Species Programs

ZAA leads the Species Management Program (SMP), under which we coordinate over 100 breeding programs for a select group of species at ZAA-accredited sites across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Managed programs play a role in protecting threatened species, conservation research and conservation education. This approach involves managing the animals at different ZAA-accredited zoos and aquariums as one big population and supports genetically diverse and sustainable species populations.

Each SMP species has a Species Coordinator, who uses specialised software to make recommendations about the breeding and management of that species. A team of experts on a particular group of animals (e.g. birds or reptiles) provide guidance to our Species Coordinators. This team is called a Taxon Advisory Group (TAG).

The SMP manages animal populations for protection against extinction, release to the wild, conservation research and community education.

 

ZAA-managed species

 

Addax

Addax nasomaculatus
Species Coordinator: Taronga Western Plains Zoo

African Lion

Panthera leo
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

African Wild Dog

Lycaon pictus
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo 

Archey's Frog

Leiopelma archeyi
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Asian Elephant

Elephas maximus
Species Coordinator: Zoos Victoria

Australian Little Penguin

Eudyptula minor novaehollandiae
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Australian Sea-lion

Neophoca cinerea
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Black and White Ruffed Lemur

Varecia variegata variegata
Species Coordinator: Sydney Zoo

Blackbuck

Antilope cervicapra
Species Coordinator: Werribee Open Range Zoo

Black-handed Spider Monkey

Ateles geoffroyi
Species Coordinator: Sydney Zoo

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus
Species Coordinator: Monarto Safari Park

Bolivian Squirrel Monkey

Saimiri boliviensis
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Bongo

Tragelaphus eurycerus
Species Coordinator: Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Broad-headed Snake

Hoplocephalus bungaroides
Species Coordinator: Melbourne Zoo

Brolga

Grus rubicunda
Species Coordinator: Healesville Sanctuary

Brown Kiwi

Apteryx mantelli
Species Coordinator: Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Brush-tailed bettong (Woylie)

Bettongia penicillata
Species Coordinator: Monarto Safari Park

Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby

Petrogale penicillata
Species Coordinator: Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Bush Stone-curlew

Burhinus grallarius
Species Coordinator: Healesville Sanctuary

California Sea-lion

Zalophus californianus
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Cape Porcupine

Hystrix cristata
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus
Species Coordinator: Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes
Species Coordinator:  Sydney Zoo 

Cook Strait tuatara

Sphenodon punctatus
Species Coordinator: Wellington Zoo Trust

Cotton-top Tamarin

Saguinus oedipus
Species Coordinator: Zoos Victoria

Dibbler

Parantechinus apicalis
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Duvaucel's Gecko

Hoplodactylus duvauceli
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Eastern Whipbird

Psophodes olivaceus
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Eland

Taurotragus oryx
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Fijian Crested Iguana

Brachylophus vitiensis
Species Coordinator: Melbourne Zoo

Giant tortoise (Aldabra and Galapagos)

Chelonoidis nigra
Species Coordinator: Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Ghost Bat

Macroderma gigas
Species Coordinator: Sydney Zoo

Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis
Species Coordinator: Melbourne Zoo

Golden Lion-tamarin

Leontopithecus rosalia
Species Coordinator: Zoos Victoria

Goodfellow’s Tree-kangaroo

Dendrolagus goodfellowi
Species Coordinator: Melbourne Zoo

Grand skink (Eastern)

Oligosoma grande
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Greater Bilby

Macrotis lagotis
Species Coordinator: Monarto Safari Park

Grey Nurse Shark

Carcharias taurus
Species Coordinator: SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast

Hamadryas Baboon

Papio hamadryas
Species Coordinator: Melbourne Zoo

Helmeted Honeyeater

Lichenostomus melanops cassidix
Species Coordinator: Healesville Sanctuary

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius
Species Coordinator: Werribee Open Range Zoo

Pygmy Hippopotamus

Hexaprotodon liberiensis
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Kea

Nestor notabilis
Species Coordinator: Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Koala (Northern)

Phascolarctos cinereus
Species Coordinator: Dreamworld/Taronga Zoo

Koala (Southern)

Phascolarctos cinereus victor
Species Coordinator: Healesville Sanctuary

Komodo Dragon

Varanus komodoensis
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Lord Howe Island Stick Insect

Dryococelus australis
Species Coordinator: Melbourne Zoo

Lowland Nyala

Tragelaphus angasii
Species Coordinator: Wellington Zoo Trust

Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo

Dendrolagus lumholtzi
Species Coordinator: Dreamworld

Mahogany Glider

Petaurus gracilis
Species Coordinator: Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Maned Wolf

Chrysocyon brachyurus
Species Coordinator: Altina Wildlife Park

Meerkat

Suricata suricatta
Species Coordinator: Wellington Zoo Trust

Korimako / New Zealand Bellbird

Anthornis melanura
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

New Zealand Fur Seal

Arctocephalus forsteri
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

New Zealand Little Penguin

Eudyptula minor minor
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Noisy Pitta

Pitta versicolor
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

North Island Kaka

Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Numbat

Myrmecobius fasciatus
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Orange-bellied Parrot

Neophema chrysogaster
Species Coordinator: Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Otago Skink (Western)

Oligosoma otagense
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Plains Zebra

Equus burchellii
Species Coordinator: National Zoo and Aquarium

Platypus

Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Species Coordinator: Healesville Sanctuary

Przewalski’s Horse

Equus ferus przewalskii
Species Coordinator: Taronga Western Plains Zoo

Pygmy Marmoset

Callithrix pygmaea
Species Coordinator: Wellington Zoo Trust

Quokka

Setonix brachyurus
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Radiated Tortoise

Astrochelys radiata
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Red Panda

Ailurus fulgens
Species Coordinator: Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Regent Bowerbird

Sericulus chrysocephalus
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Regent Honeyeater

Anthochaera phrygia
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Ring-tailed Lemur

Lemur catta
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Rose-crowned Fruit-dove

Ptilinopus regina
Species Coordinator: ZooDoo Zoo

Sacred Kingfisher

Todiramphus sanctus sanctus
Species Coordinator: Healesville Sanctuary

Scimitar-horned Oryx

Oryx dammah
Species Coordinator: Werribee Open Range Zoo

Serval

Leptailurus serval
Species Coordinator: National Zoo and Aquarium

Short-beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus acanthion
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Siamang

Symphalangus syndactylus
Species Coordinator: Sydney Zoo

Silvery (Javan) Gibbon

Hylobates moloch
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Small-clawed Otter

Aonyx cinerea
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

Southern Cassowary

Casuarius casuarius johnsonii
Species Coordinator: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat

Lasiorhinus latifrons
Species Coordinator: Zoos South Australia

Spotted-tailed Quoll

Dasyurus maculatus
Species Coordinator: Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

Sumatran Orangutan

Pongo abelii
Species Coordinator: Zoos Victoria

Sumatran Tiger

Panthera tigris sumatrae
Species Coordinator: Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Sun Bear

Helarctos malayanus
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Tammar Wallaby

Macropus eugenii eugenii
Species Coordinator: Monarto Safari Park

Tasmanian Devil

Sarcophilus harrisii
Species Coordinator: Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA)

Tufted Capuchin

Sapajus apella
Species Coordinator: Sydney Zoo

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Species Coordinator: Sydney Zoo

Western Lowland Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla gorilla
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Western Swamp Tortoise

Pseudemydura umbrina
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Southern White Rhinoceros

Ceratotherium simum
Species Coordinator: Auckland Zoo

White-browed Woodswallow

Artamus superciliosus
Species Coordinator: Monarto Safari Park

White-cheeked Gibbon

Nomascus leucogenys
Species Coordinator: Perth Zoo

Yellow-bellied Glider

Petaurus australis
Species Coordinator: Taronga Zoo

Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby

Petrogale xanthopus
Species Coordinator: Monarto Safari Park