Genetic Rescue

Recently, to ensure the long-term viability of the tiger’s population in Ranthambore National Park, experts advocates for genetic rescue.

Key Points

Genetic rescue is the process of increasing population growth with new genetic variation by migrating individuals into another small population (i.e., gene flow).
In practice, wildlife managers take individuals from a larger, healthier population, and bring them to a smaller population to introduce new variation. This conservation strategy aims to alleviate genetic load, decrease extinction risk, and enhance the viability of endangered species and populations.
It is often employed in conservation biology to mitigate the negative effects of inbreeding depression, which can occur when individuals within a population mate with close relatives, leading to decreased reproductive success and viability of offspring.
Genetic rescue can have both beneficial and deleterious effects, depending on factors such as the magnitude and duration of gene flow, as well as the genetic and non-genetic factors influencing population dynamics. There can be risks involved with moving animals around, so it’s often thought of as a last resort.