Education Liaison: Wolverine Population Management Program, (AZA)
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center does not currently hold wolverines, but as a facility dedicated to the conservation of native Alaskan wildlife, including medium to large carnivores, the center is committed to educating people about charismatic mammals and birds of prey in the state. We have dedicated a portion of our website to the wolverine (Gulo gulo), and specifically the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s (AZA) Population Management Plan (PMP) for the wolverine and the European Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s (EAZA) European Endangered Species Program (EEP). We support those facilities that do contribute to breeding efforts including AZA member institutions and member institutions of the European Association of Zoos & Aquariums (EAZA). These programs are intensively managed whereby population analyses on the captive wolverine population are conducted and breeding plans are carefully formulated and implemented in hopes of maintaining a sustainable gene pool.
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is not an accredited member of a zoo association. We are a rescue center and sanctuary, and although eligible to participate in zoo association management programs for wolverines, we have not yet acquired an animal.
What is a Population Management Plan?
“The mission of an AZA Population Management Plan (PMP) Program is to manage and conserve select ex situ species populations with voluntary cooperation. There are currently over 300 PMP Programs [and EEP programs (EAZA)] , each of which is responsible for developing Population Management Breeding and Transfer Recommendations that identify population management goals and recommendations that will ensure the stainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied population. “
Who manages the Population Management Plan (PMP) for the wolverine?
Chris Kline, a zoologist at the Minnesota Zoological Garden is the species coordinator for the wolverine. He is the PMP manager and also the studbook keeper for the wolverine (Gulo gulo). As the studbook keeper Chris tabulates genetic and demographic data for the captive wolverine population and ultimately, with the help of staff at wolverine holding institutions and the population management center, determines which wolverines are to be bred and where. This is a very simplistic description of population management at the regional studbook level. The plan is also coordinated in conjunction with Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. Several staff members at the Lincoln Park Zoo serve as liaison advisors at the Population Management Center (PMC). Anne Oiler an Associate Population Biologist at the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Population Management Center is the advisor to the wolverine Population Management Plan. The PMP is developed under the auspices of the Small Carnivore Taxon Advisory Group of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums- a group comprised of staff predominantly representing AZA member institutions. Dusty Lombardi of the Columbus Zoo serves as the Chair of the Small Carnivore Taxon Advisory Group.
Who Manages the EEP?
Leif Blomqvist, a zoologist with Helsinki Zoo is the EEP coordinator for the European wolverine...
History of wolverine population management in captivity:
In 2007 a Regional Collection Plan for wolverines held in North American Zoos (AZA members) designated wolverines as a population to be managed at the Population Management Level, a less intensively managed program than what is used at the Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program, but more intensively managed than population of species of less concern. The PMP for the wolverine has a target population of 75 individuals with only 25 (14 males; 11 females) animals currently in the breeding program. Eight of the animals are held at AZA institutions and three are at non-AZA institutions including one at the Alaska Zoo. The reason that a target number exists is because gene diversity for the captive population must be maintained above 90% of the founding population before reproduction potential of the population is compromised (e.g., lower birth rates and greater neonatal mortality).