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About Us

Because of the diverse species managed in zoos, AZA long ago recognized that a centralized facility and staff would be the most effective and efficient approach to developing contraception recommendations and monitoring the use of contraceptive products in zoo animals. In 1989, AZA approved the first task force to study contraceptive use in zoos. That initiative led eventually to creation of the AZA Wildlife Contraception Center (WCC) at the Saint Louis Zoo in 2001. In 2015, the WCC was renamed the Reproductive Management Center (RMC) to reflect an increase in scope beyond contraception, to other aspects of reproductive management, including promoting fertility. The RMC provides information on contraceptive methods and their application to zoos in the U.S. and around the world. Those zoos then provide data to the RMC on the effectiveness of the contraceptives, which is entered into a database that now contains over 50,000 records. The RMC and its Advisory Board work closely with a network of collaborators to address population-level threats to sustainability.

RMC Mission

The mission of the RMC is to provide science-based information to AZA facilities on reproductive management to support animal population viability, sustainability, and well-being.

Contact the RMC

Phone: 314-646-4595
Fax: 314-646-5534
contraception@stlzoo.org


Who Are We?

The Saint Louis Zoo serves as the home of the Reproductive Management Center, but its advisors are spread around the U.S. and the world. Advisors include scientists, veterinarians, and animal managers with research and management expertise in wildlife contraception, reproductive physiology, and disciplines that will contribute to the long-term sustainability of captive populations.

RMC Staff

Reproductive Health Surveillance Program Partners:

  • Dalen Agnew, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVP, Pathologist, Michigan State University
  • Anneke Moresco*, DVM, PhD, Pathologist, Co-Director

AZA Liaison:

  • Megan Brown, PhD, Director of Population Management Strategy
  • Candice Dorsey, PhD, Senior Vice President, Conservation, Management & Welfare Sciences

Population Management Center Liaison:

  • Kristine Schad Eebes, MS, Director

EAZA Reproductive Management Group (RMC) Liaison:

  • Veronica Cowl, PhD, Reproductive Biology Coordinator, EAZA RMG, Chester Zoo

Advisory Board:

  • Cheryl Asa, PhD, Advisory Board Chair
  • Copper Aitken-Palmer, DVM, PhD, Associate Veterinarian, Brookfield Zoo
  • Mary Agnew, PhD, Consulting Scientist
  • Kim Aubuchon, Veterinary Technician, Saint Louis Zoo
  • Karen Bauman, Manager of Reproductive Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo
  • Henk Bertschinger, BVSc, DVM, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Veterinary Population Management Laboratory, University of Pretoria
  • Paul Calle, VMD, DACZM, Chief Veterinarian, Vice President for WCS Health Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society
  • Bruce Christensen, DVM, MS, DACT, Kokopelli Assisted Reproductive Services
  • Kimberly Cook, DVM, Senior Director of Life Sciences, Akron Zoological Park
  • David Eisenberg, MD, MPH, Associate Professor - Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine
  • Kimberly Frank, Director, Science and Conservation Center
  • Christina Gorsuch, Director of Animal Care, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
  • Joe Knobbe, Deputy Director, Lee Richardson Zoo
  • Corinne Kozlowski, PhD, Endocrinologist, Saint Louis Zoo
  • Meghan Martin, PhD, Director, PDXWildlife
  • Linda Penfold, PhD, Director, South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation
  • Linda Rhodes, DVM, VMD, PhD, FDA Regulatory Consultant
  • Sherman Silber, MD, Director, The Infertility Center of St. Louis
  • Kurt Sladky, MS, DVM, Dipl ACZM, Dipl ECZM, Clinical Professor of Zoological Medicine, University of Wisconsin
  • Bill Swanson, DVM, PhD, Director of Animal Research, CREW, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
  • Alex Zelazo-Kessler, Animal Care Supervisor, Reid Park Zoo

*Spanish Translator: Anneke Moresco, DVM, Ph.D., anneke_moresco@hotmail.com

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