Red Wolf (Canis rufus) Population Viability Analysis

Population Viability Analyses (PVA) are being conducted by Lincoln Park Zoo and Population Management Center researchers through funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  The project team uses ZooRisk 3.80 (Earnhardt et al. 2008), a PVA modeling software, to examine what would happen to animal populations managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) if current conditions remain the same (the baseline scenario), and then assess the impact of changes in reproductive rates, space availability, imports/exports, and other potential management actions (alternate scenarios). Model scenarios for this population were developed with members of the AZA Red Wolf Species Survival Plan® and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Red Wolf Recovery Program during 2014.