The contribution of zoos to species conservation by applying the One Plan Approach

Abstract

Biodiversity is increasingly under threat, requiring a more impactful conservation effort. One way to potentially improve the effectiveness of wildlife conservation is integrating in situ (within species’ natural habitats) and ex situ (outside of their habitats) conservation. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), as part of the ex situ community, has recently began to include professionals with knowledge and experience regarding in situ conservation in its plan making concerning the conservation role of members’ animal collections. This study examines how this approach to integrate in situ and ex situ conservation works in practice, assesses its potential effect on conservation, and reflects on in situ/ex situ integration approaches in general. The research methods used are document review and content analysis, as well as interviews and surveys.
This study shows that, overall, EAZA’s new approach to collection planning is viewed upon positively by ex situ as well as in situ participants in the process. Strategic decisions on animal populations are well substantiated, and, where relevant, better tied into conservation purposes. In addition, the new process leads to improved contacts between zoo professionals and the in situ community, facilitating more effective conservation. Challenges lie in overcoming the fact that an ex situ organization is in the lead, attaining sufficient involvement from the right in situ professionals, and the transition from plan making to implementation. Some of these challenges are likely to apply to the integration of in situ and ex situ conservation in general.

Date of Award	1 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Supervisor	Jean Hugé (Supervisor), Susanne Draijer - Vogel (Supervisor) & Dennis Uit de Weerd (Assessor)