Do Zoos Have A Role In Preventing The Extinction Of Polar Bears?

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Do Zoos Have A Role In Preventing The Extinction Of Polar Bears?
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This is a past event

An evening talk by Douglas Richardson, Head of Living Collections, from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland at the Highland Wildlife Park. Free Event in the Special Collections Centre Seminar Room at Aberdeen University - booking essential.

Climate change is more acute in the Arctic than on any other part of the planet and the dramatic reduction in ice cover is already having a measurably negative effect on wild polar bear populations. 

The modern zoo community has proven that conservation breeding can be a powerful tool that can allow for the reintroduction of species that have become extinct in the wild or augment small, fragmented populations. 

Large carnivores present additional problems and complexities and it has been argued that captivity cannot meet the welfare needs of polar bears. 

The Highland Wildlife Park has been at the forefront of advancements in polar bear husbandry and we are active within the coordinating group for the European breeding programme. 

This talk will present a coherent way forward.

 

Speaker
Douglas Richardson
Venue
Seminar Room Special Collections Centre The Sir Duncan Rice Library
Contact

scc.events@abdn.ac.uk Telephone: 01224 273047