Special challenges of maintaining wildlife in captivity in Europe and Asia

In the second half of the 20th century, populations of many wild animal species have been established in captivity for various purposes (e.g. education, conservation, research, farming) and many are kept as companion animals. With continuing human pressure on the environment, captive or semi-captive management is likely to become a component in the conservation of an increasing range of species throughout Europe and Asia. The management of small and divided populations (some of which may be in zoos while some are free-ranging) requires careful control to minimise loss of genetic diversity. This, in turn, may require movements of animals or germplasm between sub-populations. A potentially serious hazard associated with these translocations is the accidental introduction of infectious agents into populations which have hitherto been geographically or ecologically isolated from these agents. When planning translocations, the state veterinary authorities of both importing and exporting countries should be contacted at an early stage for details of legal requirements in relation to animal health, welfare and conservation. Animal health legislation is mostly aimed at preventing disease in man and domestic animals, and further disease control measures may be required when translocating wild animals. In addition to the need for efforts in ensuring genetic diversity and disease control, good husbandry and welfare can often be challenging in species about which relatively little is known. A variety of organisations are involved in coordinating captive breeding programmes in Europe and Asia, and some of these organisations and the routes through which they can be identified are mentioned here.