The Importance of Heritage Breeds

Toronto Zoo works 'hard to preserve the heritage' of animals

'We have an obligation to preserve the genetic legacy of their ancestors,' writes Brent Huffman

OPINION DEC 25, 2020 BY BRENT HUFFMAN TORONTO.COM

Brent Huffman is lead keeper of mammals at the Toronto Zoo. - Toronto Zoo photo 

We all come from somewhere. At the Toronto Zoo, our 4,000-plus animals have roots from around the globe, but each one has their own history: some have travelled here from afar, while others were Scarborough-born and raised. I, myself, grew up visiting the Toronto Zoo, learning the names and faces of individual animals, and watching them develop alongside me. 

Inspiring such connections between community and wildlife is a core part of our mission, but your Toronto Zoo’s animals are part of another story that extends far beyond Scarborough’s borders. As lead keeper of mammals, seeing our animals fit into this bigger conservation picture is one of my strongest motivators.

All of the zoo’s animal populations trace their roots to the wild — an inescapable, sometimes uncomfortable, fact of zoo history. Although most of our animals are now generations removed from the wild, we have an obligation to preserve the genetic legacy of their ancestors and ensure their lives are meaningful. Thankfully, we’re not in this alone: more than 130 of our species participate in international co-operative breeding programs.

On the surface, Species Survival Plans — our most numerous breeding programs — are rather like a “matchmaking service” between accredited North American zoos. However, rather than using personality traits to make matches, pairings are based on the genetic representation of the population’s wild-born ancestors. Using a population-wide family tree, computer algorithms identify individuals with under-represented genes and suggest pairings that will maximize genetic diversity — preserving rare genes and keeping the population healthy. Because Species Survival Plans seek to benefit the entire population, they can sometimes feel contrary to our own interests, such as sending a beloved animal to a new home. In order to be effective, however, participating zoos need to co-operate: our animals play a critical role in the context of their species’ population in human care.

These co-operative programs also impact wild populations, connecting a network of experts working in the wild, and co-ordinating zoo-based research that aids in conservation outside of zoos. For instance, scientists developing tools to monitor wild giraffe populations need measurements from giraffes of known age. This data, almost impossible to obtain in the wild, is being supplied by zoos: Toronto Zoo keepers are regularly measuring our baby giraffe, Amani, as she grows. 

In participating in these Species Survival Plan efforts, Toronto Zoo’s animals directly contribute to helping their wild counterparts. And through the success of these plans, some of our animals (including over 350 endangered black-footed ferrets) have brought the story full-circle, leaving their Scarborough roots to bolster wild populations through reintroduction efforts.

At your Toronto Zoo, we work hard to preserve the heritage of our animals: maintaining their genetic diversity, learning about their biology, and sending animals back to their native ranges. The co-operative programs we partake in allow our animals to not only connect with our community, but play an integral role in the bigger picture of wildlife conservation.

Brent Huffman is lead keeper of mammals at the Toronto Zoo.