Reintroduction programs involve the

The first releases of captive-reared peregrine falcons in Virginia occurred within the outer coastal plain. This area has a rich prey base for peregrines and it was believed that if a breeding population could be established here, young produced over the years would re-colonize historic breeding locations within the mountains. Over a several year period, a series of towers were erected along the barrier islands for release of young and for breeding.

Between and , young peregrines were released in coastal areas of Virginia. See the Coastal Hacking page for descriptions of hack sites and details of releases within individual sites. Following an eight-year reintroduction program on the Coastal Plain, a second reintroduction effort was initiated in the mountains of Virginia in Some were born at and spent their whole lives in one institution, and some were transferred once or twice before entering the reintroduction program.

These institutions were located in eight countries on three continents, making this reintroduction arguably the most collaborative, international conservation effort in history. In the table below, the GLTs are identified by their four-digit studbook number. A studbook number is a specific identifier that is assigned to each captive-born GLT and many wild-born descendants of the reintroduced GLTs and many wild GLTs as well. Reintroduction programs, by which animals raised or rehabilitated in AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums are released into their natural habitats, are powerful tools used for stabilizing, reestablishing, or increasing in-situ animal populations that have suffered significant declines.

Over the next several decades, zoos worldwide bred rescued individuals and worked with in-country partners to reintroduce the descendants back to the wild. Today, there are more than Asian wild horses running free in Mongolia and China. Black-footed Ferrets: In , 18 of the remaining black-footed ferrets were placed into the care of AZA-accredited institutions as well as partner organizations and agencies.

Due to the efforts of the AZA Black-footed Ferret SSP Program and their partners, these animals have successfully reproduced and thousands have been reintroduced into their historic range since California Condors: In , only 22 California condors existed in the wild. Conservation breeding and management of these animals in AZA-accredited institutions, overseen by the California Condor SSP, increased this population to almost birds within 20 years.

By , their population totaled animals, including living in the wild. To learn more about the condor's ex-situ rearing efforts visit the San Diego Zoo website. Karner Blue Butterfly: While healthy populations of the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly remain in a handful of its historic range states, the species disappeared from Ohio in In , the Toledo Zoological Gardens became the first institution to breed the Karner blue butterfly for reintroduction into the wild at restored sites and later offered assistance to the Detroit Zoological Park with releasing butterflies to a site in southeast Michigan.