Ahead of grizzly arrival, wildlife advocates assess past translocations

DARRINGTON — Almost a century ago, officials in Alaska and Washington made a trade: 12 Alaskan mountain goats for 14 Roosevelt elk from the Olympic Peninsula.

Some of the Roosevelt elk struggled to survive in their new Alaskan homes. Meanwhile, the mountain goats thrived in the Olympics until 2018, when state agencies began moving hundreds of them to the North Cascades. There, almost all of the translocated goats died, along with many goats native to the area.

Ahead of grizzly bears’ upcoming arrival to northern Washington, historical examples raise some key questions:

When does translocation succeed?

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/ahead-of-grizzly-arrival-wildlife-advocates-assess-past-translocations/