Understanding Wildlife Translocations

Question 1

Why do we translocate animals?

Answer 1

• Conservation
• Human-wildlife conflict
• Organised sports hunting
• Trade

Question 2

What are the different types of conservation translocations ?

Answer 2

• Release of animals within the species native range (population reintroduction & reinforcement)
• Release of animals outside species native range (assisted colonisation, ecological replacement)

Question 3

What are the aims of reintroduction?

Answer 3

• Re-establish a viable population

Question 4

what is population reinforcement?

Answer 4

• Release of animals into an existing population of conspecifics

Question 5

aims of population reinforcements?

Answer 5

• inc population n°
• Inc genetic diversity
• Enhance population viability

Question 6

what is assisted colonisation?

Answer 6

release of animals into a suitable ne non-native area

Question 7

aims of assisted colonisation?

Answer 7

enable a species to persist away from threats within the native area

Question 8

what is ecological replacement?

Answer 8

release of animals to perform a specific ecological function

Question 9

Aims of ecological replacement?

Answer 9

• Re-establish ecological function
• Use of closely related species to replace an extinct species

Question 10

What are main risks inherent to translocations?

Answer 10

• stakeholder risk
• Ecological risks
  -Dx risks (infectious & non-infectious)

Question 11

What non-infectious dx risks?

Answer 11

• Toxins
• Trauma
• Neoplasia

Question 12

In zoo med what do we call all infectious dx such as viruses, bacterial, fungi etc ?

Answer 12

“PARASITES”

Question 13

what is meant by ‘host-parasite biological package’?

Answer 13

animals and ‘parasites’ translocated together & dynamics may be affected during translocations

Question 14

Animals collected - how do they affect parasite dynamics?

Answer 14

• inc parasite transmission
• existing parasites overwhelm the stressed host

Question 15

parasite dynamics for animals transported ?

Answer 15

= novel parasites acquired during transport

Question 16

animals released - parasite dynamics?

Answer 16

• animals lose their parasites ‘enemy release’
• animals might acquire more or different parasites
• introduce parasites novel to the destination

Question 17

What might be the greatest risk with parasite dynamics?

Answer 17

Translocated animals introdue parasites novel to the destination -> alien parasites may cause dx in naive populations

Question 18

What are some outbreaks that have happened from introduced parasites?

Answer 18

• Myxomatosis (Myxoma virus)
• chytridiomycosis (batachochytrium dendrobatidis)
• Squirrel pox (Squirrelpox virus)
• avian malaria (plasmodium relictum)

Question 19

Consequences of introduced parasites?

Answer 19

• Individual
• Population
• Ecosystem

Question 20

Individual consequeces?

Answer 20

• individual animal health = morbidity & mortality
• individual animal welfare = suffering

Question 21

Population consequences?

Answer 21

• Population health= reprodutive output adversely affected
• Population genetics= fewer reproducing animals causes a bottleneck
• Population abundance reduced numbers in a population
• Population viability

Question 22

Population extinction depends on?

Answer 22

Density-dependent dx transmission vs Frequency-dependent dx transmission

Question 23

What consequences on ecosystem?

Answer 23

• Loss of apex predators
• Loss of prey species
• Disrupted food webs

Question 24

What makes a parasite dangerous?

Answer 24

• Direct lifecycle
• Moderate pathogenicity
• Frequency-dependent transmission
• Able to infect a number of host species

Question 25

What makes a population vulnerable?

Answer 25

• Naive population
• Small genetically restricted population
• Population once protected by an ecological or geographical barrier

Question 26

Why are there not more dx outbreaks?

Answer 26

• Diseases induced by introduced parasites are difficult to detect
• Lack of dx risk analysis and post-release health surveillance