Tracks Software Review for Zoos: Buyer Guide

Last fact-check: 2026-10-10. Independent review based on official vendor documentation; no hands-on test is claimed.

Selecting an enterprise biological collection management system for a zoo, aquarium, or wildlife conservation institution requires balancing diverse operational needs. Veterinary teams demand detailed clinical record-keeping, lab tracking, and prescription management; animal care staff require daily husbandry logging, enrichment tracking, and behavioral training records; registrars need permit compliance and collection planning tools; and education departments need handling and scheduling workflows for ambassador animal programs.

Tracks, developed by a Colorado-based team, is a specialized B2B animal collection management platform designed to connect data across all departments within zoological facilities [1]. This evaluation synthesizes official vendor documentation from the Tracks Software Home Page, Tracks Features Documentation, and Tracks Products Documentation to assist zoo directors, registrars, veterinary managers, and IT committees in evaluating Tracks for software procurement.

Verdict

Tracks provides a multi-departmental biological record-keeping architecture engineered to replace isolated departmental records with an integrated platform [1]. By offering unlimited user logins under an annual license model based on Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff counts, Tracks encourages broad institutional adoption so daily observations made by keepers directly inform clinical, nutritional, and collection management decisions [1, 3].

Best-Fit Organizations

• Mid-to-Large Zoos and Aquariums: Facilities seeking an integrated software platform where unlimited staff members—from routine animal keepers to senior veterinarians—can log daily care data under a single license model based on Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) counts [1, 3].
• Institutions Prioritizing Welfare & Enrichment: Operations that require specialized, quantifiable welfare assessment tools, behavioral enrichment tracking, and simple or complex training management alongside core inventory records [1, 2].
• Facilities Maintaining External Inventory Databases: Zoos and aquariums that keep primary biological records in an external system but want to license standalone modules (such as Welfare, Enrichment, Ambassador Animals, Water Quality, or Biofact Management) without migrating their primary database [1, 3].

Poor-Fit Organizations

• Small Wildlife Facilities Bounded by Fixed Flat-Rate Budgets: Facilities seeking a low-cost or flat-rate cloud software subscription that includes turnkey web hosting and historical data migration out of the box without additional fees [3].
• Facilities Without Dedicated IT Resources (When Self-Hosting): Organizations choosing internal self-hosting without dedicated IT infrastructure management, as standard annual licenses do not include web hosting unless upgraded to the managed Tracks Virtual service [3].

What the official documentation confirms

Official documentation confirms that Tracks provides a wide range of operational features designed for animal care, veterinary health, educational programming, and administration [1, 2].

Core Husbandry and Inventory Records

Tracks supports structured inventory management across individual specimens and animal groups [2]:

• Animal Inventory & Husbandry: Core inventory records capture specimen histories, housing movements, and demographic data across complex taxonomic collections [2].
• Group Population Management: Specialized logging features designed specifically for group populations that require distinct tracking methodologies compared to individual specimens [2].
• Egg Logging: Dedicated tracking for avian and reptile eggs, supporting both individual egg management and batch logging operations [2].
• Enclosure Management: Connects physical enclosure data directly with specimen records to provide complete environmental histories [2].
• Permit Tracking: Embeds regulatory permit details directly into collection management records to maintain ongoing compliance visibility [2].

Veterinary Clinical Care, Prescriptions, and Laboratories

The software incorporates time-saving medical features built for veterinary teams [2]:

• Animal Health Records: Comprehensive clinical record-keeping features designed to streamline veterinary exams, diagnostic documentation, and treatment planning [2].
• Prescription Management: Built-in prescription workflows to assist medical personnel in tracking administration schedules, dosages, and active treatment plans [2].
• Lab Tests Workflow: Closed-loop laboratory tracking that routes lab test requests through sample collection, processing, and electronic result publishing across departments [2].

Animal Welfare, Enrichment, and Training

Tracks emphasizes quantifiable metrics for assessing and supporting physical and behavioral well-being [1, 2]:

• Quantifiable Animal Welfare: Modules for implementing objective welfare assessment protocols. The platform includes capabilities for sharing welfare assessment protocols within the broader Tracks community [1, 2].
• Animal Enrichment: Tools to plan, execute, record, and analyze behavioral enrichment initiatives across the collection [2].
• Animal Training: Manages both simple behavioral conditioning and complex training protocols, logging progress over time [2].

Education, Diet Planning, and Environmental Monitoring

• Education Programs & Ambassador Animals: Manages ambassador animal handling, program scheduling, and educational utilization [1, 2].
• Diet and Nutrition Planning: Comprehensive tools combining diet creation, nutrition analysis, and feeding schedule distribution [2].
• Water Quality Monitoring: Built-in recording capabilities tailored specifically for aquatic habitat parameters and aquarium water testing [2].
• Rescue, Rehab, and Research: Operational features tailored for wildlife rescue operations, rehabilitation tracking, and active research projects [2].
• Biofact Management: Administrative tracking for biological specimens, skeletal remains, and institutional artifacts [1].

Mobile, Reporting, and Ecosystem Tools

• Pocket Tracks: Mobile access interface enabling non-desk staff to input and retrieve records directly in the field [2].
• Beta Data Entry App: A newly designed mobile data entry application currently in beta testing to streamline observational recording [1].
• Tracks API: Developer API allowing institutions to utilize recorded biological data for guest engagement applications or external systems [2].
• Media Attachments: Allows staff to attach image files, diagnostic scans, and external documentation directly to biological records [2].
• Sister Ecosystem Tools: Direct integration touchpoints with ZooMonitor (for behavioral monitoring) and AnimalDataSharing [1].

Pricing and total-cost questions

Tracks is distributed under an annual subscription license model, supplemented by hosting fees, implementation services, and optional custom programming where applicable [3].

Standard Annual Subscription Structure

The standard annual license fee is calculated based on the institution's total Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff count, which includes all personnel across the facility [3]. Pricing tiers are structured as follows:

1. 75 or more FTE equivalents [3]
2. Fewer than 75 FTE equivalents [3]
3. Fewer than 30 FTE equivalents [3]
4. Fewer than 15 FTE equivalents [3]

For institutions operating across multiple locations or non-standard structures, custom pricing arrangements are determined through direct negotiation [3].

Included License Deliverables

Every standard annual subscription includes the following core deliverables [3]:

• Unlimited User Accounts: No per-seat license caps or per-user fees [3].
• All Standard Program Modules: Full access to all available operational modules [3].
• Regular Software Updates: All program updates and feature enhancements released during the contract year [3].
• Included Technical Support: Standard help desk support, technical assistance, and custom report creation requests [3].
• Account Reviews & Community Access: Regular review sessions with Tracks staff, online documentation, training videos, community forums, and invitations to the annual User Conference [1, 3].

Custom Per-Module Licensing for Non-Tracks Facilities

Institutions that rely on alternative software for primary inventory management can license specialized Tracks components on a per-module basis [1, 3]. Available standalone modules include:

• Animal Welfare Module [1]
• Enrichment & Training Modules [1]
• Ambassador Animal / Education Program Management [1]
• Water Quality Monitoring [1]
• Diet & Nutrition Planning [1]
• Biofact Management [1]
• Transactions & Collection Planning [1]

Additional Cost Items to Budget

Because official documentation does not disclose published dollar figures, procurement teams must request custom quotes for the following items [3]:

• Web Hosting Fees: Base subscription fees do not include hosting. Facilities must either budget for internal server infrastructure or purchase managed cloud hosting via Tracks Virtual [3].
• Implementation and Data Conversion: A one-time setup fee covering initial system installation, configuration, and historical data migration [3].
• Staff User Training: Optional virtual or on-site staff onboarding sessions [3].
• Custom Programming: Hourly or project-based fees for non-standard feature development requested by the institution [3].

Questions for Sales Demo & Pricing Verification

1. Which FTE tier does our current total headcount (including full-time, part-time, and seasonal staff) fall into under your calculation methodology?
2. What is the exact annual subscription price differential between internal self-hosting and the managed Tracks Virtual cloud service?
3. What is the line-item estimate for historical data cleaning, mapping, and conversion from our existing database?
4. How many hours of custom report creation and technical support are included annually before extra hourly rates apply?

Workflow and integrations

Tracks is engineered to create an integrated workflow across daily zoological operations [1, 2].

Departmental Data Integration

Rather than maintaining separate departmental spreadsheets or physical logs, Tracks connects keeper observations with clinical, educational, and administrative workflows [1, 2]:

• Keeper to Veterinary Care: Daily observation logs entered by animal keepers trigger automated alerts or feed directly into veterinary dashboards for clinical review [1, 2].
• Education to Animal Care: Education staff schedule ambassador animals within designated handling limits, allowing animal care supervisors to monitor welfare parameters and handling stress [1, 2].
• Lab to Biological Record: Diagnostic requests flow electronically from veterinary orders to lab staff, with finalized lab results attaching automatically to the specimen's master record [2].

Field Workflows and Media Handling

• Pocket Tracks Mobile Entry: Designed for mobile record-keeping in enclosures, exhibits, and holding areas [2].
• Beta Data Entry App: A modernized data collection app currently in beta testing, aimed at reducing observational logging friction [1].
• Media Attachments: Enables staff to attach photos, videos, and diagnostic PDFs directly to animal records to document physical condition or behavioral changes over time [2].

Platform Ecosystem and Community Integrations

• Tracks API: Exposes biological records to public engagement tools, exhibit displays, or internal business intelligence platforms [2].
• ZooMonitor Integration: Connects seamlessly with ZooMonitor—a specialized behavioral monitoring application built by the makers of Tracks—to incorporate observational behavioral studies [1].
• AnimalDataSharing Ecosystem: Connects participating institutions across a community network for institutional data sharing [1].
• Tracks Community Portal: Connects users via trackscommunity.com to share welfare assessment protocols, best practices, and feature suggestions [1].

Evaluation Questions for Integration Demos

1. Can we see a demonstration showing how Pocket Tracks records observations offline in areas with limited Wi-Fi coverage?
2. How does the Tracks API handle authorization, rate limiting, and data filtering when connecting to public engagement tools?
3. What data format and export capabilities are supported when transferring records between Tracks and ZooMonitor?

Implementation and support

Deploying Tracks involves structured planning across database conversion, technical deployment, and staff training [3].

Implementation Steps and Onboarding

1. Scoping and Architectural Assessment: The Tracks implementation team assesses the facility's organizational structure, current biological database, and deployment model (self-hosted vs. Tracks Virtual) [3].
2. Database Installation & Environment Setup: Configuration of local server database environments or provision of hosted cloud infrastructure via Tracks Virtual [3].
3. Data Conversion & Historical Import: Mapping, cleaning, and migrating historical collection records into the Tracks relational database structure [3].
4. Role Provisioning & Customization: Configuring user profiles, access permission levels, and departmental views for unlimited staff accounts [1, 3].
5. User Onboarding & Training: Delivering virtual or on-site user instruction tailored to different functional roles (registrars, keepers, veterinarians, education staff) [3].

Ongoing Vendor Support Services

The annual subscription fee includes several support and maintenance services [3]:

• Help Desk & Technical Support: Dedicated assistance for technical troubleshooting, platform inquiries, and operational questions [3].
• Custom Reporting Support: Support hours allocated for building complex custom reports and database queries [3].
• Regular Operational Reviews: Scheduled consultations with Tracks team members to help facilities optimize feature utilization [1, 3].
• Online Resources & User Conference: Access to online "Help" documentation, video training libraries, discussion forums, and annual User Conference invitations [1, 3].

Implementation Verification Questions

1. What specific legacy database formats can your data conversion team import directly without manual data re-entry?
2. What is the typical time frame from contract signing to final go-live for an institution in our FTE tier?
3. Are virtual training sessions recorded for future onboarding of new employees?

Security and privacy questions

Because animal collection databases contain proprietary breeding data, regulatory permits, medical records, and legal transfer documentation, security evaluation is critical [2].

Confirmed Access Controls and Deployment Models

• Role-Based Access Control: Tracks supports role-tailored configurations ensuring data is appropriately accessible across departments [1].
• Deployment Isolation: Facilities seeking full physical control over data assets can self-host the application internally, while institutions preferring vendor-managed infrastructure can opt for Tracks Virtual [3].

Unstated Security Specifications

Official vendor pages do not publicly disclose technical details regarding the following compliance items:

• SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 audit compliance certificates.
• Data encryption standards for data at rest and data in transit (such as AES-256 or TLS versions).
• Database backup frequencies, retention schedules, and disaster recovery SLAs under Tracks Virtual.
• Vulnerability scanning procedures and penetration testing cadence.

IT Security Verification Checklist

• Request the vendor's official SOC 2 report or independent security audit documentation.
• Verify whether multi-factor authentication (MFA) or Single Sign-On (SSO via SAML 2.0/OAuth) is supported for staff logins.
• Confirm database backup schedules, recovery point objectives (RPO), and recovery time objectives (RTO) for Tracks Virtual.
• Validate that all raw data and historical records remain the exclusive intellectual property of the institution.

Limitations and who should not buy

While Tracks offers capabilities for zoological facilities, specific structural constraints must be evaluated [1, 3].

Confirmed Constraints

• Web Hosting Excluded from Standard Subscription: Standard annual subscription tiers do not include web hosting. Facilities must budget separately for internal IT infrastructure or subscribe to Tracks Virtual [3].
• Implementation and Migration Require Additional Fees: System setup and legacy data conversion carry separate, custom-quoted one-time costs [3].
• Custom Functionality Incurs Development Costs: Facility-specific custom features not present in standard release updates require independent quotes for custom programming [3].
• Self-Hosting Maintenance Burden: Internal self-hosting shifts server maintenance, OS updates, database backups, and security patching onto the facility's local IT staff [3].

Buyer Profiles That Should Re-Evaluate Tracks

• Facilities Requiring All-Inclusive Flat-Rate Pricing: Smaller organizations seeking a flat annual subscription inclusive of hosting, data migration, and training without tier adjustments or setup line items [3].
• Small Rescue Operations Lacking IT Bandwidth: Facilities that lack internal server administration capabilities and cannot fund managed cloud hosting upgrades [3].

Alternatives to evaluate

When evaluating biological collection software, procurement committees should compare Tracks against alternative architectural models in the zoological sector.

Architectural Models to Compare

1. Global Species Registries: Large international database platforms engineered primarily for global conservation registry compliance. Evaluation committees should compare whether these systems offer the daily husbandry workflows, mobile keeper apps, and customizable enrichment modules available in Tracks [1, 2].
2. Niche Point Solutions: Specialized software focused exclusively on a single operational domain (such as standalone veterinary EHRs or dedicated behavioral research tools). While effective within their specific domain, point solutions create data silos across departments [1].
3. General B2B Asset Management Systems: Commercial asset management software adapted for biological assets. These systems lack specialized zoological capabilities such as egg logging, group population tracking, water quality monitoring, and ambassador animal handling controls [2].

Comparison Criteria Framework

• User Account Economics: Compare platforms charging per user seat against the Tracks unlimited-user model based on institution FTE count [3].
• Departmental Scope: Assess whether a platform unifies husbandry, medical care, enrichment, diets, and education, or requires purchasing separate software tools [1, 2].
• Modular Flexibility: Evaluate whether non-inventory modules can be licensed independently if primary inventory remains in an existing system [1, 3].

FAQ

How is Tracks licensed for zoos and aquariums?

Tracks is licensed as an annual subscription based on the total number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff members at the institution [3]. Tier brackets cover 75+ FTEs, fewer than 75 FTEs, fewer than 30 FTEs, and fewer than 15 FTEs, with custom pricing available for multi-location facilities [3].

Is web hosting included in the base annual subscription fee?

No. Standard annual license fees do not include web hosting [3]. Facilities can choose to host the platform internally on their own servers or purchase managed cloud hosting through Tracks Virtual [3].

Can a facility license Tracks modules without replacing its primary database?

Yes. Tracks offers custom per-module licensing for institutions that keep primary inventory records in an external database but want to use specific modules such as Welfare, Enrichment, Training, Ambassador Animals, Water Quality, Nutrition, or Biofact Management [1, 3].

Does Tracks limit the number of active user logins?

No. Standard annual licenses include unlimited user accounts, encouraging broad departmental participation without per-seat licensing penalties [3].

What mobile tools are available for keepers working in animal enclosures?

Tracks offers Pocket Tracks for mobile field access and is beta testing a newly designed mobile data entry application to streamline observational entry [1, 2].

How does Tracks handle veterinary care and prescriptions?

Tracks provides comprehensive clinical features including medical histories, prescription workflows to track dosages and schedules, and closed-loop lab test tracking from order request to result publication [2].

What additional costs should a facility anticipate during implementation?

Anticipated additional costs include one-time implementation and historical data conversion fees, user training fees (virtual or on-site), optional custom developer programming, and annual web hosting fees if using Tracks Virtual [3].

What sister platforms connect with Tracks?

Tracks integrates with ZooMonitor for behavioral monitoring and AnimalDataSharing for community data sharing, and offers the Tracks API for developer integrations [1, 2].

Official next step

To begin evaluating Tracks for your institution:

1. Audit your total Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff headcount and assess your internal IT infrastructure capabilities [3].
2. Gather detailed requirements across your husbandry, veterinary care, enrichment, diet, and education teams [2].
3. Schedule an official platform demonstration to review functional modules, mobile data entry tools, and data conversion scope [1, 3].

Visit the official vendor website at https://trackssoftware.com/ to schedule a live demo or request pricing details.