Last week, the zoo put out a press release about the loss of one of the zoo’s female Amur leopards. One of the most common questions brought up was what happens next? Much like the tiger transfers we tried to explain last fall, many of these decisions are out of our hands.

Many of the animals we care for are a part of cooperative breeding programs called Species Survival Programs or SSPs. Each of these SSPs are supported by a studbook keeper that maintains an up-to-date database of all individuals within the managed populations.

The SSP steering committees use the information from the studbook keepers, along with institutional surveys, to determine who needs animals and who has animals they need to move. They then determine how many breeding recommendations need to be made along with the best possible animals to breed to ensure the population maintains the highest possible genetic variations for long-term management. With zoos working together around the country and even the world to manage and learn from the animals in our care, we can better understand the needs of the ones in the wild.

These studbook keepers and SSP committees are made up of zoo professionals who volunteer their time and experience for the greater good of the animals they are working for. There are nearly 190 species currently managed by Species Survival Programs and many more species that are tracked by studbooks but not necessarily as an SSP.

Volunteers are a key component to the success of these programs, just as the people from the Minot community who volunteer their time at the Roosevelt Park Zoo all play a role in our success. Currently, we have a handful of regular volunteers who assist with some of the education programming or in animal areas, assisting with diet preparation. We are also fortunate to welcome groups from local organizations, schools, and businesses to assist.

Until now this has worked for the zoo, but looking ahead, we recognized the program could be improved both for the zoo and for those who support it.

Starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, the zoo will be hosting a Volunteer Fair. Anyone interested in learning more about the zoo and its volunteer opportunities is welcome.

This revised program has been designed to meet anyone’s passion. There are roles for volunteers who are interested in committing to training and participating on a regular basis both in the education and animal areas. For those whose schedule is a bit more chaotic but still want to play a role, this is a good opportunity to learn more about being an episodic volunteer who might only come out once during the year when their schedule allows, whether you are leading a group or just an individual wanting to get involved.

There are a lot of exciting things happening at the zoo, with this year being just the beginning. If you would like a front row seat and to be a part of the zoo as it transitions to this new era of growth, I invite you to come out on Saturday to learn how to be a part of the wildest place around.