India, Oct. 17 -- An endangered bird in Mauritius has made a gradual recovery through decades of conservation work, but rising numbers have not eliminated the risks to its long-term survival. By about 1990, the wild pink pigeon population had dwindled to roughly 10 birds amid habitat loss, fragmentation and pressure from introduced species. Captive breeding and releases helped rebuild the population to several hundred birds, although concerns remain about the genetic diversity needed to sustain that recovery.

A 2022 study published in Conservation Biology examined the genetic consequences of the pink pigeon's population collapse and subsequent recovery. The findings showed that genetic diversity continued to decline despite the increase ...