Review article
RE-INTRODUCING EXTINCT BIRD SPECIES TO AREAS IN CROATIA - UTOPIA OR REALITY?
Goran Sušić
; Institute for Ornithology of HAZU
Abstract
In environmental science the term „re-introduction“ describes the re-adaptation of individual animal life forms to the life in nature after they have been turned loose into the former dwelling areas - localities in which the life forms had once grown extinct. The animals are set free into the nature in the following ways: a) by re-introduction, b) by strengthening the existing life form populations and c) by introducing the life forms into the areas they had not inhabited before (introducing exotic or allochtonous forms).
In Croatia one kind of life form has been re-introduced: wildcats; still, during the realisation of the project certain basic criteria have not been respected - the ones introduced by the Worldwide Fund for Nature. The potentialities of re-introduction, respecting the mentioned criteria of course, appear good - in our country a great number of rare species are concentrated in the special nature reserves and national parks; and in that way, for example, the extinct species of vultures could easily be re-introduced: the Neophron pernopterus and the Aegipius monachus to the area of Kvarner and Gypaetus barbatus species to the area of National Park of Paklenica.
In Croatia, the knowledge, the staff needed, the equipment and the areas to which to return the species are not lacking. The public support should be solicited and due attention given to non-government institutions, as nature protection organizations and associations.
Keywords
locally extinct species of vultures in Croatia; nature protection; re-introduction
Hrčak ID:
138913
URI
Publication date:
15.1.1993.
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