Ask Adrienne: How many animals? How many species? Know how your institution impacts species knowledge.

April 20, 2020
Mary Ellen Amodeo
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As part of the global Species360 community, keepers at London Zoo help to sustain one of the world’s largest sets of data on wildlife. (DailyMail)

Question: I often get questions about our collections from sponsors, reporters, educators, and visitors. They ask, how many animals do you have? How many births did you have last year? How many species do you have?

Because the answers change on almost a daily basis, and I don’t want to provide old information, I have to contact our Registrar or a Curator to get the most current counts. Can ZIMS help me?

Answer: Yes, it can! As a Species360 member, your organization keeps updated information in the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS).

Here are the steps to viewing the information you need:

1 / Ask your ZIMS Local Administrator to give you “View” access to Institution Basic Details in ZIMS.

2/ With this access you can view the “Institution Statistics” tab. This tab contains up-to-the-moment counts on the number of animals held at your institution, the number of births/hatches in the last 12 months, the number of species you hold and much more!

And, now that you know, consider sharing more about the impact of your organization on global species knowledge.

As part of the global Species360 community, your teams contribute vital information on the animals in their care. That information is used by IUCN, CITES, and other conservation leaders, zoos, and aquariums worldwide to help improve the welfare of animals, advance medical treatments, and shape policies impacting species survival.

As part of the global Species360 community, aquariums and zoos like yours contribute vital information on the animals in their care. That information is used by IUCN, CITES, and other conservation leaders, zoos, and aquariums worldwide to help improve the welfare of animals, advance medical treatments, and shape policies impacting species survival.

Example: Since 2017, Emirates Park Zoo added data on 806 birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals of 198 species, contributing to the understanding of those species’ life histories. (“Emirates Park Zoo gives vital data on biodiversity,” Gulf Today)

For more information on you Institution Statistics go to Institution Statistics.

For more information on talking with visitors and media about the impact of your institution on global species data, please reach out to Support@Species360.org or Mary.Ellen@Species360.org.