North Carolina Zoological Society Inc

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI) BOA CAPTIVE BREEDING RECOVERY INITIATIVE

FUNDS UNDER THIS AWARD ARE TO BE USED TO COMPENSATE NORTH CAROLINA ZOO AND POINT DEFIANCE ZOO AND AQUARIUM FOR ESTIMATED TRAVEL EXPENSES, APPROXIMATELY 20 PERCENT AND 12 PERCENT OF STAFF TIME, RESPECTIVELY, AND OTHER COSTS ACCRUED FOR MANAGING THE RED WOLF SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN (SSP) AND MANAGING THE STUDBOOK.

NC ZOO RED WOLF CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM EXPANSION

ASSESSMENT OF DISEASE RISK AND DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH MONITORING PROTOCOLS FOR THE CONSERATION OF THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED CROSS RIVER GORILLA

CONSERVATION OF CROSS RIVER GORILLAS AT NIGERIA'S AFI MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY THROUGH RANGER-BASED MONITORING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

IN 2018, THE LONG-TIME RED WOLF SSP COORDINATOR AND STUDBOOK KEEPER RETIRED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AZA CANID AND HYENID TAXON ADVISORY GROUP (TAG) SELECTED A NEW SSP COORDINATOR, LOCATED WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA ZOO (NCZ), AND A NEW STUDBOOK KEEPER, LOCATED WITH PDZA. THE SSP COORDINATOR POSITION IS NEEDED TO OVERSEE A SCIENCE-BASED BREEDING PROGRAM FOR ALL RED WOLVES THAT ARE MANAGED IN THE POPULATION UNDER HUMAN CARE. THE SSP COORDINATOR WORKS COLLABORATIVELY WITH MORE THAN 40 INSTITUTION REPRESENTATIVES AND MANY AZA ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSURE THAT THE CAPTIVE POPULATION NOT ONLY REMAINS GENETICALLY DIVERSE, BUT IS ALSO LARGE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE USFWS RED WOLF RECOVERY PROGRAM. THE RED WOLF STUDBOOK KEEPER IS CHARGED WITH MAINTAINING AN ACCURATE RECORD OF THE CAPTIVE POPULATION, WHICH INCLUDES PROVIDING HISTORICAL GENETIC INFORMATION ON ALL WOLVES. ACCURATE STUDBOOK RECORDS ARE ESSENTIAL TO MANAGING THE CAPTIVE POPULATION AND FULFILLING THE GOAL OF LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY. BOTH POSITIONS ARE VITAL TO THE MANAGEMENT AND SUCCESS OF THE SSP AND ITS ABILITY TO MEET USFWS RECOVERY GOALS.

THE VIRGIN ISLAND BOA CHILABOTHRUS GRANTI IS LISTED AS ENDANGERED BY THE USFWS AND THE IUCN CURRENT SURVEYS HAVE SHOWN THAT LIKELY SIGNIFICANT POPULATION DECLINES HAVE OCCURRED IN SOME OF THE SPECIES STRONGHOLDS, JUST IN THE LAST DECADE IN ADDITION, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE SPECIES IS EXPERIENCING DECLINES IN THE OTHER POPULATIONS, BUT SURVEYS HAVE NOT BEEN CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT ITS RANGE BASED ON THE MOST RECENT 5 YEAR REVIEW AND PROPOSED SSA, SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY OF THE VI BOA WILL REQUIRE THE ASSISTANCE OF EX SITU MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING A REINTRODUCTION PROGRAM THIS STRATEGY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST AND WAS RECENTLY REINVIGORATED IN USVI THROUGH THE INITIATION OF A BREEDING PROGRAM THIS IS ALSO BEING EXPANDED IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO INCLUDE THE PR POPULATION OUR CURRENT PLAN IS TO SURVEY 3 PREVIOUSLY UNDOCUMENTED ISLANDS FOR VI BOAS, ASSESS THESE THREE ISLANDS FOR SUITABILITY OF RELEASE OF VI BOAS HABITAT QUALITY, INVASIVE SPECIES PRESENCE, PREY TYPE CHARACTERIZED ABUNDANCE AS OUR THREE METRICS , TRANSLOCATE BOAS ZOO AND WILD , TRAIN PARTNERS STAFF TO MONITOR TRACK BOAS POST RELEASE , AND CONDUCT POST RELEASE MONITORING