Biologists must ascertain whether: a) the original threats persist and/or can be mitigated; and b) sufficient habitat remains, or else survival will be low upon release.
Another goal of some captive breeding programs is to reintroduce animals to the wild to reestablish populations. Examples of successful introductions using captive-bred stock include California condors (Ralls & Ballou 2004) and black-footed ferrets (Russell et al. 1994). Reintroductions can also utilize individuals from healthy wild populations, meaning individuals that are thriving in one part of the range are introduced to an area where the species was extirpated. Reintroduction programs involve the release of individuals back into portions of their historic range, where they are monitored and either roam freely (e.g., gray wolves released in Yellowstone National Park) or are contained within an enclosed area (e.g., elk in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky; Figure 3). However, reintroduction is only feasible if survival can be assured. Biologists must ascertain whether: a) the original threats persist and/or can be mitigated; and b) sufficient habitat remains, or else survival will be low upon release.