Most programs can maintain genetic diversity within populations over several generations, but available research suggests the loss of fitness in captivity can be rapid, its magnitude probably increasing with the duration in captivity.

How does captive breeding increase biodiversity?

Captive Breeding programmes:

Fewer animals need to be caught in the wild and transported to zoos. Reduced pressures on wild stock so lessening the chances of extinction. Successful captive breeding allows the possibility of the species being reintroduced back into the wild.

Is captive breeding programs a threat to biodiversity?

A new report published by the scientific journal, Conservation Biology, suggests that while captive-breeding programs can initially increase dangerously small populations of a species, they can be damaging to the long-term success of a species.