release of captive animals - amaZOOnico

FAQ - Release of captive animals
Intro In an ideal world, every animal that arrives at amaZOOnico would be returned to the wild at some point. Although releasing animals appeals to the human ideals of freedom and wilderness, it may actually be harmful for the individual animal, the species, or even the ecosystem as a whole. There are a number of reasons why returning an animal to its natural habitat is a difficult decision. Is there enough habitat? When you release an animal, you obviously have to release it somewhere. The change from captivity to the wild is stressful and disorientating; this leaves animals especially vulnerable to hunting if they are released in an unprotected area. It is pointless spending a lot of effort preparing an animal for release only for it to be recaptured immediately. amaZOOnico lies at the edge of 11km² of protected primary rainforest ('Selva Viva') in which hunting is prohibited. This is the area that we use for releasing animals that we feel are fit for reintroduction. Unfortunately this reserve is effectively an island surrounded by unprotected areas, and this presents problems. Some animals have a natural range larger than the size of the reserve. These include; large animals such as tapirs that range across wide areas to forage for food; predators, for instance cats, that travel large distances to hunt prey; and birds, which are very mobile and can easily move into new territories. These animals will regularly leave the boundaries of the reserve, and when they do, they are likely to be captured by hunters. The reserve has been protected for nearly a decade. For some animal species there has been enough time for their populations to recover to a natural level. The introduction of extra animals to one of these populations will cause problems. Some animals are highly territorial, and the introduction of a new animal into an existing territory will cause conflict. The fate of the loser will at best be an exile into unsuitable habitat, and at worst death. For all animals an introduced individual represents competition for food and other resources, and will cause stress for a perfectly healthy wild population. Animals vary across their range, and the introduction of an individual from a different area can reduce the genetic diversity of the species as a whole. To the untrained eye different parts of the rainforest look pretty similar, but it actually contains a wide variety of different habitats. Despite the size of Selva Viva, it doesn't contain the full range of habitats found across Ecuadorian Amazonia, and therefore some specialised species may not be able to live wild here. Is the animal adapted to survival in the wild? When an animal comes to amaZOOnico it has already had some level of contact with people. This can range from the short period between illegal capture in the wild and seizure by police all the way to animals that have been raised or even born in captivity, for example as a family pet. Any level of human contact will has a negative influence on the animal's ability to survive in the wild. The amount of damage depends on the circumstances, but for many animals it means that they will never be able to live as they would naturally. Stress and physical injury caused by poor living conditions or outright cruelty can weaken animals to the extent that they will never fully recover. Animals raised on an inadequate diet or in a cramped cage may not develop properly. Hunters often break the wings of birds caught for the pet trade; they will never fly again. Stressed animals are also more likely to catch diseases. Often more troublesome than physical damage are the changes to an animal's natural behaviour caused by capture or captivity. Due to intense hunting pressure most rainforest animals have developed a natural fear of people, and will flee or hide as soon as they detect an approaching human. When animals are raised from young amongst humans or if they spend a long time in close contact with people as adults they will lose this instinct. If released, this is likely to result in a swift death, as they will be easy to catch by illegal hunters even in a protected reserve; they mean even actively approach people out of curiosity. Although animals are born with the instinct to survive, they also learn from their surroundings as they develop. Predators learn to hunt by watching their mothers and playing with their siblings, and their prey learn how to find the right food and avoid danger in the same way. When animals have been in captivity they may never learn how to find food or how to avoid predators, and will quickly die. These problems are most severe in the cases of advanced animals such as mammals that rely heavily on learnt skills; reptiles, for example, are more driven by instinct alone and are likely to adapt quicker to life in the wild. Many rainforest animals are highly social creatures, and just like human society they live by complex rules of behaviour. A captive social animal will have problems finding a group if it is released, and due to the stress of captivity may have developed mental problems meaning it cannot relate properly to its fellow animals. Some animals raised with people may regard them as their own species and will be unhappy without human company; they may never be able to integrate into an animal group. Are local people likely to be affected? amaZOOnico relies on a good relationship with local people to ensure that they respect the protected nature of Selva Viva. If animals that we release then go on to cause problems then it could jeopardise this relationship. If an animal that we release attacks somebody's chickens or eats fruit from their plantation, then the person will be angry with us, and they will also try to kill the offending animal, regardless of their respect for our work here, because it represents a threat to their livelihood. This problem is particularly bad in the case of animals that have lost their fear of people, as they will be bolder in attacking people's livestock and crops, and they will not be as good at avoiding danger. Is the release legal? Some of our animals are brought to us by the police, who have confiscated them from illegal smuggling operations. The police follow stringent regulations in their handling of confiscated animals, to ensure that they don't go 'missing'. While this is important as a weapon against corruption, it also causes us problems when we want to release animals because the police routinely check on the whereabouts of animals that they have given to rescue centres. If we release an animal, we have to prove that it is in the forest; this is only possible using radio-tracking equipment, which is expensive. Success Despite the many problems associated with returning animals to the wild, we have succesfully released a large number of individuals a wide variety of species. Many species had been completely wiped out in this area, and there is no problem with conflict between wild and released individuals. Some species

FAQ - Release of captive animals

Intro
In an ideal world, every animal that arrives at amaZOOnico would be returned to the wild at some point. Although releasing animals appeals to the human ideals of freedom and wilderness, it may actually be harmful for the individual animal, the species, or even the ecosystem as a whole. There are a number of reasons why returning an animal to its natural habitat is a difficult decision.

Is there enough habitat?
When you release an animal, you obviously have to release it somewhere. The change from captivity to the wild is stressful and disorientating; this leaves animals especially vulnerable to hunting if they are released in an unprotected area. It is pointless spending a lot of effort preparing an animal for release only for it to be recaptured immediately. amaZOOnico lies at the edge of 11km² of protected primary rainforest ('Selva Viva') in which hunting is prohibited. This is the area that we use for releasing animals that we feel are fit for reintroduction. Unfortunately this reserve is effectively an island surrounded by unprotected areas, and this presents problems.

Some animals have a natural range larger than the size of the reserve. These include; large animals such as tapirs that range across wide areas to forage for food; predators, for instance cats, that travel large distances to hunt prey; and birds, which are very mobile and can easily move into new territories. These animals will regularly leave the boundaries of the reserve, and when they do, they are likely to be captured by hunters.
The reserve has been protected for nearly a decade. For some animal species there has been enough time for their populations to recover to a natural level. The introduction of extra animals to one of these populations will cause problems. Some animals are highly territorial, and the introduction of a new animal into an existing territory will cause conflict. The fate of the loser will at best be an exile into unsuitable habitat, and at worst death. For all animals an introduced individual represents competition for food and other resources, and will cause stress for a perfectly healthy wild population.
Animals vary across their range, and the introduction of an individual from a different area can reduce the genetic diversity of the species as a whole.
To the untrained eye different parts of the rainforest look pretty similar, but it actually contains a wide variety of different habitats. Despite the size of Selva Viva, it doesn't contain the full range of habitats found across Ecuadorian Amazonia, and therefore some specialised species may not be able to live wild here.

Is the animal adapted to survival in the wild?
When an animal comes to amaZOOnico it has already had some level of contact with people. This can range from the short period between illegal capture in the wild and seizure by police all the way to animals that have been raised or even born in captivity, for example as a family pet. Any level of human contact will has a negative influence on the animal's ability to survive in the wild. The amount of damage depends on the circumstances, but for many animals it means that they will never be able to live as they would naturally.
Stress and physical injury caused by poor living conditions or outright cruelty can weaken animals to the extent that they will never fully recover.

Animals raised on an inadequate diet or in a cramped cage may not develop properly. Hunters often break the wings of birds caught for the pet trade; they will never fly again. Stressed animals are also more likely to catch diseases.

Often more troublesome than physical damage are the changes to an animal's natural behaviour caused by capture or captivity.

Due to intense hunting pressure most rainforest animals have developed a natural fear of people, and will flee or hide as soon as they detect an approaching human. When animals are raised from young amongst humans or if they spend a long time in close contact with people as adults they will lose this instinct. If released, this is likely to result in a swift death, as they will be easy to catch by illegal hunters even in a protected reserve; they mean even actively approach people out of curiosity.
Although animals are born with the instinct to survive, they also learn from their surroundings as they develop. Predators learn to hunt by watching their mothers and playing with their siblings, and their prey learn how to find the right food and avoid danger in the same way. When animals have been in captivity they may never learn how to find food or how to avoid predators, and will quickly die. These problems are most severe in the cases of advanced animals such as mammals that rely heavily on learnt skills; reptiles, for example, are more driven by instinct alone and are likely to adapt quicker to life in the wild.
Many rainforest animals are highly social creatures, and just like human society they live by complex rules of behaviour. A captive social animal will have problems finding a group if it is released, and due to the stress of captivity may have developed mental problems meaning it cannot relate properly to its fellow animals. Some animals raised with people may regard them as their own species and will be unhappy without human company; they may never be able to integrate into an animal group.

Are local people likely to be affected?
amaZOOnico relies on a good relationship with local people to ensure that they respect the protected nature of Selva Viva. If animals that we release then go on to cause problems then it could jeopardise this relationship. If an animal that we release attacks somebody's chickens or eats fruit from their plantation, then the person will be angry with us, and they will also try to kill the offending animal, regardless of their respect for our work here, because it represents a threat to their livelihood. This problem is particularly bad in the case of animals that have lost their fear of people, as they will be bolder in attacking people's livestock and crops, and they will not be as good at avoiding danger.

Is the release legal?
Some of our animals are brought to us by the police, who have confiscated them from illegal smuggling operations. The police follow stringent regulations in their handling of confiscated animals, to ensure that they don't go 'missing'. While this is important as a weapon against corruption, it also causes us problems when we want to release animals because the police routinely check on the whereabouts of animals that they have given to rescue centres. If we release an animal, we have to prove that it is in the forest; this is only possible using radio-tracking equipment, which is expensive.

Success
Despite the many problems associated with returning animals to the wild, we have succesfully released a large number of individuals a wide variety of species. Many species had been completely wiped out in this area, and there is no problem with conflict between wild and released individuals. Some species