Zoo Conservation Biology - 9780521534932

"In practical terms, species conservation initiatives must be directed at protecting the largest number of forms as cheaply as possible. Economy, not just in monetary terms but also in achieving parsimonious ways of protecting species, is important, since resources are often limited. Debates rage over whether one or another approach is more appropriate, often with much time and effort expended and little results in hand. Biodiversity conservation has to proceed along various fronts achieved by the integration of methods to halt the current extinction of species. This book attempts to undertake this task for conservation biologists working in zoos. Zoos argue that their role is increasingly concerned with the preservation of species yet the information required for zoo staff to make informed decisions on any aspect of captive animal care, population management, etc., is not readily accessible. This book collates and evaluates numerous papers and books published on the subject to produce a theoretical and practical document that understands the reality of keeping animals in captivity and the potential that these institutions have in biodiversity conservation. The need for such a textbook is further emphasised by the fact that although there has been a certain growth in literature that deal with the application of science to techniques for the optimal maintenance and breeding of animals in captivity, there is no text that examines the fundamental concepts underlying captive animal management. Therefore, this is not a book on the techniques of managing animals in captive collections, but one that takes a more 'aerial view' of the subject of how zoos do and can contribute further to species conservation"--