Captive Breeding and Reintroductions Stimulate Habitat Restoration

OFTEN QUOTED CRITICISMS OF CAPTIVE BREEDING • SOME SPECIES BREED POORLY IN CAPTIVITY. • HIGH COSTS. Captive Breeding and • TAKES THE FOCUS OFF SPECIES IN THE WILD. Reintroductions • DISEASE OUTBREAKS. • GENETIC CHANGES AND DOMESTICATION. Principles and Practice • NEED FOR LONG TERM SUPPORT. • OFTEN STAFF ARE INADEQUATELY TRAINED AND RESOURCE POOR. • SPECIALISTS ARE OFTEN NOT AVAILABLE (e.g. specialist veterinarians, nutritionists, geneticists etc.).

STRENGTHS OF CAPTIVE Captive breeding projects should BREEDING be in country of origin • RAISES THE PROFILE OF THE SPECIES

• MANY SPECIES BREED READILY

• TECHNIQUES OF CAPTIVE MANAGEMENT IMPROVING (e.g. Bottle- nose Dolphin, Fruit bats, falcons, tortoises)

• PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR DETAILED RESEARCH

ADVANTAGES OF CAPTIVE • CAPTIVE BREEDING BREEDING IN-SITU PROGRAMMES • Involves local people PROVIDE EXPERIENCE FOR • Facilitates comparative study of wild and captive HANDS ON WORK populations WITH WILD ANIMALS

• Less chance of exposure to exotic diseases • WORK WITH HIGH PROFILE SPECIES • Techniques developed on captive stocks can be applied ENCOURAGES to wild individuals (e.g. HABITAT veterinary techniques, handling, egg and brood manipulations of RESTORATION breeding biology of birds)

1 When working on Endangered species need • CLOSE PROXIMITY for model species to develop techniques TO WILD POPULATIONS WHICH FACILITATES THE EXCHANGE OF ANIMALS BETWEEN CAPTIVITY AND THE WILD AND VICE-VERSA

We have used model species for:- Use model species

• Foster rearing young •Common Kestrel for Mauritius Kestrel. • Developing captive • Various doves and management pigeons for Pink Pigeon techniques • Ring-neck Parakeet for • Staff training Echo Parakeet • Grey White eye for Olive • Release techniques White-eye • Comparative studies • Madagascar Fody for Mauritius Fody • Mauritius Fruit Bat for Rodrigues Fruit Bat

TAXA EXTINCT IN THE WILD Captive breeding can save species REINTRODUCED FROM CAPTIVITY

• Guam Rail • Californian Condor Black-footed Ferret •Red Wolf • European Bison • Arabian Oryx • Pere David's Deer • Mhorr Gazelle • Przewalski's Horse • Española Giant Tortoise

2 TAXA EXTINCT IN WILD Española Giant Tortoise SURVIVING ONLY IN CAPTIVITY • 1973 took 14 wild • Ten species of Partula individuals (2:12). snails • Island restored removing • Several species of Lake goats and planting Victoria cichlid fish Opuntia. • 1981 repatriated 5 • Two Mexican Desert captive bred animals to fish island. • Alagoas Curassow • Total of 1,357 re- • Socorro Dove introduced 1981-2006. • Spix Macaw • Start breeding ~25 yrs old. • Micronesian Kingfisher • Now breeding in wild. • Hawaiian Crow • Bali Starling • Queen of Sheba Gazelle

SPECIES THREATENED IN WILD BUT POPULATIONS HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED BY Three Stages to a Reintroduction REINTRODUCTIONS • Western Swamp Terrapin • Pre release • Galapagos Tortoises (captive/bred/ • Hawaiian Goose reared, harvested • Mauritius Kestrel from wild) • Pink Pigeon • Golden Lion Tamarin • Release (hard or • North American Bison soft release) • Scimitar horned Oryx • Post-release Addax • Persian Fallow Deer support

Pre-release Main Release Techniques

• Appropriate socialisation. • Soft release. • Avoid imprinting to humans. • Hard Release. • Rear in groups. • High stimulus environments. • Fostering. • Predator conditioning. • Disease monitoring. • Cross-Fostering. • Genetic considerations.

3 Translocations, ‘Marooning’

• Wild birds taken from one island to another. • Usually onto predator cleared islands. • High chance of success. • May need post release care (Kakapo, Magpie Robins) • Several species now only found on islands outside their native range.

The lack of post release care is a main Post Release Care reason why re-introduction projects fail • Predator Control

• Supplemental feeding

• Provision of nest sites

• Disease Control

• Close Guarding

• Genetic Management

OBSERVATIONS ON Taking captive breeding into the field REINTRODUCTIONS • Most weak on the post- • What we do here in release support. Mauritius! • Analyses pay little • Species restored using attention to post-release intensive management. support. • Avian paediatrics plays a • About two-thirds of all major role. attempts were considered • Suitable for species successful by releasers. difficult to keep in • Some groups can be captivity. reintroduced with a high • Need highly skilled staff. degree of success (e.g. diurnal birds of prey: 75%).

4 Captive Breeding and Reintroductions stimulate Habitat Restoration