Creative Conservation: Interactive management of wild and captive animals

Past progress and future challenges R.J. Wheater Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK. In the past two decades much has been achieved in the sphere of breeding endangered species, and we should be pleased that our co­ operative efforts have already borne so much fruit. However, on balance and despite the best efforts of conservationists, the position of wildlife in the wild places where they are best conserved has become worse, often dramatically worse. Before returning to the United Kingdom in 1972, I was in Uganda for 16 years, most of which time was spent as Chief Warden of Murchison Falls National Park. Our main problem was that an over-population of large mammals was having a devastating impact on the habitat. Devas­ tation was being wrought on woodland areas by the arrival of large numbers of elephants into the sanctuary of the Park, following changes in land use in the areas outside the Park. These changes were in response to the requirements of an ever-expanding human population.

A major contribution to the debate about the interactive management of populations of animals under threat of extinction - Ethology, Ecology and Evolution; A very substantial book ... makes a detailed and irrefutable case for zoos as vital partners in the struggle to preserve the world's wildlife - N Gould; ...of great value to those who are concerned with successful programmes for conserving endangered species and care for the environment - Environmental Management and Health; This book presents a full review of the biological, logistical and economic concerns that exist in all efforts to manage populations, and is a major contribution to the debate on interactive management of populations of animals under threat of extinction...the editors have to be congratulated in producing from this conference a document, which not only contains much up-to-date, relevant and important information for anyone working in the fields of conservation and zoo biology, but which also clearly demonstrates how far we have progressed in our knowledge and understanding of the breeding of threatened species both in the wild and in captivity - Animal Welfare; ...the book would be a useful addition to most libraries and the personal libraries of those unfamiliar with the primary literature. Several papers are probably destined to become classics ... - Zoo Biology