Reintroduction

Reintroduction is the deliberate release of animals from captivity into the wild. It usually involves species that are endangered or extinct in the wild. In some cases, reintroduction involves a species that had been wiped out in a particular ecosystem, but survived elsewhere in the wild. Given that reintroduction normally involves native species that have become (locally) extinct, some prefer the term "re-establishment".

Beginning in the 1980s, biologists have learned that many mammals and birds need to learn a lot in order to survive in the wild. Thus, reintroduction programmes have to be planned carefully, ensuring that the animals have the necessary survival skills. It is also necessary to study the animals after the reintroduction. The goals of this study include learning whether the animals are surviving and breeding, and what effects the reintroduction is having on the ecosystem, and to learn how to improve the process.

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IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group

The IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group (RSG)^[1] is one of the over 100 Specialist groups of the Species Survival Commission (SSC), which is one of the six IUCN Commissions, with its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. The RSG is one of the few disciplinary Specialist Groups (e.g. Veterinary, Conservation Breeding) as opposed to the majority which are taxon based (e.g. Crocodile, Cat, Orchid).

The role of the RSG is to promote the re-establishment of viable populations in the wild of animals and plants. The need for this role was felt due to the increased demand from re-introduction practitioners, the global conservation community and increase in re-introduction projects worldwide.

Increasing numbers of animal and plant species are becoming rare, or even extinct in the wild. In an attempt to re-establish populations, species can – in some instances – be re-introduced into an area, either through translocation from existing wild populations, or by re-introducing captive-bred animals or artificially propagated plants.

Ongoing or successful reintroduction programmes in the UK

• Northern Goshawk – the existing UK population is believed to be derived from a mixture of escaped falconers' birds and deliberate introductions - (successful)
• Large Blue butterfly in the west and south-west of England - (successful and ongoing)
• Red Kite in the Chiltern Hills, Black Isle, Northamptonshire, Dumfries and Galloway, North Yorkshire, Perth and Kinross and Gateshead - (successful)
• Osprey to Rutland Water - (successful)
• White-tailed Eagle to the Outer Hebrides - (successful)
• Glanville Fritillary butterfly to Somerset - (successful)
• Heath Fritillary butterfly to Essex - (successful)
• Great Bustard to Salisbury Plain - (ongoing)
• Black Grouse to Derbyshire - (ongoing)
• Corncrake to Cambridgeshire - (ongoing)
• European Beaver to the Cotswolds
• Wild Boar to several places in England - (accidental), (successful)
• Red Squirrel to Anglesey - successful and ongoing

Planned or proposed reintroduction programmes in the UK

• Common Crane to England (proposed, due to commence 2008)
• European Beaver in Scotland (proposed)
• Wolf in Scotland (proposed)
• White-tailed Eagle to England and Wales (proposed, due to be reintroduced to Suffolk as soon as 2008)
• Silver-washed Fritillary to Essex

Rejected reintroduction proposals in the UK

• The Wild Beasts Trust

Planned or proposed reintroduction programmes around the world

• Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project of Asiatic Lion to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary from their only home presently in the world at Gir Forest National Park. Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is the chosen site for re-introducing and establishing the world's second completely separate population of the wild free ranging Asiatic Lions in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Ongoing or successful reintroduction programmes in other countries

• Black-footed Ferret in the USA and Mexico
• Brush-tailed Bettong in Australia (ongoing)
• California Condor in California (USA) and Mexico (ongoing)
• European Beaver in several places in Europe (successful)
• European Otter in the Netherlands (ongoing)
• European Lynx in Switzerland (successful), and other parts of Europe (ongoing)
• European Black Vulture in the Massif Central in France
• Griffon Vulture in the Massif Central, France (successful) and Central Apennines, Italy
• Lammergeier in the Alps (successful)
• Lesser Kestrel in Spain
• Lesser White-fronted Goose in Sweden and Germany (ongoing)
• Musk ox in Alaska (USA) (successful)
• Northern Bald Ibis in Austria and Italy (ongoing)
• Père David's Deer in China (ongoing)
• Peregrine Falcon in Germany, Poland, Sweden and Norway
• Przewalski's Horse in Mongolia (ongoing)
• Red Kite in Ireland^[2]
• Golden Eagle in Ireland (ongoing)
• Wisent in Poland, Belarus (successful) and other parts of Europe (ongoing)
• Wolf in Wyoming (USA) (successful)
• Arabian Oryx in the Sultanate of Oman (successful)

See also

• Translocation (Wildlife conservation)
• Wildlife management
• Wildlife conservation
• World Conservation Union (IUCN)

References