Meeting Abstract

P2.116  Jan. 5  Stress and Translocation Success in Chukar DICKENS, Molly J*; EARLE, Kristen; ROMERO, L. Michael; Tufts University Molly.Dickens@tufts.edu

Translocation is an important tool in many species conservation plans and involves the capture and movement of wild animals from one area with a prosperous population to an area with a lost or diminishing population. Unfortunately, translocations have a low success rate especially with avian species. Failure with these programs has been attributed to a decreased reproductive rate, increased incident of disease, increased predation risk, and stress. Our study focuses on the latter aspect, particularly how the stress response is altered in translocated animals such that survival may be impacted. Using chukar, Alectoris chukar as a model species for commonly translocated gallinaceous species, we simulated a translocation procedure in the Mojave Desert and measured changes in corticosterone concentrations during restraint stress as an indication of the stress response. We investigated the effects of aspects of a translocation program: capture, brief time in captivity and release into an unfamiliar territory. Group one birds were captured and immediately released; whereas group two birds were captured, retained in captivity for ten days and released to their original capture site, and group three birds were captured, retained in captivity and released to an unfamiliar site. Upon initial trapping at water guzzlers, a group of birds were sampled for 60 minutes in a repeated measures design in order to obtain a pre-capture stress response baseline. Birds were also sampled throughout captivity to determine the effects of the captive setting. Following release, birds were recaptured and sampled to assess the overall impact of the degree of translocation on their recovery to the baseline stress response. These data will help define whether stress contributes to the low success of translocation.