Disease risks of wildlife translocations

Threats posed to conservation programs by the translocation of pathogens along with the translocation of host species are being increasingly recognized. However, publications on this subject have appeared primarily in veterinary literature which often is not read widely by those who fund, plan, or carry out the majority of wildlife translocations. The problem of wildlife disease and translocations has been written about in detail recently, but in almost all cases has been limited to exploring the immediate effects of pathogens on the target species. I discuss the possible adverse effects of wildlife translocations that result from disease transmission. In addition to examining the effects on target species, I discuss the possible direct and indirect effects of parasite translocations on sympatric species and on the evolution of ecosystems in the long-term. To reduce potential disease risks presented by wildlife translocations, I propose some guidelines for hygiene and quarantine procedures and for monitoring the parasite status of both captive and free-living animals.