European Journal of Wildlife Research最新文献

Abstract

Introduction of invasive alien species (IAS) is one of the main threats to biodiversity. The Northern raccoon (Procyon lotor), here after named “raccoon,” recently introduced and rapidly expanding in three main populations in France, is one of the 47 IAS of concern in the European Union. At this date, there is no study on the ecology of the raccoon in France, yet the acquisition of knowledge of the species in its new environment is an essential step for a better evaluation of its impacts and improving its management. We studied space use and habitat selection by French raccoons in a rural population in the Marne department and in a suburban population in Gironde department, respectively, by tracking 14 individuals with GPS collars between May 2019 and August 2021. We estimated the home ranges’ size using minimum convex polygon (MCP), adaptative local convex hull (a-LoCoH), and dynamic Brownian bridge motion model (dBBMM). Habitat selection was studied at the second and third order using Ivlev’s electivity index and integrated step selection analysis (iSSA) models, respectively. Our results show that raccoons of the rural population have home ranges twice larger than those of the suburban population. Habitats are selected differently according to the population, highlighting the great plasticity of the raccoon. Woodlands are the most used habitats for both populations; however, anthropized areas also appear to be very attractive for the rural population. Surprisingly, this is not the case for the suburban population, which tends to avoid these habitats in favor of the wetland.

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) involves any interaction between human and wildlife that result in negative impacts on human social, economic, or cultural life, on the habitat and conservation of wildlife populations, or on the environment. HWC is frequent in the Junnar forest division (JFD) in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India, where Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) attacks on humans and livestock have a long history and increasing in severity due to changes in land use land cover and infrastructure. Domestic animals are the preferred prey of leopards in the study area, and people compete with wildlife for food and resources. Thus, managing adverse interactions is essential for conserving the lives and livelihoods of large carnivores, domestic animals, and people. The purpose of this study is to examine the spatial–temporal patterns of human–leopard conflict in the JFD. The study is based on leopard attack records on humans and livestock for the years 2001 to 2019 and livestock compensation and incidents data for the years 2017–2019 compiled from the JFD. The data has been analyzed using interpolation techniques on geospatial platform to identify leopard movement areas and significant spatial clustering of actual conflict locations. The analysis revealed that spatial predation threats for cattle have high-risk hotspots predominantly around sugarcane fields, waterbodies, and fallow land for grazing. The temporal analysis based on daytime duration revealed that livestock is mostly killed in mid- and early evening and during August, September, and October. The spatial–temporal studies on human–wildlife interactions would strengthen the effectiveness of conflict mitigation strategies and enable coexistence between people and wildlife.

Since 2007, an ongoing African swine fever (ASF) pandemic has significantly impacted Eurasia. Extensive field evidence and modeling confirm the central role of wild boar in ASF epidemiology. To effectively control and eradicate the infection, rapid detection of the ASF virus (ASFV) is crucial for prompt intervention in areas of recent viral introduction or ongoing outbreaks. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a cost-effective and non-invasive technique that has shown promising results in monitoring animal species and their pathogens and has the potential to be used for wildlife disease surveillance. In this study, we designed and evaluated an eDNA sampling method for highly turbid water and soil samples to detect ASFV and wild boar (Sus scrofa) DNA as a control using qPCR while ensuring biosafety measures and evaluating ASF epidemiology. To validate our method, we obtained samples from La Mandria Regional Park (LMRP) in northwestern Italy, an area free of ASFV, and spiked them in a laboratory setting with an ASFV’s synthetic DNA template. Our findings highlight the potential of eDNA monitoring as a reliable, rapid, and safe method for early detection of ASFV from soil and turbid water samples.

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has been extinct from the UK since the late medieval period. Recently, the idea of a reintroduction of the species has entered the public sphere. While reintroduction receives support from the public, there is significant opposition to the idea within the UK farming community. This study used a questionnaire survey to investigate the attitudes of UK farmers towards the reintroduction of the lynx. The theory of planned behavior was also used to predict farmers’ intention to cull lynx in the case of a reintroduction and the drivers behind this. Results indicated negative attitudes towards reintroduction among UK farmers. Older people, those from potential reintroduction areas, and sheep farmers, those whose income is dependent on farming and those with higher perceived knowledge of lynx, had more negative attitudes. Women were significantly more afraid of lynx than men. We also revealed that many farmers intended to hunt lynx in the case of a reintroduction, with attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control being significant predictors of intended behavior. Stronger protective laws for lynx could reduce intention to cull. Additionally, active management and regulation of the lynx population can facilitate harmonious coexistence. These findings suggest that high levels of legal protection and strategies that aim to encourage social norms against illegal culling of lynx, reduce capability to kill lynx (through policies relating to the use of equipment that can be used to kill lynx), or aim to change attitudes to culling lynx could help reduce the perceived conflict of farmers with regard to lynx reintroduction and increase the success of a reintroduction.

Specific questions in wildlife research and surveillance require safe and efficient capture, handling and anaesthesia protocols to enable sampling and transmitter placement in free-ranging individuals. For wild felids, various protocols are available, but detailed reports for European wildcats (Felis silvestris) are scarce. In particular, tools for anaesthesia monitoring under field conditions and reference values for heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and body temperature are missing. In the present study, European wildcats were caught in box traps before being released into catch bags for manual restraint. Inside the bags, ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia was applied via intramuscular injection, adjusted to the animal’s body weight. During anaesthesia, samples were taken, and vital variables were monitored continuously. Haematology and blood chemistry parameters were obtained, along with serological markers for antibodies against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline coronavirus and antigens of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). In total, 29 wildcats were captured, of which 21 were examined and marked with passive integrated transponders. Twelve wildcats were collared with GPS transmitters. Handling time under anaesthesia averaged 30 min (range 26–35 min). Heart rate ranged between 76 and 170 beats/min and respiratory rate between 20 and 52 breaths/min. Relative arterial oxygen saturation stayed mainly between 93 and 99%, and rectal temperature ranged between 36.2 and 40.2 °C. Further, FeLV antibodies were detected in 2/21 samples. The applied protocol facilitated safe and sufficient examination, sampling and transmitter placement, as well as the establishment of haematological and blood chemical values in free-ranging European wildcats for the first time.

Livestock ranching overlaps extensively with jaguar and puma distribution in the Casanare Department of east-central Colombia. Conservation programs prioritize large carnivores in the region. Ranchers retaliate by killing them in response to economic losses or fear related to their presence. Reducing retaliatory hunting is a top priority in the conservation of feline species. Predation mitigation methods (PMMs) are necessary to reduce depredation and increase tolerance for large felines. In a prospective cohort study, 16 ranches between 2017 and 2019 used electric fences (n = 14) and introduced creole cattle (n = 2) as PMMs. There was a significant difference in the risk and odds ratios between the control and treatment groups. Livestock depredation was 14.78 times higher outside PMM areas (OR, 14.78; RR, 0.069; p < 0.001) than inside such areas. The losses caused by depredation were much higher than the investments made in PMMs.

In order to monitor wildlife populations in a manner that supports policy makers and natural resource managers, data must be collected using frameworks and methodologies that allow for comparisons between projects and across time. Though hunting statistics may represent a reliable data source for monitoring population trends in game species, a standardised framework for collecting and analysing this data has never been established in Europe, even within countries. Here we describe a case study on the use of hunting statistics in Spain in order to (i) describe the variability in big game statistics collection frameworks across mainland regions of Spain and (ii) propose a minimum common denominator for a standardised approach at the country level. The main differences in methodologies identified are that each region collects different variables, uses different spatial and temporal resolution, and follows different methodologies. We described spatial patterns by grouping regions based on similarities in the hunting data collection system and identified socio-economic factors as a potential driver of differences in methodologies among regions. Hunting effort-related variables and improved temporal resolution (to the event level) must be incorporated in order to achieve country-level standardisation of methodologies. The use of application software to collect information from the field in a standardised way is recommended, which necessitates engaging stakeholders as part of the monitoring process. Applications software should be designed intentionally, and only after clear objectives for the monitoring program have been defined. Making hunting data open access will improve collaboration and information transfer to scientific and professional sectors. Our recommendations can be adapted to other European countries, which would make hunting data more useful for population monitoring and wildlife policy-making at large spatial scales. Initiatives such as the “European Wildlife Observatory” (www.wildlifeobservatory.org), a network of wildlife observation and monitoring points in Europe, may improve data exchange and standardise protocols, leading to better utilisation of hunting statistics for European wildlife population monitoring.

This study explores whether Natterer’s bats exhibit fidelity to their foraging sites and individual specialisation in their use of habitat types. The research tracked 34 individual bats in two different landscapes, with some bats tracked twice over varying time intervals. The study found that Natterer’s bats show consistency in their fidelity to foraging sites across different landscapes and intervals between observations. The bats repeatedly exploited specific foraging areas, and some showed individual specialisation in their habitat use. The study also found considerable variation in individual behaviour. The research suggests that a single full night of radio-tracking data can serve as a useful proxy for longer periods and contribute to more robust descriptions of resource requirements by Natterer’s bats in their breeding seasons. This study emphasises the importance of maximising the number of individuals from which movement data is obtained to inform conservation and management of temperate bats, whilst ensuring that the data represent a meaningful measure of behaviour. The results also suggest that protecting a mosaic of habitats rather than a single habitat may be important for Natterer’s bats, given their individual specialisation in habitat use.

Human–nature interactions are gaining increasing attention, as evidence accumulates on the health and well-being benefits of interacting with nature. Since public interest in wildlife affects support for biodiversity protection, it is important to elucidate and quantify the relevant factors in conservation efforts. However, the factors that affect public interest are highly abstract proxies for the closeness between humans and species. Therefore, more detailed variables that represent familiarity with humans (e.g., habitat type) and their relationship with public interest need to be identified. In the present study, we examined the factors influencing public interest in 391 bird species in Japan using Wikipedia pageviews as a proxy. Daily view data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2021 were obtained to explore statistical models explaining Wikipedia pageviews for birds using a generalized linear model and the corrected Akaike information criterion. We used habitat type, nesting place, body size, food use, and conservation status as independent variables. In this study, the Ministry of the Environment Red List was used as a conservation status data source, and other independent variables were obtained from the JAVIAN Database. Our results revealed that species that are ecologically and culturally close to humans attract high public interest. Furthermore, species related to an urban habitat type and food use were particularly associated with high public interest. The results showed that people were highly interested in birds that were physically and culturally close to humans. Although cities are historically novel environments, a variety of species have successfully colonized the urban environment, and cities have already been key interaction sites between people and wildlife. Therefore, planning for a highly biodiverse city owns the potential to increase public interest in these species and generate broad public support for conservation.

Ecological corridors have been identified as an important tool in the conservation of sloth bears by providing the structural and functional connectivity between isolated habitats. We evaluated possible connectivity linking five protected habitats in Gujarat state (India). The resistance score was developed for layers impeding the movement of sloth bears using the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Maximum resistance was shown by areas with human–bear conflict locations followed by land use/land cover. Based on the resistance scores, we mapped six potential corridors amongst protected habitats through least-cost path corridor analysis. Our results show the two links with minimum resistance between Ratanmahal–Shoolpaneshwar and Balaram Ambaji–Jambughoda. In the latter linkage, a large Euclidean distance tends to lower the quality of the corridor. A single link identified connecting Jessore and Balaram is potentially an important path to conserve the habitat in the north. We estimated the centrality flow along with the least cost path (LCP) assessing the importance of each node representing protected habitats in developing connectivity. Analysis revealed Balaram Ambaji as an important link in developing the connectivity through all the habitats for sloth bears in Gujarat state. The present study allows conserving potential habitats with less density of sloth bears by connecting them with highly dense habitats through ecological corridors. Developing the ecological corridors once validated on ground level can lead to long-term conservation of wildlife residing across the disconnected areas in the state, this, in turn, will assist in improving the quality of habitats while promoting co-existence amongst the humans and bears.