Dalia A Conde

In early May, worldwide headlines carried news that one million species are destined for extinction.

Conservationists worldwide have been scrambling to save species struggling to endure multiple issues.

Data on species birth and death rates are essential to inform species conservation policies.

Responsible aquariums, zoos, wildlife parks, and refuge centers worldwide are becoming increasingly more critical to species conservation success. In addition to serving as insurance populations of targeted critically endangered species, these facilities are storing vast reserves of species information that can help scientist and conservation managers.

Critical information is missing or unavailable for more than 98 per cent of known species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) could increase that information by as much as eightfold, with information on birth and survival rates, curated by wildlife professionals in 97 countries.

ZIMS is maintained by Species360, a non-profit member-driven organization that facilitates information sharing among its nearly 1,200 institutional members.