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African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus, APD) are highly endangered, with fewer than 7000 remaining in nature. Captive breeding programs can preserve a genetically diverse population and provide a source of individuals for reintroductions. However, most programs are initiated from few founders and suffer from low genetic diversity and inbreeding. The aims of this study were to use molecular markers to assess genetic variation, inbreeding, and relatedness among APDs in the North American captive population, to use these data to realign studbook records, and to compare these data to wild populations and to the European captive population to facilitate the development of a global management plan. We sequenced mitochondrial and major histocompatibility (MHC) class II loci and genotyped 14 microsatellite loci from 109 APDs from 34 institutions in North America. We identified three likely studbook errors and resolved ten cases of uncertain paternity. Overall, microsatellite heterozygosity was higher than reported in Europe, but effective population size estimates were lower. Mitochondrial sequence variation was extremely limited, and there were fewer MHC haplotypes than in Europe or the wild. Although the population did not show evidence of significant inbreeding overall, several individuals shared high relatedness values, which should be incorporated into future breeding programs.

Traditionally, studbooks have been used as the major tool for the scientific management of ex-situ populations organised in breeding programmes. Well documented pedigree information enables managers to sufficiently monitor population size, demographic stability and the level of genetic diversity. However, breeding programes can only maintain the genetic information which is brought into captivity by wild caught founder animals. In most studbooks little is known about those individuals. This is also true for the red panda (Ailurus fulgens), a charismatic but threatened flagship species. Conservation breeding of this remarkable mammal species started in the early 1960s and is nowadays coordinated through a Global Species Management Plan (GSMP). In Europe the Endangered Species Programme (EEP) forms the biggest regional breeding group of red pandas (subspecies A. f. fulgens). Little is known about the true origin of the 23 founders of the EEP and how their unknown relationships may affect their living descendants now and in the future. Studbook data on 1350 individuals were analysed for different assumptions about founder relationships and compared with each other. We provide studbook-based evidence that the annual change in genetic parameters (gene diversity and mean inbreeding) are not affected in long-term by the original founder relationship within strongly intermixed zoo populations managed for mean kinship. Our results point out the importance of good genetic management in the early years of breeding programmes. These early years are crucial in implementing knowledge of founder relationships in the studbook, since a population becomes genetically equalised within the first decades and new information obtained later has no significant effects on subsequent genetic trends.

Trabajo Fin de Master en Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Lisboa, Between 1970 and 1975, 72 (36♂.36♀) Saharawi dorcas gazelles (Gazella dorcas neglecta) arrived in Finca Experimental la Hoya, Almería, southeast Spain. They were the founding individuals of a captive breeding programme, now managed as an European Endangered species Programme, currently with 236 (104.132) living individuals distributed among 12 institutions. Previous demographic and genetic assessment of this population was published in 2002 (Abáigar, 2002). An updated analysis was commended, ultimately motivated by the recent establishment of in situ reintroductions in Senegal. Besides the inclusion of the last 14 years of studbook data, this is the first thorough study to use the software programmes Population Modelling, ENDOG and SplitsTree4 for this taxon. The census history shows an overall increasing population, consistent with the incorporation of more institutions in the programme, although a tendency towards a stationary population is observed since 2010. Such tendency is corroborated by the current demographic parameters of annual growth rate (1.058), instantaneous rate of change (0.056) and net reproductive rate (1.283). Age-specific life table parameters show higher mortality rate, fecundity rate and reproductive value in males in almost all age-classes in contrast with higher survival rate and life expectancy in females. Sex and age structure of the global living population is close to pyramidal shape, as would occur in demographically stable populations. Plotting of annual gene diversity and mean inbreeding coefficient shows a positive impact of the incorporation of eight wild-caught individuals in the programme in the 90s. Current genetic parameters are the result of proper reproductive management of threatened species, and are in accordance with standardised targets when planning cooperative metapopulation breeding.

Since 1829 the African Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus has been exhibited in over 373 zoological facilities. As at 31 December 1994 the international captive population was 1218 animals of which 880 (72%) were captive-bred and 338 (28%) were wild-caught. The steady increase in the captive population is a result of captive breeding, co-operative captive-management programmes and importation from the wild. Of facilities holding Cheetah 26%. (96) have bred the species, 15% of which have bred continuously producing 63%> (n= 1580) of all cubs born in captivity. Although the number of facilities breeding Cheetah has increased, in 1994 only 10%) of them reported successful reproduction. The Ne has increased gradually and in 1994 was equivalent to 17% of the captive population. Of 1564 animals that have been imported, c. 20% (n= 308) have reproduced and in 1994 155 have living descendants in the captive population. Except for a few East African Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus raineyi all of the imported animals are the southern African subspecies Acinonyx jubatus jubatus. There has been an increase in the number of subspecific hybrids in the captive population and between 1990 and 1994 28 hybrids produced 24%, (190) of cubs. The captive population is not yet self-sustaining and is maintained by the importation of wild-caught animals. Continued progress can be achieved by implication of a co-ordinated global management programme.

The African cheetah has been bred in North American zoological facilities since 1956. The captive population has since grown to around 200 animals because of a combined increase in importation plus captive births. From 1982 to 1986, the captive birth rate declined by 50%, primarily because of a low frequency of breeding individuals in the population. The 1986 population had an effective breeding size of 28.1 in a total population of over 193 cheetahs. The incidence of infant mortality has been high (36.7%) relative to other zoo-bred species, perhaps as a consequence of the previously observed genetic impoverishment of the species. The combination of low fecundity, high infant mortality, and population dynamics indicates that the North American captive cheetah population is neither a self-sustaining nor a theoretically “viable population” as defined by Soule et al. [ZOO BIOLOGY 5:101–114, 1986]. Possible recommendations for improving captive cheetah propagation are discussed.