2019 Annual Meeting Briefing Book

General Information

Working Group Descriptions & Materials

Plenary Presentation Abstracts

  • CPSG Brasil: A Conservation Transformation (Arnaud Desbiez, Carmel Croukamp, Fabiana Lopes Roca)

  • Mexican Wolf Recovery: Integrated Binational Efforts to Save This Government-Owned Species (Karen Bauman, Maggie Dwire, Carlos A. Lopez Gonzalez)

Mexican wolves, an endangered subspecies of gray wolf, were extirpated from the wild in the United States by the 1970s and from Mexico in the 1980s. All Mexican wolves are government owned (US Fish and Wildlife Service and Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas).  A binational captive breeding program managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a recovery plan developed with assistance from CPSG are key to managing recovery of this species.  The population established in zoos from just seven founding animals saved the Mexican wolf from extinction.  Launching from the success of the captive program Mexican wolf releases began in 1998 in the United States and in Mexico in 2011. As of 2018, more than 100 captive-born Mexican wolves have been released into the wild with a minimum of 131 in the US and 30 in Mexico documented in the wild at the end of 2018.

Ensuring gene diversity available in the captive population is incorporated into the wild populations is a criterion necessary to achieve recovery of the species. Therefore, in situ and ex situ experts meet annually to work on all aspects of the program (captive and wild population management, identification of animals for release, education, research and gene banking).  This integrated One Plan-like approach has proven critical for the survival of the Mexican wolf.  Speakers from US Fish and Wildlife Service and Secrtaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales will provide an overview of this program, discuss the opportunities and challenges involved in running a successful binational species recovery program.  Thus providing an excellent example of how governments can be fully engaged in species conservation planning.

  • Can Ex Situ Management be an Option for Small Cetacean Conservation? (Lorenzo von Fersen)

For many animal species (mainly mammals and birds) ex situ management has been the tool of last resort used in a desperate attempt to save species from extinction. In order to improve the chances for recovery of endangered and threatened species the IUCN has outlined an integrated, science-based planning process (the ‘One Plan Approach’ (OPA) which combines ex situ and in situ methods for species conservation. In the last decades the population of many wild animal species has been secured thanks to the application of this integrated conservation approach. Among the cetaceans, the last-gasp attempts to save the baiji and the vaquita using ex situ management had to be suspended and those experiences revealed information gaps that must be resolved before it will be possible to apply ex situ strategies to other small cetacean species that may require action in the near future. However, the integrated in situ and ex situ actions to save the Yangtze finless porpoise that began 25 years ago is an encouraging example of the successful use of the ‘One Plan Approach’ for a population of small cetaceans.

  • Yellow Cardinal Alliance: Reintroduction of Birds Recovered from Illegal Wildlife Trade

The Yellow Cardinal (Gubernatrix cristata) is an endemic passerine bird of southern South America. At present this species is globally categorized as “Endangered” as a result mainly of continuous extractions of individuals (mostly males) to stock the illegal caged-bird market and also due to habitat loss derived from agricultural activities. Illegally traded birds are confiscated yearly by authorities and generally kept in rehabilitation centers for the rest of their lives. During the last years, a management plan has been outlined in order to define a different life scenario for these rescued animals. This is an inter-institutional project, with four different actors involved to guarantee its development, progress and success. The main objective of this project is to release yellow cardinals recovered from illegal wildlife traffic into their natural habitat, after their sanitary recovery at Temaikèn Foundation and releases are planned using presence data provided through a citizen science program by the NGO Aves Argentinas. Based on the results of previous genetic studies, the Laboratory of Ecology and Animal Behaviour of the University of Buenos Aires genetically assigns the origin of confiscated individuals to their region of origin, where releases take place. Using radio-tracking methods, the success of this conservation action is assessed with a post-release monitoring program. During the last four years, approximately 60 yellow cardinals were rehabilitated by Fundación Temaikèn and returned to nature. So far , we have evidence to believe that at least 50% are alive, with progeny.  For the yellow cardinal, the reintroduction of individuals confiscated from illegal trade into their natural habitat would be a management strategy with a twofold impact: An alternative to lifelong captivity in rehabilitation centers is provided for these birds, and wild populations are demographically enhanced.

  • Mentoring Future Planners: CPSG development path insights from mentees (Jamie Copsey)

In 2018 CPSG developed its Planner Development Path (PDP) program to provide more extensive, structured support for selected individuals to help them reach the point at which they can take lead roles in planning and facilitating species conservation planning workshops.  We are now almost 18 months into this program and so at a useful stage to look back to see how it is working, how it seems to be influencing those involved and how we might need to develop it in the future as we learn and improve the process.  In this session we will provide a brief overview of the rationale to the PDP and then hear directly from some of those involved.  We will also highlight our desire to scale up the program, for which we will need to identify additional mentors who feel in a position to be able to make time for a new cohort of mentees.

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