Captivity Flashcards
What does captivity mean?
Imprisonment? Held against will?
To what extent are humans in society captive?
We are bound by laws, conventions and rituals
When should captive breeding be done?
When natural numbers of species are low, or their habitat has been destroyed, degraded
What is the ultimate goal of captivity?
To reunite the species with its original habitat
What is in situ conservation?
Conservation in its original habitat
What is ex situ conservation?
Conservation not in its original habitat
Give an example of where ex situ conservation may be carried out for animals
In zoos, wildlife parks or game reserves
Give an example of where ex situ conservation may be carried out for plants
In botanical gardens, educational establishments, seed banks
Why do some species decline in the wild?
Inbreeding, habitat loss, competition from invasive species, overexploitation
What happens if populations of wild animals were too small, which type of conservation is suitable?
Not in situ, more likely ex situ as high likelihood of failure if population was too small
Historically, what have zoos been used for?
Collections of animals, like a hobby
How did zoos evolve?
They evolved into places of public exhibition and entertainment
What is the current status of zoos?
They are used for conservation, education (biology and status of species involved)
Traditionally what type of species was best represented in zoos?
Large mammals – e.g. gorilla
What about the huge numbers of endangered invertebrates?
They are not well represented in zoos, but money gained from donations towards conservation of larger animals such as the gorilla can be used for their conservation
