THE ZOO'S NEW ROLE
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Over the past twenty years, zoos have evolved from living museums to conservation centers. Today's zoos emphasize public education and captive breeding of endangered animals. They rarely take animals from the wild; over 90% of zoo animals are born in captivity. Captive populations can serve as insurance against the total loss of species in the wild and are critical for the survival of rare small cats such as the black-footed cat, African golden cat, kodkod, and flat-headed cat. |
| Captive species provide important information about behavior, reproductive biology, and nutritional needs that can help save species in the wild. Zoos often exchange animals for breeding purposes, thus promoting a healthy captive population worldwide. In some cases, captive-bred animals have been released into the wild, but success is not certain, since captive-born animals are often poor hunters and too vulnerable to humans. |
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