“I cannot stress enough just how significant Sylvan Heights is to endangered waterfowl conservation efforts.  Without this facility, captive breeding and conservation efforts would be set back by decades.” Doug Piekarz VP Collections and Grounds, Akron Zoological Park

There are two major of types of conservation efforts employed when wildlife is threatened with extinction - habitat preservation projects, and propagation and reintroduction projects. While habitat preservation may have the most immediate effect in maintaining a threatened population of wildlife, it is also very difficult to achieve on a large scale and within a short time frame.

Because of this, propagation (also called captive breeding) projects are needed in order to preserve the species’ genetic diversity in significant enough numbers so that the possibility always exists for a reintroduction program to be initiated once a suitable habitat is established.

For many wild animals, including birds, successful breeding projects are not easy to establish and maintain. In some cases, there has not been enough field research conducted to learn nesting site preferences or what environmental factors trigger mating responses. Protecting the population against diseases is also very important. Even when these details are known, there can be difficulty in establishing a sustainable population.

Once the birds are successfully breeding in one captive setting, the techniques can then be repeated by other zoological institutions or private breeders. Maintaining multiple breeding flocks in separete locations increases genetic diversity and increases the possibility of saving a species from extinction.

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center plays a crucial role in the conservation of wild waterfowl by keeping rare species represented in zoos and private collections. Then people will always be able to see these wonderful birds. In the view of Sylvan Heights Director, Mike Lubbock, “I would rather see a live bird in captivity than a dead one in a museum”.

For More Information see RARE & ENDANGERED SPECIES Global Map