soft release

noun

1. a means of gradually accustoming wild animals to a new environment before releasing them into it

Example Sentences

The state requires all deer to be released by Sept. 10, so Mr. Moore plans to do a soft release of the fawns in August.

From New York Times

In coming months, as part of a soft release at Tinker, the lizards will live in a semi-enclosed pen to help ease the shock of living outdoors before they are fully released this summer.

From Los Angeles Times

“We had a ‘soft release,’ where we put the quail in a box and then opened the box so they could leave whenever they wanted,” Klingler explained.

From Washington Times

Preuschoft argues that “soft release” is supported by scientific literature that shows that orangutans develop gradually.

From The Guardian

Unlike the wolves that went to Idaho, which were immediately released to the wild, the Yellowstone wolves were booked for a “soft release.”

From Seattle Times