Stress: An inevitable component of animal translocation

Dickens, Molly J.; Delehanty, David J.; Romero, L. Michael

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.02.032

Cited by 337 publications

(378 citation statements)

References 176 publications

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“…Translocation involves the deliberate transport and release of animals from one site to another and is a widely applied strategy in wildlife management (Dickens et al 2010). Identifying factors that influence the health and welfare of translocated wildlife is important to achieve positive conservation outcomes, including establishing new populations, supplementing wild populations and mitigating the impact of anthropogenic activities (Harrington et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is increasingly recognised that translocation involves potential cumulative physical, physiological and psychological stressors (challenging stimuli), including capture, handling, confinement, transport and release into an alien environment (Teixeira et al 2007;Dickens et al 2010). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When stressors are unusual, unpredictable, severe, prolonged or cumulative, as they may be during translocation (Teixeira et al 2007), the capacity for the HPA axis to maintain homoeostasis may be overwhelmed (allostatic overload) (McEwen 2005;Busch and Hayward 2009). HPA axis dysregulation, failure of the negative feedback system, may result in either hypo-or hyper-activity of the HPA axis when stressors are encountered (Dickens et al 2010). Dickens et al (2010) outline the theoretical basis for chronic stress in translocated wildlife, including a prolonged increase in glucocorticoids and HPA axis dysregulation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…HPA axis dysregulation, failure of the negative feedback system, may result in either hypo-or hyper-activity of the HPA axis when stressors are encountered (Dickens et al 2010). Dickens et al (2010) outline the theoretical basis for chronic stress in translocated wildlife, including a prolonged increase in glucocorticoids and HPA axis dysregulation. For example, evidence of HPA axis dysregulation was found in chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) five days after translocation (Dickens et al 2009) and Capiro et al (2014) found that faecal cortisol metabolites were elevated in three Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) up to nine weeks after they were translocated between zoos.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, recommendations have been made for studies that measure stress physiology and infection parameters in wildlife translocation (Letty et al 2000;Dickens et al 2010). However, a review of 199 mammalian and avian reintroduction projects found that only three projects measured stress indicators and only one examined parasite parameters (Harrington et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Evaluating Stress Physiology and Parasite Infection Parameters in the Translocation of Critically Endangered Woylies (Bettongia penicillata)

et al. 2017

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Translocation can be stressful for wildlife. Stress may be important in fauna translocation because it has been suggested that it can exacerbate the impact of infectious disease on translocated wildlife.However, few studies explore this hypothesis by measuring stress physiology and infection indices in parallel during wildlife translocations. We analysed faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) concentration and endoparasite parameters (nematodes, coccidians and haemoparasites) in a critically endangered marsupial, the woylie (Bettongia penicillata), 1-3 months prior to translocation, at translocation, and 6 months later. FCM for both translocated and resident woylies was significantly higher after translocation compared to before or at translocation. In addition, body condition decreased with increasing FCM after translocation. These patterns in host condition and physiology may be indicative of translocation stress or stress associated with factors independent of the translocation. Parasite factors also influenced FCM in translocated woylies. When haemoparasites were detected, there was a significant negative relationship between strongyle egg count and FCM. This may reflect the influence of glucocorticoids on the immune response to micro-and macro-parasites. Our results indicate that host physiology and infection patterns can change significantly during translocation, but further investigation is required to determine how these patterns influence translocation success.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Evaluating Stress Physiology and Parasite Infection Parameters in the Translocation of Critically Endangered Woylies (Bettongia penicillata)

et al. 2017

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Wildlife health outcomes and opportunities in conservation translocations

Beckmann

Cromie

Sainsbury

et al. 2022

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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It is intuitive that the health status of wildlife might influence conservation translocation outcomes, however, health as a topic has received limited attention in the conservation translocation literature. We determined the forms and frequency of disease and other biological problems reported in translocated animals and plants, and in populations linked to translocation, and associations between their mention and translocation ‘success’. From these problems we deduced the forms of ill‐health potentially associated with conservation translocation and developed contextual frameworks to inform health management. Using described selection criteria, a subset of case studies of animal and plant conservation translocation from the IUCN's ‘Global Reintroduction Perspectives’ series (2008–2018) was reviewed. Self‐reported information describing or implying mortality, ill‐health or reproductive compromise was extracted and categorized as a ‘disease’ or other biological problem. Problems explicitly described as a ‘major difficulty’, ‘major lesson’ or ‘reason for failure’ were termed ‘notable’. We specified the conditions representing ill‐health and created diagrams illustrating their relationships to other biological problems and processes, and management measures. Notable ‘disease’ problems such as infection, (as in stress‐related) and husbandry‐related disorders were reported in 30% of 295 reviewed case studies and were more likely to be mentioned in less ‘successful’ projects (P < 0.05, χ2 test). Other biological problems, in particular predation, adverse climate or weather, and anthropogenic trauma, were commonly reported (66% of 295 studies), especially post‐release. When present, disease may be an important obstacle to translocation success. The negative health impacts of other, apparently common post‐release problems also merit acknowledgement. A broad spectrum of disease and other health‐related problems can potentially occur in conservation translocations and impact conservation and animal welfare outcomes. We suggest health management of translocation has three broad roles: to mitigate disease risks posed to other animals, plants and humans; to mitigate threats to the health of translocated individuals themselves; and to preserve and build their resilience and adaptive capacity, given the apparent high frequency of post‐release problems. We advocate a stronger emphasis on fostering health as opposed to solely preventing disease. This is directly and indirectly dependent on a range of related project management actions and on multi‐disciplinary expertise.

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Identifying temporal dynamics in post‐release survival of a restored large ungulate

Pero

Chitwood

Hildreth

et al. 2023

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Wildlife translocation is an important conservation tool for restoring species and reducing global biodiversity decline; however, this practice is challenging for wildlife, and translocated individuals must adjust to their release landscapes for restoration success. The period following release is a vulnerable time for wildlife and determining when animals acclimate following translocation improves long‐term estimates of population dynamics and allows researchers to efficiently tailor translocation design and post‐release management to each population's needs. We evaluated demographic acclimation and investigated changes in post‐release survival of a population of 106 elk Cervus canadensis translocated to Missouri, USA, in 2011–2013 using generalized survival modelling. We defined the acclimation period as the duration of time prior to stabilization in mortality risk relative to time from release, and we evaluated acclimation duration from flexible plots of estimated mortality hazards across time. We simultaneously investigated factors contributing to post‐release survival and compared survival rates and mortality sources observed during acclimation and post‐acclimation periods. Elevated mortality risk for translocated elk spanned a 5‐month acclimation period following release, with an additional 1‐year period reflecting reduced, but still elevated, mortality hazards. Baseline hazards during the initial 5‐month acclimation period were approximately four times higher than the subsequent 4.4 years following release. Release cohort, but not age class or sex, was associated with post‐release mortality risk, and mortality sources within the acclimation period tended to be undetermined with greater frequency relative to mortalities occurring after the acclimation period. Our results highlight the utility of flexible modelling approaches to evaluate dynamic post‐release responses of translocated populations. Translocated elk demonstrated a pronounced demographic acclimation period that spanned 5 months following release. Changes in mortality sources and the timing of stabilization in mortality hazards suggest that demographic acclimation in translocated elk was associated with adjustments in physiological stress and movement rates which stabilized over a similar post‐release duration. Improving post‐release monitoring and assessment of restored populations by evaluating temporal dynamics of manifold biological and ecological responses as translocated animals acclimate to their new landscapes is vital to successful restoration efforts.

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Stress: An inevitable component of animal translocation

Cited by 337 publications

References 176 publications

Evaluating Stress Physiology and Parasite Infection Parameters in the Translocation of Critically Endangered Woylies (Bettongia penicillata)

Evaluating Stress Physiology and Parasite Infection Parameters in the Translocation of Critically Endangered Woylies (Bettongia penicillata)

Wildlife health outcomes and opportunities in conservation translocations

Identifying temporal dynamics in post‐release survival of a restored large ungulate

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