The John Ball Zoo experienced an animal baby boom this year. Officials in Grand Rapids say it’s due to new plans working to conserve animal species that are under human care. They’re called Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs and John Ball Zoo participates in 40 of them.
Through strategic breeding, participating zoos try to ensure the sustainability of endangered species. The three Magellanic penguin hatchlings born in May of this year are living proof of these efforts. John Ball Zoo has been participating in the Magellanic Penguin SSP for 20 years. Other protected animals recently born at John Ball Zoo include a Snow Leopard, three Canada Lynx cubs, and an Eastern Mountain Bongo calf.
“The Golden Lion Tamar, which is a small monkey in South America, would be extinct without this SSP program. We’re solely responsible for reestablishing the species in the wild,” Tim Sampson, a curator with the John Ball Zoo said. “We’ve also done it within the country. The Wyoming Toad is another good example that through SSP work, we’re able to save this species and make it back into a stable population.”
Beyond conservation, the programs also aim to increase genetic diversity across a range of species. The Felid Taxonomic Advisory Group (TAG) will meet with the John Ball Zoo, biologists and other partners in Grand Rapids the week of August 19. There, participants will decide what comes next for endangered wild cat species across the globe.
The Exploratory Journal 