Data from African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) as part of a genomic assessment of reintroduced and free-roaming populations

Few reintroduction and translocation programmes incorporate genomic assessments into management planning, despite ongoing debate over how founder individuals should be selected: should they genetically match the source population, or should evolutionary fitness take priority? Here, we assess the genomic composition of reintroduced African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) populations in private reserves in South Africa, comparing them with a free-roaming population in northern South Africa and southern Zimbabwe, and with Kruger National Park. Using genotyping-by-sequencing, mitochondrial Control Region sequences, and variation at the DLA-DRB1 class II locus of the major histocompatibility complex, we quantified genetic diversity, population structure, gene flow, and adaptive variation. We also developed conservation translocation guidelines to inform future reintroduction efforts. We show that reintroduced and free-roaming wild dogs form a single, broadly connected population, despite evidence of genetic drift, and retain high levels of adaptive genetic variation across their range. Based on these findings, we recommend that wildlife managers prioritise maintaining overall genetic diversity rather than strictly preserving original genetic composition, thereby enhancing adaptive potential in a rapidly changing environment.