Ringtail via e-mail
Bali Mynah at Lincoln Park Zoo
Kiwi via e-mail
Chimpanzee at Lincoln Park Zoo
Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo via e-mail
Snow Leopard at Toronto
Red Wolf via e-mail
Yellow-backed Duiker at Lincoln Park Zoo
Marine Mammal TAG target size analysis meeting at Lincoln Park Zoo
Currently in review by participating institutions are Draft Breeding and Transfer Plans for
6 SSPs
9 PMPs
September: Bearded Barbet, Black-footed Ferret, African Wild Dog, Swift Fox, Blue-bellied Roller, Fennec Fox, Nile Hippo, Puerto Rican Toad, North American River Otter, Hyrax, Burrowing Owl
Since the PMC was initiated on 1 July 2000, it has:
Produced Final Breeding and Transfer Plans for
81 SSP programs - 229 reports
(72% of total AZA SSP programs)
114 PMP programs - 211 reports
(37% of total AZA PMP programs)
Assisted Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs) with the development of
17 TAGs - 22 RCP analyses
(37% of AZA TAGs)
Validated North American regional studbooks resulting in
404 Validated studbooks
816 Total Validations
Distributed reports for a total of
464 Reports (SSPs, PMPs, RCPs, etc.)
214 Programs
Involvement with 507 different programs (some analyses not necessarily resulting in a final report)
In their management of captive animals, zoos and aquariums focus on the long-term maintenance of healthy populations in conjunction with education and conservation goals. Cooperative, scientific population management is critical to the long-term sustainability of most zoo and some aquarium animal collections. Science-based population management ensures that zoo and aquarium collections meet the following standards:
They’re maintained at the sizes necessary to meet the conservation and education missions of each species
They retain the highest possible levels of genetic diversity
They will not grow beyond the zoo and aquarium community's ability to care for them.
The PMC employs three full-time staff: Senior Population Biologist Sarah Long directs daily operations and supervises Associate Population Biologist Louise Bier and Studbook Analyst Kristine Schad. Steven D. Thompson, Ph.D., vice president and Emily and John Alexander Chair of Conservation and Science at Lincoln Park Zoo, provides administrative and financial oversight for the center. Former PMC staffer Colleen Lynch serves as consulting population biologist.
Working closely with staff from the zoo’s Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology and the Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology, the PMC staff participates in the development and evaluation of population management software, evaluates disease risks and/or reproductive status, and models the impact of potential management strategies on population size and structure.
To schedule planning assistance for an AZA TAG, SSP or PMP, please contact Studbook Analyst Kristine Schad.
For information on PMC financial and administrative oversight, please contact Steven D. Thompson, Ph.D.
