Conservation breeding as a tool for saving animal species from extinction.

For nearly 3000 taxa of birds and mammals, conservation breeding may be the only possible way to avoid extinction. Today, less than 100 of these taxa have self-sustaining captive populations, and even fewer have been selected for reintroduction programmes. However, recent developments in our theoretical understanding of conservation breeding, as well as in its practical application, and global organization, raise hopes for the future.