Final Report - Asian Development Bank

18
TA 4721-PRC: Preparing the Shaanxi-Qinling Mountains Integrated Ecosystem Management Project
Final Report Appendix 5
i. Re-introduction to Former Range
76. Re-introduction to the wild is now being considered in Russia and Japan. In China, birds
from Shaanxi could be dispersed to other parts of the former range of Crested Ibis in China, as the
wild population is currently vulnerable to extinction through a chance catastrophe within its limited
range. Some researchers suggest the captive birds are not well adapted for re-introduction into the
wild and there is a risk of introducing diseases that are often present in captive birds into the wild
population. The IUCN Species Survival Commission suggests that it may be best to release captive
birds in areas that are remote from any wild birds to eliminate the possibility of disease transmission.
An alternative strategy could be to translocate surplus young birds from the wild population into new
areas, as this would reduce potential problems with disease, and these birds are likely to be much
better able to survive in the wild than the captive birds. It will be necessary to determine whether the
prospective release sites have sufficient areas of suitable habitats to support a self-sustaining
population. It will also be necessary to determine whether the threats which caused the Crested Ibis
to disappear from most of its former range have now been removed from the release sites. The IUCN
Species Survival Commission drafted guidance on re-introduction in 1998 and the guidelines were
being updated in early 2007.
ii. Research
77. Field surveys should be conducted in parts of the former range in China to identify suitable
release sites for wild-caught or captive birds. Studies should include assessments of prey populations
because the shortage of prey in winter was considered to be a threat to wild birds.
iii. Management of Captive Populations
78. Some of the captive birds at the Yang Xian Protection and Rearing Centre have shown signs
of abnormality probably due to inbreeding. Extreme care should be exercised in mating any of these
captive birds (that show inbreeding abnormalities) with wild birds because of the danger of the
transmission of disease from captive birds to the wild population. Urgent attention should be paid to
reducing the captive populations through release in carefully selected locations where disease risk to
wild populations can be minimized. Continued expenditure of funds on captive populations should be
discouraged in favor of funding conservation of free-ranging birds in the wild.
4. Qinling Species of Conservation Concern
79. Species of conservation concern are those listed in China’s Red Data Book, protected
nationally (throughout China) or in Shaanxi Province, listed as globally threatened in the Red List of
IUCN World Conservation Union, or restricted in international trade by the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES). The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
prioritizes those species listed by IUCN World Conservation Union as globally threatened. The IUCN
categories are shown in Figure 2. Species listed in the shaded categories are considered globally
threatened.