Species360 (formerly International Species Information System or ISIS) founded in 1974, is an international non-profit organization that maintains an online database of wild animals under human care.[1] As of 2023, the organization serves more than 1,300 zoos, aquariums and zoological associations on six continents and in 102 countries worldwide.[2] The organization provides its members with zoological data collection and management software called ZIMS—the Zoological Information Management System.
ZIMS project was a large global collaboration with 600 people contributing under the leadership of Nate Flesness, Executive Director of Species360 (1979–2009),[3] and Hassan Syed, CIO of Species360 (2003–2010).[4] The ZIMS database contains information on 22,000 species, 10 million animals, and 82 million medical records.[2] Members use the basic biologic information (age, sex, parentage, place of birth, circumstance of death, etc.) collected in the system to care for and manage their animal collections (including demographic and genetic management in many cases). It is also used for ex situ breeding programs and supporting conservation research and programs.
Since its foundation in 1973, the group has been a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) pursuing wild animal conservation goals. Species360 works in partnership with zoo associations around the world.
The organization has staff and representatives in Amsterdam and The Randstad (the Netherlands), Barcelona (Spain), Copenhagen and Odense (Denmark), Jerusalem (Israel), Bristol, London, and Paignton (UK), and across the United States (Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Wisconsin, Washington) with headquarters in Minnesota (US).
Centralized database
Modern zoos and aquariums often are "gene banks" for endangered species. In some cases, species which have become extinct in the wild and have been bred in zoos are eventually returned to the wild. Examples include the black-footed ferret, California condor, Przewalski's horse, red wolf, Micronesian kingfisher (not yet reintroduced), and the Arabian oryx. Individual zoos generally do not have the space to maintain a viable species population (which for many mammals and birds requires 500+ animals in order to maintain sufficient genetic diversity[5]), so maintaining genetic diversity requires coordination between many zoos. Scientific expertise on husbandry, nutrition, veterinary care and so on is spread throughout the zoos and aquaria of the world. Breeding and population management relies on accurate information about animals in all member institutions, especially pedigree history (parentage) and demography (births and deaths).
A comprehensive information application designed to manage information about animal accessions and dispositions, animals wanted and available, behavioral observations, feed logs, and much more. ZIMS for Inventory and Husbandry also generates information needed for CITES and other permitting and governmental uses. It is designed for use by curators, registrars, keepers and other animal care staff.. The ZIMS application is the world's first and only real-time, unified global database for animals in zoos and aquariums.[7]
A web-based record-keeping system that captures records about anesthesia, treatment, diagnostic testing, clinical observations and more. Powerful enough to replace any other third-party medical records application, it also identifies species-specific physiologic reference data and commonly used anesthesia drugs, dosages and potential risks for thousands of wildlife species. ZIMS for Medical is designed for use by veterinarians, vet techs, keepers, and other staff working with a veterinary team. Now featuring Sample Storage to help zoo, aquarium, and other wildlife veterinarians manage biological samples for animal care and species conservation.
A web-based record-keeping system used by studbook keepers at zoos, aquariums, and zoological associations to manage the genetics of small populations. The solution is a global, integrated, real-time studbook database that connects institutional and studbook records, making studbooks more robust and up-to-date, making the studbook keeper’s job easier, and improving species management.
A web-based record-keeping system that combines best-in-class enclosure and animal records management with data-driven insights to marine and freshwater species.
is made available for licensing to educational organizations teaching animal husbandry, zoo, and aquarium science. The educational version of ZIMS provides a teaching platform and practice database through which students can enter and manipulate their own data and access that of other educational institutions. LearnZIMS uses a fictitious dataset to teach application functionality and to demonstrate the types of data that are collected in the global database.
The only cloud-based plant collection software in the world, helping users keep track of their plant collection wherever they are, using a mobile, tablet, or PC. With its contemporary software design, Hortis allows all members of the institution to easily collaborate, share and engage with their plant collection data using garden maps, capturing photos, and analyzing their plant collection data.
The Species360 Conservation Science Alliance works alongside international conservation, research, and academic institutions to answer questions critical to saving species using deep data reserves to drive conservation action. Developers of the first Species Knowledge Index (SKI) that maps available knowledge for the world's tetrapods.
Members
Regional association members include:
American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK)
American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV)
Asociación Colombiana de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios (ACOPAZOA)
Asociación de Zoológicos Criaderos y Acuarios de México (AZCARM)
Asociación Ecuatoriana de Zoológicos y Acuarios (AEZA)
In 1973, Ulysses Seal and Dale Makey proposed the International Species Information System (ISIS) as an international database to help zoos and aquariums accomplish long-term conservation management goals. It was founded in 1974 with an initial membership of 51 zoos in North America and Europe, and its membership has increased every year since.[7] Grants and endorsements were provided by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV) and other zoological associations. The founders also raised development funding from private foundations and the United States Department of the Interior. For the first 30 years, the Minnesota Zoo hosted the program on their grounds.[7]
Since 1989, the organisation has been incorporated as a non-profit entity under an international Board of Trustees elected by subscribing member institutions.[7] In 2016, the organization was renamed as Species360, due to ISIS being an acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a terrorist organization.[8]
Natura Artis Magistra, commonly known just as Artis, is a zoo and botanical garden in the centre of Amsterdam. It is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands and fifth oldest zoo in the world.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. AZA is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, and accredits zoos. There were 238 accredited facilities as of 2019, primarily in the US, and also a handful in eleven other countries.
Zoo Landau in der Pfalz is a 4-hectare (9.9-acre) zoo in Landau in der Pfalz, Germany. It was founded in 1904. The governing body is the municipality of the city of Landau in der Pfalz (Landau/Palatinate/Germany). The zoo is situated in the city center, along the historic remains of a French fort. The average yearly number of paying visitors is between 155,000 and 170,000. The zoo is home to about 600 animals representing 110 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. The current total number of employees is 20.
The Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel is the largest collection of wildlife in human care in the Middle East. The 250-acre site consists of both a drive-through African safari area and a modern outdoor zoo. The African animal park opened to the general public in 1974. In 1981, the zoo was established in the middle of the park to replace the Tel Aviv Zoo, which had closed down.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is an AZA zoo in Syracuse, New York. It is owned and operated by Onondaga County Parks with support from the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The zoo is home to more than 900 animals representing 216 species on 43 acres (17 ha). Some of the more popular animals include Asian elephants, Humboldt penguins, Amur tigers, a Komodo dragon and the only Giant Pacific octopus exhibit in Central New York. The zoo opened a new Animal Health Center in 2022 that is the largest zoological medical center in New York state outside of the Bronx Zoo.
Elmwood Park Zoo is a zoo located in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) is an organisation for the European zoo and aquarium community that links over 340 member organisations in 41 countries. EAZA membership is open to all zoos and aquaria across Europe that comply with EAZA's standards. The organisation is administered and headquartered at Natura Artis Magistra in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal care and welfare, conservation of biodiversity, environmental education and global sustainability.
Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums is an accreditation and advocacy organization representing zoos and aquariums within Canada. The organization states that its member zoos and aquariums care for more than 100,000 individual animals representing over 2000 species of wildlife, observed by an estimated 11 million visitors each year. The organization is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) is a registered charity and the professional body representing over 100 zoos and aquariums in Britain and Ireland.
A zoo is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
The Dallas World Aquarium is a for-profit aquarium and zoo located in the West End Historic District of Dallas, Texas, USA. It aids conservation and education by housing many animals that are threatened or endangered as part of a cooperative breeding program with other zoos around the world. It has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1997 and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an organisation for the zoo and aquarium community in Japan. As of April 30 2021, JAZA has 90 member zoos and 50 member aquariums in the country. JAZA seeks to protect nature and animals through educational and conservation outreach.
The Slovak National Zoological Garden is a 42-hectare (100-acre) zoo in the town of Bojnice, Slovakia. It is the oldest and most visited of Slovak zoos, being established in 1955. The zoo received more than 400,000 visitors in the year 2018.
The EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) is a population management and conservation programme by European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) for wild animals living in European zoos. The programme was formerly known as the European Endangered Species Programme.
The Mulhouse Zoological and Botanical Park is a French zoological park located in the Grand Est region in the departement of Haut-Rhin, in the southeast of the city of Mulhouse, district of Rebberg. Created in 1868 by philanthropists industrialists, led by Charles Thierry-Mieg son, he was successively the property of the Cercle mulhousien, of the Industrial Society of Mulhouse, and then of the City from 1893. It is now managed by the agglomeration community of Mulhouse region, Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération. Its director is, since 2010, the veterinary Brice Lefaux.
Africa Alive! Zoological Reserve, formerly known as Africa Alive! and Suffolk Wildlife Park, is a zoo located in Kessingland, Suffolk, UK. It is situated off the A12 at Kessingland 2 miles (3 km) south of Lowestoft.
Sara Hallager is an American biologist in avian management and husbandry, specializing in the care and conservation of flamingos and kori bustards. She is curator of birds at the Smithsonian National Zoo.
References
↑ Flesness, N. R. (2003). "International Species Information System (ISIS): over 25 years of compiling global animal data to facilitate collection and population management". International Zoo Yearbook. 38 (1): 53–61. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.2003.tb02064.x.
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