In this study, 50 female and 50 male 5-month-old captive-bred chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) were released in 2012 into nature and monitored in the Çamkuyular Cedar Research Forest, Elmalı, Antalya. All individuals were tagged with colored leg tags and 15 also had radio transmitters attached. Over 4 months, the chukars were hunted by their natural predators, with the last dead bird found in January 2013. Of the 33 dead birds, 60.6% (n: 20) had been killed by large mammals and 39.4% (n: 13) by predatory birds. This study indicates that chukars produced in captivity are unable to successfully adapt to nature following release, primarily because they are unable to protect themselves against their natural predators. This suggests that a strategy favoring protection rather than bird release should be implemented in areas with declining partridge stocks.