Deliverables

TEAM

Although reintroduction should be seen as the last possible conservation measure to return animals to the wild, it represents particularly suitable conservation strategy when “in-situ” and “ex-situ” measures have been shown to be insuficient

Background, aims and objectives

The World Conservation Union Specialist Group for Reintroductions encourages responsible

reintroductions

The project we present here should be understood as both a conservation opportunity for a highly threatened species and as a research project where some hypotheses

are tested

Reintroduction is a flourishing branch of the interventionist approach to population management. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Specialist Group for Reintroductions (RSG) encourages responsible reintroductions. Their detailed guidelines on the pre-project activities, socio‐economic and legal requirements, the planning, preparation, release stages and post release activities are widely used by statutory authorities (both in countries hosting the reintroduction and countries allowing the removal of donor stock) to assess if a reintroduction proposal is appropriate.

Tunisia meets its commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through its Stratégie Nationale de la Diversité Biologique (MEAT 1998), which includes an Action Plan for the restoration of Sahelo‐Saharan Antelopes in the country. Restoration of viable populations of Cuvier’s gazelles are included amongst their objectives as part of this long‐term National Strategy (DGF 2001), which also states the need of promoting scientific collaborations with other countries and institutions in order to alleviate the shortcomings most frequently found in the Maghreb countries: lack of expertise, trainers, and capacities for designing and implementing strategies for the conservation and management of threatened species and ecosystems.

The Spanish Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) is the main research institution in Spain and the third in Europe. The CSIC can and should help in the above mentioned actions by promoting the regional cooperation with Tunisia, another Mediterranean country with which Spain share many ecological values that could help to preserve and manage. In January 2015 an “Accord Cadre de Cooperation Scientifique et Technique” between the Direction Générale des Forêts (Ministère de l’Agriculture, Tunisie) and the CSIC was signed to collaborate in biodiversity conservation matters; and more specifically, in terms of collaborative research projects (including reintroductions), training technicians, supervising PhD theses, …

The Reintroduction of Cuvier’s gazelle project is included among the objectives of the mentioned “Accord Cadre” and will take advantage of the captive breeding programmes of endangered gazelles developed in the Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA‐CSIC) for the last 45 years. Its main aim is to reintroduce Cuvier’s gazelles in several Tunisian protected areas. The final objective is to facilitate the restoration of viable populations of this endangered gazelle in part of their historical distribution range.

The project we present here should be understood as both a conservation opportunity for two highly threatened species and as a research project where some hypotheses will be tested. The specific aims for the time period the animals will be monitored (2016-2019) are:

To increase population size about 20-25% per year and to maintain due sex-ratio.
To keep juvenile mortality under 30% (if predation is avoided).
To reach a recruitment rate similar to that expected under no inbreeding.

Participation and responsible commitment of the Tunisian authorities in all the post-release activities is crucial for the success of this project, which also need the support of local people and communities

There is nothing that can be done for restoring this species without both political and social engagement.

Aditional Actions

Selection is based on published genetic and reproductive data together with the pedigree analysis of the international studbook and the health status of individuals. Available molecular genetic information from mitochondrial and nuclear markers of captive individuals within the EEP show that the genetic diversity of the captive population of Cuvier’s Gazelle within the EEP is very low. However, heritability (additive genetic variance) for some traits (e.g. juvenile mortality) is much higher in this population than in other captive bred endangered species or even higher than that found for some wild mammals. This reveals the potential capacity of this population to evolve. On the other hand, it has been shown that all North African population of Cuvier’s Gazelle (including ithose from Tunisia) genetically overlap. Hence, individuals in the Cuvier’s gazelle EEP are adequate to be used as founders in this reintroduction project as they are genetically compatible with the remnant Tunisian Cuvier’s Gazelle population in case they both will interbreed in the future.

The founder stock is formed of 43 individuals: 12 males and 31 females. This sex-ratio is compatible with the polygynous mating system of Cuvier’s gazelle. Most individuals (8 males - 27 females) come from La Hoya Experimental Field Station (EEZA‐CSIC), where the highest captive population is housed.

The zoo Oasys Park Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), which also participates in the EEP, contributes to the founder stock with 8 individuals
(4 males - 4 females)

Two are the main reasons why parasites pose a potential problem for reintroduction projects using animals held outside of their indigenous range: i) Released animals, born and reared in a very different epidemiological environment, encounter novel parasites in their indigenous but new habitat; ii) Reintroduced animals risk co‐introducing novel parasites to extant populations at the release site infecting native wildlife, human and domestic livestock populations, and resulting in wider ecological and socio‐economic implications.

The IUCN (2013) states that “the management of disease and known pathogen transfer is important in reintroduction projects, both to maximize the health of translocated organisms and to minimize the risk of introducing a new pathogen to the destination area”. To meet this statement we have looked for all the available information about parasites and infectious maladies in the surroundings of the reintroduction area. The sanitary local authorities provide us with information affecting livestock. And we look for relevant information affecting both livestock and wildlife in scientific databases. Moreover, parasites and other infectious agents affecting the founder stock while in captivity in EEP zoos is well known for this species.

Based on this extensive information and in accordance with standards Spanish and Tunisian sanitary regulations we have designed a protocol the founders will be subjected to during both pre‐reintroduction (while in EEP zoos) and post‐reintroduction (once in Tunisia).

This project considers as highly important for its success to have trained personnel in the reintroduction area. Three Tunisian technicians came to EEZA-CSIC from 7th to 19th November 2016 to be trained in the following tasks: feeding, watering, capturing, transporting, cleaning enclosures, mending enclosures, tagging and identifying individuals, taking biological data, and sampling (feces, blood).

Breeding enclosures for small groups

Three medium-sized enclosures (~ 600 m2) house 3 breeding herds (1 male and 5 females in each enclosure)

Breeding enclosures for big groups including descendant

Two big enclosures (~ 5,000 m2) for housing 10-11 females and one male together with their descendants

Individual enclosures

Ten small enclosures (~ 50 m2) for housing single adult males.

FOUNDERS

Animals for the founder stock, including their sex ratio, have been selected from the Cuvier’s gazelle EEP

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Health

Parasites and other infectious agents have played a role in the failure of a number of reintroduction attempts

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Training technicians

Tunisian technicians attend to a training course in La Hoya Field Station in Almería (EEZA-CSIC)

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ENCLOSURES

The enclosures in Jebel Serj NP have been designed considering both the number of individuals to form the founder stock, and the type of groups they will house

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The personal use of texts and information contained in these pages is allowed. However, permission of the CSIC is required for publication in any form or for use, distribution or inclusion in other contexts accessible to third parties.

NAVIGATE

cOntact

You can send any comment or question about the gazella cuvier's reintroduction project in Tunisia to the following email emoreno@eeza.csic.es or in the following contact direction:

Estación Experimental de Zonas Aridas

Ctra. de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120, Almería (Spain)

Tel: (+34) 950951120

Tel: (+34) 950281045

sponsors

ENCLOSURES
The enclosures in Jebel Serj NP have been designed considering both the number of individuals to form the founder stock, and the type of groups they will house
Breeding enclosures for small groups

Three medium-sized enclosures (~ 600 m2) house 3 breeding herds (1 male and 5 females in each enclosure)

Breeding enclosures for big groups including descendant

Two big enclosures (~ 5,000 m2) for housing 10-11 females and one male together with their descendants

Individual enclosures

Ten small enclosures (~ 50 m2) for housing single adult males.
FOUNDERS
Animals for the founder stock, including their sex ratio, have been selected from the Cuvier’s gazelle EEP
Selection is based on published genetic and reproductive data together with the pedigree analysis of the international studbook and the health status of individuals. Available molecular genetic information from mitochondrial and nuclear markers of captive individuals within the EEP show that the genetic diversity of the captive population of Cuvier’s Gazelle within the EEP is very low. However, heritability (additive genetic variance) for some traits (e.g. juvenile mortality) is much higher in this population than in other captive bred endangered species or even higher than that found for some wild mammals. This reveals the potential capacity of this population to evolve. On the other hand, it has been shown that all North African population of Cuvier’s Gazelle (including ithose from Tunisia) genetically overlap. Hence, individuals in the Cuvier’s gazelle EEP are adequate to be used as founders in this reintroduction project as they are genetically compatible with the remnant Tunisian Cuvier’s Gazelle population in case they both will interbreed in the future.
The founder stock is formed of 43 individuals: 12 males and 31 females. This sex-ratio is compatible with the polygynous mating system of Cuvier’s gazelle. Most individuals (8 males - 27 females) come from La Hoya Experimental Field Station (EEZA‐CSIC), where the highest captive population is housed.

The zoo Oasys Park Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), which also participates in the EEP, contributes to the founder stock with 8 individuals
(4 males - 4 females)
Health
Parasites and other infectious agents have played a role in the failure of a number of reintroduction attempts
Two are the main reasons why parasites pose a potential problem for reintroduction projects using animals held outside of their indigenous range: i) Released animals, born and reared in a very different epidemiological environment, encounter novel parasites in their indigenous but new habitat; ii) Reintroduced animals risk co‐introducing novel parasites to extant populations at the release site infecting native wildlife, human and domestic livestock populations, and resulting in wider ecological and socio‐economic implications.
The IUCN (2013) states that “the management of disease and known pathogen transfer is important in reintroduction projects, both to maximize the health of translocated organisms and to minimize the risk of introducing a new pathogen to the destination area”. To meet this statement we have looked for all the available information about parasites and infectious maladies in the surroundings of the reintroduction area. The sanitary local authorities provide us with information affecting livestock. And we look for relevant information affecting both livestock and wildlife in scientific databases. Moreover, parasites and other infectious agents affecting the founder stock while in captivity in EEP zoos is well known for this species.
Based on this extensive information and in accordance with standards Spanish and Tunisian sanitary regulations we have designed a protocol the founders will be subjected to during both pre‐reintroduction (while in EEP zoos) and post‐reintroduction (once in Tunisia).
Training technicians
Tunisian technicians attend to a training course in La Hoya Field Station in Almería (EEZA-CSIC)
This project considers as highly important for its success to have trained personnel in the reintroduction area. Three Tunisian technicians came to EEZA-CSIC from 7th to 19th November 2016 to be trained in the following tasks: feeding, watering, capturing, transporting, cleaning enclosures, mending enclosures, tagging and identifying individuals, taking biological data, and sampling (feces, blood).

ENCLOSURES
The enclosures in Jebel Serj NP have been designed considering both the number of individuals to form the founder stock, and the type of groups they will house
Breeding enclosures for small groups

Three medium-sized enclosures (~ 600 m2) house 3 breeding herds (1 male and 5 females in each enclosure)

Breeding enclosures for big groups including descendant

Two big enclosures (~ 5,000 m2) for housing 10-11 females and one male together with their descendants

Individual enclosures

Ten small enclosures (~ 50 m2) for housing single adult males.
FOUNDERS
Animals for the founder stock, including their sex ratio, have been selected from the Cuvier’s gazelle EEP
Selection is based on published genetic and reproductive data together with the pedigree analysis of the international studbook and the health status of individuals. Available molecular genetic information from mitochondrial and nuclear markers of captive individuals within the EEP show that the genetic diversity of the captive population of Cuvier’s Gazelle within the EEP is very low. However, heritability (additive genetic variance) for some traits (e.g. juvenile mortality) is much higher in this population than in other captive bred endangered species or even higher than that found for some wild mammals. This reveals the potential capacity of this population to evolve. On the other hand, it has been shown that all North African population of Cuvier’s Gazelle (including ithose from Tunisia) genetically overlap. Hence, individuals in the Cuvier’s gazelle EEP are adequate to be used as founders in this reintroduction project as they are genetically compatible with the remnant Tunisian Cuvier’s Gazelle population in case they both will interbreed in the future.
The founder stock is formed of 43 individuals: 12 males and 31 females. This sex-ratio is compatible with the polygynous mating system of Cuvier’s gazelle. Most individuals (8 males - 27 females) come from La Hoya Experimental Field Station (EEZA‐CSIC), where the highest captive population is housed.

The zoo Oasys Park Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), which also participates in the EEP, contributes to the founder stock with 8 individuals (4 males - 4 females)
Health
Parasites and other infectious agents have played a role in the failure of a number of reintroduction attempts
Two are the main reasons why parasites pose a potential problem for reintroduction projects using animals held outside of their indigenous range: i) Released animals, born and reared in a very different epidemiological environment, encounter novel parasites in their indigenous but new habitat; ii) Reintroduced animals risk co‐introducing novel parasites to extant populations at the release site infecting native wildlife, human and domestic livestock populations, and resulting in wider ecological and socio‐economic implications.
The IUCN (2013) states that “the management of disease and known pathogen transfer is important in reintroduction projects, both to maximize the health of translocated organisms and to minimize the risk of introducing a new pathogen to the destination area”. To meet this statement we have looked for all the available information about parasites and infectious maladies in the surroundings of the reintroduction area. The sanitary local authorities provide us with information affecting livestock. And we look for relevant information affecting both livestock and wildlife in scientific databases. Moreover, parasites and other infectious agents affecting the founder stock while in captivity in EEP zoos is well known for this species.
Based on this extensive information and in accordance with standards Spanish and Tunisian sanitary regulations we have designed a protocol the founders will be subjected to during both pre‐reintroduction (while in EEP zoos) and post‐reintroduction (once in Tunisia).
Training technicians
Tunisian technicians attend to a training course in La Hoya Field Station in Almería (EEZA-CSIC)
This project considers as highly important for its success to have trained personnel in the reintroduction area. Three Tunisian technicians came to EEZA-CSIC from 7th to 19th November 2016 to be trained in the following tasks: feeding, watering, capturing, transporting, cleaning enclosures, mending enclosures, tagging and identifying individuals, taking biological data, and sampling (feces, blood).