Climate change, habitat loss, and the over-harvesting of wildlife have led to declines in many species. As a result, many species are now highly inbred, threatening long-term recovery.
Genetic rescue is the process of increasing genetic variation within a population via breeding with captive bred, translocated, or cloned individuals. The goal is to increase the population’s genetic diversity — the raw material for adaptation in a changing world.
Historically, genetic rescue involved the assisted migration of individuals from one population to another, to introduce genetic variation and help the population grow. One of the most iconic examples is the Florida panther, which nearly went extinct in the 1990s, until a genetic rescue event helped rebuild genetic diversity and grow the population to over 200 individuals.
In recent years, conservation cloning and gene editing technologies have introduced new paths for genetic rescue in wildlife species. These biotechnologies, paired with conventional captive breeding and translocation efforts, have the potential to rapidly accelerate genetic rescue efforts in endangered and inbred species.
