How do captive breeding programs affect genetic diversity?
Captive breeding programs can affect genetic diversity in one of
two ways. Within the program itself, genetic diversity is reduced,
because captive breeding programs only have a limited number of
animals to work with. On the other hand, animals from a captive
breeding program that are re-introduced to the wild can increase
genetic diversity, because they are bringing genes that may have
been gone for a long time back into the gene pool.