Wildlife rescue and conservation breeding of endangered species Most animals arriving at ACCB have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. New arrivals are examined for injuries and diseases and treated if necessary. Subsequently, they usually have to undergo a quarantine period, which lasts from several weeks for mammals and birds up to several months for reptiles. To warrant as little disturbance as possible and minimize the risk of disease transmission, the quarantine area is not open to the public. Young animals are hand-reared.
 After successful completion of the quarantine period and sufficient recovery, the animals are released into suitable and safe habitats according to international recognised standards. Usually, soft release techniques with post-release support and – where appropriate and possible – monitoring are applied.
Individuals that belong to certain endangered species or are not fit for release may be transferred to the breeding section. The general aim of ex situ conservation breeding is to give added value to complementary in situ conservation measures, e.g. through the establishment of captive safety populations of species that are at risk of extinction in the wild, or to produce offspring for future reintroduction and restocking programmes to aid in the recovery of depleted or locally extinct wild populations. Captive animals can also be a powerful educational tool to raise awareness of their threats in the wild and provide the opportunity to study and learn about them in captivity, which can be particularly important regarding species that are little known or difficult to study in the wild.
Learn more about animals at ACCB | 
