CSS Small Mammals - Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol

The Center for Species Survival (CSS) Small Mammals was established in 2024 through a partnership between Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol and the IUCN Species Survival Commission. The taxonomic focus of the CSS is on small mammals. It aims to gather knowledge on the status of threatened populations, identify priority taxa for conservation, support integrated and targeted conservation planning for these priority taxa, and ultimately catalyze the most urgently needed conservation actions on the ground.

About our work

The CSS Small Mammals hosted by Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol plays a pivotal role in strengthening conservation impact for small mammals through assessment, planning and implementation of conservation strategies. Through strong partnerships with local governments, nature agencies, universities, and SSC Networks, the CSS Small Mammals builds bridges between science and action. The Centre supports the development of ex-situ programmes, conducts in-situ conservation action for endangered species, and contributes to species recovery and capacity-building across Europe and beyond. CSS Small Mammals and the IUCN SSC Small Mammals Specialist Group (SMSG) will jointly assess, plan, and act to preserve some of the world’s most threatened, overlooked mammals.

As the first CSS focused on small mammal biodiversity, the CSS Small Mammals plays a catalytic role in mobilizing small mammal conservation in Europe and beyond. It supports IUCN Red List assessments, coordinates conservation planning, and fosters conservation action through a One Plan Approach. The Centre operates in one of the most species-rich mountain regions in Europe, aligning local conservation actions with global biodiversity goals. In collaboration with various stakeholders and partners, the Centre will build capacity, advocate for policy change, and deliver targeted projects to halt the decline of small mammal species.

Supporting the Species Conservation Cycle

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“Saving the Critically Endangered Bavarian Pine Vole (Microtus bavaricus) – a barely known Alpine endemic – from extinction”
The Critically Endangered Bavarian Pine Vole (Microtus bavaricus), one of the world’s rarest mammals, is currently known from only two isolated locations: one in Bavaria, Germany, and one in Northern Tyrol, Austria. Our transnational conservation project aims to secure the species' survival through urgent habitat restoration and targeted conservation efforts.
The project’s primary goal is to stabilize and eventually increase its wild population by enhancing ecological understanding and implementing direct in-situ measures, enabled through our successful ex-situ breeding programme with partner zoos. The loss of this species would not only mark the extinction of a unique Alpine species but also signal broader environmental degradation in high-altitude ecosystems. Conserving the Bavarian Pine Vole strengthens biodiversity and supports ecosystem resilience in one of Europe’s most fragile mountain regions.
CSS Small Mammals coordinates extensive in- and ex-situ efforts across Austria and Germany, and beyond. Core project activities include detailed fieldwork: in-situ population monitoring, habitat assessment and management, and collaboration with landowners and local stakeholders. Public outreach and integration of the species’ needs into regional land-use planning are also vital components. Live-trapping supports an ex-situ breeding program to establish a secure backup population. Scientific research into reintroduction and genetic conservation options are also envisioned.
We work closely with nature conservation ministries, regional agencies, forestry departments, and private industry to promote best-practice habitat preservation. We will also collaborate with relevant regional authorities to explore additional sites with Bavarian Pine Vole presence. Furthermore, we will develop distribution models to identify and preserve suitable habitats for future reintroductions in the Alps to support broader ecosystem health.
The tools and techniques developed by this project for the ex-situ breeding and in-situ reintroduction will be an important resource for further small mammal conservation projects, including (but not limited to) other vole species.
Components of this conservation project are implemented under project BA0200319 – Rescue of the Bavarian Pine Vole 2025–2026, funded by the INTERREG VI-A Bavaria–Austria 2021–2027 programme.

                                                              
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Supporting Conservation of Small Mammals through Red List Assessments and Conservation Planning Support
More than 3200 species of small mammals (rodents, insectivores and treeshrews) occur in almost all terrestrial ecosystems around the world. Small mammals serve a variety of important ecosystem services such as soil aeration through burrowing, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, and serving as a crucial prey source for numerous predators. Despite their ecological importance, they tend to be overlooked in favour of animals that are larger or perceived to be more charismatic. At the same time, small mammals are facing survival threats from multiple directions: as human-caused habitat destruction continues to escalate globally, their habitats have become increasingly threatened. In addition, many small mammal species are also threatened by invasive, predatory animal species – such as foxes and cats in Australia, and American mink in the UK – and impacted by climate change and overexploitation for human use. Small mammals have also been widely understudied and underrepresented in terms of both conservation funding and actions, resulting in a lack of even basic ecological knowledge, let alone conservation engagement for most small mammals.
By contributing data, conducting reviews, and identifying priority gaps to improve the coverage and accuracy of assessments, CSS Small Mammals will work closely with the SSC SMSG and support the preparation and update of IUCN Red List Assessments of the status of small mammals worldwide, including for Alpine and European species, and to facilitate conservation planning and action for priority taxa.

                                                              
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Networking & capacity building for Assess, Plan, Act
The CSS Small Mammals will also focus on networking local and international stakeholders, notably on building local capacity to contribute to the conservation cycle and get local people engaged in saving endangered small mammals and Alpine species. Therefore, building capacity and improving networking among stakeholders will be the key to effective conservation of small mammals. This includes participating in planning workshops, supporting facilitation and logistics, and helping to connect field practitioners and scientists with relevant tools and resources.

                                                              

Dr André Stadler

Director

André Stadler, Director of the Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol since 2018, began his career as curator at WAZA member Wuppertal Zoo, Germany, in 2007. He brings extensive experience as ISB and EEP studbook keeper. André serves as Vice-Chair of EAZA’s Felid TAG and Chair of the Technical & Assistance Committee. He is a board member of the German and Austrian zoo associations (VdZ and OZO), has served twice on the WAZA Council, and is the current WAZA Secretary. André also lectures in zoo biology at the University of Innsbruck. He is a member of the IUCN SSC Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill SG, Deer SG, and Small Mammal SG. One of André’s core commitments is the conservation of the Critically Endangered Bavarian Pine Vole, culminating in the establishment of an IUCN Center for Species Survival for small mammals at Alpenzoo in 2024.

Director

André Stadler, Director of the Alpenzoo Innsbruck-Tirol since 2018, began his career as curator at WAZA member Wuppertal Zoo, Germany, in 2007. He brings extensive experience as ISB and EEP ...

EXPERTISE: Species conservation action Species conservation science

Dr Nora M. Weyer

Nora Weyer spent several years studying wildlife in South Africa, focusing on how Aardvarks in the Kalahari cope with this hot and dry environment. Her research led to uplisting the species from Least Concern to Near Threatened in southern Africa. Observing the impacts of climate change on this region inspired Nora to work as a Science Officer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), supporting scientific aspects (especially on adaptation in terrestrial ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere) in the production of several IPCC reports. She later worked at the Secretariat of the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) on legal instruments for conserving African and Eurasian wildlife internationally. In 2025, Nora became Species Conservation Coordinator at Alpenzoo. She also contributes to IUCN Red List Assessments as a member of the Small Mammal and Afrotheria Specialist Groups.

Nora Weyer spent several years studying wildlife in South Africa, focusing on how Aardvarks in the Kalahari cope with this hot and dry environment. Her research led to uplisting the species from Least ...