Species Survival Plan

Species Survival Plan
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the (American) Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild.
SSP program
SSP programs focus on animals that are near threatened, threatened, endangered, or otherwise in danger of extinction in the wild, when zoo and zoology conservationists believe captive breeding programs will aid in their chances of survival. These programs help maintain healthy and genetically diverse animal populations within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo community. AZA accredited zoos and AZA conservation partners that are involved in SSP programs engage in cooperative population management and conservation efforts that include research, conservation genetics, public education, reintroduction, and in situ or field conservation projects. The process for selecting recommended species is guided by Taxon Advisory Groups, whose sole objective is to curate Regional Collection Plans for the conservation needs of a species and how AZA institutions will cooperate to reach those needs. Today, there are almost 300 existing SSP programs. The SSP has been met with widespread success in ensuring that, should a species population become functionally extinct in its natural habitat, a viable population still exists within a zoological setting. This has also led to AZA species reintroduction programs, examples of which include the black-footed ferret, the California condor, the northern riffleshell, the golden lion tamarin, the Karner blue butterfly, the Oregon spotted frog, the palila finch, the red wolf, and the Wyoming toad.
SSP master plan
An SSP master plan is a document produced by the SSP coordinator (generally a zoo professional under the guidance of an elected management committee) for a certain species. This document sets ex situ population goals and other management recommendations to achieve the maximum genetic diversity and demographic stability for a species, given transfer and space constraints.
See also
European Endangered Species Programme
List of SSP programs
As of 2023, there are 290 species that are a part of the Species Survival Plan program.
Aardvark
Addax
Agouti, Brazilian
Alligator, Chinese
Anteater, Giant
Aracari, Curl-Crested
Aracari, Green
Argus, Great
Armadillo, Screaming
Armadillo, Six-banded
Armadillo, Southern three-banded
Baboon, Hamadryas
Barbet, Red-and-yellow
Bat, Egyptian fruit
Bat, Rodrigues fruit
Bat, Straw-colored fruit
Bear, Andean spectacled
Bear, Sloth
Beaver, American
Binturong
Bird-of-paradise, Raggiana
Bluebird, Fairy
Boa, Jamaican
Bongo, Eastern
Bonobo
Bushbaby, Mohol
Cacique, Yellow-rumped
Callimico
Capybara
Cardinal, Red-capped
Cassowary, Southern (double-wattled)
Cat, Pallas
Cat, Sand
Cheetah
Chimpanzee
Chuckwalla, San Esteban
Cobra, King
Colobus, Angolan
Colobus, Guereza
Condor, Andean
Coua, Crested
Crane, Black crowned
Crane, Demoiselle
Crane, Grey crowned
Crane, Red crowned
Crane, Wattled
Crane, White-naped
Curassow, Blue-billed
Curassow, Helmeted
Deer, Western tufted
Dikkop, Spotted
Dog, African painted
Dove, Beautiful fruit
Dove, Black-naped fruit
Dove, Luzon bleeding heart
Dove, Mindanao bleeding heart
Dragon, Komodo
Duck, Spotted whistling
Duck, West Indian whistling
Duiker, Blue
Duiker, Yellow-backed
Elephant, African
Elephant, Asian
Flamingo, Caribbean
Flamingo, Chilean
Flamingo, Greater
Flamingo, Lesser
Fossa
Fox, Bat-eared
Fox, Fennec
Fox, Swift
Frog, Panamanian golden (ahogado)
Frog, Panamanian Golden (sora)
Frogmouth, Tawny
Gazelle, Addra
Gecko, Giant leaf-tailed
Gecko, Henkel's leaf-tailed
Gharial, Sunda
Gibbon, Lar (white-handed)
Gibbon, White-cheeked
Giraffe, Generic
Giraffe, Masai
Goose, African pygmy
Goose, Red-breasted
Goose, Swan
Gorilla, Western Lowland
Guineafowl, Crested
Hamerkop
Heron, Boat-billed
Hippopotamus, Pygmy
Hippopotamus, River
Hog, Red River
Honeyeater, Blue-Faced
Hornbill, Abyssinian Ground
Hornbill, Red-Billed
Hornbill, Rhinoceros
Hornbill, Southern Ground
Hornbill, Trumpeter
Hornbill, Wrinkled
Horse, Asian Wild
Hwamei, Chinese
Hyena, spotted
Hyrax, Rock
Ibis, African Sacred
Ibis, Hadada
Ibis, Scarlet
Ibis, Waldrapp
Iguana, Fiji Banded
Iguana, Grand Cayman Blue
Iguana, Jamaican
Jaguar
Jay, Plush Crested
Kangaroo, Red
Kangaroo, Western Gray
Kookaburra, Laughing
Kudu, Lesser
Langur, Francois'
Lapwing, Masked
Lapwing, Spur-Winged
Laughingthrush, White-Crested
Leiothrix, Red-Billed
Lemur, Black and White Ruffed
Lemur, Collared
Lemur, Mongoose
Lemur, Red Ruffed
Lemur, Ring-Tailed
Leopard, Clouded
Leopard, Snow
Liocichla, Scarlet-Faced
Lion
Lizard, Caiman
Lizard, Chinese crocodile
Lizard, Rio Fuerte Beaded
Loris, Pygmy Slow
Lynx, Canada
Macaque, Japanese
Macaw, Blue-Throated
Macaw, Hyacinth
Macaw, Red-Fronted
Magpie, Azure-Winged
Mandrill
Mara, Patagonian
Marmoset, Geoffroy's
Meerkat
Merganser, Scaly-Sided
Monitor, Black Tree
Monkey, Bolivian Gray Titi
Monkey, Common Squirrel
Monkey, DeBrazza's
Monkey, Mexican Spider
Monkey, Robust Black Spider
Monkey, Southern Black Howler
Motmot, Blue-Crowned
Muntjac, Reeves'
Myna, Bali
Ocelot
Okapi
Orangutan, Bornean
Orangutan, Sumatran
Oropendola, Crested
Oryx, Scimitar-Horned
Otter, Asian Small-Clawed
Otter, North American River
Owl, Burrowing
Owl, Snowy
Owl, Spectacled
Panda, red (fulgens)
Panda, red (refulgens)
Partridge, Crested Wood
Peccary, Chacoan
Pelican, Pink-Backed
Penguin, African
Penguin, Chinstrap
Penguin, Gentoo (ellsworthi)
Penguin, Humboldt
Penguin, King
Penguin, Magellanic
Penguin, Southern Rockhopper
Pheasant, Palawan Peacock
Pheasant, Vietnam
Pigeon, Green-Naped Pheasant
Pigeon, Nicobar
Pigeon, Victoria Crowned
Pochard, Baer's
Porcupine, Cape
Porcupine, Crested
Porcupine, North American
Porcupine, Prehensile-Tailed
Pudu, Chilean (Southern)
Puffin, Tufted
Rattlesnake, Aruba Island
Rattlesnake, Eastern Massasauga
Rattlesnake, Santa Catalina Island
Ray, Spotted Eagle
Rhinoceros, Eastern Black
Rhinoceros, Greater One-Horned
Rhinoceros, Southern White
Ringtail
Roadrunner, Greater
Roller, Blue-Bellied
Saki, White-Faced
Screamer, Southern
Sea Lion, California
Seahorse, Big Bellied
Seahorse, Lined
Seal, Harbor
Seriema, Red-Legged
Serval
Shama, White-rumped
Shark, Sand Tiger
Shark, Zebra
Siamang
Skink, Prehensile-Tailed
Sloth, Hoffman's Two-Toed
Sloth, Linne's Two-Toed
Snake, Eastern Indigo
Spoonbill, African
Spoonbill, Roseate
Squirrel, Prevost's
Starling, Emerald
Starling, Golden-Breasted
Starling, Violet-Backed (Amethyst)
Stilt, Black-Necked
Stingray, White-Blotched River
Stork, Abdim's (White-Bellied)
Stork, Marabou
Stork, Saddle-Billed
Stork, White
Sunbittern
Swan, Coscoroba
Swan, Trumpeter
Takin, Sichuan
Tamandua, Southern
Tamarin, Bearded Emperor
Tamarin, Cotton-Top
Tamarin, Golden Lion
Tanager, Blue-Grey
Tanager, Silver-Beaked
Tanager, Turquoise
Tapir, Malayan (Asian)
Teal, Marbled
Tenrec, Lesser Madagascar Hedgehog
Tern, Inca
Tiger, Amur
Tiger, Malayan
Tiger, Sumatran
Tortoise, African Pancake
Tortoise, Brown Forest
Tortoise, Burmese Black
Tortoise, Burmese Star
Tortoise, Egyptian
Tortoise, Galapagos (microphyes)
Tortoise, Home's Hinge-back
Tortoise, Madagascar Flat-Tailed
Tortoise, Madagascar spider (Common)
Tortoise, Madagascar spider (Northern)
Tortoise, Radiated
Toucan, Keel-Billed
Toucan, Toco
Tragopan, Cabot's
Tree Kangaroo, Matschie's
Tree Shrew, Northern
Troupial
Trumpeter, Grey-Winged
Turaco, Great Blue
Turaco, Lady Ross'
Turaco, Red-Crested
Turaco, Violaceous
Turaco, White-Cheeked
Turtle, Black-Breasted Leaf
Turtle, Blanding's
Turtle, Coahuilan Box
Turtle, Indochinese Box
Turtle, Malaysian Giant
Turtle, McCord's Box
Turtle, Pan's Box
Turtle, Rote Island Snake-Necked
Turtle, Spiny
Turtle, Spotted
Vulture, Cinereous
Vulture, King
Wallaby, Bennett's (Red-necked)
Wallaby, Tammar
Wallaroo, Common
Warthog, Common
Weaver, White-Headed Buffalo
Wolf, Maned
Woodhoopoe, Green
Zebra, Grevy's
Zebra, Hartmann's mountain
Zebra, Plains
Notes
References
External links
AZA website
Animal breeding organizations
Wildlife conservation
Zoology
Zoos