Species Survival Programs

With human populations increasing steadily and large sections of wild lands being converted for man's use, populations of most wild animals are declining at an ever more rapid rate. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) has developed a Species Survival Plan (SSP) to preserve some of these animals through careful and coordinated breeding management in zoos and aquariums. The Plan is a multi-institutional effort designed to complement and support, never substitute for, preserving animals in nature.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has played a leadership role in the SSP. Former WCS President and current Senior Conservation Biologist William Conway was one of its originators. WCS's staff involvement now ranges from chairing SSP management groups (SSP Coordinators), to acting as studbook keepers who compile historical records of animals for the species to building successful captive populations at the Bronx Zoo, St. Catherines Wildlife Conservation Center, and the New York Aquarium. As SSP coordinators, WCS staff are involved in monitoring the genetic and demographic management of the entire North American captive population of a given species.

To date, WCS is involved in 58% (or 53 of 91) of all SSP's. This tremendous commitment of staff time and resources is just one way in which WCS fulfills its mission of conservation, education and research.