Chester Zoo in the UK is partnering with tissue bank, Nature’s SAFE, to collect genetic material from animals at the zoo through Cryopreservation (the process of preserving any biological constructs by cooling the samples to very low temperatures). This project could be critical to saving endangered species from permanent extinction.

“With gene pools and animal populations continually shrinking in the wild, the work of modern conservation zoos like ours has never been more important. Technologies, such as cryopreservation, offer us a new, critical piece of the conservation puzzle and helps us provide a safeguard for many of the world’s animals that, right now, we’re sadly on track to lose.” – Sue Walker, head of science at Chester Zoo and cofounder of Nature’s SAFE.