The (sometimes controversial) reintroduction of 8 Canadian wildlife species

Some wildlife species do best when left alone. Others need a helping hand, usually because their environment has changed too rapidly for them to keep up—thanks most often to extreme weather, predation, and human changes to their habitat. Even worse, some species, such as the Vancouver Island marmot, are endemic, or only found in specific spots, so extinction in that area means extinction from the planet. Check out eight current and past (and some controversial) programs helping Canadian wildlife thrive against their existential challenges.

Facing a severe population decline, the Vancouver Island marmot faces extinction without dramatic intervention, according to biologists.

Down to just 15 wild butterflies remaining on Denman Island in 2005, the Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly is beginning to make a tremendous comeback.

This turtle faces many threats including development, water pollution, erosion, and infilling. They are killed by cars, captured, or even poached for food.

The Oregon spotted frog is Canada's most imperiled amphibian. Conservation breeding and reintroduction are necessary to bring this species back from the brink.

An important component of our ecosystems, the massasauga is a relatively small, thick-bodied rattlesnake. As Ontario's only remaining venomous reptile, the massasauga rattlesnake has faced widespread persecution, despite the fact that it poses little threat to public safety.

Reintroduction efforts have successfully brought the eastern wild turkey back to southwestern Ontario.

Elk were extirpated from the province in the late 1800s due to pressures from human settlement, excessive agriculture, and shifts in climate. They have been successfully reintroduced to Ontario from populations in Alberta.

Shrikes require short grassland habitat to hunt and raise their young, and this is unfortunately one of the most imperiled ecosystems in Canada, putting the shrike and other grassland birds in danger.

Vancouver Island marmotControversy rating: low

The Vancouver Island marmot is critically endangered and only found on Vancouver Island in subalpine and alpine meadows, usually 1,000 metres above sea level with their family groups. It is one of the largest members of the squirrel family, and is about the size of a house cat. During the summer, the marmot's favourite activity is lounging on a rock in the sun. They build colonies that range in size and purpose—from small burrows for a quick escape from predators, and larger burrows for hibernation.

ThreatsThere are many obstacles facing its survival, including predators (wolves, cougars, and golden eagles), extreme weather in alpine and subalpine meadows, and avalanches that crush the marmot's colonies (yikes!).

Reintroduction planIn 2003, the Marmot Recovery Foundation started working on a captive breeding program. "Releasing species born in captivity back to the wild means the best chance of survival," says Adam Taylor, Executive Director of the Marmot Recovery Foundation. Captive breeding and release, feeding programs, and habitat restoration are the best protection strategies. The foundation and partner facilities build artificial habitats, which helps marmots adapt back to the wild and go about their natural behaviours including nesting, digging, gnawing, and watching for predators. Maintaining the use of these will help marmots build colonies for hibernation and preservation against predators.

What's the upshot?Reintroduction efforts have been "successful and relatively non-controversial," says Taylor. "There is a severe population decline and biologists agree that without dramatic intervention, the species will go extinct," he says. Some biologists are concerned that the population is too small, and that captive populations won't be able to live in the wild again. "It's tricky because we want to keep the marmots alive, healthy, and breeding," says Taylor. "At one point, caring for one marmot was caring for 10 percent of the captive population."

Despite the challenges, the program continues to be successful. "There were less than 30 marmots and now the population has risen to 250. We have been able to reestablish a fairly large wild population. We had five colonies in 2003, which has now grown to 25 natural colonies," says Taylor.

Taylor's checkerspot butterfliesControversy rating: high

The Taylor's checkerspot butterflies are rare, with only three known wild populations in Canada. They are a keystone species, an indicator for a healthy ecosystem, according to Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC), a group which works with species at risk of extinction in Canada. The butterflies live in Garry oak ecosystems and meadows on Denman Island, Hornby Island, and near Campbell River in British Columbia.

ThreatsAgricultural and urban development, invasive trees and plants, fire suppression, and drought are all threats to this butterfly, says Andrea Gielens, MSc, RPBio, Wildlife Biologist with WPC. Historically, meadow areas would face small, regular, and localized fires, leading to a steady supply of regrowth in the early stages of forest regeneration. The butterflies seek open meadows when their current one regrows into a forest. "This species would normally live in a habitat that's regularly cleared by fire. Without this process, the meadows regrow and succeed back into the forest, leaving the butterflies to find another open meadow," says Gielens.

Reintroduction planTo reintroduce this species, biologists focus on breeding larva, raising them into adult butterflies, and then using the butterflies to produce the next generation of larva. WPC only takes minimal larva from the wild population for the captive breeding program. "New generations are released into the wild, after larvae grow into full butterflies," says Gielens.

What's the upshot?Reintroduction efforts are controversial. Forest fires are necessary for this species’ habitat, but the public still remains concerned about urban development and tree removal. "Part of our job is education. We want to highlight the benefit of tree removal for this species’ survival," says Gielens. "We must maintain the natural ecosystem's balance and the natural landscape," says Gielens.

It is important to preserve this butterfly because they are a "historical species on the landscape," according to Gielens. "They do not migrate, like Monarchs, but live in one area for their entire lives," she says. To date, WPC's conservation program has produced 3,364 Taylor's checkerspot caterpillars and butterflies for release back into the wild.

Western painted turtleControversy rating: low

The Western painted turtle is the only native turtle species to British Columbia. It can live up to 50-years-old and is the largest painted turtle subspecies, with a shell reaching 25 cm in length.

They live in the shallow waters of lakes, marshes, slow-moving streams, and ponds. Female turtles sometimes lay their eggs on beaches in loose, warm, and well-drained soils.

ThreatsThis turtle faces many threats including development, water pollution, erosion, and infilling. They are killed by cars, captured, or even poached for food. Non-human threats include raccoons, skunks, coyotes, parasites, and diseases.

Reintroduction planWPC is working to educate the public on this species’ needs. "Since turtles nest in the night, it is important for people to not disrupt them," says Gielens. People should know that, "taking turtles as pets is illegal and can harm a population for decades because taking a female turtle could risk removing hundreds of eggs. Every turtle is important for the growth of the population," she says.

What's the upshot?Education has been one of the most effective tools. Once people know more about the challenges facing turtles they are more willing to take action and protect the species. For example, pet owners, who understand how they are affecting the species, are less likely to let their dogs off leash. "Being able to rely on the public reduces individual damage, creates awareness in the community, and makes it a lot easier to preserve this species," she says.

Not only is the Western painted turtle the only native turtle species to British Columbia, these turtles are especially important for nutrient cycling because they eat dead fish and plants, according to WPC.

How to identify Ontario's 8 species of turtles

Oregon spotted frog

The Oregon spotted frog only lives in the floodplain wetlands, side channels, and swamps, wetland grasses, and bushes of British Columbia's Lower Fraser Valley. It's an excellent swimmer and great at hide-and-seek.

ThreatsLoss of habitat due to development, agriculture land conversion, and resource extraction have threatened this frog species. They also face challenges with invasive species and pollution.

Reintroduction planCaptive breeding is the most effective tool for protecting these frogs. WPC uses "headstarting," and cares for young frogs until they are grown. They also use conservation breeding by raising frogs in controlled environments, such as zoos. Furthermore, there are efforts to create dikes and water control structures, to maintain what is left of their habitat. "We need to find a way to make two systems work together," says Gielens. For example, humans "must ensure that when maintaining and cleaning drainage ditches, they are doing so in a way that benefits humans and frogs," says Gielens.

What's the upshot?Efforts continue to develop in order to preserve this species. With only a few hundred Oregon spotted frogs left, it is critical for conservation action to continue.

WPC's conservation breeding program has pioneered breeding techniques that are now producing a record number of young for release each year. Without the thousands of tadpoles and froglets that WPC has reintroduced back to the wild since 2010, this species would be that much closer to extinction in Canada.

Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakeControversy rating: high

The Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake is Ontario's only remaining venomous snake, and poses a very small threat to the public. It's "the medicine keeper" of the land, according to First Nations’ traditions, and cannot be confused with other snakes because of its rattle that has a distinct high-pitched buzzing noise. The snake is shy and avoids humans. They live in meadows, peat lands, shoreline habitats, wetlands, bedrock barrens, and coniferous forests. They often hang out by the water (they are generally found within 50 km of the Great Lakes) and thrive in sunny open patches of land.

ThreatsThis snake faces many threats including habitat loss, being hit by cars, intentional killing, and illegal collection for pet trade.

Reintroduction planReintroduction for snakes is fairly new, but necessary, says Jonathan D. Choquette, Lead Biologist at the Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery at the WPC. The reintroduction efforts were first introduced in 2006, where a group of snakes were rescued from a development site. No snakes survived the winter trial, leading to a further population decline.

What's the upshot?Choquette and his team are delving into understanding why the first winter trial failed, and will integrate their findings in the long-term reintroduction program. New efforts include, "mapping suitable winter hibernation habitats, designing a novel artificial hibernation feature, testing these with a surrogate species, for the the first time last fall, artificially hibernating Massasauga at planned reintroduction at Ojibway Prairie," says Choquette.

This snake is important for our ecosystems, but has very small populations of only one to three dozen adults in the Carolinian Region.

Wild TurkeyControversy rating: low

The eastern wild turkey spends its days foraging for leaf litter, chasing bugs, and milling for seeds and is a great flyer (in short distances).This species is important to Ontario ecosystems and is native to southern Ontario forests. Prior to 1909, the wild turkey lived north of Lake Simcoe and eastward between Toronto and Trenton. It was extirpated—extinct in a local area but present in other locations—from Ontario for 80 years. Reintroduction efforts have successfully brought the eastern wild turkey back to southwestern Ontario.

Threats"The eastern wild turkey was extirpated from Ontario by the early 1900's due to unregulated harvest and rapid loss of forest habitat for agriculture within their historic range," according to Patrick Hubert, Senior Wildlife Biologist–Policy Advisor with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources & Forestry. These threats led to the emergence of wildlife management. "This set the stage for successful eastern wild turkey restoration in Ontario," says Hubert.

Reintroduction planReintroduction began in the 1980's, in collaboration between the ministry and stakeholders like Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and Federation of Ontario Naturalists. The American government and the National Wild Turkey Federation from the United States also supported the project. Restoration of the eastern wild turkey to the province was supported for the ecological, social and economic benefits.

What's the upshot?Reintroduction efforts have been successful. These efforts led to 4,400 turkeys being released to over 275 sites. The turkey population grew to 70,000 in 2007. "From an ecological perspective, the re-introduction was necessary," says Hubert. "The wild turkey is an important prey species for predators like coyote, red fox, and bobcat (where their ranges overlap). The role of the wild turkey in renewing forest understory has been discussed and debated, but since the eastern wild turkey is well adapted to deciduous forest we can assume there are mutual benefits for turkeys and other species in this ecosystem," he says.

The American ElkControversy rating: medium

The American elk is the largest member of the deer family and is only one of four members who lives in Ontario. They are social creatures and are rarely seen alone. They can live in many different areas, and thrive in open country, parks, and forest regions.

ThreatsAccording to Biologist Bruce Ranta, "they were extirpated from the province in the late 1800s due to pressures from human settlement, excessive agriculture, and shifts in climate."

Reintroduction planRanta was part of the Ministry of Natural Resources team that started to reintroduce these elk in the late 1990's. Elk were reintroduced in Lake of the Woods, Lake Huron North Shore, the Nipissing and French River area, and around Bancroft and North Hastings.

What's the upshot?Despite successful efforts, there was controversy around reintroduction because of agricultural development and traffic concerns. "It actually may get the Ministry of Transportation to do some forward thinking that seems to be lacking in Ontario. We are lacking in comparison to some jurisdictions who use fencing, overpasses, and underpasses to facilitate the movement of animals across natural barriers," says Ranta.

There are many reasons why elk are crucial to Ontario wildlife populations, but Ranta emphasizes that "elk are important for enhancing biodiversity." They also support the hunting and viewing industries, and provide economic benefits through tourism.

Eastern Loggerhead ShrikeControversy rating: medium

The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike is one of the most imperilled birds in Canada, with a small Ontario population of 24 breeding partners last year. They live in small pockets of grassland in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba, the persistence of habitat loss has restricted its areas. In Ontario, you can only find the shrike near the greater Toronto area, in the plains of Carden and Napanee.

ThreatsSince this songbird thrives in grasslands, its main threats are residential and agricultural developers, and solar farms (because solar panels can look like a smooth body of water, resulting in a collision when the shrike attempts to land. This is known as the "lake effect."). Predators include black-billed magpies, crows, bull snakes, feral cats, and prairie long-tailed weasels. Motor vehicles also do a number on the birds, which perch on fences and utility lines, and sometimes collide with passing cars.

Reintroduction PlanEfforts to preserve this species of shrike started in 1991, in response to a rapidly declining population. Since 2003, WPC has been monitoring the existing eastern loggerhead shrike population and created a captive breeding program to bolster the existing wild population. "We are trying to keep them as wild as possible," says Hazel Wheeler, Lead Biologist of Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Recovery program. Although they are in zoos, the shrikes are not an exhibition. "We don't want them to be acclimated to humans," she says. To maintain a natural-like environment, the team developed a set of standards to maintain similarity to its natural environment, including cages large enough for the birds to fly around in. The enclosures also include "tools"’ that the shrikes can use to mimic their wild habits: nicknamed "the butcher bird" for a reason, they "impale their prey from perches, or barbed wire, and use their talons to rip bite-sized pieces off their prey," says Wheeler.

What's the upshot?Reintroduction efforts continue, but not without controversy. Since the population in Ontario is so small, some have questioned the importance of the conservation efforts. "I find this question interesting: what can they do for us? Yes, you can make the argument that they are a predatory songbird who helps to maintain certain populations such as mice, which has an overall impact on biodiversity—but, I like to push back. Why does any animal need to have direct value to us? I would argue that shrikes have just as much right to exist as we do." Wheeler continues, "if we lose a shrike, then we lose something else. Then we lose something else," she says. "And the cycle just keeps continuing."

Since 2003, WPC has been breeding and reintroducing loggerhead shrikes back to alvar grasslands in Ontario to bolster dwindling wild populations. The eastern loggerhead shrike is WPC's longest running conservation breeding program, demonstrating the time and effort required to save a species from extinction.

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