago Zoological Society accompany our transferee on the trip.
participates in 113 SSPs.
Upon arrival at the receiving zoo, the
Tropic World animal is placed in quarantine—in most
cases for 30 days—and if dietary changes
Primates are needed, they are made incrementally
to be less disruptive to the animal.
Allen’s Swamp Monkey
Angolan Colobus Brookfield Zoo animals arrive and
depart for four primary reasons:
Bornean Orangutan
Common Squirrel Monkey 1. To bolster the diversity of the
animal collection for guests.
Cotton-Top Tamarin
Geo roy’s Marmoset 2. To support national or
international breeding programs.
Goeldi’s Monkey
Golden Lion Tamarin 3. To improve genetic pairings of
animals or create populations with
Pygmy Loris sound demographic structures.
Slow Loris
Western Lowland Gorilla 4. To potentially aid in reintroducing SSPs, including for gray seals and snowy
White-Cheeked Gibbon animals back into the wild.
Preserving
Threatened
Species
The Chicago
Zoological Society
participates in 113
Species Survival Plans
(SSPs) of the Association
of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA). Based on data from
conservationists around the world,
experts at AZA determine which
species are most imperiled in the wild
and can best be safeguarded through
zoo breeding programs that increase
populations in managed settings.
Once an SSP is established, a zoo
accredited by AZA can decide if it wants
goal is to maintain genetic diversity
and demographic stability, such as the
male-to-female ratio, of each species.
With 232 institutions in North
America accredited by AZA—each with
dozens or hundreds of species and often
thousands of animals—you can imagine
how incredibly complicated it is to keep
track of all this. AZA must determine
which zoos participating in an SSP have
which individual animals; analyze the
animals’ reproductive capacity, age, and
sex; calculate all of the genetic relationships
from ancestry; and much more.
Fortunately, there’s software that makes
this analysis much easier, and one of the
Society’s conservationists, population
geneticist Dr. Robert Lacy, helped develop
it. PMx analyzes a population from
genetic and demographic standpoints
to run through pairing scenarios.
Each SSP has a manager, as well
as a studbook keeper who maintains
a “studbook,” a record of all the
movement, breeding, births, and deaths
of a species. Society staff manage 15
owls, and the studbooks for 16 species,
such as binturongs and Jamaican boas.
These two are in charge of making a
recommendation on a transfer. Once
they do, institutions are encouraged to
provide feedback on a number of variables.
Perhaps the behavior of one herd
member would make it difficult for a
new animal to easily adjust. Or maybe
scheduled construction on an exhibit
makes the timing inopportune. Zoos
or aquariums might make suggestions
about which is least disruptive: moving
a male or a female. Some species are
patriarchal and some are matriarchal.
As an example of the latter, gorillas have
an alpha male who is in charge, so we try
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