Husbandry

Zoos work together to breed animals in their care, either on a national, European or global basis. This ensures that animals are not taken from the wild and that in the future the reintroduction of species can take place. It is now very rare for animals to be bought and sold by zoos. Our animals go to other zoos on breeding loan or as exchanges, or they are simply donated.

All co-ordinated breeding programmes invlove keeping detailed stud books on computer. These suggest which animals breed together to avoid in-breeding and to maximise genetic diversity. Bristol Zoo Gardens holds the stud books for a number of animals including the black howler monkey and the Luzon and Mindanao bleeding heart doves.

Lions

Asiatic lion cubs, bred here as part of the co-ordinated breeding programme for this critically endangered big cat, have gone to Tierpark Berlin in Germany, Bescancon Zoo in France and Lodz Zoo in Poland. There are fewer than 300 Asiatic lions left in the wild.