Zoological Parks and the Conservation of Biological Diversity: Linking ex situ and in situ Conservation Efforts

Linking in situ and ex situ conservation activities represents a major opportunity in the effort to conserve global biological diversity. Zoological parks, aquaria, botanical parks and similar institutions are evolving into conservation-oriented institutions that increasingly contribute to the global conservation strategy embodied in the Convention on Biological Diversity. Through public education, original research oriented toward conservation, living collections, gene banks, fundraising linkages, and direct financial inputs for in situ conservation, these institutions serve a vital function in the preservation of options for future conservation and utilization of biological resources. In this regard, these institutions are responding to the need for linkage of ex situ and in situ conservation activities. This paper shows the range of opportunities available to link conservation efforts of zoos with in situ conservation of biological diversity, and provides examples of past achievements in this area.