European Journal of Wildlife Research最新文献

Evaluation of free-living mammal physiological responses to natural and anthropogenic stressors constitutes a valuable tool for conservation, especially when it comes to wild mammal species living in anthropized environments. However, studies addressing “normal” physiological parameters are still limited in Brazilian wildlife. In this sense, we accessed the hematology and serum biochemistry of South American coatis inhabiting urban forested fragments and observed the influence of intrinsic factors and sampling sites on these variables. We analyzed the hematological and biochemical variables of 103 Southern coatis sampled from March 2018 to April 2019 in a conservation unit and in a residential area. Generalized linear model analysis was performed to access the influence of intrinsic factors (sex, age, the presence of clinical findings, and body condition) and two sampling sites as variables. Mean, median, standard deviation, and range were calculated for the hematological and biochemical values that were or were not influenced by intrinsic factors and studied areas. Age influenced mean corpuscular volume (MCV), platelet, creatinine, glucose, and cholesterol; sex influenced hemoglobin (Hb), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), total serum proteins (TSP), cholesterol, and glucose; clinical findings influenced red blood cell counts (RBC), Hb, MCV, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), albumin, globulins, and cholesterol; body condition only influenced LDH; sampling site influenced neutrophil, lymphocyte, creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, globulins, TSP, and triglycerides. Stress seems to be more accentuated in coatis from the residential area than from the conservation unit, and this may be attributed to their continuous exposure to the presence of humans and domestic animals.

Highways bisecting protected areas can have adverse impacts on wild animals. Many studies around the world have investigated the intensities of roadkill resulting from such highways and the subsequent conservation impacts. However, there have been limited studies undertaken in developing countries in this regard. We investigated road-related mortality of three taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, and reptiles) on six roads in eastern Ethiopia that bisect four protected areas. We collected roadkill occurrence data in both dry and wet seasons by undertaking 34 systematic driven road surveys over a 5-month period. A total of 128 roadkill were recorded comprising 44 species belonging to 24 families. We recorded more bird and mammal roadkills, making up 46.9.% and 45.3% of the total samples, respectively. Out of the 44 species detected, 79.6% were of least concern, while 18.1% were vulnerable, i.e., near threatened and endangered species, while 2.3% were critically endangered. Diurnal species constituted the majority of roadkill detected (75%), followed by nocturnal (18.2%) and crepuscular (6.8%). Most records of roadkill (64.8%) were encountered in roads adjacent to protected areas, highlighting the potential threat that roads pose on wildlife within protected areas of Eastern Ethiopia. Our study is aimed at adding to the baseline of impacts of roads on wildlife in developing countries. Further study of spatial and temporal patterns of roadkill on the current study roads and other roads in the country will assist with a greater understanding of the impacts of roads in Ethiopia and allow appropriate mitigation measures to be proposed.