Advanced Technology in Service of Endangered Species

Scientist believe that it is necessary to maintain population of about 100-300 individual a species obtained from wild to retain 80-90% of the species genetic diversity for about 150- 200 years. If we utilize all the space available in world’s zoos and conservatories we shall be able to serve only a few hundred species.

Today a large number of species have been classified as threatened to the extent that sincere human care and ex-situ management is the only way to pre) them. Naturally we shall have to expand our conservatories and use advanced technology for management, multiplication and preservation of the threatened species.

For the past twenty years advanced science and technology has greatly extended the effectiveness of the methodology of ex- situ conservations. Major contributions of advance technology to the strategy of ex-l conservation cover the following aspects:

1. Chemical immobilization and anaesthesia.

2. Nutrition, maintenance and health care of animals in captivity.

3. Identification data collection and information technology.

4. Advances in reproductive technology and cryobiology.

5. Advances in population biology and molecular genetics.

Chemical Immobilization and Anaesthesia :

One of the common problems faced by conservationists is the resistance of the animals while they are being captured. Many wild animals are injured in the process of capture or transportation and may cause injury to the captors. It is difficult to administer drugs to immobilize them as for doing so they have to be approached closely.

Today techniques are available for administration of drugs to immobilizes the animal in field or in captivity from a distance. Dart guns or blow pipes which can be operated from a safe distance are used to deliver the chemical to animals.

This has enable the conservators to capture the animal with relative ease from the wild and give medicines or vaccines, fit radio-colors or transport them from one place to other. Drugs used for the purpose are Ketamine, Etorphine, Xylazine etc. which are safe for the animal and have none or nominal side effects.

Some radio-colors are provided with syringes loaded with drugs which can be operated by remote control. This enables the captors to inject the chemical simply by operating a switch at a distance wit activates the syringe to inject the drug into the body of the animal. (Hartthorn 1976, Mech et al. 1984).