In which DCist interviews area scientists, researchers, and academics on topics pertaining to natural and scientific interests. As Thomas Dolby would say: science!

Jonathan Ballou is the population manager at the National Zoo. His work as a conservation geneticist focuses on the genetic and demographic problems pertaining to small populations — in particular small populations from endangered species. This work has included analyses of the effects of inbreeding on mortality in captive populations and the development of population management software for zoos worldwide. He is the co-author of Introduction to Conservation Genetics, the first textbook within the field.

DCist: What does population management mean in a technical sense?

Jonathan Ballou: Back in the late 1970s and early 80s, zoos began to recognize that they needed to manage animals in zoos in order to maintain their populations, both for logistical management reasons and to maintain their population for recreational and educational purposes. If zoos were to not pay attention to management, one zoo would drop out of a species and another would do the same. So a need arose for one person to oversee the animals within a species across zoos.

Population management is a recognition that it takes more than one zoo to take care of these populations. Those species that are not being managed by somebody go through these cycles: they’re popular, then they’re not popular, then when they become popular again, there are no animals to exhibit.

Golden lion tamarin family photo by RoxandaBear.