object: "conservation of species in captivity"
(ex situ)
During the last decennia many species of animals and plants in the wild acquired the status of vulnerable', threatened' or, in the worst case, extinct'. This is caused by urbanization, an increase in population, industrialisation, loss of habitat and international trade of animals and plants. All these are closely related. Much has been published in the western world through the many available channels, therefore, it is not necessary to elaborate on these causes at the moment. Concerning the subject of international trade in plants and animals, we think an explanation is in order.
Keeping animals in captivity is an old human custom. Domestication of wild animals and improvement of several plant species has brought many advantages to humanity through the ages, not in the least as a source of food.
To keep pets as a hobby and to care for wild plants in the house or the garden has also become common throughout the world, from primitive society to western people living in an urbanized world. Due to the increasing prosperity in the western world and the growing interest in something palpable from nature', the international commercial trade in exotic plants and animals has find a soft spot. A flourishing trade arose the last decades from exporting third world countries, which become increasingly poorer in comparison with western countries. Particularly Western Europe, Japan and the United States have become a market for many wild animals and plants.
They create a demand and this demand has surpassed the supply considerably, with disastrous consequences.
There is a lot of data on this development, although they do not reflect the (possibly much larger) scale correctly. Conclusion: western man consumes, and again much more than needed.
Mass consumption by a large number of amateurs is responsible for a deathrate of 80 or 90% among imported exotic animals shortly after arrival.
Beside the consuming amateur there is a limited group of people who want to deal with animals and plants in a different way, as I will explain below.
There are four relative large societies for herpetology and terrarium keeping in The Netherlands:
Dutch Society for Herpetology and Terrarium keeping 'Lacerta',
Dutch Turtle/Tortoise Society 'N.S.V.',
European Snake Society 'E.S.V.' and
Dendrobatidae Holland 'D.N.'
The last three have more or less evolved out of the first. Together these societies have more than 4.000 members. Their primary aim is to keep reptiles and amphibians in captivity including aspects like housing, feeding, behaviour and breeding. Magazines are published, there are work and study groups, gathering information for members, organising meetings; to put it briefly a lot has been done to bring the keeping of reptiles and amphibians in captivity on a higher level in the last fifty years. Knowledge has been acquired: many species are bred in captivity and through the growing knowledge about behaviour and feeding the welfare of the animals has increased by a considerable margin.
Besides the already mentioned captivity topics' Lacerta and the Dutch Turtle/Tortoise Society haven been working on the conservation of nature and species in the last two decades. By providing information to the members concerning a number of conservation projects for species in the wild, they have started an awareness process which led to a more serious dealing with animals already in captivity and a critical view on the commercial trade in animals and the import and export of animals.
Commercial trade in animals on a large scale has always been rejected by the N.S.V. and recently Lacerta has announced a change of policy in that same direction.
Concerning the conservation projects for species in the wild, it should be mentioned that beside information, study etc. a number of projects have been supported financially.
Has given substantial financial support to projects like:
The foregoing shows a clear change in approach and that, besides keeping reptiles and amphibians in captivity, the animals in the wild are getting a fair share of attention. The policy is that ex situ breeding programs will be beneficial to in situ management projects.
Knowledge of breeding, feeding and behaviour acquired in captivity could be very important in management and conservation projects in the wild. To put it more strongly: ex situ breeding programs are an ideal situation to get a lot of data from the animals.
In 1992, N.S.V. took the initiative to start studbook/breeding programs for tortoises/turtles. They became aware of the importance of protecting the animals in the wild and of a more stringent policy concerning the import of animals from the wild. They had to become self-supporting!
Soon after that the same initiative was taken for lizards, snakes and some species of Dendrobatinadae.This led within five years to a total number of more than a 100 studbook programs for species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians with a total of 2500 registered animals. Members come mainly from Lacerta and N.S.V.
Basically a studbook/breeding program is about the management of species in captivity. Another goal is to avoid inbreeding and to increase the understanding of the members by transfer of knowledge etc. The necessary registration takes place by means of software: Zrbook (designed and made available for free by the SNOD, Amsterdam).
Besides registration the studbook keeper has the following tasks: mediation and advise on exchanges within his breeding program, advise and information to members concerning breeding, housing and feeding and to collect and distribute relevant literature, in short everything that is conducive to a genetically and physically healthy population of animals in captivity.
In 1994 these activities clearly needed a proper management and the foundation of O.O.S. (Coordinating Body Studbooks) became reality. In February 1997 O.O.S. became an official foundation and was registered with the Chamber of Commerce under number S-136106.
Recently our studbook initiative was followed in Germany by starting a number of breeding programs for several endangered species of Chinese terrapins and turtles. Cooperation is about to start between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Holland to save a number of species. Details and a plan have yet to be worked out.
Because of extension of the activities to other
european countries, in January 2003 the name was
changed to European Studbook Foundation.
The foundation is financially depending on support from Lacerta and the N.S.V. and the limited proceedings from the annual survey. These donations are clearly insufficient in view of the many plans yet to be realized.
At the moment we can afford telephone and postal charges and conference costs up to a point. Many studbook keepers are paying their own expenses for copying, telephone and post. The board also pays many of their own expenses.
To continue the above-mentioned activities and to realise our plans for a further optimization of the studbook/breeding programs we ask you to support us by studying our initiatives and by considering a donation.
We think that the initiative to preserve species of animals, in situ as well as ex situ, deserves every moral and financial support, especially in view of the fact that our environment, including all animals, plants and ourselves, is heading for a swift destruction.
Hopefully we have given you enough insight in our initiatives but we are always prepared to give further information.
H. Zwartepoorte, president