The Conservation Behaviorist Captive breeding, conservation and behavioral Animal Behavior Society ABS Conservation Committee research The Conservation Behaviorist, an electronic biannual news-update, informs ABS members about the Conservation Committee’s activities, research trends in behavior and conservation, and relevant scientific news in conservation research where behavior plays an important role. The Conservation Behaviorist Vol. 2, No. 2, November 2004 ____________________________________________________________ In this issue The ABS Conservation Committee ..……………………….. 2 Funding opportunities (data base) ...................................... 2 Publications: Conservation Behavior (data base) …........... 2 E. O. Wilson Award: deadline January 2005 …..………….. 2 Feature Article: What can Captive Breeding do for Conservation and What can Behavior Research do for Captive Breeding? by Ronald R. Swaisgood……….……….3 Mentors in conservation behavior . ………………….....…... 6 Excerpts from back issues ……………………...…………… 8 © R.R. Swaisgood “How can we justify confining animals in small Conservation Tips By Daniel T. Blumstein enclosures, often far removed from many Is there anything a behaviorist can salient features of the animal’s natural do to help conservation? environment? …How can we justify the expenditure of money to maintain a few Apply “Tinbergen's Four Questions” to a representatives of endangered species in conservation question: the physiological and sensory captivity when the same funds could mechanisms that control behavior, the development or significantly enhance in situ conservation ontogeny of behavior, its function and evolution. efforts? …These questions are interrelated Applying our major conceptual framework can provide novel management questions and can help structure because minimal well-being is a prerequisite for the scientific study of an endangered species. Share reproduction for conservation breeding…” says this conceptual framework with others! It works well Ronald R. Swaisgood in our Feature Article: “What Can for behaviorists and it can surely work well for Captive Breeding Do for Conservation and What Can mainstream conservation biologists . Behavior Research Do for Captive Breeding?” (page 3) Page 2 of 8 The Conservation Behaviorist Vol. 2, No. 2, 2004 The ABS Conservation Announcements Committee Created in 1997, the Conservation Committee aims to encourage ABS members to participate in research Funding opportunities programs addressing the interface between animal behavior and conservation science. By identifying and Debra M. Shier and the ABS-Conservation evaluating the areas in which behavioral research has Committee have compiled a list of institutions that contributed to conservation, as well as the fields that would consider funding research proposals from need development, the Committee seeks to generate conservation behaviorists. To access this data discussion and promote studies in behavior and base, visit conservation. http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Conservation/ccfunding.html Publications: Conservation Behavior ABS Conservation Committee Members J. Cully Nordby and the ABS-Conservation Guillermo Paz-y-Miño C., Chair Committee have compiled a list of review and Worcester College conceptually based publications on the interface of Allison C. Alberts conservation and behavioral biology. For an Zoological Society of San Diego Daniel T. Blumstein electronic version of this list, visit University of California Los Angeles http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Conservation/index.html Richard Buchholz University of Mississippi Colleen Cassady St. Clair E. O. Wilson Conservation Award: University of Alberta, Canada J. Cully Nordby Deadline for registered ABS University of California Berkeley students: 28 January 2005 Debra M. Shier University of California Davis Ronald R. Swaisgood The Edward O. Wilson ABS Student Research Zoological Society of San Diego Grant for Conservation seeks to encourage Ilonka von Lippke University of California Los Angeles graduate students of animal behavior to participate in meaningful conservation-related research. The award is part of the ABS Student Research Grant Interact with the Conservation Program and it supports a proposal considered Committee meritorious for its integration of behavior and Send letters, announcements, comments and contributions to conservation. The Conservation Behaviorist [email protected] E. O. Wilson, professor at Harvard University, Deadlines for articles are the 15 th of the month preceding the next who in 2002 received the ABS Distinguished news update. The next deadline is April 15 th . Contributions submitted by members of the Animal Behavior Society and Animal Behaviorist Award, is one of the world's determined by the Conservation Committee to be appropriate will most eminent scientists and pioneers in be published in The Conservation Behaviorist . The biodiversity conservation. publication of such material does not imply ABS or Conservation Committee endorsement of the opinions expressed by contributors. For additional information on this award visit the Editor Guillermo Paz-y-Miño C. Student Research Grant Committee’s website Associate Editor Allison C. Alberts http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Grants/ or contact [email protected] Page 3 of 8 The Conservation Behaviorist Vol. 2, No. 2, 2004 Feature Article As habitat for wild populations becomes increasingly altered by human activities, conservationists are relying more on meta-population management, where many populations in small reserves (and breeding centers) are managed as a whole to preserve genetic diversity. As zoos and breeding centers move more to large, naturalistic enclosures and many wild What can captive populations are managed in smaller, fenced areas (e.g., rhino reserves in Africa), the captive-wild distinction becomes blurred. It is not the preferred model for conservation, but often the reality. breeding do for conservation and what can behavior research do for captive breeding? How can we justify confining animals in small enclosures, often far removed from many salient features of the animal’s natural environment? This question speaks to concerns of animal welfare, and I see it as a challenge to behaviorists and managers to Studies of white rhino social organization, reproductive behavior, and endocrinology are underway in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in South Africa. understand the behavioral needs of animals and One goal of this research is to use these data to evaluate reproductive develop captive environments that meet these needs. problems that plague the captive population. Ronald R. Swaisgood © photo. How can we justify the expenditure of money to What about the role of captive breeding in the conservation community? maintain a few representatives of endangered species As a previous outsider to the zoo community—now nearly a 10-year veteran in captivity when the same funds could significantly of zoo-based conservation—I can speak to issues that initially weighed enhance in situ conservation efforts? A reasonable heavily on my mind, but I have learned to appreciate from a new perspective. First, the money. I think it’s fair to say that the typical zoogoer is not answer must show that these expenses actually do necessarily an avid conservationist. Money spent at the gate is likely not not take away funds that otherwise could go to money taken out of the environmental charity tithes. This money is used to conservation of animals in their natural environments feed and house the zoo animals. And today zoos often skim off a few dollars earned from ticket, T-shirt and hamburger sales to support their own in situ and that captive breeding programs contribute to in conservation programs. Second, zoos have the unique opportunity to situ conservation. These questions are interrelated educate people that might not otherwise embrace conservation. Typically because minimal well-being is a prerequisite for busy urbanite families that need a break and enjoy seeing animals easily (e.g., without the heat and the mosquitoes), the zoogoer may not be up to reproduction (18) for conservation breeding. speed on the latest conservation issues. A zoo devoted to a conservation message can capitalize on this opportunity to educate the zoo-going citizen. A close-up experience with a wild animal can foster a bond that—with the By Ronald R. Swaisgood* proper educational experience—can grow into a conservation ethic. Some may just throw an extra buck in the conservation donation box, but some Zoos are the preeminent domain of captive breeding programs, but not the may develop into true conservationists, support environmentally sound only players. Governmental agencies and many Non-Governmental policy, and make significant monetary contributions. This is a best-case Organizations (NGO’s) are increasingly involved in species recovery efforts scenario, and it is incumbent upon zoos to do everything in their power to that involve a stint in captivity. This underscores the sad truth that we are too ensure that this goal is realized, or risk becoming an obsolete holdover from often confronted with conservation triage, where we have to rescue the circus mentality of previous generations. populations that are no longer able to sustain themselves in the human- altered landscape in which they live (witness the plight of the California Take the case of the giant panda, global conservation icon (11). Probably condor). But these last-ditch efforts are not the preferred method of rescuing