Problems with mitigation translocation of herpetofauna.

Area of Science:

• Wildlife management
• Conservation biology
• Animal behavior

Background:

• Mitigation translocation, releasing nuisance animals to resolve human-wildlife conflict, is widely practiced.
• This method is often mistakenly equated with conservation translocation, despite lower success rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the effectiveness of mitigation translocations for reptiles.
• To highlight the negative impacts on translocated individuals and conflict resolution.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of mitigation translocations.
• Case studies of three long-lived reptile species: Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum), Sonoran desert tortoises (Gopherus morafkai), and western diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox).

Main Results:

• Mitigation translocation demonstrated low success rates for individuals, with increased movement and mortality.
• Conflict resolution was poor, as translocated animals frequently returned to their original locations.
• Studies on Gila monsters, desert tortoises, and rattlesnakes showed similar negative outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Mitigation translocation is an ineffective strategy for managing human-animal conflict.
• Effective planning and addressing knowledge gaps are essential for improving translocation success.
• Conservation translocation requires different strategies than mitigation translocation.