Conservation Breeding and Restoration

Captive breeding represents the last chance of survival for many species faced with imminent extinction in the wild. Captive breeding should be used sparingly because it is sometimes ineffective, and it can harm wild populations both indirectly and directly if not done correctly. There are a variety of crucial genetic issues to be considered in the founding of captive populations: How many individuals? Which source population(s)? A primary genetic goal of captive breeding programs is to minimize genetic change in captivity due to genetic drift and selection because genetic changes in captive populations can reduce the ability of captive individuals to reproduce and survive when returned to the wild. A variety of potentially valuable technologies (e.g., cloning, CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated system), gene drives, etc.) are now available that have the potential to be valuable tools in conservation.