Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on population management in AZA.

Autor: Bladow RA; AZA Population Management Center, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA., Strohmayer KA; AZA Population Management Center, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA., Johnstone HK; Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA., Eebes KS; AZA Population Management Center, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA., Dorsey CL; Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA., Andrews JE; AZA Population Management Center, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Zoo biology [Zoo Biol] 2024 May-Jun; Vol. 43 (3), pp. 255-267. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Feb 20.
DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21825
Abstrakt: Soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) facilities closed to the public. Resulting cost-saving and safety measures led some facilities to temporarily cease or reduce animal breeding and/or transfers. We surveyed AZA facilities and Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Coordinators for AZA's cooperative population management programs to evaluate how widespread these decisions were, if impacts varied by taxa, and how the AZA community navigated related challenges during the pandemic. We found that 60% of responding facilities did not suspend breeding and 22% did not suspend transfers. About 50% of responding zoos increased their reliance on ground transportation to move animals, while aquariums reported no change to transportation methods. SSP Coordinators reported the main reason why breeding decreased, regardless of taxa, was due to canceled or delayed transfers. The reasons transfers decreased differed by taxa, such as limited financial resources and lack of access to air transportation. The majority of respondents for both surveys stated transfers were the greatest challenge they faced. To address this, facilities utilized alternative transportation methods and worked closely with nearby zoos and aquariums for the movement of animals, while SSP Coordinators issued alternative transfer recommendations. If another pandemic or other widespread facility closure occurs, our research highlights the importance of communication, collaboration, and flexibility to fulfill breeding and transfer recommendations to maintain sustainable zoo and aquarium populations.
(© 2024 Lincoln Park Zoo and Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Zoo Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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