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Kerr and the team of researchers who conducted the study,
along with other scientists who touted its importance, emphasize
that further research is imperative. Bumblebees perform a vital
function by pollinating many agricultural crops as well as wildflow-
ers, and it would be disastrous if they became extinct. “It is very
concerning that they are struggling to adapt to climate change
around the world,”
64
says Canadian scientist Nigel Raine.
A Continuing Quest for Knowledge
Researchers throughout the world continue to explore the effects
of climate change on all kinds of species, from bumblebees and
RELOCATING WILDLIFE
Human intervention to save species from extinction is nothing new. The Cali-
fornia condor population, for example, had declined to just twenty-three birds
in 1982. Five years later all wild condors were caught and placed in captive
breeding programs. Since 1992, when the birds were released back into the
wild, the population has grown to 410. Similar efforts have saved rare species
like the Arabian oryx (a type of antelope), golden lion tamarin (a small gold-
colored monkey), and Vancouver Island marmot (a large squirrel), as well as
species of fox, bumblebee, mink, and tortoise.
Some scientists believe the time has come to do even more. German-born
scientist Axel Moehrenschlager is one of these scientists. “We are in a situa-
tion of emerging threats due to climate change,” he says, adding that if spe-
cies are not more actively managed, “we will lose them.” Moehrenschlager
advocates moving threatened wildlife from one area to another, a process
known as translocation. There are risks involved with translocation. For in-
stance, relocated species could overpopulate a new area, thereby threaten-
ing the survival of native species. Moehrenschlager says it is important to
consider the potential risks and plan for them in advance. “Success is not
guaranteed,” he says, “but the alternative of not acting is guaranteed—and
that is extinction.”
Quoted in Jessica Aldred, “More than 1,000 Species Have Been Moved Due to Human Impact,”
Guardian
(Manchester), April 20, 2016.
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