Conservation is the preservation and careful management of the environment and of natural resources.

Organisms born in captivity might not be suitable for release into the wild because of potential loss of resistance to local diseases, behavioural issues, genetic differences, and limited suitable habitat.

A seed bank collects and stores seeds from many of the world's plants. If the plants become extinct in the wild, there will be seeds from which they can be grown in the future.

The IUCN aids in securing international conservation agreements and publishes the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, detailing the conservation status of threatened species.

CITES is a treaty that regulates the international trade of endangered wild plant and animal specimens and their products, such as furs, skins, and ivory, to prevent over-exploitation.

Assisted reproduction is any technique that is involved in treating infertility or protecting a female mammal of an endangered species from the health risks of pregnancy.

It is helpful for avoiding the issues associated with inbreeding.

Artificial insemination and embryo transfer

1. Semen from a male of the endangered species is injected into the uterus of a female of the endangered species, and sperm fertilises the egg cell forming an embryo

2. The embryo is transferred into the uterus of another female animal (the surrogate), who may not be the same species to protect the endangered animal from the risks of pregnancy

In vitro fertilisation (IVF)

1. Egg cells are collected from the ovaries of a female of the endangered species

2. Egg cells are mixed with semen from a male of the endangered species forming embryos

3. The embryos are cultured before being placed into the uterus of the mother or of surrogate mothers

An invasive species (alien species) is a species that has moved into a new ecosystem where it was previously unknown.

The potential effects of invasive species include:

1. Predation of native organisms
2. Competition with native organisms
3. Introduction of diseases
4. Some invasive plants cover huge areas of land or water

A 'frozen zoo' stores genetic resources such as sperm, eggs, embryos, and tissue samples from endangered and vulnerable species, keeping them frozen for long periods of time.