Review of Crocodiles in Zoological Gardens with a focus on Europe

Abstract

To gain an overview of crocodile species held in zoos, the number of individuals kept, and the number of keeping institutions, we analyzed collection information from the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) database. Our analysis performed from June to July 2016 revealed that there were 24 species of crocodiles kept globally in 451 zoos, with 22 species kept in 185 European zoos. Two globally-kept species were lacking in European zoo holdings according to ZIMS. Of the 27 currently recognized species of crocodiles, one (Mecistops sp.) is not held in zoos at present. In addition we have opposed ZIMS data with information available from European studbooks and, based on literature evaluation, analyzed the development of crocodile collections in Europe during the last 40 years. Although ZIMS data is not complete, there is a trend discernible that only a few species are widely kept by the zoo community, whereas most species are represented in smaller numbers. We further discuss the importance of “Regional Collection Plans”, viz. long-term crocodile collection planning, and provide recommendations for population management such as considering a shift from very commonly kept species towards species that are in greater need of conservation support through zoo husbandry efforts.