A critical assessment of the contribution of zoos to species conservation through evidence amassed from a range of sources.

Foreword G. M. Mace; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Biodiversity and zoo conservation biology; 2. Protecting species and habitats; 3. Zoos in focus - public exhibition or conservation; 4. Animals in captivity; 5. Viable captive populations - the numbers game; 6. Captive breeding and zoos; 7. Returning animals to the wild; 8. Educating the public; 9. Turning zoos into conservation centres; Appendix A. Commonly used abbreviations; Appendix B. Scientific names of species mentioned in the text; Appendix C. Inbreeding; Appendix D. Population sizes - definitions and implications; Appendix E. Captive breeding and genetics - definitions; References; Index.

John E. Fa is Chief Conservation Officer at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Visiting Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London. He specialises in endangered species biology and protection and on the impact of hunting on wildlife in Africa and Latin America.