ntroduction of non-native species into native habitats as well as the translocation of native species into newly-restored habitats such as mitigation sites. Re-introductions involve transporting animals back into areas where they previously existed at some time but have since been extirpated. Conservation efforts that reintroduce captive animals back into their former ranges would fall into this category. Restocking involves releasing additional animals into places where populations of the same species currently exist. Restocking encompasses such activities as replenishing fish stocks in a lake or adding captive native individuals to an existing wild animal population to increase the population number.
The Australian Mammal Society (Spielman, 1999) has generated a list of long-term goals that form a guideline for organizations conducting translocations. A good translocation project would ideally incorporate the following ten attributes:
Translocated populations would be self-sustaining under natural conditions with minimal human intervention.
The translocation would result in a net conservation gain to the species.
Other species would not be significantly threatened by the project.
Threats to translocated animals would be assessed and controlled to acceptable risk levels prior to the animals' release.
Translocated taxa would be the same or as similar as possible to those currently existing or previously extirpated from the site.
Plans would take into consideration the effect of the translocation on the natural community in question and would weigh benefits and risks to that community.
@ system of careful long-term monitoring would be planned and implemented.
In the case of introductions of new taxa to a site, plans to eradicate the translocated species would be documented prior to the project's start, should the species threaten native species already present on the site.
While testing animals for diseases ...