Ex-situ Conservation Centers
What is ex-situ conservation?
"Ex-situ" means "off site", and in the terms of conservation, it is used to describe the conservation of threatened species by taking them out of their natural habitat. Zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, endangered tree nurseries, and captive breeding programs are all examples of ex-situ conservation.
Why is ex-situ conservation necessary?
Sometimes, certain species of animals and plants become so endangered, they are unlikely to survive in the wild before the threats to their existence can be solved. By establishing assurance colonies in captivity, conservationists can buy some time to enact in-situ ("on site") conservation actions, such as reforestation, threat mitigation, habitat restoration, etc. The animals- and/or their captive-bred offspring- are then released into the wild to boost populations.
Effective ex-situ programs must be enacted in conjunction with in-situ conservation efforts; otherwise, you end up with an expensive pet collection. They are not a solution in and of themselves, but they are an important tool in the conservationists toolbox.
HCI Ex-situ Centers
The Harris Conservation Initiatives' interest in ex-situ conservation began with Project Palaka in the Philippines. Project Palaka is the only project working with the IUCN Critically Endangered Platymantis insulatus, the Gigantes Limestone Frog. We have successfully bred the species for the first time in captivity in October 2022, and have had an additional eight successful breeding events since that time. Project Palaka is currently planning on releasing these captive-bred offspring back on the Gigantes Islands in 2024.
All HCI projects will have some aspect of ex-situ conservation, tailored to the needs of local species. In April 2023, we hired the up-and-coming Philippine architectural firm Paralign Archtelier to design our future ex-situ centers (see below).