As a ZAA welfare accredited member we participate in coordinated managed animal programmes for many of the species we hold at Brooklands Zoo. Records are kept on each individual animal and their family history to maintain healthy gene pools and avoid potential in-breeding issues. Any offspring produced are also taken into consideration in advance so involved ZAA facilities have time to plan for the acquisition of or the transfer out to other facilities.
We are actively involved in on-site breeding programmes with our cotton-top tamarins and capuchin monkeys. Some of the programmes involve holding single-sex groups of species that may be required to participate in future transfers to aide breeding recommendations such as our Bolivian squirrel monkeys.
We have a Wildlife Act Authority permit through the Department of Conservation (DOC) to assist with rehabilitating injured or orphaned native birds brought to us directly from either DOC staff or our veterinarians from the New Plymouth Vet Group. This permit is only for native and protected NZ bird species such as kererū, tūī and ruru (morepork) and protected reptiles, and is for non-display purposes to allow the injured bird time to recover out of the public eye prior to being released back in the wild.
In 2023 we worked with DOC on caring for and rehoming two mysterious weka. Learn more about it here.
One quarter of all the world's known species of wildlife are currently threatened with extinction in the wild. Zoos and aquariums are playing an important role in protecting our wildlife for the future. We're proud to promote cotton-top tamarins through Proyecto Titi. Proyecto Titi is a conservation programme that combines field research, education initiatives and community programs to make the conservation of natural resources economically feasible for local communities in Colombia. Their website is full of great information as well as some fun activities - like learning how to do the cotton-top tamarin dance!
Brooklands Zoo is one of a large number of conservation institutions worldwide that share data on the animals in their care, from lifecycle traits to environmental needs, in an effort to improve species management and conservation. This is done through the non-profit group Species360, whose zoological information management system (ZIMS) is 50 years old.
The data in ZIMS helps vets treat and prevent diseases, and also guides breeding programmes through genetic diversity for healthy and sustainable populations. Brooklands Zoo is part of a managed breeding programme for tufted capuchins, and provides advocacy for species such as small-clawed otters and the critically endangered cotton-top tamarins.
Over the years, Brooklands Zoo has contributed data on more than 550 animals and 88 species, subspecies and breeds.
