Collections manager

Olivier Marquis: I've always been fascinated by reptiles and amphibians. After gaining a doctorate in biology, I spent five years running a training centre specialising in breeding these animals, before joining the Parc zoologique de Paris at the end of the renovation phase in 2013 to manage its new collection of reptiles and amphibians. My dual background in 'breeding' and 'research' has come in useful when working in a zoo run by the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle!

Luca Morino: I too have a passion for animals, so I studied natural sciences and obtained a doctorate in animal behaviour and primatology. I spent years studying wild primates in the tropical forests of many countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Madagascar, Kenya, Central African Republic...), and then carried out comparative work between wild and captive animals. This knowledge of the 'natural' behaviour of primates is useful for assessing the welfare of animals in zoos.

There are three main aspects to it: 1/ ensuring the well-being of the animals by providing the carers with the knowledge, procedures and technical resources they need. This involves constant exchanges with the Park's teams, but also with other colleagues in France and abroad (seminars, workshops, etc.); 2/ managing the collection (of reptiles, amphibians, fish and terrestrial arthropods, in my case; or of primates and lemurs, for Luca), in line with European breeding plans: new species, departure or arrival of animals, reproduction, etc. 3/ carrying out research and conservation activities. While conservation is an obligation for all zoos (donations to associations, breeding programmes, etc.), research plays a particularly important role in the zoos of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.

What does a collections manager do?

It has three main aspects:

1. ensure the well-being of the animals by providing carers with the knowledge, procedures and technical resources they need. This involves constant exchanges with the Park's teams, as well as with other colleagues in France and abroad (seminars, workshops, etc.);
2. manage the collection (of reptiles, amphibians, fish and terrestrial arthropods, in my case; or of primates and lemurs, for Luca), in line with European breeding plans: new species, departure or arrival of animals, reproduction...
3. carry out research and conservation activities. While conservation is an obligation for all zoos (donations to associations, breeding programmes, etc.), research plays a particularly important role in the zoos of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.

Some of this work is carried out at the zoo, in order to increase our knowledge of certain animal species. For example, we studied the song of the golden mantella, which plays an important role in the reproduction of this species and could therefore have an impact on its possible reintroduction into its natural environment.

Other work is carried out directly in the field, such as the study we are conducting on dwarf caimans in French Guiana...

Olivier Marquis : There isn't one! Our days are divided between the 'field' (working with the keepers) and the 'office'. We have responsibilities to the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums): corresponding with groups of specialists (known as TAGs: Taxon Advisory Groups), developing training courses, coordinating actions between zoos, drafting projects, emails, etc. As time goes by, this second part takes up more and more of our days.

They're all worth seeing! Some, like the cayman lizard (or dracene), are rarely seen in zoos. But other species, much more 'ordinary', deserve our attention: in the vivarium Europe, for example, we find a local fauna that is often neglected or little-known, but which is nonetheless fascinating and whose ecological role is essential...