Page 17 - Sphere No.12 (Aug 2004)
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S
PHERE
15
Northern Leopard Frog
In Alberta, northern leop-
ard frogs
(Rana pipiens)
are
designated as “threatened”.
To re-establish populations,
Alberta Sustainable Re-
source Development (Fish
and Wildlife Division) and
the Alberta Cons-
ervation Association initi-
ated a reintroduction proj-
ect in 1999. The Husky
Energy Endangered Species
Reintroduction Research
Program is conducting
studies to refine release
site selections and broaden
reintroduction efforts.
Vancouver Island Marmot
The future of North
America’s most endan-
gered mammal, the
Vancouver Island marmot
(Marmota vancouverensis),
hinges on a successful cap-
tive-breeding and reintro-
duction programme. The
CCR is studying the mar-
mots’ behaviour to help
maximise the success rate
of future reintroductions.
Swift Fox
Swift foxes
(Vulpes velox)
were extinct in Canada by
1938. In 1983, a captive
breeding and reintroduc-
tion programme was
launched. By 1997, approx-
imately 280 wild foxes had
been re-introduced and
releases were halted to
allow research. Now, the
CCR is striving to under-
stand the swift foxes’ habi-
tat needs, assess disease
threats, and determine if
the population is sustain-
able on its own.
Whooping Crane
In the early 1900s, only 15
whooping cranes
(Grus
americana)
existed in the
wild. Since 1996, the
Calgary Zoo has bred and
reared whooping cranes
for re-introduction. They
hope to improve hatching
success and raise the num-
ber of whooping crane
chicks available for reintro-
ductions until the wild
population is stable.
