Australian Conservation

• Taronga Conservation Society
• > Conservation Programs

By working in partnerships, zoos and other conservation agencies can achieve real results in the wild.

Involvement in Recovery Plans, State and Federal, is the embodiment of the ZPB's commitment to conservation in Australasia. Recovery Plans are multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted and invariably aimed at recovering biodiversity, whether by ameliorating direct threats to a species, or recovering habitat by planting trees or removing weeds. They are usually led by the relevant wildlife agency but the team determines whether the recovery plan needs a captive component, and the nature of that need.

Zoo involvement in the recovery effort is not restricted to captive breeding, though when release to the wild is being contemplated the development of husbandry protocols and genetic management of the captive population may be the primary zoo role. In some instances, however, zoo involvement is precautionary; the recovery team may recommend setting up a captive population just to make sure that enough is known about the process to ensure the knowledge and techniques are available if there is a crisis and the wild population must be augmented.

The Taronga Conservation Society Australia currently assists with a range of other programs:

The Taronga Conservation Society Australia has contributed to the following programs:

• Mala bred at WPZ were returned to South Australia and the Northern Territory for release ,
• Greater Bilby bred at WPZ contributed to the release program in South Australia,
• Bridled Nailtail Wallabies were bred and returned to Queensland to contribute to the release program and also released in two private sanctuaries in NSW,
• Eastern Barred bandicoots bred at WPZ were returned to Victoria for release