Reintroduction Failure of Captive-Bred Oribi (Ourebia ourebi)

Abstract

Oribi (Ourebia ourebi) are listed as endangered and one of the options to increase their numbers and populations is to breed them in captivity and subsequently reintroduce them into suitable habitat. A captive breeding facility for oribi in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, had been used to reintroduce captive-bred oribi on to the neighbouring agricultural/game farm for the previous 10 years. However, the success of these reintroductions was unknown. Consequently the aim of this study was to monitor the success of the reintroduction of captive-bred oribi. As in previous years, 10 captive-bred oribi were released by the owners of the facility onto the neighbouring farm. Using radio-telemetry and mortality sensors, survivorship of the reintroduced oribi was monitored, and the factors involved in a successful or failed reintroduction attempt Identified. Within two months of release, seven of the 10 oribi were dead. The causes of mortality varied, but predation by natural predators and humans was a major factor. C...