Detection and characterization of Mycoplasma spp. and Salmonella spp. in free-living European tortoises (Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca, and Testudo marginata)

Free-living and captive chelonians might suffer from upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), a pathology primarily caused by Mycoplasma agassizii. Wild tortoises can also be an important reservoir of Salmonella spp., which are commensal in the host reptile but are potential zoonotic agents. Between July 2009 and June 2010, we screened free-living European tortoises (spur-thighed tortoises Testudo graeca, Hermann's tortoises Testudo hermanni, marginated tortoises Testudo marginata) temporarily housed in a wildlife center in Italy. We molecularly characterized 13 Mycoplasma isolates detected in all Testudo spp. studied, and three PCR-positive animals showed typical URTD clinical signs at the time of sampling. Three Salmonella enterica serotypes (Abony, Potsdam, Granlo), already related to reptile-associated human infections, were also identified. These results highlight the potential role played by wildlife recovery centers in the spread and transmission of pathogens among wild chelonians and to humans.     

Captive Reptile Mortality Rates in the Home and Implications for the Wildlife Trade

The trade in wildlife and keeping of exotic pets is subject to varying levels of national and international regulation and is a topic often attracting controversy. Reptiles are popular exotic pets and comprise a substantial component of the live animal trade. High mortality of traded animals raises welfare concerns, and also has implications for conservation if collection from the wild is required to meet demand. Mortality of reptiles can occur at any stage of the trade chain from collector to consumer. However, there is limited information on mortality rates of reptiles across trade chains, particularly amongst final consumers in the home. We investigated mortality rates of reptiles amongst consumers using a specialised technique for asking sensitive questions, additive Randomised Response Technique (aRRT), as well as direct questioning (DQ). Overall, 3.6% of snakes, chelonians and lizards died within one year of acquisition. Boas and pythons had the lowest reported mortality rates of 1.9% and chameleons had the highest at 28.2%. More than 97% of snakes, 87% of lizards and 69% of chelonians acquired by respondents over five years were reported to be captive bred and results suggest that mortality rates may be lowest for captive bred individuals. Estimates of mortality from aRRT and DQ did not differ significantly which is in line with our findings that respondents did not find questions about reptile mortality to be sensitive. This research suggests that captive reptile mortality in the home is rather low, and identifies those taxa where further effort could be made to reduce mortality rates.     

云南省2014—2017年收容救护野生动物调查

通过对2014-2017年云南省被收容救护野生动物的物种数量、来源、频次等的调查和分析,结果发现:(1)云南省收容救护的野生动物超过93科269种,共计21 784只;其中,外来物种超过35种,以鸟类的种类和数量最多;(2)收容救护动物主要来源于执法单位移交,共20 485只,占94%;(3)非法动物贸易市场和渠道、人兽冲突、违规经营、民众缺乏对动物习性的了解是动物被收容救护的主要原因。管理部门需要加大监管力度,加强执法,严厉打击野生动物非法贸易,建立健全野生动物及制品市场准入机制,加强野生动物科普宣教工作,减少民众误抓误捉、随意放生外来物种等行为,进一步完善提高野生动物保护工作。     

The dynamics of trade in live wildlife across the Guangxi border between China and Vietnam during 1993–1996 and its control strategies

A survey on trade in live wild animals was conducted along the Guangxi border between China and Vietnam during 1993–1996. The results showed that there were 55 species, which were underestimated, involved in the trade, including 15 species of mammals, 10 species of birds, 29 species of reptiles and 1 species of amphibian. Many of them were species listed on Appendices I and II of CITES and on China's protection list (known as ASSP). During the investigation, about 2.29–29.325 tons of wildlife per day were imported to China form Vietnam. Some species with a large volume of trade may be over-exploited. Sixty-three percent of middle–high quality restaurants in three border cities and Nanning in Guangxi sold wildlife foods. Twenty kinds of wild animals were eaten at the restaurants. Although numbers of species involved in the trade remained fairly stable over the survey period, numbers of species listed in Appendices I and II of CITES and the state protection list had declined. The scale of wildlife markets in border cities of Guangxi and consumption levels of wildlife in the restaurants had been reduced because border control measures were enforced on the trade by local governments of China. However, the prices of the 5 main species in wildlife markets were still going up. This suggested that demand for wildlife in Guangxi was strong and will facilitate the illegal trade. The key steps to control the illegal wildlife trade between the two countries should focus on (i)suppression of illegal wildlife markets and prohibition of the sale of wildlife food in restaurants consisting of species listed in the ASSP inventory; (ii) international cooperation in the control of the trade; (iii) tighter enforcement of CITES for both countries; (iv) control of invasion of exotic species and epidemics of disease in the trade in China; and (v) education for wildlife conservation in China.     

A Preliminary Investigation on the Status of the Wildlife Trade in Guangxi,China

1IntroductionWildlifetradeisamain~mpetustoutilizewildlife.Thechangeinspeciesandvolumein-volvedinthewildlifetrademayreflectconservationstatus,dynamicsandexploitedlevelofwildliferesources.Thestudyonwildlifetradeisthetheoriticalbasisonwhichproposalsastolimittradeonrareorendangeredspeciescanbemade,andwithwhichfuturemonitoringofthetradecanbecompared.Theresultalsocanbeusedtoevaluateconservationeffectsofprotectionmeasuresandlawsforbiodiversityconservation.Itisofgreatsignificanceinguid-ingsustainable…     

Welfare impacts of the illegal wildlife trade in a cohort of confiscated greater slow lorises,Nycticebus coucang

Illegal harvesting and trade are major forces behind population declines of wild slow lorises (genus Nycticebus). The impacts of the wildlife trade on individual slow lorises have not been as well described. In this article, we describe quantitatively the consequences of the wildlife trade for 77 greater slow lorises, N. coucang, who were confiscated en masse and brought to Cikananga Wildlife Center in Indonesia. Medical records indicated that in total, 28.6% of the slow lorises died within the first 6 months, mostly due to traumatic injury, and all the infants died. The greatest sources of morbidity were external wounds (33.1% of 166 total medical events) and dental problems (19.3%). Of the surviving individuals, 25.4% displayed abnormal behavior. Behavioral observations indicated that healthy adults (n = 3) spent 48.2% of their active period performing stereotypies. These data illustrate the physical and behavioral impacts of the illegal wildlife trade on the welfare of slow lorises. We suggest that sharing these individual stories may help generate empathy and educate the public about the impacts of the exotic companion-animal (pet) trade on nonhuman animal welfare.     

以兽类为例探讨我国陆生野生动物疫病监管中面临的问题与对策

近年来, 新型冠状病毒、SARS病毒和鼠疫等新发和再发性动物源疫病多是由兽类及其媒介携带的病原生物直接或间接感染而引发的, 不仅对人类健康和生态系统平衡造成了重大威胁, 而且威胁全球公共卫生安全、粮食安全和生物安全。结合我国重要陆生兽类疫源疫病发生的新情况和新特点, 本文重点总结了我国以陆生野生及非野生兽类(家畜为主)为重点的24种重要人兽共患病的监管情况, 并对这些疫源疫病的监管空缺进行了分析。由于病原生物的种类多及其感染传播方式多样, 我国人间和动物间疫情呈现多发态势, 新发和再发疫病防控面临严峻挑战。从目前情况来看, 我国重要野生动物疫源疫病呈现为多部门、多层监管的局面。全球化贸易剧增、非法猎杀、非法交易、违法违规养殖、滥食野生动物陋习、检疫环节失察等导致了当前我国野生动物疫源疫病的传染源头和传播链错综复杂, 加剧了人类与野生动物所携带的病原接触、感染和传播的风险。极端气候或灾害事件频发以及对新发再发传染病的认知不足导致难以从源头做好疫病防控。针对上述问题, 本文提出了从源头加强基础研究和全链条监管来积极防范陆生野生动物疫病疫情的对策和建议。     

Wildlife trade,consumption and conservation awareness in southwest China

Commercial trade in wildlife is the major cause of species endangerment and a main threat to animal welfare in China and its neighboring countries. Driven by consumptive use for food and traditional medicine, the large volume of both legal and illegal trade in wildlife has caused great destruction to ecosystems and pushed many species to the brink of extinction. Data gathered from trading hubs at ports, boundary markets, city markets and stores, indicates the large amount of wildlife traded in the region of Guangxi, Yunnan and Qinghai provinces, a direct result of the numerous wildlife markets available. In a survey distributed in various trading places, while about half of the respondents agreed that wildlife should be protected, 60% of them had consumed wildlife at some point in the last 2 years. The results also indicated that law and regulation on wildlife trade control is insufficient. Wildlife trade controls are very limited because of bias on the utilization of wildlife as a natural resource to be exploited by the government agencies. The survey also shows that the current situation of wildlife consumption in key cities in China is serious, especially the consumption for food. The main consumption groups in China are male and young people with high education levels and good incomes. The key in public awareness publicity and education is to give them more information on the negative impacts of wildlife consumption and knowledge of protection.     

The emergence of a commercial trade in pangolins from Gabon

Recent seizures of illegally held wildlife indicate a mounting global trade in pangolins involving all eight species. Seizures of illegally traded African pangolins are increasing as wild populations of Asian species decline. We investigated trade in pangolins and law enforcement efforts in Gabon; a country likely to have intact wild populations of three of the four species of African pangolin. We compared village sales and trade chains between 2002‐2003 and 2014. Hunters reported pangolins to be the most frequently requested species in 2014, and the value of pangolins had increased at every point along their trade chain. In Libreville, giant pangolin prices increased 211% and arboreal pangolin prices 73% whilst inflation rose only 4.6% over the same period. We documented a low rate of interception of illegally traded pangolins despite increased law enforcement. Surveys of potential export routes detected exports across forest borders, in conjunction with ivory, but not through public transport routes. We conclude that whilst there is clear potential and likelihood that a wild pangolin export trade is emerging from Gabon, traditional bushmeat trade chains may not be the primary supply route. We recommend adjusting conservation policies and actions to impede further development of illegal trade within and from Gabon .     

An overview of international wildlife trade from Southeast Asia

Wildlife trade is the very heart of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development providing an income for some of the least economically affluent people and it generates considerable revenue nationally. In Asia the unsustainable trade in wildlife has been identified as one of the main conservation challenges. Internationally, wildlife trade is regulated through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) to which all Southeast Asian nations are signatory. I obtained data on international trade in CITES-listed animals in the period 1998–2007. In all >35 million animals (0.3 million butterflies; 16.0 million seahorses; 0.1 million other fish; 17.4 million reptiles; 0.4 million mammals; 1.0 million birds) were exported in this period, 30 million (~300 species) of them being wild-caught. In addition 18 million pieces and 2 million kg of live corals were exported. Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and China are the major exporters of wild-caught animals and the European Union and Japan are the most significant importers. Over this period exports in birds significantly decreased, trade in the other taxa either increased or remained stable. For all taxa but butterflies the vast majority of individuals represent wild-caught individuals. Records of illegal or undeclared international trade are scant but can be significantly larger than levels of official exports. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for better assessments of what levels of exploitation are sustainable (including exploring appropriate proxies for Non Detriment Findings), for initiatives to make regulatory mechanisms more effective (including the introduction of minimum mandatory standards and monitoring selected wildlife trade hubs), and for better licensing and registration. Funding for at least some of these initiatives can be obtained by imposing small levies on exports of CITES-listed wildlife.     

Animal origins of SARS coronavirus: possible links with the international trade in small carnivores

The search for animal host origins of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus has so far remained focused on wildlife markets, restaurants and farms within China. A significant proportion of this wildlife enters China through an expanding regional network of illegal, international wildlife trade. We present the case for extending the search for ancestral coronaviruses and their hosts across international borders into countries such as Vietnam and Lao People's Democratic Republic, where the same guilds of species are found on sale in similar wildlife markets or food outlets. The three species that have so far been implicated, a viverrid, a mustelid and a canid, are part of a large suite of small carnivores distributed across this region currently overexploited by this international wildlife trade. A major lesson from SARS is that the underlying roots of newly emergent zoonotic diseases may lie in the parallel biodiversity crisis of massive species loss as a result of overexploitation of wild animal populations and the destruction of their natural habitats by increasing human populations. To address these dual threats to the long-term future of biodiversity, including man, requires a less anthropocentric and more interdisciplinary approach to problems that require the combined research expertise of ecologists, conservation biologists, veterinarians, epidemiologists, virologists, as well as human health professionals.     

Illegal product manufacturing and exportation from Pakistan: Revealing the factuality of highly processed wildlife skin samples via DNA mini-barcoding

Illegal trade is a major threat to the biodiversity and the efforts initiated for the conservation of wildlife. The shortcomings of the traditional taxonomic identification methods have been coped by a revolutionary and emerging technique, the “DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) barcoding”. Here we report a case of trader who was allegedly making footwear for a famous international celebrity from wild animal cutis. The samples confiscated during a raid on a footwear manufacturing industry by KP Wildlife department in August, 2016, were received by Bioresource Research Centre (BRC) for molecular identification on 1^st September, 2016. The study costed about USD 88 from processing to the identification of the samples. The samples identified via DNA mini-barcoding by targeting cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene belong to Gazella bennettii and Bos taurus. Such studies are helpful for credible investigations that only lead to effective prosecution and control of illegal wildlife trade ultimately helping in conservation of wild animals.     

野生动植物贸易活动的特点及影响因子研究

不受控制的贸易可能导致野生动植物面临生存危机。探讨野生动植物贸易活动的特点和影响因子有利于提高野生动植物贸易的管理水平。本文从生物因素、社会因素、经济因素和文化因素等角度综合分析了除木材与海洋渔业以外的野生动植物贸易活动的特点。与一般贸易相比,这些野生动植物贸易活动具有传统性、地域性、流动的方向性、季节性、分散性、替代效应、反馈效应和补充性等特征。影响某一野生动植物物种进入野生动植物贸易活动的生物因子包括种群大小、易获得性、个体大小、周期性波动、耐受性、替代性等;社会因子包括政策、执法力度、社会心理、收入水平、猎捕技术等;同时,文化传统也会影响人们利用野生动植物和进行相关贸易的方式与范围。对野生动植物贸易活动特点和影响因子的分析为管理相关野生动植物贸易活动提供了依据。     

Animal movements and the spread of infectious diseases

Domestic and wild animal population movements are important in the spread of disease. There are many recent examples of disease spread that have occurred as a result of intentional movements of livestock or wildlife. Understanding the volume of these movements and the risks associated with them is fundamental in elucidating the epidemiology of these diseases, some of which might entail zoonotic risks. The importance of the worldwide animal trade is reviewed and the role of the unregulated trade in animals is highlighted. A range of key examples are discussed in which animal movements have resulted in the introduction of pathogens to previously disease-free areas. Measures based on heightened surveillance are proposed that mitigate the risks of new pathogen introductions.     

鸟市贸易威胁野生鸟类生存——以哈尔滨道外花鸟鱼市场为例

为探讨鸟市贸易对野生鸟类的威胁与影响,给当地野生动物保护部门实施监管提供科学依据,于2016年11月—2017年11月对黑龙江省哈尔滨市最大鸟市——道外花鸟鱼市场进行调查。结果发现:(1)共记录6目34科83属117种18 729只鸟类,其中野生鸟类5目32科77属108种11 662只。有出售国家保护鸟种黄胸鹀 Emberiza aureola、猛禽及非法捕猎工具的现象。(2)所有被贩卖的野生鸟类中,在黑龙江省有分布的共69种,数量达9 707只。相关分析结果表明,黑龙江省有分布的野生鸟类是鸟市非法捕捉及贩卖的主要对象。(3)贩卖量为春、秋季多,夏、冬季少,7—10月鸟类迁徙季节时最多,占总贩卖量的45.2%,说明鸟类秋季迁徙是非法猎捕的高峰期。(4)调查中发现较多的南方鸟种(32.4%)也一定程度上说明野生鸟类非法运输的严重性。建议当地林业和草原局及时加强对道外花鸟鱼市场的监管,在鸟类迁徙季节从非法捕捉和运输环节实施严厉打击。     

Fostering orphan Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo) as a successful conservation technique: A first for the species

For many species, the artificial raising of orphaned nestlings is a time and cost-prohibitive task, usually accompanied by low survivability. The introduction of orphaned nestlings to other natural nests was found to be a successful technique wherein fostered nestling(s) developed better in the wild and imprinting on humans is avoided. To date, the number of diurnal species in which induced alloparenting has been conducted is limited to several eagle species, falcons, buzzards, and vultures. In the owls, it has only been demonstrated to work in two species, but the eagle owl has not been studied in this aspect. Eagle Owls, amongst the largest of the owls with a geographic distribution stretching across Europe and Asia, are a favored species in the wildlife trade, and many a nestling is removed from the nest. In Israel, when reported or rescued, the nestlings are removed to the wildlife hospital where they are rehabilitated and then introduced into a wild nest with similarly aged nestlings. From 2009 to 2021 we conducted 44 successful adoptions of Eagle Owl orphans into active, wild nests. This success stresses the importance of our work as a conservation tool for the preservation of an apex predator across its breeding range.     

Exploited for pets: the harvest and trade of amphibians and reptiles from Indonesian New Guinea

Over-exploitation of wildlife is a significant threat to global biodiversity, but addressing the sustainability of harvests can be difficult when trade is conducted illegally. The wildlife trade is driven chiefly by consumer demand, largely in developed nations (but increasingly in Asia), and more species are traded to meet international demand for pets than for any other purpose. We surveyed traders of amphibians and reptiles in the Indonesian provinces of Maluku, West Papua and Papua between September 2010 and April 2011. We recorded 5,370 individuals representing 52 species collected solely for the pet trade. At least 44?% were either fully protected or had not been allocated a harvest quota, making their harvest and trade illegal. Approximately half were listed within the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Trade operates via a complex chain, with hunters receiving little income compared to middlemen and exporters. Examination of Indonesian harvest quotas for amphibians and reptiles suggests limited knowledge of species distributions, with quotas often set for species in provinces where they do not occur. Illegal trade is due, partly, to an inadequate understanding of the species being traded and is facilitated by poor monitoring and enforcement at key trade hubs. As a first step to combatting illegal trade, and to better understand the effects of harvest on wild populations, we recommend the need for increased monitoring and enforcement, improving the knowledge base of species traded and educating consumers about the effects their demand for pets has on these species.