CREW Public Exhibit

In the past few decades, zoos have begun to play a major role in conducting research that enhances the conservation of endangered species. Although research at the Zoo began in the 1980s, the CREW building was not built in 1991. A unique facility, CREW is designed to perform research on both plant and animal species. Its mission is to use science and technology to help us understand, preserve and propagate endangered wildlife. If we can understand the problems with propagating animals in captivity, then our chances of overcoming those problems and improving animal and plant reproduction will be that much better. Assisted reproduction techniques, such as in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, are invaluable to controlling and managing genetic diversity in an efficient way. The research conducted at CREW has placed the Zoo among the top zoological institutions in the United States.

The CREW Public Exhibit, open from noon until 3:00pm during summer, displays how research is helping to save endangered species for future generations. Visitors are greeted and guided through the exhibit by a CREW volunteer. A brief video introduces guests to the work of the animal and plant divisions while a second video highlights the research leading up to the birth of Andalas, the first Sumatran rhino bred and born in captivity in more than a century. Through a window, visitors can look down into one of the Animal Division’s labs and often observe a scientist at work while a video screen shows the process of in vitro fertilization. Guests can take a sneak peek into an incubator room where plant tissue cultures are housed and the greenhouse where plants produced through in vitro collection grow while learning about the Plant Division’s research on preserving endangered plants.