The San Diego Zoo has one of the most active species-preservation programs in the nation. Their Center for Conservation and Research raises endangered species, such as California condors, pandas, tigers and African black rhinos. Some of these species are bred in captivity and later released into the wild, while others proliferate in the zoo for their entire adult lives. To help preserve rare animals, the San Diego Wild Animal Park has a cryopreservation facility to freeze sperm and eggs of rare animals. In 2009, the San Diego Zoological Society was proud to announce the birth of a giant panda cub, a western lowland gorilla and two endangered Grand Cayman blue iguanas.

The first Species Survival Plan for North American zoo animals began in 1981. Today there are 114 plans that oversee the breeding of everything from Addax antelopes to Grevy’s zebras. At the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee, there are birds, reptiles and mammals participating in the program, but perhaps the biggest star is the red panda. Several baby animals have been born in captivity after being bred with international visitor pandas that brought unique sets of traits to the captive animals. Knoxville is also one of four zoos to hatch endangered Burmese star tortoises and their success with the southern white rhinos account for a third of all rhino births in the U.S.

Generally, animal rights groups do not support zoo animals breeding programs because they believe that it is immoral to tamper with wild animal species in any way — be it animal testing, meat and dairy production, domestication or wearing fur fashions. Wildlife biologists, on the other hand, support captive-bred animals, but also feel that their long-term survival depends upon a stabilization of the animals’ natural habitat. They also warn about the danger of inbreeding too close in blood lines, breeding for non-aggressive traits (that may be preferable for a zoo but not for the wild) and the possibility of introducing contamination into wild populations.

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