The Role of Ex-Situ Management in the Conservation of Amphibians

Kevin Zippel Bob LacyIUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group

The uncomfortable truth …

• Although there is much uncertainty, many species of amphibians are at very high of extinction in the wild, and may be lost forever if effective ex situ programs are not initiated very soon.

• 100? 500? 1000? 2000?

• Precautionary Principle

What is being done?

• “... it is morally irresponsible to document amphibian declines and extinctions without also designing and promoting a response to this global crisis.”

• … and the ex situ community is responding!

• 1990s – DAPTF – the declines are real and serious

• 2004 – GAA results announced– we are in an extinction crisis

• May 2005 – ARAZPA/SEAZA/CBSG

• August – CBSG convenes planning meeting

• September – Amphibian Conservation Summit– call to action

– designation of Amphibian Specialist Group

• October – WAZA/CBSG annual meeting

• November – CBSG hires APO

• February 2006 – Panama meeting

• April – AZA Training, with sponsorships• May – PAAZAB• May – Mexico Training and Strategy• June – ASA structure meeting• August - WAZA/CBSG annual meetings• September – AZA, EAZA• September – Madagascar• October – Costa Rica• Colombia, Tanzania, …

The Mandates• 2005 IUCN ACAP White Papers:

– “Survival assurance colonies are mandatory for amphibian species that will not persist in the wild long enough to recover naturally once environments are restored; these species need to be saved now through ex-situ measures so that more complete restoration of ecosystems is possible in the future”

• 2005 IUCN ACAP Declaration:

– “The ACAP recommends prioritized ... captive survival assurance programs ... to buy time for species that would otherwise become extinct...”

• 2006 IUCN ACAP Report:

– “The only hope for populations and species at immediate risk of extinction is immediate rescue for the establishment and management of captive survival-assurance colonies”

Making the Mandate Tangible

To save from immediate extinction every species that needs ex situ conservation, ...

• … each zoo must commit to secure the future for one amphibian species.

• ~500 zoos working individually and together = ~500 species saved

Are zoos and aquariums ready to respond?

• Currently very limited capacity to hold and breed amphibians in the world’s zoos (10/60, 10%)

• Most collections are cosmopolitan mixes with inadequate attention to hygiene and biosecurity

• Limited numbers of staff with amphibian skills

Do we have the resources?

• If each visitor contributes just 2 cents for amphibian conservation, then we will have all the funds that we need.

• If each zoo would devote to amphibians the resources that are devoted to the care of one high-profile, big mammal species in your collection, then we will have all the resources that we need.

We do have (or can have) the needed financial resources!

• Direct allocation from existing conservation or collection budgets

• Special fund-raising, individually and collectively

We do have (or can have) the needed financial resources!

• Direct allocation from existing conservation or collection budgets

• Special fund-raising, individually and collectively

But the rest of the task will be challenging!

Challenges: We need more …

• Facilities

• Expertise

• Knowledge

• Techniques and standards

• Communication and coordination

• Partnerships

• Public awareness, support, and action

Challenges: We need more …

• Facilities

• Expertise

• Knowledge

• Techniques and standards

• Communication and coordination

• Partnerships

• Public awareness, support, and action

Help is on the way!

WAZA and CBSG are together taking responsibility for helping to coordinate the global amphibian ex situ conservation response

WAZA and CBSG are together taking responsibility for helping to coordinate the global amphibian ex situ conservation response

Working in close partnership with the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group

WAZA/CBSG Amphibian Ex situ Conservation Workshop

• 13-15 February, 2006, El Valle Panama

• CBSG facilitated

• 50 participants from 14 countries

• 4 Working Groups focusing on two of ACAP topics

Working Group Themes

• Organization

• Best Practices

• Species Selection

• Rapid Response

But how do we decide how many resources to allocate,

which species to save,and what receives priority for

immediate action?

IUCN Red List Assessment for all 5,918 Known Amphibian Species

456

769

671

369

2236

1382

plus a handful of biologically or phylogenetically unique taxa

IUCN SSCAmphibian Specialist Group

Global Amphibian Assessment• Will identify candidate list of species at high

risk of imminent extinction if not provided the short-term protection of ex situ breeding

• Will identify species of high ecological, evolutionary, economic, or cultural importance

• Will help to monitor coverage and gaps

• Will help to identify resources and opportunities

WAZA, Regional Associations, partnerships, and individual institutions

• Identify resources (survey and develop)• Identify geographic, taxonomic, or other interests and

opportunities• Match resources and interests with candidate list• Assess readiness and likelihood of success• Do it!• Communicate and coordinate globally• Seek, support, develop links to in situ conservation

EW/CR Taxa for AZAZoo Association Region/# regional taxa total # of EW/CR taxa

per zoo associationAZA North America 4 69-350

Caribbean 65help Latin American ZooAssociations

ARAZPA Oceania 49 49EAZA Europe 0 4-67

West and Central Asia 4help SEAZA and PAAZAB!(maybe ARAZPA)

JAZA East Asia 10 10North Asia 0

Latin American Zoo Assoc.s Mesoamerica 142 282South America 140

PAAZAB sub-Saharan Africa 33 33North Africa 0

SEAZA South & Southeast Asia 30 30

What Can My Zoo Do?• Commit to saving at least one species

– build rescue center onsite, in area in need, preferably both

– get your staff trained and involved

• Support and expand existing efforts– rescue programs, field surveys, regional programs, and

local conservation projects

• Participate in the global public awareness and capital campaigns

Build expertise

• AZA Amphibian Biology & Management - April– 3 years, >60 students– 6 Latin American students (Panama, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador)

• ABM Mexico - May

• DWCT Amphibian Biodiversity Conservation - June – 18 students, 15 countries

• ABM/ABC Colombia - October

• ABM Tanzania - ??

Building (up) facilities at home

• Antwerp, Atlantans, Auckland, Bristol, Cologne, Detroit, Houston, London, Melbourne, Omaha, Perth, San Antonio, Toledo

• who’s next?

Quarantine Standards

• Highest Standards: Animals or progeny out of range country destined for return to the wild (entrance and exit of pathogens)

• Intermediate Standards: Animals or progeny in range country destined for return to the wild (entrance of pathogens)

• Lowest Standards: Ex-situ or in-situ with no possibility of return to the wild. Animals not required for conservation or release. (exit of pathogens).

Building facilities offsite

• Houston Zoo - El Nispero Zoo (Panama)• Zoo Zurich - Cali Zoo (Colombia)• St. Louis Zoo - Catolica University (Ecuador)• Omaha Zoo - Johannesburg Zoo • London/Chester/Jersey Zoos - Dominica• Chester - standardized mobile

biosecure facilities

• who’s next?

The Perry Center

•consortium of zoos

•18 institutions pledged

•$82/150K for operation

•100 % construction (~$650K)

•50% operation (~$150k/yr)

•ex situ management, training, research

Amphibian Apathy: does anyone like

amphibians?

• Traveling exhibits– Shedd 1996– Aquarium of the Americas 2000– Moody Gardens 2002– Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland 2003/2005

• booked into 2009/2010

• Detroit’s NACC– opening lines regularly exceeded 100

– zoo attendance rose 22%

• Moody Gardens– almost identical increase in attendance

• Reptiland– at AMNH, tickets sold out most weekends

– the most popular exhibit in the museum's history

– terrific press in New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Today, CNN, Associated Press, …

What is the Amphibian Ark?• AArk is a joint effort of WAZA, CBSG, and ASG

formed to address the ex situ components of the ACAP.• The mission is to ensure long-term survival in nature

utilizing short-term ex situ management of amphibian taxa for which adequate protection in the wild is not currently possible.

• AArk will coordinate ex situ programs implemented by global partners (i.e., you!).

• Members of the AArk will be members of WAZA, regional, or national zoo associations, AArk-approved private partners and AArk-approved museums, universities and wildlife agencies.

Steering CommitteeCo-chairs: WAZA, CBSG, ASG

Taxon Management GroupsTaxon Rescue Plans

WAZA membersand affiliates

private sector partners

Other approved ex situ facilities (e.g. universities,

wildlife agencies)

Regional Zoo & Aquarium

Association members

Training Officer Communications OfficerTaxon Officer

Advisors: Reintro, Vet, Gene Banking, Legal,

Ethical, etc.

Other Officers: Regional, Institutional

WAZA CBSG ASG

IUCN SSC

ResearchConservation Assessment

In situ

Amphibian Program Officer

Other members: Regional Zoo Assocs, Private, Academia, Government

Amphibian Ark