An evolving approach to species conservation
EAZA Ex situ Programmes are evolving beyond their traditional role as insurance populations to support species conservation in many different ways. Find out more in our new publication.
The New Story of EEPs
For decades, zoo and aquarium breeding programmes were largely understood as insurance populations: safeguarding species against extinction in the wild.
That remains a vital role. But the conservation potential of EAZA Ex situ Programmes (EEPs) extends much further.
Today, EEPs help restore wild populations, advance scientific research, build conservation expertise, support field projects and raise awareness of threats to biodiversity. Each programme has clearly defined roles, reflecting the conservation needs of the species concerned.
Following nearly a decade of collaborative conservation planning, EAZA has completed the first comprehensive review of the roles of its 500+ EEPs.
Our new publication, The New Story of EEPs, explores this evolution and explains how a more strategic, species-specific approach is shaping the contribution of zoos and aquariums to conservation.
Cover photo: Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) © zoosnow