.2020 Jun 29;15(6):e0234455.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234455. eCollection 2020.

Adapting reintroduction tactics in successive trials increases the likelihood of establishment for an endangered carnivore in a fenced sanctuary

Belinda A Wilson¹, Maldwyn J Evans^{1 2}, William G Batson³, Sam C Banks⁴, Iain J Gordon^{1 5 6 7}, Donald B Fletcher¹, Claire Wimpenny⁸, Jenny Newport¹, Emily Belton⁹, Annette Rypalski¹⁰, Tim Portas¹¹, Adrian D Manning¹

Affiliations

¹ Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
² Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
³ National Parks and Wildlife Service, Blue Mountains Branch, Blackheath, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
⁵ Central Queensland University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
⁶ James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.
⁷ CSIRO Land and Water, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
⁸ ACT Parks and Conservation Service, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
⁹ The Woodlands and Wetlands Trust, Forde Community Centre, Forde, ACT, Australia.
¹⁰ Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre, Little River, VIC, Australia.
¹¹ Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Consultancy, Maleny, QLD, Australia.

PMID:32598368
PMCID: PMC7323978
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234455

Adapting reintroduction tactics in successive trials increases the likelihood of establishment for an endangered carnivore in a fenced sanctuary

Belinda A Wilson et al. PLoS One.2020.

.2020 Jun 29;15(6):e0234455.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234455. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
² Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
³ National Parks and Wildlife Service, Blue Mountains Branch, Blackheath, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
⁵ Central Queensland University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
⁶ James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.
⁷ CSIRO Land and Water, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
⁸ ACT Parks and Conservation Service, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
⁹ The Woodlands and Wetlands Trust, Forde Community Centre, Forde, ACT, Australia.
¹⁰ Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre, Little River, VIC, Australia.
¹¹ Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Consultancy, Maleny, QLD, Australia.

PMID:32598368
PMCID: PMC7323978
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234455

Abstract

Threatened species recovery programs are increasingly turning to reintroductions to reverse biodiversity loss. Here we present a real-world example where tactics (techniques which influence post-release performance and persistence) and an adaptive management framework (which incorporates feedback between monitoring and future actions) improved reintroduction success. Across three successive trials we investigated the influence of tactics on the effective survival and post-release dispersal of endangered eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus) reintroduced into Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, Australian Capital Territory. Founders were monitored for 42 days post-release, and probability of survival and post-release dispersal were tested against trial, origin, sex, den sharing and presence of pouch young. We adopted an adaptive management framework, using monitoring to facilitate rapid learning and to implement interventions that improved reintroduction success. Founders released in the first trial were less likely to survive (28.6%, n = 14) than those founders released the second (76.9%, n = 13) and third trials (87.5%, n = 8). We adapted several tactics in the second and third trials, including the selection of female-only founders to avoid elevated male mortality, and post-mating releases to reduce stress. Founders that moved dens between consecutive nights were less likely to survive, suggesting that minimising post-release dispersal can increase the probability of survival. The probability of moving dens was lower in the second and third trials, for females, and when den sharing with another founder. This study demonstrates that, through iterative trials of tactics involving monitoring and learning, adaptive management can be used to significantly improve the success of reintroduction programs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author TP is employed by the Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Consultancy. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products associated with this research to declare. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

**Fig 1. Translocation Tactics Classification System, as adapted from Batsonet al. (2015).**
Checked boxes indicate tactics which were employed across the three trial reintroductions of the eastern quoll (*Dasyurus viverrinus*) to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, ACT Australia from 2016–18.

**Fig 2. Probability of effective survival for eastern quoll (*Dasyurus viverrinus*) founders translocated to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, ACT Australia.**
Survival presented by trial (2A, Trial 1n = 14, Trial 2n = 13, Trial 3n = 8), sex (2B, femalen = 27, malen = 8) and proportion of days moved between dens (2C,n = 29). Male animals were translocated in Trial 1 only. Error bars and dotted lines represent 95% confidence intervals for predicted values, and letters indicate significant differences (wherep < 0.05).

**Fig 3. Proportion of days moved between dens for eastern quoll (*Dasyurus viverrinus*) founders translocated to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, ACT Australia.**
Proportion of days moved presented by trial (3A, Trial 1n = 9, Trial 2n = 12, Trial 3n = 8), sex (3B, femalen = 24, malen = 5) and whether a founder den shared with another founder (3C). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals for predicted values, and letters indicate significant differences (wherep < 0.05).

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BAW was supported by a PhD scholarship funded by the ACT Government and an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant recieved by ADM (LP140100209).

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Adapting reintroduction tactics in successive trials increases the likelihood of establishment for an endangered carnivore in a fenced sanctuary

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Adapting reintroduction tactics in successive trials increases the likelihood of establishment for an endangered carnivore in a fenced sanctuary

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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