Breeding Programmes

Ex Situ Breeding programmes

Colchester Zoo has over 150 different species; many of these are classified as threatened, endangered or critically endangered in the wild. There are many species at Colchester which are part of either the EAZA Ex situ Programme (EEP) or the European Studbook (ESB). Our zoological management team are committee members for a number of these breeding programmes.

Clive Barwick, Curator:

Committee member for the Radiated tortoise EEP
Committee member for the Amur leopard EEP
Committee member for the Common squirrel monkey EEP
Committee member for the African elephant EEP
Committee member of the Yellow-breasted capuchin EEP
Committee member of the Coppery titi monkey EEP
EEP coordinator for Malayan Sun Bear
Committee member for the Radiated tortoise EEP

Angela Matthews, Head Keeper:

EAZA monitor for Spotted-necked, North American River and Sea Otter
EEP Coordinator for Smooth-coated otter before the EAZA monitor

Andy Moore, Director of Science, Education and Training

STEM Ambassador
BIAZA Conservation Education Committee Member
Education Advisor for the Canid and Hyena Tag

Jemma Dias, Senior Conservation Educator and Research Coordinator

Education advisor for Amphibian TAG, BIAZA Research Committee Member
BIAZA Sound Focus Group Member and ManyZoos
Communication and Outreach Committee Member

EAZA Ex situ Programme (EEP)

EEPs are the most intensive form of population management. Each EEP has a coordinator who is assisted by a species committee. The coordinator collects information on the species in all EAZA zoos and aquaria, produces a studbook, carries out demographical and genetical analyses, and produces a plan for the future management of the species. With the assistance of the species committee, recommendations are made each year on which animals should and should not breed and which species should move to another collection.

Mammals (45 EEPs)

African elephant (Loxodonta africana)
African lion (Panthera leo)
Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)
Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus)
Binturong (Arctictis binturong)
Buffy-headed capuchin (Sapajus xanthosternos)
Bush dogs (Speothos venaticus)
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Cherry-crowned mangabey (Cercocebus torquatus torquatus)
Colombian black spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps robustus)
Common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
Common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)
Coppery titi monkey (Callcebus Cupreus)
Crowned Lemur (Eulemur coronatus)
Eastern Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella niveiventris)
Fennec fox (Vulpes zerda)
Gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada)
Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Goeldi’s monkey ( Callimico goeldii)
Golden-headed lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysomelas)
Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
Grey wolf (Canis lupus)
Kirk’s dik dik (Madoqua kirkii)
L’hoest’s monkey (Cercopithecus lhoesti)
Lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus)
Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)
Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)
Maneless zebra (Equus quagga borensis)
Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)
Orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Patagonian sea lion (Otaria byronia)
Pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus)
Pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis)
Red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer)
Red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer)
Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
Red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus)
Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)
Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)
Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
Visayan spotted deer (Rusa alfredi)
White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

Reptiles (7 EEPs)

African pancake tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
Aldabra tortoise (Geochelone gigantea)
Emerald tree monitor (Varanus prasinus)
Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
Madagascan tree boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis)
Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
(Clive Barwick, curator, is a committee member for the Radiated tortoise EEP)
Spiny hill turtle (Heosemys spinosa)

Birds (8 EEPs)

African White backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
Andean condor (Vultur gryphus)
Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti)
King vulture (Sarcorhamphus papa)
Rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax)
Ruppell’s vulture (Gyps rueppellii)
Wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus)
Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura Victoria)

European Studbook Breeding Programme (ESB)

This is a less intensive form of population management. The programme’s studbook keeper collects information on his/her respective ESB species, such as births, deaths and transfers. This information is entered into a computer system so it can then be analysed. This allows the studbook keepers to judge whether a species is doing well or not in EAZA collections, and enables them to decide whether a species needs more rigid management to maintain a healthy population. In this case, the studbook keeper can propose that a species be managed on an EEP programme. EAZA collections can also ask the studbook keeper for recommendations on breeding and transfers.