AZA recognizes that its Accredited Institutions and Certified Related Facilities must collaborate to optimally manage the species they care for in a way that maximizes reproductive health and assures appropriate population sizes, demography, genetic diversity, and sustainability. To meet these objectives, AZA supports two management centers.
AZA Reproductive Management Center
The AZA Reproductive Management Center (RMC), located at the Saint Louis Zoo, works with the Animal Population Management (APM) Committee to identify the reproductive-related challenges to Animal Program sustainability. The RMC supports the Population Management Center by providing contraception recommendations for animals that are not currently recommended to breed. Similarly, the RMC provides tools to the AZA community that can be used to identify the causes of reproductive failure in pairs that are recommended to breed, but are not producing offspring. With its partner, the Reproductive Health Surveillance Program, the RMC conducts research related to reproductive challenges like infertility, and coordinates with relevant AZA Scientific Advisory Groups (SAGs) and Committees to address population-level threats to sustainability. Read more about the AZA Reproductive Management Center.
AZA Population Management Center
The AZA Population Management Center (PMC) is responsible for conducting the genetic and demographic analyses needed to develop and distribute the population management recommendations for all Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Programs. The PMC assists over 450 Animal Programs in the development of their population management plans by ensuring data accuracy, determining the current and future status of the population, and identifying breeding recommendations. Read more about the AZA Population Management Center.