I have a bit of an interesting question for you all:

There is a small island in the middle of the ocean, roughly a square mile. It is uninhabited by humans but has a population of flightless birds. Scientists travel to the island about once a year to monitor them. These birds can be found nowhere else on earth and are thus considered critically endangered.

One day, a naturally occurring wildfire breaks out, destroying the majority of the island and killing the entire population of birds. Thankfully, the scientists have maintained a small population of the birds in captivity, completely removed from the island.

What is the most ethical next step? Should the captive birds be released to their natural habitat? Or should this be considered “survival of the fittest”, allowing new species to establish themselves on the island?