Scientific Breakthrough With the Production of the First Female Bison Pregnancy Using Sex-Sorted Sperm

May 2, 2021

A team of researchers achieved a scientific breakthrough by producing the first ever female bison pregnancy via artificial insemination using sex-sorted sperm. This achievement is the result of a partnership between Toronto Zoo and University of Saskatchewan, which aims to facilitate conservation breeding efforts for the wood bison by increasing the number of females in herds.

Prague Zoo Releases Przewalski's Horses in 20-Hectare Field at Prague's Historical Site

April 29, 2021

Prague Zoo released four (♀) Przewalski's horses in an almost 20-hectare plain at Prague’s Dívčí hrady. A stallion will eventually be joining them. By grazing in the area, the wild horses will contribute to the regeneration of the habitat while allowing visitors to observe and learn more about them.

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The herd will also provide an important contribution to the EAZA Ex-Situ Programme (EEP) for this species, which aims to maintain a healthy insurance population in captivity to aid in reintroduction efforts when necessary.

Melbourne Zoo Sets Up Fist Captive Breeding Programme for Rare Giant Burrowing Frog

April 22, 2021

The first ever conservation breeding programme for the giant burrowing frog has been set up at Melbourne Zoo (Zoos Victoria). Scientists from the zoo and partner institutions collected tadpoles from the wild and they will now study their development into adult frogs so they can optimise the breeding programme.

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On top of being threatened by the chytrid fungus, habitat loss, climate change and invasive predators, this species has also lost great parts of their natural habitat due to bushfires in recent years. The captive breeding programme is an important part of integrated conservation efforts to restore and protect this species in the wild.

Rotterdam Zoo & Wageningen University Collaborating on Research on Asian Elephant Genetic Health

April 16, 2021

The Rotterdam Zoo & Wageningen University are collaborating on a large-scale research study on the genetic health of captive and wild Asian elephants, a project that has just been awarded a grant by NWO (Dutch Research Council)..

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Rotterdam Zoo manages the EAZA Ex-Situ Programme (EEP) for the Asian elephant and this research will help informing conservation efforts for this endangered species.

EAZA Ex Situ Programmes Get New Section in Their Website

April 14, 2021

Explore some of the EAZA Ex Situ Programmes (EEPs) in the new dedicated section in their website. Some of the EEPs already showcased include the Pygmy marmoset, the European pond turtle, the Javan green magpie, the Przewalski’s horse & the Desertas wolf spider.