As translocation saves species from Scotland to Guam, experts call to “move it or lose it”

Translocation refers to when people move animals, fungi and plants for conservation benefit. By relocating species to a safer home, it is an essential tool for increasing the population of a species and preventing extinctions. Improvements in conservation status, measured by The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, contribute towards achieving the conservation targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

“Conservation translocations can make the difference between a species’ extinction and survival, and the successes we are seeing through this work show that we can restore nature if we work courageously in partnership across the world,” said Dr Axel Moehrenschlager, Co-Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Conservation Translocation Specialist Group and Director of the Small Cats Program and Conservation Translocations at Panthera.

Thousands of species have benefitted from translocations to date. The bowmouth guitarfish, Egyptian vulture, adder, Iberian lynx, European mink and puma are among the animals that are the focus of translocation projects presented during the event, with further work targeting plants such as seagrass, wild apple, marsh saxifrage and round-leaved bryum moss.

“The recovery of the Moorean viviparous tree snail from Extinct in the Wild to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List shows what decades of ex situ support from zoos worldwide and conservation translocation can achieve. We look forward to using the lessons learnt to support over 6,000 endemic Oceanic snails facing an otherwise perilous future,” said Dr Fiona Sach, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Extinct in the Wild Action Partnership and Zoo Conservation Impact Manager at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), an IUCN Member and Red List Partner.

Discussions centred around ensuring responsible translocations, with the IUCN SSC Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Translocations a foundational text for many of the projects discussed. Participants acknowledged and addressed the importance of minimising the risks that come with moving species – both to the animal, fungus or plant being moved and to the receiving ecosystem and community.

Through her work with eastern black rhinos, Dr Francesca Vitali, member of the IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group and Wildlife Veterinarian and Researcher at the Smithsonian Institution, emphasised the importance of integrating wildlife health and welfare into translocation projects, as part of a One Health approach. “Not only is looking after an animal’s welfare essential to ethical translocation, it also helps ensure the animal thrives in its new home and minimises the risk of spreading disease. Healthy animals are a necessary part of healthy ecosystems, which human wellbeing depends upon.”

The importance of working with local communities for the most effective, enduring outcomes was emphasised throughout presentations. Experts underlined the value of engaging with local people early in a project to benefit from their knowledge, foster shared ownership, and lower human-wildlife conflict, for example drawing on lessons learnt from co-leading strategies with Indigenous Peoples on moving species in New Zealand.

Using genetic data to inform translocations is at the forefront of conservation science, improving understanding about the genetic diversity of species’ populations and resolving taxonomic questions. The IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation and Conservation Genetics Specialist Groups led discussions on how best to promote genetic diversity in translocations, including where to source individuals for translocations and how many individuals to use.  

Scotland is a particularly opportune location for the conference, as a hub for translocation projects. Species across the UK have the potential to gain from conservation, as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with 53% of its original nature left intact compared to the global average of 75%. “We are proud of the work we have done developing policy and best practice guidance in Scotland, which is now home to projects supporting lichens to leeches, freshwater pearl mussels to woolly willow, golden eagle to beavers and wildcats,” said Dr Martin Gaywood, member of the IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group and Species Projects Manager at NatureScot.

This conference of the IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group was hosted by NatureScot, the University of Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). Over 250 people from around 45 countries, representing conservation organisations, academia and governments, gathered at the conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, from Monday 7 to Wednesday 9 September 2026.