I thought this was a good idea for a thread to discuss Zoo's Vic set criteria for the species they hold rather than bombarding news threads with this discussion every now and again. Their criteria consist of five categories: Recovery - threatened species recovery programme, preferably reintroduced to the wild. Ark - species under threat of extinction in the wild and part of regional and international breeding programmes. Ambassador - the face of a conservation campaign. Enabling - species that engage with people and form emotional bonds. Research - species that support the research of Zoos Victoria for the improvement of animal welfare. Any species that does not fit these categories will of course, be phased out.
I think 'enabling' comes down to species the public knows ie. most of the public will know what a hyena is, but not what a maned wolf is. So enabling will only cover a certain amount of species.
Thanks for this Jambo! I’ve seen the criteria mentioned in a few threads, most recently with the passing of the Wild Dogs at Melbourne so appreciate the additional information
Thanks! I thought it would be a fine idea rather than clogging out news threads with this discussion that always seems to come up every now and again.
Just a polite request that if you directly copy my posts, you credit me as the source. This wasn't something I took direct from Zoos Victoria (if it was, I would have credited them as the source). The explantion of the headings are something I paraphrased and abreviated from to make that post.
Sorry I thought it was a direct quotation. These were the actual four criteria as of the following article: The categories are ''recovery'' (endangered species being bred then released in the wild); ''ark'' (endangered species being bred and held until there is a safe wilderness to release them into); ''ambassador'' (animals that are the public face of a conservation campaign, such as gorillas and mobile phone recycling); and ''enabling'' (popular animals that help attract visitors to the zoo, such as meerkats). Habitat or humbug? So it seems you’ve just added in research or was that from another article you’ve found?
Your article (from 2013) was the original version. It appears they’ve updated their criteria, as this publication from 2020 lists a fifth category - Research https://www.waza.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WAZA-magazine3-2020-FINAL-web.pdf Interestingly, the updated version stipulates the species must fall into TWO of the categories (Recovery, Ark, Ambassador, Enabling and Research) - not just one.
That's interesting to see they've added a fifth category - although research does make sense as an additional category for such a conservation based organisation like zoos vic. The fact that the species now need to fit into two categories just makes things much more complicated. Species like meerkats, giraffe ect. don't fit into any besides enabling, and I doubt they'd phase them out.
Zoos Victoria - Updated Criteria From Zoos Victoria’s 20 Year Species Plan: The Framework supports our vision of a future rich in wildlife. Three key questions guide decision-making for species: Is it justified? Is it humane? Is it effective? Justified - Support of Conservation Outcomes: Spoiler: Justified The justification for housing any species at Zoos Victoria is to support our conservation goals. Every species at Zoos Victoria has a clearly defined role and must satisfy at least two of the following conservation value categories: Recovery – housing the species at Zoos Victoria supports species survival, including participation in a government-agency managed recovery programme. Ark – housing the species at Zoos Victoria supports species survival such as protection from an immediate threat. Ambassador – housing and display of the species showcases Zoos Victoria’s conservation work and influences community values/behaviours towards conservation. Enabling – housing and display of the species showcases Zoos Victoria’s commitment to animal welfare and increases the perception of bringing added value to the community, leading to the motivation to visit our zoos. Research – housing this species increases knowledge and enables evidence-based decisions to support conservation/animal welfare outcomes. Humane - Animal Welfare: Spoiler: Humane Zoos Victoria is committed to housing species that can thrive in our care. Factors that influence decision- making to acquire and house a species include: Species’ needs – both now and in the future, including likely future housing requirements, animal care practices and contemporary values. Wildlife rescue – the decision to return animals to the wild or to continue to house them in our zoos will be based on an assessment of likely welfare outcomes. Ethical – diligence in assessing source and recipients of animals to ensure that all animal transfers are ethical. Compliance – housing and animal care practices for this species will comply with our Code of Animal Welfare and Ethics. Effective - Outcomes: Spoiler: Effective Decision-making will be supported by evidence with annual assessments scheduled and research completed to determine the effectiveness of a species in delivering its role. To future-proof species populations at Zoos Victoria, long-term planning will occur to provide for: Succession-planning – including strategies to phase- out species and acquire new species. Procurement strategy – to ensure that there are reliable methodologies for acquiring the species that align with contemporary values. Transfer potential – to ensure that animals can be transferred to other organisations as required. Breeding programmes – population metrics, including founder base and genetic diversity, are understood. The effectiveness of species in achieving their roles may be measured in the following ways: Recovery and ark species – goals may include the number of animals bred for release, the survival rate of offspring born, and the percentage of successful breeding outcomes. Ambassador species – goals may consist of results of behaviour change campaigns, community awareness of Zoos Victoria Fighting Extinction programmes, and the proportion of time that species are visible to the public. Enabling species – goals may include the popularity of species with visitors and the percentage of time that visitors have access to these species. Research species – goals may consist of the satisfactory completion of a project, using knowledge that can be applied to improve the welfare of species in our zoos or for survival of wild populations. Justified, humane and effective – three powerful words that summarise Zoos Victoria’s approach to the selection of animal species. Every species must have a clearly defined role that supports our vision. We must have the resources and expertise required to house species whose presence in Zoos Victoria is justified, humane and effective now and in the future. Moreover, we must regularly assess species outcomes; if goals are not being achieved, we need to either amend our practices or reconsider the housing of the species at Zoos Victoria.
My interpretation is that 'Ambassador' species can be quite broad. For instance, giraffes could be both 'Ambassador' and 'Enabling', the latter being rather self-explanatory, the former being that housing giraffes raises awareness of the threats faced by giraffes in the wild (through signage, keeper talks, etc) and the variety of animals within a habitat such as the savannah. So, that's just my guess, but that could be one way of how typical zoo species fit into two categories.
That makes sense. To continue your example, the giraffe population has declined by 40% in the last 30 years and are threatened by habitat loss - something captive giraffes would create awareness of. One component of the ambassador definition is “influences community values/behaviours towards conservation” - and pinnipeds are an example of this. Many zoos do presentations where the seals pick up rubbish and put it in a bin, while the keeper speaks about the dangers to sea life plastics pose - and (try to) inspire people to be good recyclers etc. Still drawing a blank on the meerkats however. I’d like to know how they justify exhibiting them with regards to their criteria.
