"Poo zoo" could help save species from extinction
Chester Zoo is playing a crucial role in pioneering research to protect endangered species with an exciting new technique using animal dung to harvest living cells for conservation.
Researchers from Oxford University, in collaboration with Chester Zoo and conservation non-profit Revive and Restore, are exploring how to harvest and store living cells from animals in a non-invasive, cost-effective, and efficient way. This could revolutionise how zoo animals are used in future breeding programmes, offering a lifeline to species at risk.
The technique involves collecting fresh dung from animals such as elephants, giraffes, okapis, and lions. Once collected, the faecal matter is processed to remove any dietary remnants or bacteria, leaving behind cells that can be cultured in a lab. These cells could eventually be used to create sperm and egg cells for use in conservation breeding programmes, helping boost genetic diversity and secure the future of endangered species.
If this works, it could be a total game-changer. Right now, UK veterinary guidelines mean you can only collect genetic samples in very specific circumstances, which limits what we can gather. This would allow us to collect cells from a far broader range of animals, and even different species, in a way that doesn’t harm them.
Rhiannon Bolton, Chester Zoo Researcher
The process may be low-tech in its collection method, using a dustpan and brush to gather samples, but it’s revolutionary for its potential to gather genetic material from a wider range of species. The samples are sent to Oxford University’s lab for further processing.
Our long-running endocrinology programme uses faecal samples to monitor the health of the animals here at Chester Zoo. But the ‘poo zoo’ project is different – it’s about using those samples to safeguard the future of species, not just their present. The goal is to bank cells that can be used to prevent extinctions, which is a game-changer for conservation.
Dr Sue Walker, Head of Science at Chester Zoo
