Goral supplementation in Thailand

Summary

The Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus), listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and CITES Appendix I, had declined in northern Thailand through habitat loss and hunting for meat and horns. Since 1993, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation had run a captive-breeding program at the Om Koi Wildlife Breeding Station, producing more than 100 gorals, and the next step was supplementing wild populations with captive-bred stock. Nine genetically screened gorals, three adult males, three adult females and three juveniles with a low average inbreeding coefficient, were tested for tuberculosis, brucellosis, melioidosis and foot-and-mouth disease, ear-tagged, and six adults were radio-collared before release into the Mae Lao-Mae Sae Wildlife Sanctuary, a hilly landscape of evergreen, deciduous and coniferous forest. Animals were kept in a soft-release enclosure for at least 12 months, and post-release monitoring combined direct sightings, radio telemetry triangulation, camera and track surveys, body condition scoring, and detailed behavioral observation. Six of the nine released gorals survived, a 66.67% survival rate, with the three deaths attributed to pneumonia found on autopsy, most likely linked to high rainfall periods. The team recommends releasing gorals in spring to match their physiological adaptation, and using a 1:2 or 1:3 male-to-female ratio to boost breeding success. The project rates itself successful, crediting a reintroduction process suited to the species, favorable weather, and an appropriate sex ratio in the release group.