Extirpation and Reintroduction of the Corsican Red Deer Cervus Elaphus Corsicanus in Corsica
Oryx Vol 41 No 4 October 2007 Extirpation and reintroduction of the Corsican red deer Cervus elaphus corsicanus in Corsica Nicolas Kidjo, Ge´rard Feracci, Eric Bideau, Georges Gonzalez, Ce´sar Matte´i, Bernard Marchand and Ste´phane Aulagnier Abstract The Endangered Corsican red deer Cervus Pietro di Venaco were selected by the Regional Nature elaphus corsicanus was extirpated from Corsica in the Park of Corsica for the reintroduction into the wild that early 1970s, at which time the Sardinian population fell began in 1998. Currently the size of the whole Corsican to ,250 individuals. The Sardinian authorities agreed population is c. 250 individuals. These deer are still to protect this subspecies and to secure its reintroduc- closely monitored and studied, both in enclosures and tion in Corsica, a natural choice, considering etholog- in the wild, to secure the long-term conservation of this ical and historical descriptions. Since the beginning of subspecies. The Corsican and Sardinian populations 1985, when the first deer destined for captive breeding together now total slightly .1,000, and the subspecies and eventual reintroduction arrived in Corsica, the could therefore be downgraded to Near Threatened on population increased from 13 Sardinian founders to the IUCN Red List. 106 captive animals under constant monitoring in three enclosures (Quenza, Casabianda and Ania di Keywords Captive breeding, Cervus elaphus corsicanus, Fium’Orbu). The sites of Quenza, Chisa` and Santo Corsica, Endangered, red deer, reintroduction, Sardinia. Introduction
[Show full text]