1. What is a studbook?
A studbook is created for species identified as requiring management or for those at risk and contribute to a breeding programme.
They record the details of each individual animal on the programme, e.g. its sex, date of birth, and full ancestry.
A species co-ordinator, who is in charge of keeping the records up to date, makes recommendations for the pairing of animals for breeding.

2. Can you find a suitable mate for Angus?
Scottish Wildcat
Studbook Challenge.
Can you find a suitable mate for Angus?
Name: Angus
Age: 7
Location: Agais Field Centre
Born: Highlands of Scotland
Weight: 7 Kg
Star Sign: Scorpio
Favourite Food: Rats
Health: Excellent
Breeding: Has not yet mated.
Lineage: All grandparents (Ethel, Henry, Barry and Ruth) were captive born.
Interests: Sitting in trees.
Who should Angus breed with?
Each group should have an answer, discuss why?
Answer: nollE / karP efildliW tseroF weN
Through discussion with the pupils, they should be able to work out that all the other Japanese macaque can be ruled out on the following basis:
Claudia – too old at 12 years old and has begun to show decline in general health as a result of old age. Has also already given birth to 5 offspring – so well represented in captive population. All grandparents are bar one have a high genetic score, but one was possibly feral as her genetic score is lower.
Nora – Shares a grandmother (Ethel) with Angus.
Ailsa – Was hand-reared and displays an abnormal interest in humans. May not breed as a result, or could potentially have problems in rearing young herself.
Betty – All grandparents have a good genetic score. Has 7 siblings. Her genes are well represented in the captive population already.
Isla – Has not yet bred, despite being paired with a mate. It is therefore likely that Isla has fertility problems.
Pupils may rule out Ellon as a suitable mate, based upon the fact that she suffers ear infections. You can use this point, to emphasise that health factors (and any other factors for that matter) need only be considered seriously if they are indeed serious or will directly affect ability to breed. All her parents have a good genetic score.

3. Choose the best mate for Chiba by clicking on their picture
What is important when choosing a mate as part of a breeding programme in a zoo?
What do you want to achieve?
Name: Claudia
Age: 12 years
Location: Edinburgh Zoo
Name: Nora
Age: 5 years
Location: Edinburgh Zoo
Name: Ailsa
Age: 8 years
Location: Port Lympe
Back
Click on picture to reveal answers. Start at top and work down eliminating as you go.
Who chose what…
Why not…
What is important when choosing a mate as part of a breeding programme in a zoo?
Who are they related to…
What do you want to achieve?
Best genetic diversity, so they are not related to each other.
Name: Beitidh (Betty)
Age: 6 ½ years
Location: Highland
Wildlife Park
Name: Isla
Age: 6 ½ years
Location: Calderglen
Country Park
Name: Ellon
Age: 5 years
Location: New Forest Wildlife Park

4. Location: Edinburgh Zoo Born: Highland Wildlife Park Weight: 4.75 Kg
Name: Claudia
Age: 12 years
Location: Edinburgh Zoo
Born: Highland Wildlife
Park
Weight: 4.75 Kg
Star Sign: Capricorn
Favourite Food:
Pheasant
Health: Has recently begun
suffering from arthritis.
Breeding: Has given
birth to 5 offspring.
Lineage: All grandparents are
bar one have a high genetic score, but one was possibly feral as her genetic score is lower.
Interests: Sleeping
Name: Nora
Age: 5 years
Location: Edinburgh Zoo
Born: Marwell Zoo
Weight: 3.9 Kg
Star Sign: Taurus
Favourite Food: Rats
Health: Excellent.
Breeding: Has given birth to 1 offspring.
Lineage: One grandparent is wild born, the others (Ethel, Jim and Sue) were captive born.
Interests: Grooming
Copy of female macaques available for Angus (6 cards per group)
4 student per group 3 student per group
4 students : 1 group 3 student : 1 group
8 students : 2 group 6 student : 2 group
12 students : 3 group 9 student : 3 group
16 students : 4 group 12 student : 4 group
20 students : 5 group 15 student : 5 group
24 students : 6 group 18 student : 6 group
28 students : 7 group 21 student : 7 group
32 students : 8 group 24 student : 8 group
36 students : 9 group 27 student : 9 group

5. Location: Port Lympe Zoo Born: Port Lympe Zoo, England Weight: 4.2 Kg
Name: Ailsa
Age: 8 years
Location: Port Lympe Zoo
Born: Port Lympe Zoo, England
Weight: 4.2 Kg
Star Sign: Cancer
Favourite Food: Chicks
Health: Was hand-reared.
Breeding: Has not yet given birth.
Lineage: All grandparents (Marly, Bob, Sandra and Lou) were captive born.
Interests: Humans
Weight: 4.65 Kg
Star Sign: Aquarius
Favourite Food: Quail
Health: Excellent
Breeding: Has not yet given birth.
Lineage: All grandparents have a good genetic score.
Interests: Playing with her 7 siblings.
Name: Beitidh (Betty)
Age: 6½ years
Location:
5 Sisters Zoo, Scotland
Born: Highland Wildlife Park, Scotland.
Copy of female macaques available for Angus (6 cards per group)
4 student per group 3 student per group
4 students : 1 group 3 student : 1 group
8 students : 2 group 6 student : 2 group
12 students : 3 group 9 student : 3 group
16 students : 4 group 12 student : 4 group
20 students : 5 group 15 student : 5 group
24 students : 6 group 18 student : 6 group
28 students : 7 group 21 student : 7 group
32 students : 8 group 24 student : 8 group
36 students : 9 group 27 student : 9 group

6. Location: Calderglen Country Park, Scotland.
Name: Isla
Age: 6½ years
Location: Calderglen Country Park, Scotland.
Born: Calderglen Country Park, Scotland.
Weight: 4.15 Kg
Star Sign: Gemini
Favourite Food: Quail
Health: Has not yet become pregnant despite being paired with a mate.
Breeding: Has not yet given birth.
Lineage: All grandparents have a good genetic score.
Interests: Scratching up trees
Name: Ellon
Age: 5 years
Location: Chester Zoo, England
Born: New Forest Wildlife Park, England.
Weight: 4.3 Kg
Star Sign: Leo
Favourite Food: Duck
Health: Suffers the occasional ear infection.
Breeding: Has not yet given birth.
Lineage: Parents have a good genetic score.
Interests: Climbing
Copy of female macaques available for Angus (6 cards per group)
4 student per group 3 student per group
4 students : 1 group 3 student : 1 group
8 students : 2 group 6 student : 2 group
12 students : 3 group 9 student : 3 group
16 students : 4 group 12 student : 4 group
20 students : 5 group 15 student : 5 group
24 students : 6 group 18 student : 6 group
28 students : 7 group 21 student : 7 group
32 students : 8 group 24 student : 8 group
36 students : 9 group 27 student : 9 group

7. Return Good zoos do much more than simply display animals to visitors.
Zoos play an important role in conservation, breeding species at risk of extinction in the wild.
Breeding must be carefully managed to control populations under zoo care and to prevent inbreeding (they do not mate with closely related animals).
The aim is to ensure that animals could be potentially reintroduced back to the wild, which is achieved by animal management.
Good zoos do much more than simply display animals to visitors, there is a lot of science that goes on behind the scenes.
The zoo community, they play a vital role in conservation, breeding species at risk of extinction in the wild – but as you can see there is more to it than just putting a male and female together.
Breeding must be carefully managed to control populations under zoo/aquarium care and to prevent inbreeding.
The aim is to ensure genetic diversity which is achieved by developing a studbook.
A studbook is created for species identified as requiring management or for those at risk and contribute to a breeding programme. They record the details of each individual animal on the programme, e.g. its sex, date of birth, and full ancestry. A species co-ordinator, who is in charge of keeping the records up to date, makes recommendations for the pairing of animals for breeding.
The aim is to ensure that animals could be potentially reintroduced back to the wild, which is achieved by animal management.
Return