Captive breeding of exotic animals

Abstract

Captive breeding of exotic animals has become the primary goal of most zoological parks today. This is due to increasingly stringent export laws which make it difficult to bring certain species from their countries of origin/and, even more importantly, to the growing number of endangered species whose natural habitats are being destroyed. A discussion of general considerations in long term breeding programs is presented, followed by several examples of successful natural breeding programs in captivity. Artificial breeding techniques, Including electroejaculation and artificial insemination, are discussed. Problems with breeding programs, such as inbreeding depression, are illustrated.