How zoos decide which endangered species to save

With limited resources and a growing number of disappearing breeds, zoos are having to choose which animals to rescue, and which to let disappear

Lion-tailed macaques in captivity: Only 4,000 members of this endangered species remain, and most American zoos have had to phase them out.
(Image credit: Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa/Corbis)

American zoos, once just a place where visitors could gawk at exotic animals, are increasingly playing a role in preventing the extinction of endangered species. But as the populations of more and more rare breeds dwindle, U.S. zoos are running out of space and money to devote to conservation, according to a report in The New York Times. That's forcing many zoo officials to make tough decisions on which animals they should try to save, and which they should phase out. Here, a guide to this increasingly common — and always difficult — choice:

How many animals are endangered?

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