Swiss zoos protect endangered species despite breeding space limits

Swiss zoos are helping preserve endangered species by maintaining genetically healthy reserve populations, SRF reported after a media conference in Bern. Around one third of the more than 800 species kept in Swiss zoos are threatened with extinction or potentially at risk, according to Severin Dressen, director of Zurich Zoo.

These reserve populations serve as a form of insurance if wild populations disappear. In an emergency, the animals could be reintroduced into the wild, Dressen said.

Lynx reintroduction

The lynx is one possible example. Several lynxes from Swiss zoos have already been released in Germany. Such projects only make sense if the animals can survive independently in the wild and their habitat is protected over the long term, according to the zoos.

Limited space for offspring

Zoos face a fundamental problem when keeping threatened species: space is limited. At the same time, improved care and veterinary treatment mean that the animals are living longer.

This creates a dilemma, said Marcus Clauss, co-director of the Clinic for Zoo, Domestic and Wild Animals at the University of Zurich’s veterinary hospital. Zoos must either restrict reproduction or kill animals, he said.

Ageing populations also threaten conservation breeding. Zoos Switzerland said that, for animal welfare reasons, it can sometimes be necessary to kill animals that are genetically overrepresented.