The ZPB has a research mandate to increase knowledge of animal physiology and ecology, improve reproduction, and address any emergent medical or conservation needs.  To these ends, the ZPB supports research under various research disciplines including:

In addition to each of these dedicated programs, the ZPB animal collection and staff expertise are made available to assist in collaborative research with external scientists upon approval from the ZPB Animal Ethics Committee.

Animal Watch Program (AW)

The aims of the Animal Watch team (assisted by Behavioural Enrichment ZPB Volunteers and Animal Watch Zoo Friends Volunteers) are to monitor and maintain psychological well-being in the Zoos' animal collection.  This group prepares enrichment devices, and is responsible for detailed evaluation of the animal response to effects of enrichment programs implemented by the AW team and by keepers.  The leader of the group is often invited to run courses and workshops on wildlife enrichment around the world.  Research is also a priority with members carrying out behavioural research to increase understanding of rarely studied species.  These data sets are used to write reports and peer-reviewed journal articles on animal behaviour issues, animal responses to enrichment and visitor attitudes to exhibits and/or graphics. Recent and ongoing projects include optimising platypus reproduction in captivity, monitoring elephant behaviour and preferences and monitoring the introduction of a hand-raised Squirrel Monkey to the group after the death of its mother.

Animal Reproductive Program (RP)

The reproductive laboratory at the Western Plains Zoo was the first of its kind at its inception in 1994. The laboratory has three main areas of focus.  The first is to provide information on reproductive physiology of animals within the NSW ZPB collections. Currently White and Black Rhinoceros, Guanaco, Bongo, Black and White Ruffed Lemur, Cheetah, Short-nosed Echidna and Sun Bear are all evaluated for reproductive activity.

The second focus is to initiate projects and facilitate partnerships to perform research aimed at improving understanding of natural and assisted reproduction in endangered and analogue species. Ongoing research projects include assisted reproduction in the Black Rhinoceros, reproductive status of White Rhinoceros, assisted reproduction in the Tasmanian Devil, reproductive management of Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats, and behavioural studies with Ring-tailed Possums and seals.

Finally, the laboratories are a resource for zoos throughout the region, capable of monitoring pregnancy, timing cycles and behavioural changes in a wide range of species, and we are currently working with several zoos to help reproductively manage their collection.

Australian Marine Mammals Research Centre (AMMRC)

The Australian Marine Mammals Research Centre (AMMRC) conducts research focusing on marine mammals. AMMRC was established in 1996 as a collaboration between the ZPB and the University of Sydney's Faculty of Veterinary Science. This Research Centre was designed to focus on marine mammal research in both the captive and wild environments, an emphasis that continues today.

The majority of programs at AMMRC are now a combination of captive-based and field-based work. This combination has proved to be an efficient and effective method of assessing difficult questions for wild animals as well as providing behavioural enrichment and new health care techniques for captive animals.

Current programs at AMMRC include:

  • climatic impacts on costal communities (ClicOPEN, Drake Bioseas); bioclimatic modelling: predicting habitat change for top order predators;
  • impacts of past perturbations: whaling on the Southern Ocean; impacts of noise on marine wildlife;
  • reconstructing long-term dietary histories using chemical markers;
    development of acoustic surveys for monitoring apex predators;
  • spatial behaviour of leopard seals; developing non-fatal techniques for studying the physiology of great whales;
  • breeding dysfunction in critically endangered whales; and
    stress in marine mammals; and elephant seal territorial behaviour

Australian Registry of Wildlife Health (ARWH)

The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health is committed to contributing to the preservation of Australia's biodiversity through increased understanding of the interactions among animals, the environment, and disease causing agents. The aim is to continue to enhance the Registry so that it can better contribute to wildlife health research, education and surveillance for the benefit of human health, domestic animal health, the agroeconomy, and wildlife care and management in Australia.

The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health is a diagnostic and resource centre that improves Australia's ability to detect and diagnose endemic, emerging and exotic diseases of wildlife that could have negative impacts on Australia's trade/economy, biodiversity, tourism and human health. 

The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health was established by Dr. Bill Hartley at Taronga Zoo in 1985 to develop a collection of information and materials relating to healthy and diseased native fauna and zoo animals.  Since 1985, the Registry has grown into a significant resource centre to allow us to better understand the health of Australian ecosystems.  As a diagnostic centre the Registry manages a high wildlife caseload.  In fact, at the International Wildlife Disease Association Conference in Cairns, 2005, Dr. Philip Ladds presented data illustrating that the Registry has a higher caseload of free ranging animals than all of the State and Commonwealth agriculture agencies combined. 

The Registry is regularly used by private, government and university based veterinarians, researchers and biologists.  Currently, the Registry is largely operated as an activity undertaken in the discretionary time of the ZPB's veterinary pathologist and pathology clerk.  Access to materials and information in the Registry is free to those interested in the study of wildlife health.

Australian Wildlife Health Network (AWHN)

The aim of the Australian Wildlife Health Network (AWHN) is to promote and facilitate collaborative links in the investigation and management of wildlife health in support of human and animal health, biodiversity and trade. The network is supported by a national manager and a dynamic and interactive website.

The network also maintains a national database of wildlife health surveillance and diagnostic information, and a registry of wildlife expertise.

Other functions of the AWHN during its progressing years will include development of wildlife management protocols, coordination of information in an emergency, advancing education and training, and prioritising and promoting surveillance and research activities.

Recent series of diseases and mass mortalities in wild fauna, and emerging diseases of wildlife in Australia have demonstrated the growing importance of wildlife disease as threats to biodiversity, human health, agriculture, aquaculture and trade.

The ZPB and NSW Department of Primary Industries have undertaken to support and host the National Network. The Network is funded by Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and its core stakeholders include Commonwealth and State agriculture bodies, primary industries and veterinary laboratories including Australian Animal Health Laboratories; wildlife, conservation and environmental protection bodies; and public health departments and agencies. AWHN also acts as the link between Australia and overseas wildlife health centres in Canada, USA, New Zealand, India and Europe.

Australian Conservation Genetics Centre (ACGC)

The program is operated in collaboration with the University of New South Wales. The primary focus of research lies in population and conservation genetics combining both ecological and molecular data to understand and conserve species.

Specific research interests are conservation of the carnivorous marsupials and other native Australian species, wildlife forensic genetics, the use of 'ancient' or other suboptimal DNA, population genetics of the New Guinean mammals, molecular aspects of captive populations, and understanding patterns of genetic partitioning in fragmented and intact ecosystems.

Current projects include assessing the genetic effects of translocation programs, paternity analysis of free-ranging native fauna and using genetics to determine social structure and mating strategies in sensitive populations.

Animal Gene Storage Resource Centre of Australia (AGSRCA)

The AGSRCA was established as a joint venture between the ZPB of NSW and the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development in 1995 and has contributed to a range of Western Plains Zoo conservation programs including Black Rhinoceros breeding, Greater Bilby management, Common Wombat reproduction and African Wild Dog reproduction. Additionally, the AGRSCA maintains in storage a bank of frozen genetic material from significant zoo animals

Animal Ethics Committee:

All research conducted on ZPB collection animals or by ZPB staff has undergone review and assessment by the ZPB Animal Ethics Committee (AEC).  This committee consists of at least one member of category A (veterinarian), category B (research scientist), category C (animal welfare advocate with no other association with the zoo) and category D (independent lay person).

This committee is constituted in accordance with the Animal Research Act 1985 and the Animal Research Regulation 2005.

It is the responsibility of the AEC under the Act to protect the welfare of animals by ensuring that their use in research is always humane, considerate, responsible and justified. 

The Committee issues "Authorities" for researchers to conduct research, after assessing that their research is in keeping with policies of the ZPB of NSW and that the individuals using animals for research and teaching comply with:

  1. The Act (http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ara1985134/)
  2. The Regulation http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_reg/arr2005225/
  3. The Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (http://www.health.gov.au/nhmrc/research/awc/code.htm) which:
    1. encompasses all aspects of the care and use of, or interaction with, animals for scientific purposes in medicine, biology, agriculture, veterinary and other animal sciences, industry and teaching
    2. provides general principles for the care and use of animals, specifies the responsibilities of investigators and institutions, and details the terms of reference, membership and operation of institutional AECs. It also provides guidelines for the humane conduct of scientific and teaching activities, and for the acquisition of animals and their care, including their environmental needs.
    3. covers all live non-human vertebrates. Eggs, foetuses and embryos must be treated in a humane manner where development of an integrated nervous system is evident. Investigators should consider forwarding proposals to use higher order invertebrates to AECs.