Cambridge International A Level Biology Revision Guide

Chapter 18: Biodiversity, classification and conservation
Figure 18.30 Golden lion tamarin, Leontopithecus rosalia,
from the coastal forests of Brazil. As their habitat has been
destroyed they have been rescued, bred in captivity and
reintroduced to protected reserves.
Figure 18.31 A conservation success story: the scimitarhorned
oryx, Oryx dammah, saved from extinction and bred in
captivity, is now protected in reserves in Senegal, Tunisia and
Morocco.
Zoos also have an important role in research, especially
in trying to gain a better understanding of breeding habits,
habitat requirements and ways to increase genetic diversity.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), like many large
zoos, has an important programme of research.
The major goal of captive breeding is to reintroduce
animals to their natural habitat. This can prove extremely
difficult as there are many factors that affect the success
of these schemes. The Emperor Valley Zoo in Trinidad,
in collaboration with Cincinnati Zoo in the USA, has
successfully reintroduced captive-bred blue-and-gold
macaws, Ara ararauna, to the nearby Nariva Swamp. The
scimitar-horned oryx, Oryx dammah, was driven almost
to extinction in its habitat, the semi-deserts in northern
Africa, by hunting for its meat and skin (Figure 18.31).
During the 1960s and 1970s, it was recognised that if
nothing was done, the oryx would become extinct. A few
oryx were caught and transported to zoos in several places
around the world. A captive breeding programme was
successful and breeding herds of these animals have been
established in reserves in North Africa.
However, not every conservation attempt has been
a success story. Some animals simply refuse to breed
in captivity. Often, it is not possible to create suitable
habitats for them, so they cannot be returned to the wild.
Sometimes, even if a habitat exists, it is very difficult for
the animals to adapt to living in it after being cared for in
a zoo. The giant panda is a good example. In 2011, there
were over 300 pandas in zoos and research centres in their
native China, and others on loan to zoos around the world.
A captive breeding programme was started in 1963, and
since then about 300 pandas have been born in captivity,
but so far no panda has successfully been returned to
the wild (Figure 18.32). The first captive-bred panda to
be released was killed, aged five years, probably by other
pandas. Female golden lion tamarins released into forest
reserves in Brazil often die before breeding because they
do not have the climbing and foraging skills that they need
to survive. Some captive-bred animals do not know how to
avoid predators, find food or rear their own young.
Figure 18.32 The giant panda cub, Yuan Zai, born in the Taipei
Zoo in Taiwan on 6 July 2013. Is she destined to remain in
captivity her whole life or will she be released into the wild?
447