The American Association for the Advancement of Science news site, EurekAlert!, brings us this week’s topic. Increasing rates of extinctions have focused conservation biologists on finding the most effective means of preserving biodiversity. Releasing captive-bred animals is one. However, a review of 45 published studies of 17 different carnivores revealed the high mortality rates of reintroduced carnivores were due to human shooting or car accidents; increased incidence of disease and starvation; and a decreased affinity for forming social groups, when compared to natural-born members of the same species.

The research was the subject of the news article titled Captive Carnivores Not Up To Wild Living (January 20, 2008) Researchers point to the need to modify approaches, such as (a) decreasing human contact while rearing animals in captivity so that they are less likely to learn not to fear humans in the wild; (b) increasing natural opportunities for hunting and forming social groups while in captivity, and (c) working closely with communities in which the animals are to be released to increase human awareness and to alter human behaviors to favor the animal’s survival.

How to Turn This News Event into an Inquiry-Based, Standards-Related Science Lesson

The National Science Education Standards Life Science Content Standard for grades 5-8 includes discussion of populations and ecosystems and the diversity and adaptations of organisms. This recent study is a perfect, authentic application of these concepts.

Though the article tells how many studies were reviewed and how many species were involved, some key information is missing. Can your students articulate additional questions they have that are left unanswered? What is meant by survival rate? Are the animals surviving six months, one year, or more? What is the likelihood they are reproducing before they die? How does their survival rate compare with the natural-born members of the communities into which the captive-bred animals are reintroduced? Why might they be more susceptible to disease than the natural-born animals of the same species? What are some possible solutions to that problem?

Ask students what the value of zoos is. Their first instincts might be to say that zoos provide entertainment for humans, but they will also indicate zoos are an educational resource. Lead them to an understanding of the breeding programs designed to preserve world biodiversity. Ask why is it important to preserve biodiversity? What kinds of species do zoos seem to focus on? Why? Why not nematodes, algae, fungi, or bacteria, for example? Lead them to the concept of keystone species.

Find out which species are involved in this review. The author of the study is Kristen Jule and it was published in Biological Conservation online. The title is: The Effects of Captive Experience on Reintroduction Survival in Carnivores: A Review and Analysis. Your local librarian may be able to track down a free copy for you, or you may be able to find it through your public library’s database of electronic journals.

Is your nearest zoo involved in a breeding program? Consider inviting zoo representatives to your school. They’ll often bring live animals with them at little or no cost. Students can prepare questions for the zookeeper in advance, such as “How do you work with your animals in order to avoid decreasing their fear of humans? What do you do to help them attain hunting skills? How do you know how many survive when they are reintroduced? What effect has your program had on the wild populations of the species?”

Here are some additional resources that are part of the NSDL Middle School Portal collection to facilitate your instruction regarding populations and ecosystems and diversity and adaptations: Biodiversity: Should It Matter to Me?; Extinction and Size; and Predators in Ecosystems.

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