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The Way Forward for Collaborative Conservation Breeding Programs in India Working Group

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The Way Forward for Collaborative Conservation Breeding Programs in India Working Group 2014 CBSG Annual Meeting: Collaborative Conservation Breeding Programs in India Report The Way Forward for Collaborative Conservation Breeding Programs in India Working Group Participants: Yesoda Bair, Andy Beer, Jacob V. Cheeran, John Corder, Susie Ellis, Anil Garg, Alankar Jha, Brawin Kumar, Himanshu Malhotra, Siddhartha Moherty, Dr. S. Panda, S.K. Patnaik, A.K. Patra, Vibhu Prakash, Arun R.S., Ajai Saxena, Brij Raj Sharma, Disha Sharma, S.C. Sharma, Sandeep Kr. Tiwan, P.C. Tyagi (Convenor) The working group deliberated on the salient features of the collaborative conservation breeding program in India. The discussion revolved around the information presented to them about the program in India and the issues flagged in the presentation. The group discussed policy framework, the Central Zoo Authority of India’s strategy towards conservation breeding of endangered species, the prioritization of the species and the status of the conservation breeding program launched in India, and barriers to success. The Central Zoo Authority was established by the Government of India as a Statutory Authority in the year 1992 to oversee the functioning of the zoos in the country and to enforce the minimum standards and norms for upkeep and health care of animals in Indian zoos. One of the important functions of the authority is to identify endangered species of wild animals for the purpose of conservation breeding and assign responsibility in this regard to a zoological park, and to coordinate research in captive breeding. The Central Zoo Authority has prioritized 26 endangered species based on scientific criteria for the conservation breeding program. This is a flagship program of the government, and it has been launched in collaboration with different zoos/states located in the geographic distribution of the species. The authority has also identified the coordinating and participating zoos for the targeted species and provides funds for appropriate off-exhibit breeding enclosures, furnishing/enrichment and facilities for research and veterinary health care management in the conservation breeding centers in the identified coordinating zoos. The centers maintain records and mark the animals. The authority has also assisted the centers in preparing the species recovery and conservation breeding plan. The program is a joint venture of in situ and ex situ wildlife managers. The recommendation of the working group is as follows: 1. Housing and infrastructure: i. The Central Zoo Authority has laid down mandatory guidelines for establishment of appropriate housing and development of infrastructure but this is only available for the coordinating zoos initiating the conservation breeding program for the endangered species. The members recommended that such facilities should also be provided for the participating zoos that also have equal stakes in the program. ii. Development of the following infrastructure is essential for the success of the program: road, water supply, solar energy, uninterrupted power, rain water harvesting, sewage disposal, veterinary facilities and behavioral enrichment in enclosure. Monitoring of animals is important and can be done by CCTV, radio collaring and marking of animals. iii. The space constraint in the coordinating zoos was a drawback to the program. As per CZA guidelines, the conservation breeding housing facilities should be in an off-exhibit and secluded area free of disturbance. Therefore whenever there is inadequate space, a satellite conservation breeding facility can be developed to act as an insurance against any natural 1 2014 CBSG Annual Meeting: Collaborative Conservation Breeding Programs in India Report calamity / outbreak of any fatal disease. iv. The proper design of enclosures with natural enrichment is requisite for success of conservation breeding, and this requires consultation with species experts and other resource persons. The participating zoo should also be involved in strengthening the conservation breeding program and setting up facilities to complement the efforts of the coordinating zoo. 2. Technical support and capacity building: i. Technical support Building capacity and developing skills of personnel managing the centre is a pre-requisite for the success of the program. The most essential is health care management through training of veterinary professionals, adequate facilities for basic diagnostics, and development of health protocol. The centers are not able to retain the trained zoo personnel viz. zoo managers, veterinarians, biologists and keepers because of poor career management and promotion, and therefore service rules should provide for assured career progression. The zoo personnel should get an opportunity to visit an in situ conservation area of the identified species and there should be sharing of in situ and ex situ knowledge about the species. The taxon-based working group should be involved to identify critical issues of conservation breeding of the targeted species. The knowledge about species vesting in private and non government organization which are breeding similar exotic species should be shared between organizations. Specific training on CZA guidelines is required periodically. The low participation of private individuals in the program was discussed and it was recommended that any private individual / breeder with knowledge of similar species should be allowed to associate with the program and there should be a system for accreditation of private individual / breeders. ii. Use of technology for captive breeding The conservation breeding centers should use the proven technology for assisting captive breeding and this could be promoted through a specialized center (Centre for Zoo Science) for conduct of coordinated research and training. This centre will also be a referral centre and would facilitate coordination between zoos in India and abroad including programs for conservation breeding of species found in trans-frontier areas of countries. The zoo should also not be averse to enhancing their breeding success by use of artificial reproduction through artificial insemination, embryo transfer technologies, cryopreservation of gametes and other cells and setting up of genetic resource bank. iii. Animal training / habituation The CZA guidelines do not permit training and habituation of animals in the captive breeding centers. It was decided that incorporating animal training to facilitate husbandry and veterinary procedures is an option that requires further debate. iv. Planning Planning plays a pivotal role in the program as it is a blueprint for development of the center and therefore the CZA guidelines for development of conservation breeding, species recovery 2 2014 CBSG Annual Meeting: Collaborative Conservation Breeding Programs in India Report plans, and global species management plans through partnership with research organizations, education institutions, and other resource persons should be followed. v. Genetic and demographic management The use of studbook data is of immense importance for the conservation breeding program and relevant software (SPARKS, PMx) and other modeling tools should be used in generating information for conservation breeding. vi. Legal constraints – legislation and regulations The legal provisions and regulations in India (CZA guidelines) and IUCN protocols for conservation breeding and reintroduction needs to be followed and wherever necessary attempts should be made to rationalize the regulations for optimum results. 3. Policy / funding Commitments i. Protocols for reintroduction of captive bred animals Research should be given adequate focus in the program as research outputs would facilitate breeding and reintroduction success. Once the stock of animals is captive bred, selection of animals for reintroduction/ restocking is very important. Government of India and IUCN protocol for soft release and suitability of site should be mandatorily followed so that animals are released in suitable habitats which have declining and locally extinct population. The post- release monitoring is must for success of the program. ii. Linkage between in situ and ex situ program The One Plan approach for species management should be adopted and it will be advisable to prepare a metapopulation management plan with multiple regional ex situ populations (or a global ex situ population), in-country breeding programs, multiple wild populations, and reintroduced populations. The population management should be encouraged through transfers between institutions in the ex situ population, reintroduction of zoo-bred animals into the wild, translocation of animals among wild populations. This will strengthen linkages between ex situ conservation and in situ species recovery programs iii. Funding Central Zoo Authority has taken initiative to give importance to conservation breeding as a flagship program of the government, and the five year financial plan incorporated in the 20 year masters plan will not assure continuous funding for long term conservation of species. The centers have to seek financial assistance from corporate under their obligation of Corporate Social Responsibility. Further there should be not be any hindrance to initiate program for few species under public-private partnership as few programs under this mode viz. vulture breeding program and pygmy hog conservation breeding program have done well. 4. Founders The prioritized list for conservation breeding may be reviewed and few lesser known species 3 2014 CBSG Annual Meeting: Collaborative
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