CONSERVATION

SAVING ANIMALS FOR EVERYONE

In the zoo world, there are all kinds of abbreviations, acronyms and initials for places and programs.   We often abbreviate Caldwell Zoo as CA, we're a member of WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and we're accredited by AZA (American Zoo and Aquarium Association).   Then, when it comes to conservation programs managed by AZA, ther are SSPs, TAGs, ARKS, ISIS, CITES, IUCN, the ESA and more.   It might just seem like one big bowl of alphabet soup.   But to the world's threatened and endangered species, each jumbled combination of letters has a very special meaning.

ISIS , for example, is the International Species Information System.   Through a computerized program, AZA uses ISIS to track all of the animals in captivity.   Each animal that makes its home at Caldwell Zoo has an ISIS number, much like your Social Security number.

ARKS (Animal Record Keeping System) adds even more power to ISIS, letting zoos maintain important information about each individual animal.   ARKS tracks thing like parentage (which is important when trying to maintain genetic diversity within a species), medical information and more.

One of the most important programs for endangered and threatened species is the SSP or Species Survival Plan.   SSPs are cooperative breeding programs among AZA-accredited institutions, created to ensure the survival of species in need of conservation efforts.   SSPs manage breeding to sustain a healthy captive population that is genetically diverse and demographically stable.   SSP committees meet regularly to oversee the programs, making certain that genetic diversity within captive populations in maintained, thus eliminating many inbreeding traits that might arise.

Currently, Caldwell Zoo participates in 19 SSPs for animals such as the African elephant, black rhinoceros, North American river otter, Grevy zebra, lemur, jaguar and others.   Some animals covered by an SSP are critically endangered, while others are considered threatened.   One of the most endangered species Caldwell Zoo works with is the Attwater's Prairie Chicken.   This bird is a Texas native, and there are fewer than 75 left in the wild.

Taxon Advisory Groups, or TAGs , take a broader look at the conservation needs of an entire taxonomic group of animals.   AZA sanctions almost 50 TAGs covering animals from invertebrates to mammals.   Caldwell Zoo currently participates in 10 TAGS - snakes, hornbills (birds), felids (cats), old world monkeys and bison, buffalo and wild cattle, to name a few.

The zoo community also looks to other governmental organizations for guidance.   CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (of wild fauna and flora).   Twenty-three species housed at Caldwell Zoo are listed with CITES.   The IUCN or World Conservation Union (formerly the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) and, here in the United States, the ESA, or Endangered Species Act, help track the status of many plants and animals with the hope of protecting wildlife and wild places.

With everyone's help, we can protect these magnificent creatures so that generations to come will be able to enjoy the beauty of a rhinoceros or the grace of a jaguar.