Seminar: Recovering the endangered Sonoran pronghorn

Abstract:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), National Park Service, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and numerous other partners have been working diligently for more almost four decades to recover the endangered Sonoran pronghorn. This unique desert subspecies of the American antelope has been listed as endangered in the US since 1967 and in Mexico since 1994. After a year of severe drought in 2002, the Sonoran pronghorn was on the brink of extinction with only 21 individuals estimated in the U.S. and 285 in Mexico. Captive breeding, habitat modifications, monitoring, and partnerships have been critical components of making progress towards recovery, especially in the U.S. Through captive breeding, we have been able to bolster the original population and reintroduce Sonoran pronghorn to historic habitat, establishing new populations through section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. Research into the ecology of the species started in the mid-1980s and laid the foundation for habitat modifications that have reduced the negative effect of drought on population growth rates. Continued monitoring has allowed us to implement adaptive management by evaluating the success of our reintroduction efforts and habitat modifications and adjusting actions as necessary. None of this would have been possible without the strong partnerships among U.S. and Mexican agencies with diverse missions, grounded in individuals committed to recovering Sonoran pronghorn.

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