The vaquita, also known as the “Panda of the Sea,” is the world’s most critically endangered porpoise, found only in a small territory in the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. Most people have never heard of them, but you should care. There are less than thirty individuals left in the wild and with a rapid rate of decline due to the illegal fishing trade and the use of illegal gill nets in Mexico, this mammal will become extinct in two years.
Recently, despite the dangers and uncertainties known to groups like the one I work for (Born Free USA), Mexico started and, when it was unsuccessful, terminated, its “VaquitaCPR plan” to capture, breed, and re-introduce captive-bred vaquitas back into the wild. This process, called “ex situ conservation,” is far more complex than the Mexican government, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, and countless NGO’s anticipated, and I hope we learn a lesson from the tragic attempts to do so without careful planning.
Dependent on the species, I have real concerns with improperly researched ex situ conservation. For starters, an ex situ conservation plan must be researched thoroughly for a specified species before implementation, including every alternative option. A plan to capture, breed, and theoretically re-introduce a species back into the wild is a risky one, and poses several threats to the species. In an effort to create a long-term species survival plan, what is proposed may, in fact, decimate the species. Given what might be at stake, I strongly encourage any governmental body and/or organization to consider the following:
First, how will the species respond to capture, translocation, and captivity? Will the species be vulnerable to environmental and emotional stress, placing the species in a perilous state for captivity? Has the species ever been scientifically studied? These are essential elements in understanding the species’ life cycle, sexual maturity, and behavior for developing a successful captive breeding program. On October 23, 2017, scientists located and captured a six month old vaquita calf, but the calf had to be released to his natural habitat because the calf showed signs of stress. Then again, a month later, on November 7, 2017, a female vaquita was captured and, unfortunately, died in captivity due to stress. This demonstrates that even the slightest advancements in capturing a species is risky. Studies show that the capture and translocation of poorly known species often result in high mortality and injury rates. In other words, an improperly researched ex situ conservation plan is filled with uncertainties with too much at risk.
Second, it is not certain that a successful ex situ conservation program for certain species can be accomplished. A successful ex situ conservation program must first develop and execute sound methods for capture and husbandry of the species. If, by chance, the species does recover to a healthy, sexual maturation state in captivity, it might still be difficult for the species to breed successfully. Many wild-caught animals fail to breed in captivity, often due to behavioral problems caused by inadequate husbandry techniques. Studies show that if live births do occur, the offspring rarely live through the juvenile stage due to poor conditions. Depending on the species, there can be successful births while in captivity, but it is to be expected that a fair amount of young will perish. It can take decades for an ex situ conservation program to develop proper methods and a considerable amount of time in trial and error before offspring is produced that will live to adulthood. Ex situ conservation programs are implemented due to low population numbers of the species; that species may not endure the necessary trial and error period required to develop sound husbandry methods.
Third, we must think about the reintroduction of captive-bred animals back into the wild, as that is the stated purpose. Replication of the species’ natural environment in order to “teach” natural behaviors and expose the animals to the difficulties of surviving in the wild will be an uphill battle. We can all agree that reintroducing captive-bred individuals back into the wild poses significant threats to the species, including exposure to foreign diseases, difficulties learning how to detect threats and defend themselves from predators, and foraging techniques. If the captive-bred individuals do survive reintroduction in the wild, they are at greater risk of succumbing to disease, predation, or starvation. The Inter-Research and Endangered Species Research Manuscript states that a captive breeding program should not be the mission for conservation of a wild population if numbers of free-ranging individuals are insufficient for the population as a whole to withstand the removal of some individuals.
For these reasons, and more, I strongly urge individuals and groups, who may very well have the best intentions, to carefully evaluate the decision to implement an ex situ conservation program without thorough research.
The vaquita, Panda of the Sea, the world’s most critically endangered porpoise is in a losing battle for survival. The vaquita has taught us that proper and thorough research is a must before capturing a wild species and placing it in captivity. I hope the tragic events of Mexico’s “VaquitaCPR plan” were not in vain.
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
