Comparing Survival and Cause-Specific Mortality of Different Translocation Release Methods for Desert Bighorn Sheep

Daily, Taylor S.; Gonzalez, Carlos E.; Harveson, Louis A.; Conway, Warren C.; Hernández, Froylán

doi:10.3398/064.082.0109

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Higher mortality rates in individuals after longer translocation distances may be attributed to the extended time spent in isolation and physical disturbance during the long‐distance transport events and we could expect short‐term acute stress (Dickens et al, 2010; Teixeira et al, 2007). However, the animals were released directly to their final environment (new enclosures) without acclimatization pens (see, e.g., Daily et al, 2022) and showed no visible signs of stress when walking out of the truck. Yet, other factors, most likely novel ecological and social environments accounted for chronic stress, hence higher mortalities (Dickens et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual‐based assessment of post‐translocation fitness of ungulates: Lessons from the critically endangered Derby eland conservation programme

Brandlová

Hejcmanová

2022

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Translocations have become an essential tool in animal conservation for establishing and maintaining viable populations. Yet, the viability of a population is implicitly based on the individual fitness, that is on the survival and reproduction of individuals. Individual‐based assessments of post‐translocation fitness are challenging in the wild while conservation breeding programs may provide vital insights. Long‐term breeding records of semi‐captive (fenced) small population of the Western Derby eland (Taurotragus derbianus derbianus) running in two fenced reserves in Senegal present a case study. This study shows that transport distance and the individual's age at translocation influence animal post‐translocation survival rates and individual reproductive performance. The most critical period for the antelope's post‐translocation survival was the first 2 years following the event, with higher mortalities reported after long‐distance transport in an ecologically novel environment. The first successful calving of translocated females was postponed by 1 year, but the life‐long reproductive performance was not affected. However, higher calf survival in a habitat similar to that in the wild suggests a non‐negligible effect of the habitat on individual fitness, thus crucial to conservation decisions on translocating threatened species.

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