SECOND NATURE

CHANGING THE FUTURE
FOR ENDANGERED SPECIESIUCN SSC CONSERVATION BREEDING SPECIALIST GROUP (CBSG)SECOND NATURE
CHANGING THE FUTURE
FOR ENDANGERED SPECIESIUCN SSC CONSERVATION BREEDING SPECIALIST GROUP (CBSG)

Second Nature: Changing the Future for Endangered Species
Copyright © 2017 Conservation Breeding Specialist Group
St. Paul, Minnesota

All rights reserved. Aside from brief passages in a published review, no part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including all technologies known or later
developed, without written permission from the publisher.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the IUCN.

To inquire about additional copies of Second Nature,
write to office@cbsg.org.

Cover and page design: Trio Bookworks
Cover photo: © Florence Perroux/La Palmyre Zoo
Project Director: Dr. Onnie Byers
Project Manager and Lead Author: Emily Wick
Executive Editor: Ann Delgehausen, Trio Bookworks
ISBN: 978-0-9983065-0-6
Printed in the United States of America
21 20 19 18 17  1 2 3 4

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I attended my first IUCN SSC meeting in 1987 and was hooked. In 1991 I joined the Conservation
Breeding Specialist Group and began to apply CBSG tools to conservation planning for yellowshouldered parrots on Margarita Island, Venezuela. We can now proudly say, 25 years later,that the conservation efforts inspired by this work and led by the Venezuelan NGO, Provita,
succeeded in increasing the parrot population from 700 birds in the early nineties to 1,700 at present.
This book is precisely about similar success stories. By convening all relevant stakeholders,
thinking creatively, working cooperatively, and applying a portfolio of cutting-edge tools,
CBSG has developed a unique approach that allows practitioners to compile the data available,
examine scenarios, and build an adaptive plan to reduce a species’ risk of extinction. I look forward
to working together with Onnie Byers and her team over the next few years on a set of new,similar initiatives, and to begin developing the case studies for the next edition of the book!

— Dr. Jon Paul Rodríguez
IUCN Species Survival Commission Chair

Throughout my tenure with the IUCN, including as SSC Chair, I have watched the CBSG evolvefrom a group solely dedicated to assisting with management of small captive populations
to one that plays a major role in conservation planning for species, both in the wild and in captivity.
The CBSG has been instrumental in forging strong links between the SSC and the zoo community,
and the power of this collaboration to improve the fate of globally threatened species is reflectedin the stories in this book. The vision of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission is “A just worldthat values and conserves nature through positive action to reduce the loss of diversity of lifeon earth.” The CBSG’s collaborative, inclusive, and science-based approach to planning not only
helps achieve the SSC’s vision, but also ensures that it delivers the most effective conservation action
to protect future generations of threatened species.

— Dr. Simon N. Stuart
IUCN Species Survival Commission Chair, 2008–2016

CBSG is a global network of conservation professionals dedicatedto saving threatened species by increasing the effectiveness of conservation efforts
worldwide. CBSG is a specialist group of the Species Survival Commission (SSC)of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN is the world’s
oldest and largest global environmental organization. IUCN provides public, private,
and non-governmental organizations with the knowledge and tools that enable humanprogress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
The Species Survival Commission advises IUCN and its memberson the wide range of technical and scientific aspects of species conservationand is dedicated to securing a future for biodiversity.

CBSG headquarters is staffed by a Global Conservation Network–supported team:
Onnie Byers, Phil Miller, Kathy Traylor-Holzer, Caroline Lees,
Elizabeth Townsend, and Emily Wick.

The Conservation Breeding Specialist GroupContents

Prefacevii

A Second Chance Is Second Nature

3

1. Moving Parts

7

Putting the Pieces Together to Conserve Wattled Cranes

2. Into the Mist

13

Kihansi Spray Toads Return Home in Style

3. Planting a Seed

19

How Conserving an Orchid Helped
Protect Governor Laffan’s Ferns

4. Resisting Intruders

27

The Battle to Save Okinawa Rails
from an Introduced Threat

5. Burying the Hatchet

33

Moving from Discord to Harmonyin American Burying Beetle Conservationv

vi

Contents

6. Devil’s Advocates41

Helping Tasmanian Devils
Stay Ahead of a Devastating Disease

7. Aristocrats on the Steppe

47

Restoring a Homeland for Hungarian Meadow Vipers

8. Three Claps for Conservation

55

Landowners Play a Critical Rolein the Fight for Tree Kangaroos

9. Beating the Odds

63

Bright Ideas for the Survival of Golden Lion Tamarins

10. Balancing Act

69

Managing Native Plants and Grazing Horses
on Assateague Island

Rewriting the Stories of Species Survival

75

Acknowledgments

77

CBSG Principles:

SCIENCE 24

FACILITATION 38 COLLABORATION 52

Preface

When I shared the concept for this book project with my colleagues,
they asked repeatedly, “Who is your target audience?” My initial
answer was that the audience for this book was me.
After 20 years dedicated to the work of the IUCN SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, I wanted to compile a sampling of
our successes to document and celebrate CBSG’s impact on species
conservation . . . for myself. But then I thought a bit more about thisand broadened my focus. So, who is the target audience? Everyone.
Everyone who has devoted their professional lives to the work ofthis amazing group, every member of CBSG’s global network of intellectual and financial contributors and potential future contributors,
every partner we have worked with to produce these successes, andall those who may benefit from the effective tools and processes we
employ—and all of their colleagues, families, and friends. It is thesepeople I hope will see themselves in and be inspired by this book.
The 10 stories collected here illustrate ways in which CBSG workshops have been a turning point in species conservation efforts. And
they show how CBSG’s influence can improve the status of threatened
species in the wild: by helping the people already working to conservea species come to agreement on what needs to be done to succeed.
But this book isn’t just about what CBSG does—it’s also about
who CBSG is. These stories, told by some of the people who haveworked with us over the past 30 years, testify to the fact that CBSG
is not just a few program officers working from modest offices in
vii

viii

Preface

Minnesota. CBSG is the ever-growing global network of conservationists who identify with the ethos of CBSG and partner with us inconservation planning for threatened species. Their stories tell ourstory, and that is what this book is: the story of us, the story of you,the story of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group.
—Dr. Onnie Byers, CBSG ChairSecond Nature1For over 35 years, CBSG has been assisting in the developmentof conservation plans for more than 260 species, including mountain gorillas.

A Second Chance
Is Second NatureThis book is one of hope.
Without question, there are serious conservation challenges facing
our planet. Of all species that have been assessed according to theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List,
almost a third are currently on a path to extinction. With habitat
destruction, climate change, pollution, and the spread of invasive species among the many threats responsible for today’s biodiversity crisis,
it is easy for conservationists to become discouraged.
But there is also good news. There are success stories. There reallyis hope for endangered species in the wild.
This book proves it. In these pages the Conservation BreedingSpecialist Group (CBSG) of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission shares ten examples of what can occur when dedicated people
with diverse perspectives work collaboratively toward a common purpose: to help a species survive. Each chapter tells the story of what3

4

A Second Chance Is Second Nature

happened when a government agency, a zoo, or another conservation
organization asked CBSG to help them overcome a problem they
were having with their work to save a threatened species. Each faced
different, very specific challenges, but they all knew that CBSG’s scientifically sound, consensus-based methods could help them improvetheir results.
This collaborative approach is second nature to CBSG. It’s in our
DNA. It’s what sets us apart. It was the vision of Dr. Ulysses S. Seal
when he became CBSG’s first chair in 1979, and it informs every
aspect of our work to this day.
Our principles of sound science, neutral facilitation, and commitment to collaboration are detailed throughout this book. But our
success stories also belong to the people around the world—local
community members, scientists, field researchers, government representatives, zoo and aquarium professionals, and representatives of
nongovernmental organizations—who came to CBSG with a significant challenge and an even greater commitment to overcoming it.
These are their stories. Among them, stories of how a tiny fern
frond stood up to a hurricane, why understanding and engaging a
local community helped save a tree kangaroo, and what happened
when penny-sized toads flew first class across the ocean.
And these are just a sample of the results of purposeful planning.
CBSG has helped hundreds of organizations find common ground,
overcome conflicts, build consensus, and develop creative, effective
solutions that change the future for an endangered species.
By bringing people together to address a shared goal, appreciating
the value of collaboration, and pushing for innovation, we do morethan address challenges. We bring about second chances for wildlife
and a more hopeful future for the planet.

The IUCN Red List

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is the world’s most comprehensive inventoryof the global conservation status of plant and animal species. For more information, visit www.iucnredlist.org.

1Moving Parts
Putting the Pieces Together
to Conserve Wattled Cranes

Wattled cranes’ innate behavior makes conserving them quite a puzzle. They mate for life, have long gestation and fledging periods, andrear only one egg at a time. If a second egg is produced, the parents
often abandon it: raising more than one chick per season just isn’t intheir DNA.
Wattled crane populations began to suffer in the 1980s, when
agriculture, industrialization, and overgrazing of domestic animals
significantly reduced the cranes’ wetland habitat. Much of what
remained was located on private land, making it difficult to protect.
In response, the Endangered Wildlife Trust began coordinatingconservation efforts among NGOs, forestry departments, governments, zoos, and universities in South Africa. Despite their hard
work, by the year 2000 the once-widespread South African population of the species fell to just over 200 birds.
But these groups had gathered a lot of data on the species, and7

8Second Nature

they recognized that the time had come to assess what they knew sothey could determine why the population continued to decline.
“We needed to step back and grasp the bigger picture of wattled
cranes’ historical and current situation,” said Kerryn Morrison of theInternational Crane Foundation / Endangered Wildlife Trust partnership. “CBSG’s philosophy seemed ideal for helping us come to acommon understanding and define a direction for the future.”

Visualizing the Future
To jump-start putting the data to good use, the Endangered Wildlife
Trust and its partners invited CBSG to lead a workshop in Wakker­
stroom, South Africa, in 2001.
Wattled crane experts presented information about the species,
gleaned from both published scientific papers and unpublished ongoing research. Using those data, CBSG and a subset of the workshop
participants built computer models to predict how wattled cranes
would be affected by potential future scenarios. What was the risk ofextinction under current conditions? What factors would cause their
numbers to grow or shrink?
The projections revealed high-priority issues needing further consideration. Over three days, CBSG led dynamic sessions structured tohelp the participants expand on their ideas for wattled crane conservation. They discussed overarching concerns in large and small groups,
shared their findings, and considered next steps.
They agreed that the way to give wattled cranes their best chanceat survival was to ensure no more of their breeding sites were lost, toraise public awareness of the cranes’ plight, and to study little-known
aspects of crane biology, compiling what they learned in a place theyMoving Parts

9

could all access. And they clarified the purpose of the captive population—to provide a strong, healthy source of birds for reintroduction—which guided their short-term and long-term activities.
Also, they formed several lasting partnerships at the workshop.
Notably, four of the organizations (later joined by a fifth) established
the Wattled Crane Recovery Programme, a conservation breeding
program based on the action plan they had just developed. In addition to fostering the growth of the captive program, a subset of thispartnership teamed up to monitor wild wattled cranes in KwaZuluNatal Province, the stronghold of the species in South Africa.

Protecting wattled crane nesting sites has been criticalfor boosting their population in the wild.

10

Second NatureComplete Turnaround
After the CBSG workshop, project collaborators further researchedwattled crane habitat and not only slowed the loss of breeding sites but
gained protection for several more. Presently, local farmers and landowners assist with researching and monitoring the cranes who live on
their properties. All new data go into a central database so everyone
can stay up-to-date. Conservationists use the cranes’ breeding biology
to the species’ advantage: they rescue doomed second eggs from wildnests and raise them as part of the captive population.

“The work is far from over,

but we’ve made good progress,
and the plan we formed with
CBSG’s guidance provided us
with a solid foundation.”
At the time of the workshop, the captive population was struggling along at just 9 birds; it has grown to 44 birds under the newplan. “The models CBSG created have been at the core of every decision we made for developing what has become a very strong captive
population,” said Morrison.
The number of wild wattled cranes in South Africa has increased
more than 60 percent since the workshop, to about 320. “Wattled

Moving Parts

11

cranes have seen a complete turnaround,” said Morrison. “So muchso that soon we will no longer need to consider supplementing thewild population with captive-raised birds. The work is far from over,
but we’ve made good progress, and the plan we formed with CBSG’s
guidance provided us with a solid foundation.”

At a Glance
Species: Wattled crane (Bugeranus carunculatus)
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Then (2000): Vulnerable—in South Africa, just 200 left in the wild
Challenge: Conservation groups with different data and research findings
were unable to determine why existing efforts were not succeeding.
Turning Point: CBSG helped stakeholders combine and organize their dataand establish a common understanding of the species’ situation so that they
could jointly evaluate options, make decisions together, and maintain their
momentum.
Now (2016): The number of wild wattled cranes in South Africa has increased
more than 60 percent, to about 320.

2
Into the Mist
Kihansi Spray Toads Return Home in Style

In 1996, a group of scientists stepped into a small, nearly inaccessible
gorge at the base of a waterfall on the Kihansi River in Tanzania.
They found it teeming with tiny yellow toads whose robust chit-chitchit calls could be heard above the tremendous roar of the cascading
water. Deep in their isolated territory, these newly discovered toads
appeared to be abundant: the scientists estimated the population to
be in the tens of thousands.
Kihansi spray toads are unique among amphibians because of
their bright yellow color, diminutive two-centimeter size, and reproductive process: instead of laying eggs like most other amphibians, thefemales give birth to babies smaller than a grain of rice. Their habitat,
about the size of four football fields, is among the smallest known
ranges for any animal. Inside the gorge, the toads received a constantmisting of water from the falls, which created a cool, moist climate
with temperatures significantly lower than the surrounding areas.
1314

Second Nature

In the late 1990s, a hydroelectric dam was constructed near the
Kihansi Gorge to provide much-needed electricity to the region. But
this changed the water flow and humidity of the unique spray zone at
the base of the falls. In an attempt to mitigate these effects and restore
moisture to the toads’ habitat, the World Bank funded constructionof the world’s largest gravity-fed artificial mist system.
Unfortunately, nine months passed before the artificial mist system was functional, and the spray zone dried out. In the following
years, spurred by additional factors like disease, the toad population
plummeted and the species was thought to be extinct in the wild.
Before the toads disappeared from the gorge completely, the Tanzanian government invited herpetologists from the Wildlife Conservation Society to collect 500 toads in order to cultivate an insurance
population in US zoos, which would guard against total extinction
and serve as a source for reintroduction in the future.

Staying on Track
Since the conservation effort spanned continents and required theparticipation of many stakeholder groups, the project’s partners calledon CBSG to help them develop a strategy for returning Kihansi spraytoads to Tanzania.
In 2007, CBSG led a workshop at which collaborators met to
exchange information and define what needed to be done, such as
managing disease risks, securing support and partnerships with local
communities, and improving understanding of the toads’ uniquehabitat.
Taking these and other challenges into account, they drew a timeline for safely and successfully returning the toads home. The time-

Into the Mist

15line included logistical details, such as acquiring the correct permits
to transport captive-bred toads to Tanzania, as well as broader goals,
like initiating long-term studies of the Kihansi Gorge. They discussed
the construction of a breeding facility for the toads in Dar es Salaam,
where Tanzanian biologists would take over the toads’ care before
their reintroduction.

Kihansi spray toad females give birth to live young smaller than a grain of rice.

16

Second Nature“CBSG created the right conditions for identifying the steps tobuild capacity in Tanzania prior to the toads’ reintroduction,” said
Jenny Pramuk, Animal Curator at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle,
Washington. “When the second workshop took place in 2010, thetimelines we created at the first workshop made it clear that many of
the tasks had been accomplished, and that the project was on track tomove on to the ultimate goal of reintroduction.”“The timelines we created at the firstworkshop made it clear that manyof the tasks had been accomplished,
and that the project was on track.”

Homecoming
In August 2010, the first “knot” of 100 spray toads from the Bronx
and Toledo zoos flew first class to Dar es Salaam. Their arrival was
greeted with much media fanfare: the return of the toad to its homeland was a source of celebration and pride for many in Tanzania.
These toads, which were housed in the new breeding facility,
became the first in-country colony. In 2012, biologists began releasing captive-bred toads into the Kihansi Gorge, and they continue toclosely monitor the species’ progress today.

Into the Mist

17

The wild population was recently estimated to be 589 individuals
and the insurance population exceeds 6,500, a remarkable reversal
for a species that had been extinct in the wild. Although the wild
population is still being augmented with toads from captivity, project
partners are another significant step closer to reestablishing Kihansi
spray toads in their native habitat.

At a Glance
Species: Kihansi spray toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis)
Region: Eastern Tanzania
Then (2007): Extinct in the Wild—with an insurance population in US zoos
Challenge: The lack of a defined strategy for reintroducing these amphibians
to their wild habitat.
Turning Point: CBSG’s workshop served as a platform for exchanging informationand putting together a comprehensive timeline for the activities that moved theeffort closer to reintroduction.
Now (2016): Spray toads have been reintroduced to the Kihansi Gorge, and their
population is now believed to be approaching 600. Biologists are seeing toadsof all age classes, indicating that the toads are reproducing.

3
Planting a Seed
How Conserving an Orchid Helped
Protect Governor Laffan’s Ferns

When Hurricane Fabian bore down on Bermuda in 2003, 120-mileper-hour winds ripped across the islands, taking the lives of four people and causing $300 million in damage.
The Bermuda Botanical Garden greenhouse stood in the storm’spath. Up until just a few days before the hurricane, the building had
housed the last five remaining specimens of the Governor Laffan’s
fern. These ferns are native to Bermuda, and due to habitat destruction and invasive species, they hadn’t been seen in the wild since 1905.
They grow nowhere else in the world, and no other garden had themin their collection.
The plants were difficult to reproduce in the greenhouse, and the
botanical garden had been having little success. Through a networkof plant experts and enthusiasts in the United States, Bermuda’s environmental agencies were aware of the Department for Plant Conservation at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, and they reached1920

Second Natureout to Marge From, the lab’s Director of Plant Research. Together
they decided that two tiny fertile fronds should travel to Nebraska for
propagation in the lab. The 1.5-inch samples shipped out of Bermuda
just days before the hurricane struck.
Hurricane Fabian destroyed the greenhouse and damaged theremaining ferns in Bermuda, leaving the survival of the species
entirely dependent on the spore-bearing fronds that had arrived safely
at From’s lab. Over time, using the lab’s carefully developed protocols,
she coaxed the spores to germinate.
The botanical garden knew to contact From because of the lab’s
worldwide reputation. The lab’s success is a result of the hard workand dedication of From and her colleagues, but the vision for a plantlab dedicated entirely to conservation had been sparked years earlier
at a CBSG workshop for a completely different endangered plant.

Unpredictable Impacts
In 1997, CBSG led a workshop for the western prairie fringed orchid,an endangered flower native to the North American tallgrass prairie.
The product of the meeting was a plan for conserving orchids, but
an equally important result was the impact of the ideas it generated.
Although the group had focused on the orchid, Dr. Lee Simmons,then-Director of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, left the meeting witha new perspective on plant and habitat conservation as the basis of
all conservation efforts. Soon after, he made the zoo’s involvement
in endangered plant research a top priority and began to develop alaboratory devoted entirely to plant conservation. CBSG had created space for innovative thinking related to plant conservation in
general.

Planting a Seed

21“There are only a handful of plant research labs in the UnitedStates that are dedicated to conservation,” said From. “Thanks to theworkshop, the Omaha Zoo jumped into plant and habitat conservation in a big way. As a result, our plant research lab has been asked
to help with conservation of threatened plants in the United States,
Canada, Madagascar, Central America, and Bermuda.”
Without the lab’s reputation, the Bermuda Botanical Garden
would likely not have connected with From, and the few remaining
Governor Laffan’s ferns would have been destroyed by the hurricane.
Instead, not only does the species flourish in the Omaha Zoo’s lab,

Unlike many other plants, ferns reproduce through spores—not seeds.

22

Second Nature

but From’s team has flown thousands of plants back to Bermuda,
where efforts to reintroduce the fern into the wild are underway.
“We are excited that they are now actually back in their natural
habitat,” said From. “We continue to propagate and germinate sporesin the lab for Bermuda. It is one of our most exciting projects.”“Many of the protocols developed for theorchid as a result of recommendations
from the workshop were eventually usedin conservation of the Governor Laffan’s
fern. All of this has come about, in largepart, because of the CBSG workshop.”

The Root of Success
What about the fate of the western prairie fringed orchid, for which
the catalytic workshop was convened in the first place? More than
100 orchids have been propagated and reintroduced into their natural
habitat, laying the groundwork for future recovery efforts.

Planting a Seed

23

Conservation progress for the two species can be traced back to acommon factor, according to From: “Many of the protocols developed
for the orchid as a result of recommendations from the workshop were
eventually used in conservation of the Governor Laffan’s fern. All of
this has come about, in large part, because of the CBSG workshop.”

At a Glance
Species: Governor Laffan’s fern (Diplazium laffanianum)
Region: Bermuda
Then (2003): Extinct in the Wild—five ferns remaining in the Bermuda
Botanical Garden
Challenge: Efforts to produce offspring from the only remaining plants
were unsuccessful.
Turning Point: The plant lab at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo successfully
reproduced plants from two fertile fronds using protocols that existed
because an earlier CBSG workshop had inspired their development.
Now (2016): Thousands of ferns have been returned to Bermuda,
where the country is restoring them to their natural habitat.

SCIENCE
CBSG’s work is rooted in thorough scientific analysis. Key to manyof our workshops is the incorporation of population simulation modeling.
This unique approach provides a strong foundation for determining
the most effective strategy for conserving a species.

Assembling Information

Modeling Populations

CBSG begins by developing a deep
understanding of the species, its habitat,
and the ways human activities threaten
its survival. This information comesfrom the scientific literature and, justas importantly, from people outside thescientific community who have firsthandknowledge of the species.

CBSG uses cutting-edge population
simulation models as a critical planning
tool in many conservation planningworkshops. These computer models
use information about the biology of thespecies of concern—data such as annual
offspring production, adult survival, andhabitat needs—to assess the risk of future
population decline or extinction.

{

science
CBSG facilitation
collaboration
Testing Scenarios

Developing Insight

Simulation modeling shows the degreeof risk under current conditions. Its moresignificant value, however, is its ability
to show how the risk would change underalternative scenarios that would result fromchoosing different population or habitat
management options. With these tools,
CBSG can even gauge the consequencesof scientific ignorance about the species.

The models help confirm or dismantle
assumptions about the species and its
behavior. The results sometimes reveal thata species’ situation is even more perilous
than originally thought. These revelations
are critical for guiding discussions amongconservation biologists, species managers,
and community members, and forprioritizing the most urgent conservation
activities.

4
Resisting Intruders
The Battle to Save Okinawa Rails
from an Introduced Threat

Yambaru was under siege.
The forested, mountainous northern region of the island of Okinawa, Japan, is home to several species found only on the island,
including Okinawa rails. The rails’ dramatic coloring makes themeasily recognizable—they have sleek, striped faces, white-barredbreasts, and bronze backs accentuated by bright red-orange feet andbeaks. Rails evolved to be nearly flightless, supported by a uniqueisland ecosystem that had no carnivorous mammals—until humans
stepped in.
In 1910, people hoping to protect themselves from poisonous Habu
snakes set 17 mongooses loose on the southern part of the island with
the intention that the small carnivores would eat the snakes. Unfortunately, the plan had a serious flaw: mongooses are active during theday, but Habu snakes are active at night. Instead of preying on snakes,
the mongooses developed a taste for other local wildlife, including
Okinawa rails.
27

28

Second NatureOver the next century, the mongooses multiplied and expanded
their territory northward. By 1980, it was clear that rail populations
had rapidly declined in areas where mongooses had become established. By 2006, the estimated total population had diminished fromaround 1,800 to less than 1,000.
Researchers, wildlife managers, and government agencies in Japan
recognized that eradicating mongooses from Yambaru was the key topreserving Okinawa rails. They also considered the benefits of cultivating a small insurance population in a local breeding facility in casethe mongooses drove the wild population to complete extinction.
They invited CBSG to help them organize their different but
related conservation activities into a coordinated plan.

Two Efforts, One Plan
On the first day of the 2006 workshop, the participants split into
two groups according to their expertise in order to focus on two
main objectives. One group worked out the best ways to eradicatemongooses in Yambaru and support wild populations, and the othergroup, with input from the local and national zoo community, laidout plans to develop a healthy insurance population of Okinawa rails
to ensure long-term species survival.
On the second day, CBSG brought the two groups together andcreated a timeline to show how, over time, the different elements ofthe plan could coincide and eventually achieve the overall aim ofsafeguarding rails in the wild. Establishing a common understandingof how major events were intertwined was crucial, since each groupwould depend on the other’s progress to succeed.

Resisting Intruders

29

Eradicating the Intruders
After the plan was forged, a new force entered the forest to help carryit out.
The Yambaru Mongoose Busters, a group of professional invasive
species managers and their highly trained mongoose-sniffing dogs,
took to Yambaru daily to track, trap, and remove mongooses. By
2010, they had achieved the first target of the action plan—to securea mongoose-free area in the northern part of the island. Efforts to win
the next battle—complete regional eradication of mongooses north ofa mongoose-proof fence—continue tirelessly.
Concurrently, as recommended at the workshop, Japan’s Ministryof Environment created a policy for conservation-focused breeding of
Okinawa rails. Since then, local rail breeding centers have fostered a

Okinawa rails evolved to be nearly flightless, putting them at a
disadvantage for avoiding predation by introduced mongooses.

30

Second Naturestrong captive population, incorporating rescued birds that have been
injured by cars and rehabilitated at the centers, as well as eggs thatwere abandoned by their parents after human activities, like mowing
grasslands, disrupted their nests. These birds are available to supplement the wild population during the next phase of the project.

The local community enthusiastically supported the workshop
and created artwork to raise awareness of the threats facing Okinawa rails.

Resisting Intruders

31

Local conservation authorities estimate that the wild populationof Okinawa rails has increased to around 1,500, thanks to decreased
mongoose predation. The rails have been spotted in areas where they
were once believed to have disappeared completely. By working with
CBSG to organize their collaborative conservation efforts, stakeholders have given these living national monuments a second chance tothrive.

At a Glance
Species: Okinawa rail (Hypotaenidia okinawae)
Region: Okinawa, Japan
Then (2006): Endangered—only about 800–1,000 left in the wild. CBSG models
showed risk of extinction within 15 to 20 years.
Challenge: Two groups of experts pursuing different but connected conservation
objectives were planning conservation activities independently of one another.
Turning Point: CBSG’s timeline helped participants visualize how the twocomplementary objectives could be united into one plan under a common goal.
Now (2016): The wild population has grown to about 1,500 rails, and ongoing
efforts are expanding the mongoose-free areas of Yambaru.

5
Burying the HatchetMoving from Discord to Harmonyin American Burying Beetle Conservation

Conservation efforts for the American burying beetle were off to a
rocky start. Measuring just 1.5 inches long, these endangered carrion
beetles had unearthed a lot of strife among the conservationists trying
to save them.
Carrion beetles are nature’s undertakers. They bury carcasses, eat
the flesh of dead animals, and use corpses as the staging ground fornearly all of their significant biological needs: mating, giving birth,and caring for their young.
Though once found in 35 states across the United States, only
two American burying beetle populations were believed to remain by
1989. They were added to state and federal endangered species lists,
which launched conservation efforts across the country. The species
had been declining for nearly a century, and although the exact reason
is still a mystery, disruption in the food web and habitat loss are likely
to blame.
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As conservation efforts got underway, some recovery groups disagreed on details about the trapping methods used while surveying
beetles in the wild. Ongoing disputes caused collaboration among
these would-be conservation partners—zoos, land managers, universities, and state and national government agencies—to stall. Several
years of contentious, unproductive meetings ensued, making attempts
to reconcile increasingly complicated.
Knowing its reputation for achieving agreement and resolving
conflict, the recovery groups invited CBSG to lead a new approach toreaching consensus.

Partners Already
CBSG kicked off the 2005 workshop by presenting a set of groundrules to establish an atmosphere conducive to respectful conversations about contentious issues. When the participants agreed to abideby the ground rules and became confident that the rules would be
enforced, the anxiety in the room dissipated.
CBSG used an activity called “mind mapping” to create a visual
representation of issues and needs related to the long-term survival of
American burying beetles. Each person expressed what they believed
were important topics, and they added those ideas to a colorful diagram on the wall, connecting each issue to the overall theme.
Next, the participants divided into groups to delve more deeply
into the issues displayed on the mind map and to identify possible
solutions. One by one, the small groups presented their ideas, eachtime igniting a lengthy, animated discussion. With CBSG facilitating
the conversation and enforcing the ground rules, the participants realized that their opinions were not so incompatible after all.

Burying the Hatchet35“We discovered that the source of disagreement was often just amisunderstanding between us—sometimes about differing definitions for a single word,” said Bob Merz, Director of the Center for
American Burying Beetle Conservation at the Saint Louis Zoo.
“CBSG led us through those difficult phases to get the issues out inthe open, which allowed the group to see past the words to the intent.”

American burying beetles use carrion
for feeding, mating, and reproducing.

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Second Nature

At the close of the workshop, people who were very recently indirect conflict smiled and shook hands, wishing each other well. “Theworkshop helped us realize that we were partners already,” said Merz.

“We discovered that the sourceof disagreement was often just amisunderstanding between us—
sometimes about differing definitions
for a single word. . . . The workshop
helped us realize that
we were partners already.”

Ten Years Later
The resulting plan has played a critical role in the recovery effort,
guiding the development of protocols for monitoring, breeding, andeventually reintroducing American burying beetles to the wild.
Work to reestablish beetles in several states continues, and reintroduced beetles in Missouri have survived three winters and producedBurying the Hatchet

37

offspring. Perhaps just as importantly, the spirit of collaboration
sparked by the workshop environment has also survived.
About a week after the meeting, Bob Merz was walking acrossthe zoo grounds when he met Jeffrey Bonner, the Saint Louis Zoo
CEO. “He asked me how the meeting went, and I told him that fiveor ten years down the road, everyone involved would look back on
this meeting and see it as a turning point in the conservation of thisendangered beetle. Ten years later that prediction is holding true.”

At a Glance
Species: American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus)
Region: Eastern and Central United States
Then (2005): Endangered—found in only 7 out of the 35 states it once populated
Challenge: Conflict among members of stakeholder groups had broughtcollaboration to a standstill.
Turning Point: CBSG opened up lines of communication and helped participants
move past previous points of contention to agree on action steps.
Now (2016): Reintroduced populations of beetles are making progress in several
states, some surviving over several winters. A spirit of collaboration persists
among the stakeholders.

FACILITATIONCBSG designs a unique conservation planning process for each project.
Facilitation and communication tools based in social science are used to help
diverse groups productively define and prioritize problems, identify goals,
and determine which activities are most likely to meet those goals.

Leveling the Field

Maintaining Neutrality

CBSG establishes a safe environment within
which stakeholders can express themselves,
openly discuss differences in opinion andperspective, and work through issues withother participants. This helps level theplaying field so that diverse groups talkto one another about challenges they faceand clarify assumptions behind competing
perspectives and values.

At its workshops, CBSG helps participants
apply quality science and encourages honest
dialogue, and does so without acting in
the interest of any particular stakeholder
group. This emphasis on neutrality assures
participants that the workshop results are
truly their own product, driven completely
by science and their deliberation with peers.

{science
CBSG facilitation
collaboration
Surfacing Conflict

Building Consensus

Competing perspectives often lead toconflict, which CBSG actively works
to surface within the workshop setting.
Conflict between stakeholder groups cancause delays in action, duplication of effort,
and lack of clarity about conservation
goals. But it can also serve as the engine ofcreativity and learning. Aided by CBSG’s
communication tools and facilitation,
participants can break down complex
issues into their parts rather than letting
conflict remain polarizing and discussions
superficial.

Species conservation is always intertwinedwith the histories, needs, and beliefs ofpeople with different relationships to thespecies, such as members of communities
that live alongside it and biologists studying
the species. CBSG’s commitment totransparency, equality, and consensus-based
decision making helps diverse stakeholder
groups balance endangered species survivalwith the cultural, economic, and social
needs of local communities. With CBSG’s
guidance, they reach consensus on creative,
achievable solutions to difficult problems.

6
Devil’s Advocates
Helping Tasmanian Devils
Stay Ahead of a Devastating Disease

Tasmanian devils have a bad reputation.
These scrappy carnivorous marsupials are short-tempered and tend
to lash out at fellow devils who encroach on their mate or meal. They
are insatiable, feeding in packs and consuming entire carcasses—
bones, fur, and organs. In the past, they lived throughout Australia, but in modern history they have been confined to the island of
Tasmania. When early European settlers in Tasmania witnessed thespecies’ combative group feeds and ghoulish, guttural screams, theycalled them “devils.” The name stuck.
Despite their disposition, Tasmanian devils are an iconic Australian species and an important part of the ecosystem. But in recent
years, they have been nearly eliminated by an insidious illness.
In the mid-1990s, grotesque facial tumors began breaking out
on the devils’ snouts. Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is the first
known contagious cancer. The fatal disease capitalizes on the species’41

42

Second Natureprincipal form of interaction with other devils: it is transmitted
through biting. Devils bite during communal feeds, brawls, and mating. The tumors swell, making it difficult or impossible for the animal to eat. Devils that contract facial tumors usually die from themwithin a few months.
The disease front swept across the island like a storm and devastated devil populations in its path. It spread so quickly that conservationists feared the species would disappear from the wild within a
few decades.
The Tasmanian government and zoos in the region began plans
for an insurance program. They hoped to build a captive populationthat would be genetically robust enough to take the species througha period of wild extinction and reestablish it in its native habitat once
conditions would allow. The program was one of a number of proposed conservation activities, which included veterinary diagnostic
work, vaccine research, field monitoring, disease suppression trials,
and studies of potential offshore island refuges.
Because of the celebrity status of the Tasmanian devil, conservation activities drew the attention of local, national, and international
media, the Tasmanian tourist sector, and the public. Activities surrounding the program became a topic of wide debate, political interest, and controversy.

Obstacles to SuccessSome stakeholder groups were concerned that investing in the insurance program would drain limited resources from field research, andthat the captive program would replace efforts to maintain devils in
the wild. Others worried that if people could see devils in captiveDevil’s Advocates

43

facilities all over Australia, fewer tourists would visit Tasmania to spot
devils in the landscape.
Additional questions arose: Who would “own” the animals entering the program? How dependable were the protocols to keep DFTD
far away from the insurance population?
This discomfort with the developing insurance population hadpractical implications. It delayed much-needed animal transfers anddrove politically motivated compromises intended to avoid further
provoking critics. Confidence in the program started to erode, andkey supporters began to question the wisdom of investing in the longterm plan.

Tasmanian devils feed in groups, where close contact and biting
perpetuate the spread of devil facial tumor disease.

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As the conflict escalated, project partners proposed a CBSG workshop to openly explore concerns associated with the implementationof the proposed Tasmanian devil insurance program.
In 2008, wildlife managers, researchers, policy makers, cultural
leaders, and zoo community representatives came together to resolve
the issues that had delayed progress. Led by CBSG, they put theirheads together to sort through the issues surrounding the controversial program.

From Insurance to Recovery“The CBSG planning workshop cleared up many of the concernsand disagreements that were limiting the development of the insurance program. It gave the program its current shape and catalyzed its
implementation,” said Rebecca Spindler, Research and Conservation
Manager at Taronga Conservation Society Australia. “The workshop
was a pivot point to direct investment in devil conservation.”
CBSG’s computer modeling underscored that the problem of saving Tasmanian devils had to be addressed from multiple angles. On
this basis, the group devised a series of interlinking programs that
could be implemented simultaneously, both protecting devils in theirwild habitats and working to preserve the genetic health of the species
through the insurance program.
Now, after several years of carrying out the plan, the insurance
population has grown to more than 600 devils who live in zoos, freeranging enclosures, an island, and a few fenced-off, disease-free peninsulas. Although the areas that can be isolated this way make up onlya small portion of the devil’s range, they are significant enough toshift the project from insurance toward ecological recovery, securingDevil’s Advocates

45

a future for Tasmania’s beloved devils that would not otherwise havebeen possible.
“Devil recovery is complex,” said David Pemberton, who manages
the Save the Tasmanian Devil program. “When in doubt, when inneed of data, or when in need of guidance for decisions, I turn to the
CBSG workshop report.”

At a Glance
Species: Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii)
Region: Tasmania, Australia
Then (2008): Endangered—declining rapidly in the wild because of acontagious cancer
Challenge: Attempts to gain support for a breeding program from skepticalstakeholders and from the public were stalled.
Turning Point: CBSG helped stakeholders define the parameters of the breeding
program and then effectively communicate its role, helping win broad support.
Now (2016): More than 100 healthy devils have been released into disease-freeareas, and the insurance population has grown to 600 animals strong,allowing experts to focus on helping the wild population recover.

7
Aristocrats on the Steppe
Restoring a Homelandfor Hungarian Meadow Vipers

For Hungarian meadow vipers—nicknamed “aristocrats” by thezoologist who first described them—human encroachment into theirhabitat has been both a blessing and a curse.
Conflict between warring empires from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries altered the landscape in Eastern Europe. Armies
trampled over wild and rural places to expand their territories. Forests were razed for resources during war, increasing the area of thedry grassland, or steppe, ecosystem. This expansion of the Hungarian meadow vipers’ steppe habitat was advantageous: for a time, it
allowed the population to grow and flourish.
The species historically inhabited parts of Hungary, Austria,
northern Bulgaria, and present-day Romania. These small, intricately
patterned, venomous snakes, which prefer small prey such as insects
and rodents, shared the land peacefully with grazing cattle. But starting in the 1900s, growing human populations gradually planted new47

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forests and tilled the soil to grow crops, decimating the vipers’ habitatin the process.
By the year 2000, the species was limited to only two sites in Hungary, and just 500 vipers were believed to survive in the wild. Politicalissues and agricultural policies in Hungary stymied efforts to protect crucial remaining habitat. Though protected by law, Hungarian
meadow vipers continued to suffer from the effects of human activities, and year by year the species slipped closer to extinction.
The Budapest Zoo approached CBSG in 2001 to lead a workshop
where stakeholder groups with differing views of the meadow vipers’situation could clarify the available information and address the issues
surrounding the species’ decline.

Sticking Points
At the beginning of the workshop, CBSG invited participants to identify what they thought were the biggest challenges to viper conservation. Many indicated that habitat management conflicts and poor
communication among stakeholder communities were holding up
progress. Lack of understanding about the threats to the species andscarcity of scientific data were exacerbating the problem.
On the first day, researchers presented the best current knowledge of the vipers’ status. Next, CBSG organized the participants into
working groups to further examine the data and clarify what theyknew. Old conflicts quickly surfaced: some participants questioned
whether the species was actually in decline, and thus whether all thefuss was necessary. CBSG redirected the conversation back toward
the data and suggested tools to help participants push through thepoints of contention. Population models, compiled using the data pre-Aristocrats on the Steppe

49

sented earlier at the workshop, confirmed that the vipers’ situation
was indeed urgent.
Though their discussions were difficult, the stakeholders were able
to make progress on a shared understanding of the species’ status. A
number of participants told CBSG facilitators that the small group
activity increased trust among those present at the workshop.
“The gathering of well-known international experts convinced
Hungarian stakeholders and authorities that the time had come forcoordinated action,” wrote Dr. Endre Sós, Veterinarian at the Budapest
Zoo, in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s Zooquaria

Steppe, or grassland, habitat like this in Kiskunság National Parkis favored by Hungarian meadow vipers.

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Second Nature

magazine. He told CBSG, “Although the legislation in place to protect the species appeared to be adequate on the surface, the field data
presented at the workshop revealed that was not the case. Immediate
actions could not be postponed anymore.”

Embracing Complexity
In addition to helping participants work through many of their original sticking points, the workshop catalyzed further collaboration
among stakeholder groups that had previously been at odds—which
continued long after the workshop. To implement the workshop recommendations, BirdLife Hungary, government agencies, nationalparks, and zoos partnered to start a complex conservation project.
“The current collaboration between the different agencies, NGOs,
and institutions was very unlikely before the CBSG workshop,” said
Miklós Persányi, Director of the Budapest Zoo. “CBSG provided theright atmosphere and guidance for moving past our disagreements
and building trust among everyone involved.”
The partners developed the Hungarian Meadow Viper Conservation Centre, based in a farmhouse in Kiskunság National Park. They
began acquiring farmland to reconstruct suitable viper habitat andpreserve the land into the future, and they monitored wild populations of the species. The center began a breeding program for vipers,
and the Budapest Zoo provided veterinary support, produced crickets
as food for young vipers at the center, and helped inform the publicof the viper’s plight.
Today, over 2,000 Hungarian meadow vipers have hatched at thebreeding center, and hundreds have been released into reconstructedgrasslands nearby. Some reintroduced vipers have produced offspring.

Aristocrats on the Steppe

51

In areas where reconstructed habitat was connected to existing habitat,sightings of wild Hungarian meadow vipers during surveys increased
exponentially, providing hope that with continued work these “aristocrats” will persist long into the future in a protected grassland empire.

At a Glance
Species: Hungarian meadow vipers (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis)
Region: Hungary
Then (2000): Endangered—500 to 1,000 estimated to live in the wildin a shrinking habitat
Challenge: Wide disagreement among stakeholders on the severity of the problem.
Turning Point: CBSG helped stakeholders identify their assumptions and interpretthe data, enabling them to reach clarity and agreement.
Now (2016): Over 2,000 Hungarian meadow vipers have hatched at the breeding
center, and hundreds have been released into reconstructed grasslands nearby.
Some reintroduced vipers are reproducing. Efforts to preserve and reconstructhabitat are ongoing.

COLLABORATION
CBSG’s core philosophy is based on collaboration. All available tools
and perspectives are needed if we are to solve complex conservation problems.
Finding a common language—for effective communication and problem
solving among a diverse group—is a significant challenge, but the result
is a more effective effort and a plan that is more likely to be implemented.

Global Networking

All-Encompassing

As a specialist group of the Species Survival
Commission (SSC), CBSG’s power derives
from its network of more than 300 volunteer
experts from around the world who represent
disciplines from biology to zoology. Our
synthesis of skills, along with openness to
new ideas and approaches to conservation,
serves to contribute new ideas to the overall
conservation landscape.

A key component of CBSG’s philosophy
and success is our dedication to inclusivity.
When a wildlife authority asks CBSG
for help, we bring together an array of
stakeholders, including people who areconcerned about and affected by the
species’ fate; have expertise in the species’
biology, habitat, or the associated humanenvironment; or have influence that could
ensure or impede the implementation of aconservation plan.

{science
CBSG facilitation
collaboration
Integrating Efforts

Building Bridges

CBSG promotes a “One Plan” approachto species conservation: the developmentof management strategies and conservation
actions by all responsible parties for all
populations of a species, both inside andoutside of their natural habitat. This
integrated conservation approach mobilizes
and unites the spectrum of skills andresources available to help endangered
species.

Zoos and aquariums contribute toconservation in powerful ways, suchas maintaining insurance populations,managing field projects, and conducting
research, training, and education programs
that directly benefit conservation efforts.
CBSG creates an environment in whichthese critical players can connect andcollaborate with the broader communityof species conservation specialists, thereby
enhancing global efforts supporting species
conservation.

8
Three Claps for Conservation
Landowners Play a Critical Rolein the Fight for Tree Kangaroos

Tree kangaroos descended from ground-dwelling marsupials, butthey evolved to inhabit the treetops of the cloud forest in Papua New
Guinea by growing long, saber-like claws to cling to branches. For
indigenous people living in the rugged terrain of the Torricelli Mountains, tree kangaroos are an integral part of daily life, serving as asource of dietary protein and featuring prominently in local legends
and customs. They have intimate knowledge of tree kangaroos: where
they move among the treetops, what they eat, and how they behave.
When conservation agencies in Papua New Guinea and Australia
wanted to better understand tree kangaroos—about which little was
known in the scientific community—they recognized the importanceof involving local people, especially landowners. Not only would thelandowners’ knowledge provide a clearer picture of the status of tree
kangaroos, but they and their villages would be most affected by the
resulting conservation effort.
55

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Second Nature“Much of the land in Papua New Guinea is privately owned, andwildlife is considered the property of landowners,” said Peter Clark,
Director of Life Sciences for Zoos South Australia. “Any planning or
decisions made regarding the future conservation of tree kangaroos
needed the landowners’ input and agreement to have any meaning.”
CBSG’s reputation for balancing endangered species survival with
the needs of local communities led the conservation agencies to ask
CBSG facilitators to guide their conversations about the status andconservation of tree kangaroos.

“I Am Going to Look After Them”
On the first day of the 1998 workshop in Papua New Guinea, participants presented current information about the status of tree kangaroos
in the country. Well into the day, a landowner named Mambawe took
the floor. He had traveled by helicopter from his village to contributeto the workshop, carrying with him a large black plastic bag full offronds, leaves, and branches. He described the role of each plant in
the diet of tree kangaroos in his region. The twelve other landowners
then spoke up to offer their experiences, discuss similarities and differences in their knowledge of tree kangaroos, and answer questions
from the other attendees. Translation between English and Tok Pisin,
a common local language, ensured that everyone could share theirperspectives with the whole group.
Respect for the landowners’ role in and contributions to the meeting was apparent to everyone, most importantly to the landowners
themselves. After the exchange that Mambawe initiated, they became
intensely engaged in the meeting. In that plastic bag, he had carried
the catalyst for establishing trust among all the participants.

Three Claps for Conservation

57

The workshop proceeded in typical CBSG fashion: assembling
current knowledge about the species and plugging the resulting data
into population models to visualize how different conservation activities might affect the population. The landowners created a list of issues
that were most pressing for their communities, and during the following days the whole group worked together to address the concerns.

Goodfellow’s tree kangaroos were one of the sixtree kangaroo species discussed at the workshop.

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By the last day of the meeting, the participants had defined theirgoals, assigned tasks, and begun drafting the report that would record
their decisions and strategies and guide implementation. But the success or failure of the workshop and resulting plan would depend on
one thing: the landowners’ satisfaction with the outcome. After holding a long discussion, the landowners clapped three times together,signifying their approval.
“I thought this tree kangaroo was just another animal to be
hunted,” said Kausa Ilao from the Wau region. “But when I learned
more about tree kangaroos from this workshop, I got excited. I will
return to my village a happy man because in my wildlife area there area lot of tree kangaroos. I am going to look after them.”

Saving Tenkile Tree Kangaroos
The landowners’ input revealed that one type of tree kangaroo, thetenkile, was very rare: they believed that there were fewer than 100
left. Using this information, CBSG’s risk assessment models confirmed that continued hunting of female tenkile would edge the species closer to extinction—possibly within just a few years.
The group agreed that a small contingent of people from theworkshop, including a local community member and a few zoo-based
species experts, would travel to several villages, learn from the communities there about the tenkile’s situation, and invite them to participate in the conservation effort for tree kangaroos.
Less than a year after the workshop, “Team Tenkile” visited several villages, where they gathered more information on tenkile andother tree kangaroos. Leaders from some of the villages helped organize a regional meeting to discuss the priority needs of the villages

Three Claps for Conservation

59

and introduce the concept of a hunting moratorium on tenkile tree
kangaroos in the area.
At the meeting, the village leaders offered their opinions on theneed for alternate protein sources and discussed their support for a
proposed conservation field station in the area. Representatives of
all thirteen villages in attendance signed a hunting moratorium andenthusiastically joined the conservation initiative for tenkile in theregion.

“I thought this tree kangaroo was justanother animal to be hunted,” said Kausa
Ilao from the Wau region. “But when I
learned more about tree kangaroos fromthis workshop, I got excited. I will return
to my village a happy man because
in my wildlife area there are a lot of tree
kangaroos. I am going to look after them.”

A year later, Peter Clark helped draft a community-based conservation plan out of which the nonprofit Tenkile Conservation Alliance
was formed. Thanks to the tireless work of its directors, Jim and Jean

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Thomas, the Tenkile Conservation Alliance has become a remarkable conservation operation whose efforts have helped increase thewild population of tenkile from an estimated 100 in 1998 to over 300
today. In addition to species conservation, the Tenkile Conservation

One of the few photos of the elusive tenkile, whose population
at the time of the workshop was believed to be less than 100.

Three Claps for Conservation

61

Alliance carries out a number of community initiatives, including
establishing alternate sources of protein and installing infrastructure
for clean water and sanitation in participating villages. People within
the local communities are integral to all operations.
“The TCA would not have started without the workshop,” said
Clark. “CBSG makes a difference.”

At a Glance
Species: Scott’s tree kangaroo/tenkile (Dendrolagus scottae)
Region: Sandaun and East Sepik Provinces, Papua New Guinea
Then (1998): Critically Endangered—only 100 believed to survive in the wild
Challenge: Local communities, essential to the success of any conservation
program, hadn’t been fully involved in international planning efforts fortree kangaroos.
Turning Point: CBSG created the environment that allowed local landowners
and conservation scientists to contribute their knowledge equally to thediscussion and take joint ownership of the resulting conservation effort.
Now (2016): The tenkile population has rebounded to an estimated 300,
and the local communities play a principal role in conserving the species.

9
Beating the Odds
Bright Ideas for the Survivalof Golden Lion Tamarins

In the 1960s, the future didn’t look bright for golden lion tamarins.
The first field surveys of the species revealed that they were inserious trouble: only an estimated 200 of these small, fiery-orange
primates remained in the wild. The species is native to the Atlantic
rainforest in Brazil, which had been steadily diminished by logging,
agriculture, and urban expansion. The remaining tamarins lived insmall groups scattered throughout fragmented patches of rainforest.
With continued destruction of suitable habitat, the odds seemed tofavor golden lion tamarins going extinct before long.
But a worldwide community of primate conservationists refused
to let the species disappear. They started a broad, international effort
to save golden lion tamarins. The Brazilian government oversaw conservation activities, which were supported by conservation nonprofit
groups and zoos with established populations of the species in theircollections.
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Since these efforts were occurring separately—from the Atlantic
rainforest to zoos around the world—the stakeholder groups needed
to coordinate their work in order for them to be efficient and effective. The Brazilian government invited CBSG to guide the groups
in determining exactly what it would take to not only save golden
lion tamarins from extinction but allow them to thrive again in theirrainforest home.

Creating a Framework
At the workshop in 1990, CBSG created population simulation models to generate an overall picture of what conditions the species needed
to survive in the wild. This helped the group articulate a specific visionthat all their individual efforts would strive to achieve. Together they
determined that to survive, the wild population needed to grow to atleast 2,000 and have access to 25,000 hectares of connected and protected forest by 2025.
Using this goal as a starting point, they identified the activities
needed to achieve it, such as restoring and protecting habitat andmoving tamarins from one area of forest to another for the genetic
health of the whole population. The models clarified the objectivesof the overall breeding program as well, so participants were able toidentify what steps zoos and breeding centers should take next.
The workshop also established clear relationships among the various organizing entities and a type of governing structure that would
help them function together as they implemented the plan.
At two subsequent CBSG-led workshops, in 1997 and 2005, theparticipating conservation groups and institutions updated their strategy in response to progress, new research, and lessons learned.

Beating the Odds

65“The three workshops created the goal-oriented framework thatwas necessary to make progress for the golden lion tamarin,” said
Bengt Holst, Director of Conservation at the Copenhagen Zoo. “Thework on the ground has been carried out by local conservationists andinternational experts, but the workshops created the framework andshowed what way to go. That part was just as important as the workon the ground.”Addressing deforestation and habitat fragmentation
is a critical part of the plan to save golden lion tamarins.

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The wild population of golden lion tamarins
has grown from just 200 to more than 3,000.

A Force for Conservation
Thanks to reintroductions, efforts to preserve habitat, and moving
tamarins out of doomed rainforest fragments, the wild population
gradually increased. In 2003, their status was officially changed from
Critically Endangered to Endangered, demonstrating that the species’ risk of extinction was lowered as a direct result of conservation
activities.
Now, just over 25 years after the first workshop, the project’s mostimportant goal has been partially realized: more than 3,000 golden
lion tamarins swing through the treetops in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest. Efforts to protect the species’ habitat are just as intense as ever.
“This conservation success demonstrates how a goal-oriented
approach can have a huge effect and really make a difference,” said

Beating the Odds

67

Holst. “It shows the great value of the CBSG workshop process as aforce for conservation.”
The golden lion tamarin conservation effort is held up around theworld as a clear example of a conservation success story. Setting aside
a few days—even in the midst of urgent conservation activities—todefine a goal and develop a responsive plan really can make the difference in helping an endangered species beat the odds.

At a Glance
Species: Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
Region: Atlantic rainforest, Brazil
Then (1990): Critically Endangered—about 450 left in the wild, scattered among
forest fragments
Challenge: Several multinational conservation efforts were operating without
defining a clear, unifying goal.
Turning Point: CBSG’s population models channeled workshop participants’
discussions toward a unified vision for golden lion tamarin conservation,
which provided them with a specific goal and concrete routes for reaching it.
Now (2016): About 3,000 golden lion tamarins now live in the wild, and the effort
to preserve and connect more of their habitat is ongoing.

10
Balancing Act
Managing Native Plants
and Grazing Horses on Assateague Island

It is a bit of a mystery how free-roaming horses came to live on Assa­teague Island, since they don’t naturally belong there.
Local legend says that the horses survived a harrowing shipwreckin the Atlantic Ocean centuries ago and swam to safety on Assateague.
The more likely story is that in the 1600s European settlers trying
to avoid livestock taxes brought them to the island, which stretches
along the coastlines of Virginia and Maryland in the United States.
No matter how the horses ended up there, they’ve become an
essential part of the island’s character, drawing thousands of visitors
each year who come to see them wandering free in their coastal habitat. There are festivals and events to celebrate the horses and opportunities to view them and experience their beauty firsthand.
But the horses are an introduced species to the barrier island ecosystem, which is also home to many threatened species and rare plantcommunities. Over time, the herd grew exponentially and began tonegatively affect the island’s unique ecology.
69

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Second NatureComplicated Goals
Barrier islands are typically long, narrow spits of land that play animportant role in protecting coastlines from the worst wind andweather coming off the ocean. Assateague’s rich salt marsh ecosystemprovides habitat for diverse wildlife, and on the dune side facing theopen sea, native plants help hold the sand in place, resisting erosion.
The grazing of the horse herd was reducing the abundance ofspecies such as American beach grass and sea oats; without sufficientgrasses to stabilize the dunes, the island would be at risk of being
washed away by the waves. Also, the feeding and movement patternsof the horses were altering plant and animal communities, particularly in the salt marshes, allowing invasive plants to take hold anddisrupting natural ecological processes and the nesting of many bird
species.
The National Park Service, which manages Assateague Island
National Seashore where the horses live, was faced with a challenge.
In 1994, it had begun using noninvasive contraception on mares toslow the growth of the herd, but it wanted to define a target population size and determine the most effective way to get there. The goal
was to manage the expanding population of horses to minimize negative effects on the island, and to do so in a way that would respect the
public’s love for the horses—which meant not removing them fromthe island—and keep the herd robust and genetically diverse.
To help resolve the inherent conflicts between protecting boththe feral horse population and the ecological integrity of Assateague
Island, the National Park Service commissioned CBSG to lead them,along with several other stakeholder groups, through evaluating different management strategies for reaching their specific—and complicated—goals.

Balancing Act71

In early 2006, a group of stakeholders worked with CBSG to produce a horse population model that reflected the current situationon the island. Later in the year, the group gathered again to use thismodel to examine how the horse population and the island’s plant life
would be affected by different management activities, such as modifying contraception rates.
After much discussion about potential options and competing
goals for managing the island, the group agreed on a population target of 80 to 100 horses as the sweet spot. Any larger and the island’splant communities would continue to decline; any smaller and the

Sea oats have recovered in areas where they
had been reduced due to grazing pressure.

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Second Nature

herd’s genetic health would suffer. This target could be adjusted as theeffects of changing the population size were monitored.

“The CBSG workshop process worked
remarkably well. . . . It really was thecornerstone of a very successful plan.”
Balancing Act
The workshop results contributed a scientific foundation to a larger
decision-making process organized by the Park Service to assess management options for the island. The chosen strategy reflected theworkshop discussions and population model results, but also incorporated public comments and further interpretation of the best way
to balance maintaining a healthy horse herd and restoring plant communities on the island.
“There’s no doubt that we will be referring to the workshop reportfor years,” said Carl Zimmerman, former National Park Service superintendent of Assateague Island. “It provided a great base for developing an environmental assessment of management strategies.”
Wildlife managers implemented the new plan to strategicallydecrease reproduction rates and over time successfully reduced thenumber of horses on the shores of Assateague. By 2015, the horse
population was sitting around 93—right on target.
The positive effects on the island’s ecosystem are apparent: American beach grass has rebounded, and sea oats now flower in places

Balancing Act73

where they used to suffer under heavy grazing pressure. Other plants,
like smooth cordgrass, have grown denser again in the absence ofintensive grazing. As predicted, this horse population size has provento be the right range for balancing multiple objectives in order tomaintain the overall health of Assateague Island.
“The CBSG workshop process worked remarkably well and successfully navigated some very difficult issues,” said Zimmerman. “Itreally was the cornerstone of a very successful plan.”

At a Glance
Species: Assateague horses (Equus caballus) and native plant species such as
American beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) and sea oats (Uniola paniculata)
Region: Maryland, United States
Then (2006): The ecological health of Assateague Island was compromisedby overgrazing of introduced horses that are beloved by locals and visitors alike.
Challenge: There was no clear, long-term path for balancing two seemingly
opposing objectives.
Turning Point: CBSG’s models of different future scenarios helped wildlife
managers delineate the sweet spot for the horse population.
Now (2016): The herd has reached the predicted ideal population size, and nativeplant life has rebounded.

Activities emerging from recent workshops and ongoing projects for species
like whooping cranes, greater bilbies, Vancouver Island marmots,and eastern hellbenders have already provided important conservation benefits.

Rewriting the Stories
of Species Survival

These stories of hope and second chances for endangered wildlife arejust a few of the many we could tell.
CBSG’s global network of experts is prepared to respond to thecomplex conservation challenges facing our planet. At the invitationof governments, nongovernment conservation agencies, or coalitionsof interested stakeholders, we will help to identify the need, bring
together the right people and the right science, and reach consensus
around sustainable solutions for species in peril.
To ensure continued success takes vision, commitment, action,and resources. It takes the wildlife managers who recognize a needand take the initiative to do something about it. It takes the planning practitioners who bring expertise in risk assessment and consensus building, to ensure that achievable solutions are created andembraced. It takes the wildlife champions who drive the plans forward, bringing them to life on the ground. And it takes engaged75

76

Second Nature

donors who recognize how, where, and when to deploy their financial
support, to maximize its impact.
CBSG’s culture of collaboration and our commitment to innovation enable us to play a critical role in rewriting the stories of species
survival, now and in the future.
That’s good news—and it means that more stories like these arewithin reach. Because when we work together for endangered species,
hope becomes second nature.

Acknowledgments

This book, the successes in it, and the many similarly hopeful stories in the CBSG archive exist thanks to the commitment of CBSG’s
global membership and our dedicated regional network teams. Noneof this work would have been possible without the loyal and generous
support of the individuals and institutions that financially support
CBSG’s work through the Global Conservation Network.
Special thanks go to Bengt Holst and the Copenhagen Zoo for
funding the book’s editing and design, and to Susan Kripke Byers
for providing writing, editing, and style suggestions throughout thecourse of this project.
We are extremely grateful to the contributors listed below who
helped us immensely with story content. Many other people contributed, too, and in many different ways. To each of you: thank you.
Also included below are links to the reports from each workshop
highlighted in this book. These reports contain the detailed conservation actions recommended, the partners involved, and the sponsors
who financially supported the workshop. Additional links provide upto-date details about each ongoing conservation effort.

1. Wattled Cranes (Moving Parts)
Contributor: Kerryn Morrison (International Crane Foundation /Endangered Wildlife Trust)77

78

Acknowledgments

Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/wattled-crane-phva-2000; http://www.cbsg.org/content/wattled-crane-phva-review-2009
More information: https://www.ewt.org.za/accp/accp.html

2. Kihansi Spray Toads (Into the Mist)
Contributors: Jennifer Pramuk (Woodland Park Zoo), Alyssa Borek(Woodland Park Zoo)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/kihansi-spray-toad-phva-2007
More information: http://www.wildtoledo.org/kihansi-spray-toads-2/

3. Governor Laffan’s Ferns (Planting a Seed)
Contributors: Marge From (Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo),
Douglas Armstrong (Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/western-prairie-fringed-orchid-phva-1997
More information: http://www.omahazoo.com/conservation/rare-plant-research/

4. Okinawa Rails (Resisting Intruders)Contributor: Kumiko Yoneda (Japan Wildlife Research Center)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/okinawa-rail-phva-2006

Acknowledgments79

More information: http://www.ufugi-yambaru.com/shiryou/documents/2014zuttoyanbaruEG.pdf

5. American Burying Beetles (Burying the Hatchet)Contributors: Bob Merz (Saint Louis Zoo), Lou Perrotti(Roger Williams Park Zoo)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/american-burying-beetle-phva-2005
More information: https://www.stlzoo.org/conservation/wildcare-institute/americanburyingbeetleconse/

6. Tasmanian Devils (Devil’s Advocates)
Contributors: Caroline Lees (CBSG), Rebecca Spindler(Taronga Conservation Society Australia), David Pemberton(Save the Tasmanian Devil Program), Paul Andrew(Taronga Conservation Society Australia)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/tasmanian-devil-phva-2008
More information: http://www.tassiedevil.com.au/tasdevil.nsf

7. Hungarian Meadow Vipers (Aristocrats on the Steppe)
Contributors: Miklós Persányi (Budapest Zoo), Endre Sós(Budapest Zoo)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/hungarian-meadow-viper-phva-2001
More information: http://www.rakosivipera.hu/en/

80

Acknowledgments

8. Tree Kangaroos (Three Claps for Conservation)
Contributors: Chris Banks (Zoos Victoria), Peter Clark (ZoosSouth Australia), Jim and Jean Thomas (Tenkile Conservation
Alliance)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/tree-kangaroo-phva-and-camp-1998
More information: http://www.tenkile.com/

9. Golden Lion Tamarins (Beating the Odds)
Contributor: Bengt Holst (Copenhagen Zoo), Kristin Leus
(Copenhagen Zoo)
Workshop reports, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/lion-tamarin-phva-i-1990; http://www.cbsg.org/content/lion-tamarin-phva-ii-1997; http://www.cbsg.org/content/lion-tamarin-phva-iii-2005
More information: http://savetheliontamarin.org/

10. Assateague Horses and Native Plants (Balancing Act)
Contributors: Mark Sturm (National Park Service), Allison Turner(National Park Service); Carl Zimmerman (National Park
Service, retired)
Workshop report, sponsors, and partners: http://www.cbsg.org/content/horses-assateague-island-phva-2006
More information: https://www.nps.gov/asis/upload/feralhorsemanag.pdf

Acknowledgments81

2016 Global Conservation Network Donors
The finances of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group are managed by the Global Conservation Network,a tax-exempt charitable organization whose mission is to support the work of CBSG.

$25,000 +$10,000 +Copenhagen Zoo
Minnesota Zoological Garden
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
George Rabb
Saint Louis Zoo
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

Alice Andrews
Auckland Zoological Park
Dallas World Aquarium
Houston Zoo
San Diego Zoo Global
Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Wildlife Conservation Society
Zoo Leipzig$20,000 +Toronto Zoo
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Zoological Society of London$15,000 +Chester Zoo
Chicago Zoological Society
Columbus Zoo & Aquarium – The WILDS
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Zoo Zürich

$5,000 +Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
Anne Baker & Robert Lacy
British and Irish Association of Zoos
and Aquariums
Detroit Zoological Society
Lincoln Park Zoo
Nordens Ark
Ocean Park Conservation Foundation,
Hong Kong

82

Acknowledgments

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Schönbrunner Tiergarten – Zoo Vienna
Smithsonian National Zoological Park

$2,000 +Allwetterzoo Münster
Association of Zoological Gardens (VdZ)
Borås Djurpark
Bristol Zoo Gardens
Carlson Family Foundation
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Dallas Zoo
Dickerson Park Zoo
Dublin Zoo
European Association of Zoos & Aquaria
Fota Wildlife Park, Ireland
Fundación Parques Reunidos
Givskud Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo
Japanese Association of Zoos & Aquariums
Kansas City Zoo
Laurie Bingaman Lackey
The Living Desert
Linda Malek
Milwaukee County Zoo
North Carolina Zoological Park

Oregon Zoo
Paignton Zoo
Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
San Francisco Zoo
Sedgwick County Zoo
Seoul Zoo
Swedish Association of Zoological Parks& Aquaria
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens
Twycross Zoo
Utah’s Hogle Zoo
Wilhelma Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo
Zoo Frankfurt
Zoologischer Garten Köln
Zoologischer Garten Rostock$1,000 +Aalborg Zoo
Akron Zoological Park
Audubon Zoo
Cameron Park ZooCentral Zoo Authority, India
Everland Zoological Gardens
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
Friends of the Rosamond Gifford ZooAcknowledgments83

Fundación Temaikèn
Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens
Los Angeles Zoo
Prudence P. Perry
Perth Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
Phoenix Zoo
Ed & Marie Plotka
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
Rotterdam Zoo
San Antonio Zoo
Taipei Zoo
Toledo Zoo
Wassenaar Wildlife Breeding Centre
White Oak Conservation Center
Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium
Zoo and Aquarium Association
Zoological Society of Wales, Welsh
Mountain Zoo
Zoos South Australia$500 +
Abilene Zoological Gardens
Ed AsperBanham Zoo
Mark Barone
Bramble Park Zoo

Chris Byers & Kathy Vila
Susie Byers & Kurt Schwarzkopf
Cotswold Wildlife ParkDavid Traylor Zoo of Emporia
Kattegatcentret
Lisbon Zoo
Little Rock Zoo
Katey & Mike Pelican
Racine Zoological Society
Safari de Peaugres
Tokyo Zoological Park Society
Topeka Zoo
Wellington Zoo
Zoo de la Palmyre$250 +
African Safari, France
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
El Paso Zoo
Lee Richardson Zoo
Lion Country Safari
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure
Sacramento Zoo
Steinhart Aquarium
Jacqueline & Nick Vlietstra
Zoo Heidelberg

84

Acknowledgments$100 +$10 +Apenheul Primate Park
Aquarium of the Bay
Suzanne Gendron
James Guenter
Lincoln Children’s Zoo
Steven J. Olson

Heiko Janssen
Sanjay Prasher

Photo Credits
2

Mountain gorilla© Matej Hudovernik | Dreamstime.com
6 Wattled crane© Mehgan Murphy
Smithsonian’s National Zoo
9 Wading wattled crane© Oakdalecat | Dreamstime.com
12 Kihansi gorge spray zone
© Tim Herman
15 Kihansi spray toads
Julie Larsen Maher © WCS
18 Governor Laffan’s fern
© Marge From
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
21 Fertile Diplazium laffanianum© Don Lubin

26 Okinawa rail
© Feathercollector | Dreamstime.com
29 Okinawa rail
© Michio Kinjyo
30 Okinawa rail artwork© Kathy Traylor-Holzer
32 American burying beetle© Ray Meibaum, Saint Louis Zoo
35 American burying beetle© Ray Meibaum, Saint Louis Zoo
40 Tasmanian devil© Callan Chesser | Dreamstime.com
43 Devils feeding© Crystal Taylor | Dreamstime.com
46 Hungarian meadow viper© Taviphoto | Dreamstime.com

Acknowledgments85

49 Hungarian Puszta—Landscapeof Kiskunság National Park
© Pixelite | Dreamstime.com
54 Wewak jungle© eGuide Travel (CC BY 2.0)
57 Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo© Iryna Rasko | Dreamstime.com
60 Tenkile© Tenkile Conservation Alliance
62 Golden lion tamarins© Eric Gevaert | Dreamstime.com
65 Deforestation© Pedro Biondi/Abr (CC BY 3.0 BR)
66 Golden lion tamarin© Eric Gevaert | Dreamstime.com
68 Assateague horses© National Park Service
71 Sea oats inflorescence© National Park Service

74 Whooping crane© Klause Nigge/Parks Canada-Wood
Buffalo National Park
74 Bilby© Lyle Radford
74 Hellbender© Steven D. Johnson /	 stevendavidjohnson.com
74 Vancouver Island marmot© Oli Gardner / oligardner.com
86 Black-footed ferret© Kimberly Fraser
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
87 Giant panda© Zhang Zhihe
88 Western pond turtle© Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Black-footed ferrets were nearly extinct in the 1960s. Starting in the
1980s, CBSG conducted multiple planning workshops for them.
Today around 300 live in the wild, the result of a massive reintroduction
effort and the work of many conservation partners.

The iconic and much beloved giant panda is recovering in the wild
and thriving in zoos, thanks in part to CBSG’s scientific contributions
to their conservation for over 20 years. Because of these collaborative
efforts, giant pandas are no longer classified as Endangered.

CBSG’s workshop for western pond turtles helped recovery groups
evaluate threats and prioritize next steps. This contributed to thesuccess of the conservation effort in Washington (US), where theturtle population has grown from 150 in 1990 to around 1,500 today.

When we work together for endangered species,
hope becomes second nature.

W

ith so many challenges facing nature today, it
can be hard for conservationists not to become

discouraged. But there is good news. There are successes.
And calling attention to them celebrates the many scientificand collaborative efforts that make them happen, bolstering“The workshop
helped us realizethat we werepartners already.”

the resolve of specialists and concerned citizens alike.
Second Nature tells ten of these success stories—about
what’s possible when dedicated people who have a common
purpose collaborate to save a threatened species. Mammals
from the coastal scrublands of Tasmania, amphibians froma unique gorge in Tanzania, birds from the forests of Japan,
and plants from the rocky caves of Bermuda represent many
more conservation successes around the world.
Behind these stories is CBSG, a small but effective catalyst
for changing the futures of endangered species. After morethan 35 years of conservation planning in partnership withconservation organizations, governments, zoos, and NGOs,
CBSG has a long list of success stories to tell—and many more
to generate.
Visit us at www.cbsg.org.

The Conservation BreedingSpecialist Group’s mission
is to save threatened species
by increasing the effectivenessof conservation efforts worldwide.