Species Survival Plan

The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild.

SSP programs focus on animals that are in danger of extinction in the wild, when zoo conservationists believe captive breeding programs may be their only chance to survive. These programs also help maintain healthy and genetically diverse animal populations within the zoo community.AZA accredited zoos and AZA conservation partners that are involved in SSP programs engage in cooperative population management and conservation efforts that include research, public education, reintroduction, and in situ or field conservation projects. There are currently 172 species covered by 116 SSP programs in North America.

An SSP Master Plan is a document produced by the SSP coordinator (generally a zoo professional under the guidance of an elected management committee) for a certain species. This document sets breeding goals and other management recommendations to achieve the maximum genetic diversity and demographic stability for a species, given transfer and space constraints.

Many AZA-accredited zoos engage in SSP programs and discuss them on their websites. The following links are to a small selection of those sites:

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