Are SSPs just about captive breeding?
No. “The basic idea, ” notes Zoo Curriculum and Content Specialist Gabby Hebert, “is to create a genetically diverse and stable population in captivity to ideally re-populate the wild with that stock. For many species, though, that isn’t possible.” SSP goals also include public awareness, education, research, training for wildlife professionals, developing and testing technologies for both breeding and field conservation, and, in the best cases, reintroducing species into restored or secure natural habitat. Gabby explains, “When an animal is part of an SSP, there is extra funding that goes toward research and conservation efforts like habitat restoration and working with local people (in the species’ natural habitat) to help them live and make money without destroying the habitat of the animal.” The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) coordinates the SSP’s. For each species, a master plan records and designs the “family tree” of a managed (captive) population to maximize geneti
