Species360

Species360 is a non-profit NGO serving the global community of zoos, aquariums and other wildlife conservation organizations in over 100 countries.

Serving the global community of zoos, aquariums, & other organizations in over 100 countries since 1974.

09/04/2026

We are pleased to welcome four new members to the Species360 team! Joining us from Belgium, Brazil, and Colombia, Dr. An Pas, Jonathan Cruz, Mateo Contreras, and Guilherme Nichetti respectively bring a variety of experience spanning zoo and wildlife medicine, software engineering, and business systems automation.

Read more here: https://species360.org/blog/from-belgium-to-bogota-meet-the-newest-species360-team-members/

08/27/2026

New in ZIMS! We’re excited to share that Enrichment has received an exciting upgrade in ZIMS, with a brand-new mobile-friendly Enrichment workflow in Data Entry. 📲

Enrichment is a crucial component of animal welfare, so we are pleased to offer a new and improved way of recording it in ZIMS. The new workflow, released today, is goal-based. Through the Data Entry screen users can now identify an enrichment goal first, assign multiple enrichment items for that goal, and assign the item to animals at the same time.

The new workflow simplifies the process of recording enrichment especially if QR codes are generated and located at the enclosure for easy access to the Data Entry screen.

08/26/2026

Don't miss out on today's exciting EAZA webinar – Breaking Barriers: Women in Conservation

In 2025, nine people were nominated to represent the UK on the EAZA Council. Only one was a woman. This is not an isolated statistic, it reflects a pattern we continue to see across our sector. Clearly this is not the only diversity issue we face in our industry, but we feel like its one that we could and should be having an impact on.

During this EAZA - the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria webinar, Rebecca Biddle (Zoological Director, Twycross Zoo) and Fiona Sach (Zoo Conservation Impact Manager, ZSL) will bring the conversation to the fore, to explore the challenges, barriers, and opportunities for women in conservation. Together, we'll discuss how we can create stronger networks of peer support and mentorship. This conversation will be followed up with a workshop at EAZA conference to delve deeper into these challenges and opportunities. There, they will identify practical actions that can help shape a more inclusive and supportive culture for the future of our profession and help us think together, as an EAZA community, about how we build the culture of tomorrow.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/c-u-6oyCTjKrfBgF3R08QQ #/registration

08/14/2026

We're pleased to announce a new partnership with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) to create the world’s first shared global system that links biobanking data with animal health and care records. This will allow researchers to locate, prioritize and make use of genetic material held by zoos, aquariums and conservation organizations worldwide.

The partnership will connect SDZWA’s Frozen Zoo® with ZIMS. SDZWA will support the development of new capabilities within ZIMS to catalogue and track cryopreserved samples alongside the data already maintained by Species360 member institutions.

Read more: https://species360.org/blog/san-diego-zoo-wildlife-alliance-and-species360-partner-to-advance-biobanking-for-global-species-conservation/

📸 Image credit: SDZWA

08/12/2026

🔬Zoo Research: Elephants living in modern zoos are living significantly longer than they did half a century ago. 🐘

A new study published in Scientific Reports drew on more than six decades of data from ZIMS to examine how elephant survival has changed over time. Led by ZSL (Zoological Society of London) with Species360, Syddansk Universitet – University of Southern Denmark, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the research analyzed records for more than 3,000 African and Asian elephants held in Species360 member zoos.

- Zoo elephant life expectancy has risen by up to 44% for males and 21% for females since 1960.
- In the most recent period studied, survival was comparable to or higher than the wild and semi-wild elephant populations included in the analysis.
- The gains are linked to changes in elephant management since the 1990s, including larger and more complex habitats, softer flooring, enrichment, closer attention to social herd structures, and advances in veterinary care

Read more: https://ow.ly/uJEM50ZyYBa

07/28/2026

Some happy conservation news from Chester Zoo! 💚👏

07/27/2026

We're only a couple days away from our biggest event of the year, the Species360 Conservation Science Alliance Research Symposium! If you haven't done so yet, please be sure to register for this free event.

Six researchers from around the world will present findings on topics including:
🩺 post-release health monitoring in short-beaked echidnas,
🦎 reproductive and demographic trends in threatened gecko species,
🐿️ sciurid representation in zoo collections,
🦜 reproductive success in African grey parrots,
🐆 the effects of latitude displacement on carnivore life events
🐘 life expectancy in zoo-housed elephants

Read more and register: https://species360.org/blog/introducing-the-speakers-for-the-3rd-annual-species360-conservation-science-alliance-research-symposium/

07/15/2026

Meet the speakers for the 3rd annual Species360 Conservation Science Alliance Research Symposium!

This year’s talks showcase the breadth of insights that aggregated data from ZIMS can produce.

Here is a sneak peek at some of this year's topics:
- Echidnas: Post-release health monitoring 🩺
- Elephants: Life expectancy and survival in zoos 🐘
- Carnivores: How geographic displacement affects reproduction and life stages 🐆

Read the full list of speakers and presentation topics here: https://species360.org/blog/introducing-the-speakers-for-the-3rd-annual-species360-conservation-science-alliance-research-symposium/

07/14/2026

Happy Sharks and Rays Awareness Day. 🦈

Sharks have been around longer than the dinosaurs, and there are over 1,000 species of sharks and rays swimming our oceans, yet we still don't know some of the most basic things about their lives. How fast do they grow? When do they mature? How long can they live?

More frightening than the theme song from Jaws is just how stark the knowledge gap really is.

Species360 is hoping to change that. Working with aquariums around the world, we are building the most comprehensive demographic dataset ever assembled for cartilaginous fishes in human care, which will provide practical evidence-based benchmarks that can support aquarium management, animal care and conservation breeding programs.

Read more: https://species360.org/blog/the-hidden-lives-of-sharks-and-rays-missing-data-swimming-in-aquariums/

Syddansk Universitet – University of Southern Denmark

07/10/2026

Missed our recent training webinar on Daily Activity and Provisional? You can now watch the recording.

The webinar provided a helpful overview of how to use the Daily Activity report and how to review data.

Watch it here 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o0jNErqSx8

Let us know what ZIMS topics you would like us to cover in future webinars!

Address

7900 International Drive, Suite 300
Bloomington, MN
55425

Telephone

+16514475530

Website

https://www.species360.org/

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