Genetic Rescue

• 20 Mar 2024

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.