Leopard predation on gelada monkeys at Guassa,Ethiopia

Predation is widely believed to exert strong selective pressure on primate behavior and ecology but is difficult to study and rarely observed. In this study, we describe seven encounters between lone wild leopards (Panthera pardus) and herds of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) over a 6-year period in an intact Afroalpine grassland ecosystem at the Guassa Community Conservation Area, Ethiopia. Three encounters consisted of attempted predation on geladas by leopards, one of which was successful. All three attacks occurred in low-visibility microhabitats (dominated by tussock graminoids, mima mounds, or tall shrubs) that provided leopards with hidden viewsheds from which to ambush geladas. An additional four encounters did not result in an attempted attack but still document the consistently fearful responses of geladas to leopards. In encounters with leopards, geladas typically gave alarm calls (n = 7 of 7 encounters), reduced interindividual distances (n = 5), and collectively fled towards or remained at their sleeping cliffs (n = 7), the only significant refugia in the open-country habitat at Guassa. Geladas did not engage in mobbing behavior towards leopards. Encounters with leopards tended to occur on days when gelada herd sizes were small, raising the possibility that leopards, as ambush hunters, might stalk geladas on days when fewer eyes and ears make them less likely to be detected. We compare the behavioral responses of geladas to leopards at Guassa with those previously reported at Arsi and the Simien Mountains and discuss how gelada vulnerability and responses to leopards compare with those of other primate species living in habitats containing more refugia. Lastly, we briefly consider how living in multilevel societies may represent an adaptive response by geladas and other open-country primates to predation pressure from leopards and other large carnivores.     

Vehicle–wild vertebrate collision mortality on the highways of Tigray,Ethiopia, implications for conservation

In view of the upcoming road network improvement and expansion in Ethiopia, specifically in Tigray, it is also necessary to understand the potential impacts of road accidents with wildlife vertebrate animals. Road mortality detection surveys were conducted from March 2013 to June 2014. We surveyed around 530 km using vehicle with special emphasis given to roads surrounded by wetlands, forests, rocky areas and rivers each month. Additional information was also collected using a standardized questionnaire. A total of twenty species, 143 individuals of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals were recorded as road vehicular accidents in the surveyed area. Of all, mammals showed the highest species richness (80 individuals belonging to ten species) followed by birds (49 individuals belonging to eight species). The survey revealed most accidents happened during the early morning and late evening. This might be due to relatively high traffic and continued activity of wild animals at that time, besides the driver's inability to avoid accidents when it is dark. Wildlife underpasses during road construction, location of crossing structures, rules of wildlife conservation, improving driver's awareness are relevant in this context and may be the most important mitigation measures to reduce mortality of wildlife on the roads.     

Steering the impacts of ungulates on temperate forests

Ungulate game damage to growing forest stock is recognised as being part of a larger landscape-forest-ungulate-human problem to be tackled on a landscape as well as a forest scale. Whether ungulate impacts are seen as “damage” or not depends on the targets of the different land users. Possibilities for a flexible, integrated pattern of ungulate, forest, hunting and landscape management are highlighted.

The impacts of forestry practices on food supply and food-independent settling stimuli for ungulates affect (1) the habitat quality, (2) the density, structure and dynamics of wildlife stocks, (3) the predisposition of forest to game damage, and (4) the scale of game damage that arises. Though silvicultural measures are seen to be of prime importance in controlling game damage, they alone cannot sustainably solve the problems of wildlife management; complementary inputs are required from all stakeholders – foresters, hunters, farmers, tourist authorities, conservationists, regional planning authorities and local communities – with plans coordinated over large enough regions to be relevant for the game species of interest.

The management tools for steering ungulate behaviour and forest-ungulate interactions derive from field research. However, communication of results to stakeholders appears to be a major weakness. Suggestions for improving collaboration between stakeholders and researchers are presented, along with future research needs.     

Diapause, pupation sites and parasitism of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans, in south-eastern Brazil

In order to verify the occurrence of diapause, preference for pupation sites and hymenopteran parasitism, the pupae of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae), were collected from undisturbed cattle dung pats in pastures, and adults of the fly were sampled from cattle in São Paulo State, south-eastern Brazil, from April 1993 to July 1994. Diapause was verified in 7.7% of pupae sampled from pastures in June and July of 1993 and in 9.9% of those sampled in May, June and July of 1994 (overall rate of 9.1%). Approximately 8.3% of the pupae were parasitized by microhymenopterans, mostly Spalangia nigroaenea and S.cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Horn fly pupae were found almost exclusively inside the pat or in the soil immediately beneath and adjacent to it, and very few were collected elsewhere. Pupa mortality was 54.4% and did not change significantly during the year, but mortality was greater among pupae collected in pastures when compared to those obtained from experimental pats, lacking natural enemies.     

African wolf diet,predation on livestock and conflict in the Guassa mountains of Ethiopia

The African wolf (Canis lupus lupaster) was first identified in 2011 in the Ethiopian highlands, with its status as a new species confirmed in 2015. We studied the diet of a confirmed African wolf population in the Menz‐Guassa Community Conservation Area of central Ethiopia from scat samples collected by den sites from August to November 2010. Rodents were found to be the principal food items occurring in 88.1% of scats (n = 101), followed by plant material (34.7%) and insects (21.8%). Information on reported livestock predation and ensuing conflict with the agro‐pastoral community was obtained through a questionnaire survey. Interview respondents listed the African wolf as the most serious predator of livestock, accounting for 74.6% of the reported kills (n = 492) and 78.9% of the economic loss. Over 70% of reported livestock predation occurred during the dry season (January–April). Better livestock management during this period may significantly reduce conflict. As sympatric Ethiopian wolves primarily feed on rodents, further studies on the foraging ecology, niche overlap and interspecific interactions between the two species should be studied to determine the extent of competition between the two species.     

Investigating the feasibility of a passive tracking index for monitoring wildlife in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia

In many places in Africa, constraints in human, financial and physical resources are common problems that limit the effectiveness of wildlife researchers and managers. In an attempt to identify a useful tool for monitoring African wildlife populations, we tested a passive tracking index (PTI) methodology on a unique wildlife resource area in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia. The methodology had previously proved valuable for monitoring a wide variety of wildlife species, including ungulates and carnivores in North America and Australia. Two ungulates (lesser kudu and dikdik), a carnivore (hyaena), a primate (baboon), and a ground foraging bird (guineafowl) were simultaneously indexed. In addition, single observations were recorded for genet, serval and caracal. The species indexed also represent the broad needs for monitoring wildlife. The mammal species are of economic importance to the region through sport hunting. Two of the species, hyaenas and baboons, potentially conflict with human agricultural interests through depredations on livestock and crop production. Anthrax periodically decimates the wildlife in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, but losses of many species are difficult to observe or quantitatively document. The PTI is a simple‐to‐apply, easy‐to‐calculate means to quantify simultaneously population trends for multiple species, and particularly applicable to sustainable harvest by sport hunting, human–wildlife conflicts, and impacts and recovery from wildlife disease.     

Diurnal activity patterns and feeding ecology of the endemic geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in the Simien Mountains National Park,Ethiopia

Diurnal activity patterns and feeding ecology of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) in Chenek, Simien Mountains National Park, were studied from January 2010 to April 2010. Data were gathered for 7 days per month starting from early in the morning to dusk. The study site (1805 ha) was divided into five blocks and a total of 397 individuals were counted using simultaneous census method. One band with 21 individuals was selected as a study group and scan sampling was used to study their diurnal activity patterns and feeding ecology. Geladas dedicated significantly more time to foraging than to other diurnal activities. They spent the majority of feeding time foraging on grass, and allocated little time to feeding on leaves, shoots, and flowers. Geladas of all age classes devoted the least time to resting, and spent similar amount of time moving. The study band was observed to interact with people, and to steal food from tourists and local people. Raising local people's awareness of geladas ecology and behavior might be a necessary component in the species' successful management and conservation.     

The impacts of predators and parasites on wild bumblebee colonies

1. The study of wild bumblebee nests has been hindered by the difficulty in locating and observing them. Here, 47 wild nests were located using a sniffer dog and volunteers. The entrances to 32 nests were filmed continuously to identify successful nests (those that produced gynes) and observe vertebrate species interactions. 2. Of the 47 nests, 71% and 21% produced gynes in 2010 and 2011, respectively. 3. A total of 39 vertebrate species were filmed at entrances but the majority did not interact with the nests. Great tits (Parus major) depredated or attempted to depredate bees on 32 occasions at the entrances to 10 nests, something that has not previously been described. Small mammals were very often recorded accessing entrances to bumblebee nests, but whether they depredated bees was not known, and frequently visited nests were no less likely to produce gynes. Eight nests were entered by adult wax moths, Aphomia sociella. 4. The faeces of 1179 workers from 29 Bombus terrestris nests were screened microscopically for parasites. Crithidia bombi infections were apparent in 49% of worker bees, while Nosema bombi and Apicystis bombi were present in 5.5% and 0.68% of bees, respectively. Nests with a high prevalence of C. bombi infection were less likely to produce gynes, the first evidence of a direct impact of this common parasite on bumblebee colony reproduction in wild nests. 5. Overall, our data indicate that bumblebee nests are at the heart of a rich web of interactions between many different predator and parasite species.     

Global spread of helminth parasites at the human–domestic animal–wildlife interface

Changes in species distributions open novel parasite transmission routes at the human–wildlife interface, yet the strength of biotic and biogeographical factors that prevent or facilitate parasite host shifting are not well understood. We investigated global patterns of helminth parasite (Nematoda, Cestoda, Trematoda) sharing between mammalian wildlife species and domestic mammal hosts (including humans) using >24,000 unique country‐level records of host–parasite associations. We used hierarchical modelling and species trait data to determine possible drivers of the level of parasite sharing between wildlife species and either humans or domestic animal hosts. We found the diet of wildlife species to be a strong predictor of levels of helminth parasite sharing with humans and domestic animals, followed by a moderate effect of zoogeographical region and minor effects of species’ habitat and climatic niches. Combining model predictions with the distribution and ecological profile data of wildlife species, we projected global risk maps that uncovered strikingly similar patterns of wildlife parasite sharing across geographical areas for the different domestic host species (including humans). These similarities are largely explained by the fact that widespread parasites are commonly recorded infecting several domestic species. If the dietary profile and position in the trophic chain of a wildlife species largely drives its level of helminth parasite sharing with humans/domestic animals, future range shifts of host species that result in novel trophic interactions may likely increase parasite host shifting and have important ramifications for human and animal health.     

Causes,temporal trends,and the effects of urbanization on admissions of wild raptors to rehabilitation centers in England and Wales

Data from wildlife rehabilitation centers (WRCs) can provide on‐the‐ground records of causes of raptor morbidity and mortality, allowing threat patterns to be explored throughout time and space. We provide an overview of native raptor admissions to four WRCs in England and Wales, quantifying the main causes of morbidity and mortality, trends over time, and associations between threats and urbanization between 2001 and 2019. Throughout the study period, 14 raptor species were admitted totalling 3305 admission records. The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo; 31%) and Tawny Owl (Strix aluco; 29%) were most numerous. Relative to the proportion of breeding individuals in Britain and Ireland, Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus), Little Owls (Athene noctua), and Western Barn Owls (Tyto alba) were over‐represented in the admissions data by 103%, 73%, and 69%, respectively. Contrastingly Northern Long‐eared Owls (Asio otus), Western Marsh Harriers (Circus aeruginosus), and Merlin (Falco columbarius) were under‐represented by 187%, 163%, and 126%, respectively. Across all species, vehicle collisions were the most frequent anthropogenic admission cause (22%), and orphaned young birds (10%) were most frequent natural cause. Mortality rate was highest for infection/parasite admissions (90%), whereas orphaned birds experienced lowest mortality rates (16%). For one WRC, there was a decline in admissions over the study period. Red Kite (Milvus milvus) admissions increased over time, whereas Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel admissions declined. There were significant declines in the relative proportion of persecution and metabolic admissions and an increase in orphaned birds. Urban areas were positively associated with persecution, building collisions, and unknown trauma admissions, whereas vehicle collisions were associated with more rural areas. Many threats persist for raptors in England and Wales, however, have not changed substantially over the past two decades. Threats associated with urban areas, such as building collisions, may increase over time in line with human population growth and subsequent urban expansion.     

Climate‐change impacts on sandy‐beach biota: crossing a line in the sand

Sandy ocean beaches are iconic assets that provide irreplaceable ecosystem services to society. Despite their great socioeconomic importance, beaches as ecosystems are severely under‐represented in the literature on climate‐change ecology. Here, we redress this imbalance by examining whether beach biota have been observed to respond to recent climate change in ways that are consistent with expectations under climate change. We base our assessments on evidence coming from case studies on beach invertebrates in South America and on sea turtles globally. Surprisingly, we find that observational evidence for climate‐change responses in beach biota is more convincing for invertebrates than for highly charismatic turtles. This asymmetry is paradoxical given the better theoretical understanding of the mechanisms by which turtles are likely to respond to changes in climate. Regardless of this disparity, knowledge of the unique attributes of beach systems can complement our detection of climate‐change impacts on sandy‐shore invertebrates to add rigor to studies of climate‐change ecology for sandy beaches. To this end, we combine theory from beach ecology and climate‐change ecology to put forward a suite of predictive hypotheses regarding climate impacts on beaches and to suggest ways that these can be tested. Addressing these hypotheses could significantly advance both beach and climate‐change ecology, thereby progressing understanding of how future climate change will impact coastal ecosystems more generally.     

Living on the edge: life‐history of olive baboons at Gashaka‐Gumti National Park,Nigeria

Baboons are the most successful and ubiquitous African primates, renowned for their behavioral and reproductive flexibility, which enable them to inhabit a wide variety of habitat types. Owing to a number of long‐term field studies, comparative behavioral, developmental, demographic, and life‐history data are available from several populations, but study sites show a heavy bias toward South and East African savannahs, with little research in West or Central Africa. Life‐history data from such areas are important if we are fully to understand the nature of the environmental factors that limit baboon distribution. Here, we present demographic data for olive baboons at Gashaka‐Gumti National Park (GGNP), Nigeria, collected from December 2000–February 2006, and use these data to test comparative models of baboon life‐history. The GGNP habitat, which includes large areas of rainforest, is an environment in which baboons are little studied, and rainfall is much higher than at previous study sites. GGNP troop size data are presented from censuses, as well as life‐history data for two troops, one of which is within the park and wild‐feeding (Kwano troop), whereas the other dwells at the park edge, and supplements its diet by crop‐raiding (Gamgam troop). Troop sizes at GGNP are small compared with other field sites, but fit within previously suggested ranges for baboons under these climatic conditions. Inter‐birth intervals in Kwano troop were long compared with most studied populations, and values were not as predicted by comparative models. Consistent with known effects of food enhancement, Gamgam troop experienced shorter inter‐birth intervals and lower infant mortality than Kwano troop. We indicate some possible factors that exclude baboons from true rainforest, and suggest that the clearing of forests in Central and West Africa for agricultural land may allow baboons to extend their range into regions from which they are currently excluded. Am. J. Primatol. 71:293–304, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Ecological impacts of human‐induced animal behaviour change

A growing body of literature has documented myriad effects of human activities on animal behaviour, yet the ultimate ecological consequences of these behavioural shifts remain largely uninvestigated. While it is understood that, in the absence of humans, variation in animal behaviour can have cascading effects on species interactions, community structure and ecosystem function, we know little about whether the type or magnitude of human‐induced behavioural shifts translate into detectable ecological change. Here we synthesise empirical literature and theory to create a novel framework for examining the range of behaviourally mediated pathways through which human activities may affect different ecosystem functions. We highlight the few empirical studies that show the potential realisation of some of these pathways, but also identify numerous factors that can dampen or prevent ultimate ecosystem consequences. Without a deeper understanding of these pathways, we risk wasting valuable resources on mitigating behavioural effects with little ecological relevance, or conversely mismanaging situations in which behavioural effects do drive ecosystem change. The framework presented here can be used to anticipate the nature and likelihood of ecological outcomes and prioritise management among widespread human‐induced behavioural shifts, while also suggesting key priorities for future research linking humans, animal behaviour and ecology.     

Predation of wild spider monkeys at La Macarena,Colombia

The killing of an adult male spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth ) by a jaguar (Panthera onca) and a predation attempt by a puma (Felis concolor) on an adult female spider monkey have been observed at the CIEM (Centro de Investigaciones Ecológicas La Macarena), La Macarena, Colombia. These incidents occurred directly in front of an observer, even though it is said that predation under direct observation on any type of primate rarely occurs. On the basis of a review of the literature, and the observations reported here, we suggest that jaguars and pumas are likely to be the only significant potential predators on adult spider monkeys, probably because of their large body size.     

Population structure and group size of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) at Chenek,Simien Mountains National Park,Ethiopia

The aim of this study was to investigate population structure and group size of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) at Chenek, Simien Mountains National Park. The study was carried out from January 2010 to June 2011 using total count method by classifying the study site into five different blocks. Size of the group was determined by counting individuals of geladas within an hour interval. A total of 397 geladas were counted and the ratio of adult males to adult females was 1 : 1.25, and this difference showed statistical significant (t = 8.157, P < 0.05). There was also significant difference between adult females with juveniles and infants (t = 21.027, P < 0.05). Population structure of geladas in a band comprised a single reproductive male and a number of females, subadults, juveniles and infants. Fission and fusion of individual geladas among different bands were observed during the study period. Geladas at the study site showed population growth and were seen competing for available food. They also stole food from local people and tourists and were seen to be interactive with people. Thus, the interference of people and livestock within the geladas natural habitat should be minimized to avoid human disturbance on the species and its natural habitat.