Ex-Situ updates (March 2012) - Ministry of Environment and Forests

Further, recognising the large size of
captive populations needed to meet
this target over 500-1,500 years,
they instead proposed a 200 year
target, arguing that within 200 years
technological developments will
allow much less space-intensive
means of preserving populations
through cryopreservation of gametes
and assisted reproduction.
Coincidentally, this accords well
with recent UN (2004) 100-200 year
estimates for the time frame for achieving
a stable human population size. In
short, the authors were proposing
that ex-situ facilities around the world
collaborate to establish a modern day
Noah’s Ark. So powerful was this vision
that it drove considerable global activity
for the next decade.The world’s zoos
embarked on unprecedented levels
of cooperation. Many cooperative
conservation breeding programmes
were initiated worldwide and adopted
standard targets of retaining 90% of
wild source gene diversity for 200
years. The Convention on Biodiversity,
1992 has recommended measures
for the ex-situ conservation of the
components of biological diversity,
preferably in the country of origin of
such components (Article 9). The
World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation
Strategy, 2005 advocates integrated
conservation, bringing together in situ
and ex situ to achieve conservation
priorities. In India, the National Zoo
Policy, 1998 and National Wildlife
Action Plan (2002-2016) lay emphasis
on the role of zoos for ex-situ
breeding of endangered species
of wild fauna and their rehabilitation
in the wild. It is a tall order, far beyond
the existing capabilities. But now is
the time to look ahead, co-operate
and plan, before options are further
narrowed. Some initiatives/attempts
have been made in different parts of
the world including India for planned,
co-ordinated conservation breeding of
identified endangered wild animal
species and re-introduction of such
captive born wild animals into their
wild habitats with varying degrees of
success. The attempts are multiplying
and are getting better at it.
To maintain genetic variation and avoid
inbreeding in small captive populations
requires orchestrated breeding strategy.
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The task is defined: to keep as many
endangered species as possible
alive in captivity for as long as is
necessary (which could be even
centuries) in a state in which they
are capable of returning to the wild.
Most animals can be kept alive.
Most can be induced to breed,
at least from time to time. The
problems that remain are of biology,
in particular of genetics, and
of logistics. Noah, according to
Genesis, saved all the creatures that
were then alive simply by taking a
pair of each kind into the Ark. At
first sight, this seems a reasonable
strategy. A healthy young male
and a healthy young female
are enough to start a family,
and then a lineage. Noah was
blessed with divine intervention.
In practice, there are many issues
which need consideration. One issue
is accidents, which includes disease
and the possibility of infertility.
Then there is the matter of
demographic stochasticity (sex ratio
and infant mortality) and biology
(reproductive and behavioural)
including genet ics.
The need for ex-situ conservation
of wild fauna as one of the main
objectives for management of zoos was
realised by the Government of India
soon after independence and the then
Indian Board for Wildlife (now the
National Board for Wildlife) made
important recommendations in this
regard. To give proper direction and
thrust to the management of zoos in
the country, the National Zoo Policy
was framed and adopted by the
Government of India in the year 1998.
The National Wildlife Action Plan
(2002 - 2016) also lays emphasis on
the role of zoos for ex situ breeding
of endangered species of wild fauna
and their rehabilitation into the wild.
The Central Zoo Authority has been
identified as the organisation for
developing capabilities in this field. The
Central Zoo Authority felt that critically
endangered wild animal species with
few hundred/ thousand (or say less than
2,500) left in the wild need to be taken
up for ex-situ conservation breeding
in the zoos on an immediate basis in
the country.
Clouded leopard cub
The Authority has identified 73 critically
endangered wild animal species for
planned and coordinated conservation
breeding in Indian zoos. It was also
felt in the Central Zoo Authority that
Indian zoos have to have at least
100 properly and scientifically bred
and physically, genetically and
behaviourally healthy individuals of
each endangered wild animal species in
captivity, to act as insurance cover in
case of population loss of the species
in the wild. Three objectives, that
is having proper captive stock for
continuous display in Indian zoos, to
have properly bred animals to act as
insurance in the case of collapse of their
wild populations and for reintroduction
or release in the wild in case needed, is
the base of Conservation Breeding and
Recovery Programme for Endangered
Species in India.
To bring in holistic development and
to achieve the objective which can
complement the national effort of wildlife
conservation in India, the Indian
zoos need to infuse more technical and
scientific culture in their operations.
More than 90% of the recognised
zoos in the country are operated and
controlled by the state forest/ wildlife
departments. These are also managing
the in-situ facilities that make the
coordination between the in-situ and
ex-situ wildlife conservation activities
much easier. The wild animals bred as
Photo credit: Himanshu Malhotra