Species360 is a U.S.-based nonprofit that maintains the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), the world’s largest database of animals under human care. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the organization is governed by a global community of more than 1,400 zoos, aquariums, and wildlife organizations across more than 100 countries, which collectively contribute data on more than 10 million animals.
ZIMS is the de facto standard for zoo and aquarium animal husbandry records and is used to manage daily care, welfare, veterinary care, and population management for individual animals and groups. ZIMS for Studbooks supports the international coordination of species survival plans and the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative, which uses aggregated data to predict when and how best to intervene for threatened or endangered populations. The organization’s Conservation Science Alliance partners with universities — including the University of Chicago, the University of Queensland, and Delaware Valley University — to translate ZIMS data into peer-reviewed research on longevity, welfare, and species recovery.
Species360’s data is used by IUCN Species Specialist Groups to inform assessments of ex situ populations and the role of zoos in species recovery. A 2026 Species360 research study using 150 years of ZIMS data showed sustained survival gains for big cats in zoo care, illustrating how the database contributes to evidence-based management of threatened species.
