What do the ZOOs do for the species conservation ?

What are ZOOs and what is their position in the world today?

The collections of living animals have existed since ancient times as we can learn from the history of Chinese and Aztec rulers, and Egyptian pharaohs. Such collections had been established and owned by a number of rulers´ dynasties all over the world till the 18^th century.

The history of today’s ZOOs started in the second half of the 18th century when the first ZOOs were established in Viena (1752) and Paris (1793). Then came London (1826). After these a great number of ZOOs originated worldwide. They were established for both scientific and commercial purposes. ZOOs became gradually very popular because exotic animals possess a considerable potential of attractivity. The more leisure time the people had the more ZOOs were established, particularly at the beginning of this century.

The ZOOs are widely variable, they differ in size (5 - 500 employees, area of 0.1 - 500 hectares, budgets ranging from USD 10,00.00 to USD 60 million per year, and 10,000 - 7 million visitors) as well as in species being kept, targets, structure, purpose, and organisation.

The institution called „ZOO“ should have two basic features:

1. It owns and maintains a collection composed of predominantly wild, i.e. non-domesticated animals of one or more species that are kept in a way that enables us to watch and study animals more easily than in the wild.
2. It enables the public to visit at least a part of ZOO´s collection during the major part of the year or during the whole year.

In the course of time ZOOs were developing from classical menageries and bestiaries where animals were kept in cages and enclosures for the purpose of showing them in their diversity putting the accent on the highest possible number of species, through ZOO-parks that started to offer a more complex exhibits displaying more species, up to the most modern ones which became real conservation centres showing life in its wide complexity, with exhibits closely resembling original habitats of animals. They developed into institutions that began to contribute to the animal species conservation by supporting conservation activities in the wild, and started to create whole networks of international co-operation.

Today ZOOs and aquariums are mentioned in all basic documents produced within the framework of IUCN - The Worlds Conservation Union and their importance was further underlined by the Convention on Biological Diversity undersigned at the Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, 1992. Their importance should consist particularly in informing the public about the problems of nature conservation. They should take part in slowing down or stopping the loss of biodiversity through conservation activities, saving and reintroducing the endangered species, and through scientific and educational activities.

ZOOs are important particularly for the inhabitants of big cities that have very few contacts with real nature or who lost such contacts totally.

What are the main tasks of a ZOO in the process of biodiversity conservation?

1. Using co-ordinated programmes to support protection of populations of endangered species in situ and ex situ protecting at the same time their habitats, biotopes, and ecosystems .
2. To provide support and create background for a higher level of scientific knowledge contributing to the protection of species and nature, and assist conservationists´ community in better access to information and expertise .
3. To encourage the increase of general and political awareness of the importance of nature conservation and sustainable development and the search for a new balance between the man and nature (more than 600 million people visit more than 1,000 ZOOs all over the world each year).

• IUCN – International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources  www.iucn.org
• WWF – World Wildlife Fund www.wwf-uk.org/home.shtml
• Red data book – Red book of endangered species, issued by IUCN
• CBSG – Captive Breeding Specialist Group
• CAMP – Conservation Assessment Management Plans It is prepared for the purpose of the protection of populations living in the wild 
• GASP – Global Action Survival Plan It is prepared for the purpose of a particularsteps process in the species conservation
• GCAP – Global Captive Breeding Action Plan. It contains a world strategy of the captive breeding of certain zoological group, e.g. it specifies which regions should concentrate on given species
• CITES – Washington Convention on the International Trade with Endangered Species of Animals and Plants 
• WZO – World ZOO Organisation; a worldwide organisation of ZOOs (former IUDZG - International Association of ZOO Directors) 
• IZE – International Association of ZOO Educators
• ISIS – International Species Information System