Reintroductions: Whence and whither?

This paper reviews the occurrence and quality of reintroductions of plants and animals, and the use of reintroduction as a tool in conservation biology. The Re-introduction Specialist Group (RSG) of the IUCN/Species Survival Commission (SSC) was created in 1988 and the activities of the Group are described. Illustrations of innovative processes and practices, developed within improved frameworks of policies and legislation, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, show that reintroduction has become a more rigorous discipline with the potential to contribute to community-restoration programmes. The activities of the RSG have contributed to this achievement. © 2017 Wiley. All rights reserved.