The Global Wildlife Conservation Community is Going Online

18 prominent zoos and aquariums are leading the way

EAGAN, Minnesota, August 18, 2010 - Leading zoos and aquariums - from Copenhagen to Calgary - announce their
participation in a global conservation movement. In an unprecedented effort,
these leading institutions are moving their animal management knowledgebase
online through the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) - and
working with organizations around the world to unite the global wildlife
conservation community into one, shared network.

ISIS - a consortium of more than 800 zoos, aquariums and related
conservation organizations worldwide - is forging a path in collaborating and
sharing information on more than 2.6 million animals - many endangered or
threatened species.

"The conversation about how to connect the global wildlife conservation
movement through technology was started more than 10 years ago," said ISIS
Board Chair and CEO, Zoos South Australia Chris West. "It was apparent to the
zoological community that ISIS needed to be the leader in this effort, and
many of our leading institutions answered that charge."

ISIS chose the following early adopters because they are leaders in their
industry.

Australia: Adelaide/Monarto Zoos

Canada: Calgary Zoo, Garden & Prehistoric Park

Denmark: Copenhagen and Givskud Zoos

Germany: Zoologischer Garten Leipzig

New Zealand: Auckland Zoological Park

United Kingdom: Bristol, Clifton, & West of England Zoological Society

United States: Disney's Animal Kingdom/The Seas; Monterey Bay Aquarium;
Riverbanks Zoo; Seattle Aquarium; Sedgwick County Zoo; Smithsonian National
Zoological Park; South Carolina Aquarium; The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens;
Wildlife Conservation Society; Woodland Park Zoological Gardens; Zoological
Society of San Diego

"These leading institutions answered the call and dedicated their staff
and resources to the ZIMS project because need is clear," said ISIS CEO Roger
Stonecipher. "This network will bring the zoological community together in
ways not yet imagined. We are on the precipice of something great here -
connecting those who protect and care for animals in the largest
information-based social network so far created for a specific purpose."

Zoos and aquariums have become leaders in the effort to breed endangered
animals, and to educate an estimated 600 million visitors each year about the
magnificent and fragile interrelationships between humans, non-humans and
environments. Through zoos and aquariums, some species have already been
rescued from extinction.

Since 1974, ISIS has created various software packages for zoological
record-keeping. ISIS software is recognized as the world-standard by
international regulatory bodies like CITES. ZIMS is the next evolution.
www.isis.org.

Michele Peters of ISIS, +1-651-209-9259, mpeters at isis.org