An increasingly common way to manage rare or threatened populations is translocation--relocating members of the species, typically for release into the wild. Although this method is commonly referred to as "reintroduction," there are actually three distinct types of such translocations: augmentations, introductions, and "true" reintroductions.

Augmentation is the practice of releasing individuals into already existing wild populations in order to supplement small or depleted numbers. Introduction and reintroduction, in contrast, both involve establishing a breeding population on a site not currently inhabited by the species. But they differ in an important way.