Wellington Zoo a global leader in animal care

11 April 2012

Wellington Zoo a global leader in animal care

On 2 April, Wellington Zoo went live with a global network project to share vital information on wild animals in human care. The latest version of the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) application is being used by 88 zoos and aquariums in 19 countries, with the potential for more than 800 to join in.

The web-enabled, global database gives organisations like Wellington Zoo access to biological, collection management, husbandry, health and disease information on wild animals in human care. It will be used to enhance local care and international conservation efforts.

Wellington Zoo is one of the 830 institutions that are a part of the growing network of International Species Information Systems (ISIS) members worldwide.

“We are excited to be part of the launch of the latest version of ZIMS,” says Chief Executive, Karen Fifield. “This system gives us the most up-to-date information to help us provide the best care for wild animals in human care.”

“We know that working in collaboration with others helps us to keep at the forefront of best practices, and that the work we are doing locally can be used globally.”

As part of this global consortium, Wellington Zoo is helping to forge a new path in collaborating and sharing information on more than 2.6 million animals – including many endangered or threatened species.

"ISIS represents an unprecedented effort to unite the global wildlife conservation community," said David Field, Zoological Director of the Zoological Society of London and ISIS Board Chair. "Brought together by common goals and needs, many ISIS members are among the world's leaders in protecting and nurturing animals in human care, and in our natural environment."

Wellington Zoo’s Collection Development Manager, Simon Eyre, is excited by the software’s potential. “Using ZIMS will help us to provide better care for our native and exotic animals because our keepers can access the full history of any animal, at anytime, and from anywhere.”

Since 1974, ISIS has created various software packages for data collection but they were not web enabled. ISIS software has long been recognized as the world-standard best practice for zoological record-keeping by international regulatory bodies like CITES. The latest ZIMS application is an evolution of previous ISIS software; it is comprehensive, integrated, real-time and created specifically for members' uses.

Wellington Zoo is the only zoo in New Zealand to be using the ZIMS 2012 application and one of just three organisations in Australasia.

Zoos and aquariums have become leaders in the effort to breed endangered animals, and to educate an estimated 700 million visitors each year across the glove about the magnificent and fragile interrelationships between humans, wildlife and environments.

“In 2011, we welcomed more than 200,000 visitors to our Zoo, fostering that personal connection with nature in our community,” says Chief Executive, Karen Fifield. “By continuing to keep ourselves at the forefront of zoo management, we can keep to our commitment to cooperatively manage our animal collection in a way that promotes their sustainability and value for conservation outcomes.”

Wellington Zoo is a charitable trust principally funded by the Wellington City Council.

ENDS

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