Abstract
It is the rare opportunity that we as individuals, as members of private bird clubs or as representatives of conservation organizations can personally take part in an effort that can make the difference between the extinction or survival of a species. It is my intent in these few paragraphs to review the re-introduction of endangered species as a conservation strategy, and to explore the role of the avicultural community in furthering the goals of conservation.
Today, the conservation of wild animal populations includes such strategies as translocation, the movement of a wild animal or population from one area to another; introduction, release of wild or captive animals into an area that was never inhabited by that species before; and re-introduction, the release of captive animals into a habitat that had or may still have that species. Each of these strategies has had criticism. Of the thousands of vertebrate species kept in zoos and private collections today, only a small proportion will ever be used for reintroduction, and this represents an even smaller proportion of the number of animals that will go extinct over the next 200 years. However, for many species of birds, captive propagation with the intent of eventual release may be the only hedge against extinction. The costs are high, and the effort can be monumental. Among the many considerations are the risk of introducing pathogens to an already perturbed habitat, the genetic heterogeneity of the released birds, the appropriate behavior of the released birds that will ensure survival, the genealogy of the released animals in relation to the wild population, the removal of the cause of the initial decline of the wild population, and the stability of the habitat into which animals are being released.
Critics of release programs claim that the cost of such programs would be better spent on protecting habitat to prevent future extinctions. Fair enough. But often times the resources generated for such habitat protection are raised from a public whose sensitivities were touched by a release program that featured a real animal, and not an abstraction of "vegetation community" or "ecological habitat" that often can be difficult for a non-scientist to comprehend. This is especially true in developing countries where the local community is often more receptive to the concept of species conservation. Overlooked are the benefits of mega-vertebrate releases into their native endangered habitats. Since, the large animal species are usually the first to suffer from habitat loss, the release of these species and the subsequent protection of their habitat is actually preserving not only just the species released - but all the organisms found in that habitat as well.