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The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is one of the most endangered mega herbivore in Africa. Although the human-hippo conflict (HHC) is currently escalating due to habitat loss, little is known about the scope of the conflict and potential mitigation measures. From 2021 to 2022, the extent of HHC, the perception of local inhabitants towards the animal, and its impacts on the conservation of the hippo were assessed within and in the surrounding areas of Dhidhessa Wildlife Sanctuary, southwestern Ethiopia. A total of 227 households were used as a data sources, participating in the questionnaire survey, focus group discussion and key informant interviews. Direct field observations were also used as key data source. Crop raiding and damage (63%, n = 143), was the most severely reported source of conflict, followed by direct human attack (22.9%, n = 52). Livestock predation and increased hippo mortality were also common types of HHC in the area. According to the study, the majority of respondents (74.4%, n = 169) agreed that the trend of conflict was increasing, while 16.7% (n = 38) argued that there was no change. Food scarcities in the buffer zone, as well as agricultural expansion in the area, have been identified as major drivers of HHC. The majority of respondents had a negative attitude toward hippo conservation; however, there were differences based on gender, age, and educational level. The major traditional hippo conflict mitigation strategies in the area include guarding, fencing, and trenching. Field observation revealed that a large extent of the former grazing and ranging areas of hippo in the area are heavily encroached and taken over by large private and public agricultural investments. Vacating and recovering at least the former buffer areas dedicated to the wildlife in the area and modern, non-lethal mitigation strategies are recommended for better conservation and safeguarding of the currently good-sized hippo population of the sanctuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematological and biochemical blood parameters are important tools for evaluating animals' health. They might be crucial in assessing the health of entire populations of wild animals, such as European bison (Bison bonasus). The aim of this study was to establish hematological and biochemical values for healthy European bison and to determine whether there were significant relations with age and sex. Blood samples were collected from 79 animals and tested according to generally accepted standards and the results were subjected to statistical analysis. Most of the age and gender-related correlations found in our study were predictable based on previous reports. Due to bone growth, juvenile animals have typically higher ALP and P concentrations relative to adults. Several age-related dependencies were surprising, like higher Na concentration in younger European bison. Determination of hematological and biochemical blood parameters of healthy European bison may significantly contribute to the further restitution of this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding parasite diversity in wild and captive animal populations has critical implications for both individual animal health and ecosystem dynamics in a broader sense. In mountain gazelles (Gazella gazella), the gastrointestinal helminth community is poorly understood, limiting our efforts in the conservation of this endangered bovid species. This species has only two remaining populations in the world, including the isolated northernmost population in Türkiye. Objectives: To identify and compare the diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in captive and free‐ranging populations of mountain gazelles in Hatay, Türkiye, and to assess potential zoonotic risks. Methods: In total, 105 fresh faecal samples, 45 individual samples and 60 faecal samples, representing 16 pools, from both captive and free‐ranging populations were collected and analysed using Fulleborn flotation, Benedek sedimentation and Bearman–Wetzel methods faecal flotation methods, including the McMaster technique to determine the severity of infection. Results: We detected 12 helminth taxa in our examination of faecal samples, including gastrointestinal nematodes, lungworms and trematodes. Parasites from the Trichostrongyloidea family demonstrated variable hatching stages and rates, potentially influenced by ambient conditions. We also detected one protozoan among the samples. Our results revealed a higher diversity of parasites in free‐ranging populations compared to captive ones. Conclusions: This study underscores the necessity for regular parasitological surveillance in both captive and free‐ranging wildlife populations for effective conservation management. It also contributes to the 'One Health' perspective by highlighting the potential zoonotic risks posed by parasites in wild ruminants. Our results have implications for the conservation and management of the mountain gazelle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 360 fecal samples were randomly collected from 150 cattle, 150 sheep, and 60 humans (30 people with close animal contact and 30 individuals without close animal contact) at 10 farms in Ilam, western Iran from June 2022 to August 2023. All samples were directly examined for Blastocystis by zinc sulfate flotation, followed by microscopic observation. Positive samples were further subtyped using conventional PCR and sequencing methods. A mean prevalence of 5.3% (16/300) was estimated for Blastocystis infection among examined animals, with 6% and 4.7% for cattle and sheep, respectively. Among the people who had close and non‐close animal contact, 16.7% (5/30) and 3.3% (1/30) were infected with Blastocystis, respectively (p < 0.05). All 22 positive samples were successfully sequenced at the SSU rRNA locus. Accordingly, Blastocystis isolates infecting domestic animals in Ilam belonged to the four STs (ST1‐ST3, and ST10). Of the 16 animal isolates, nine sequences (four ST10, three ST3, and two ST1) were related to cattle, and seven sequences (three ST10, two ST3, and two ST2) were isolated from sheep. Among the six human isolates, ST3 was the most predominant ST, followed by STs 1, 2, 6, and 7 (one case each). Of note, ST1‐ST3 were isolated in various farms both from animals and their breeders, which indicates the possible circulation of these STs between animal and human populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-wildlife interactions can affect human wellbeing and wildlife population persistence. This paper addresses the perceived impacts of wildlife on agropastoral food production in the Tarangire ecosystem of northern Tanzania. It is based on sixteen months of collaborative ethnographic fieldwork with agropastoral Maasai communities (2019–2020; 2022; 2023), 240 semi-structured interviews, and a household survey (n = 1076). People felt that caterpillars, elephants, and zebras had the most significant effects on crop production, while hyenas were responsible for the bulk of livestock depredation by carnivores. These social costs of wildlife merit further attention from conservation policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epistasis is often portrayed as unimportant in evolution. While random patterns of epistasis may have limited effects on the response to selection, systematic directional epistasis can have substantial effects on evolutionary dynamics. Directional epistasis occurs when allele substitutions that change a trait also modify the effects of allele substitution at other loci in a systematic direction. In this case, trait evolution may induce correlated changes in allelic effects and additive genetic variance (evolvability) that modify further evolution. Although theory thus suggests a potentially important role for directional epistasis in evolution, we still lack empirical evidence about its prevalence and magnitude. Using a new framework to estimate systematic patterns of epistasis from line-crosses experiments, we quantify its effects on 197 size-related traits from diverging natural populations in 24 animal and 17 plant species. We show that directional epistasis is common and tends to become stronger with increasing morphological divergence. In animals, most traits displayed negative directionality toward larger size, suggesting that epistatic constraints reducing evolvability toward larger size. Dominance was also common but did not systematically alter the effects of epistasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife populations can be unmarked, meaning individuals lack distinguishing features for individual identification. Populations may also exhibit non‐independent movements, meaning individuals move together. For populations of either unmarked or non‐independent individuals, models based on spatial capture–recapture (SCR) approaches can be used to estimate abundance, density, and other parameters critical for monitoring, management, and conservation. However, when individuals are both unmarked and non‐independent, few model options are available. One approach has been to apply unmarked models and not address the non‐independence despite unquantified impacts on bias, precision, and the ability to make robust ecological inferences. We conducted a simulation study to quantify the impact of non‐independence on the performance of spatial count (SC) and spatial partial identity models (SPIM) – two SCR‐based unmarked modeling approaches – and used the performance of fully marked and independent SCR as a reference. We varied the levels of non‐independence (aggregation and cohesion), detection probability, and the number of partial identity covariates used to resolve identities in SPIM estimation. We expected abundance estimates to be increasingly biased and precise as aggregation and cohesion increased. Results showed that models indeed became less robust to increasing non‐independence, but importantly suggested that only SPIM could be reliably applied under low levels of cohesion when sufficient partial identity covariates are available. SC yielded consistently biased estimates with poor precision. SCR was consistently robust across combinations of aggregation and cohesion, as expected. We therefore advise against the use of SC models for estimating population parameters when individuals are known to be non‐independent, caution that SPIM may be used under narrow ecological conditions, and encourage continued investigations into sampling design and methods development for estimating populations of unmarked and non‐independent individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foraging specialisations are common in animal populations, because they increase the rate at which individuals acquire food from a known and reliable source. Foraging plasticity, however, may also be important in variable or changing environments. To better understand how seabirds might respond to changing environmental conditions, we assessed how plastic the foraging behaviours of short-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) were during their non-breeding season. To do this, we tracked 60 birds using global location sensing loggers (GLS) over a single year between 2012 and 2016 with the exception of 8 individuals that were tracked over 2 consecutive years. Birds predominantly foraged in either the Sea of Okhotsk/North Pacific Ocean (Western strategy) or the southeast Bering Sea/North Pacific (Eastern strategy). The eight birds tracked for 2 consecutive years all returned to the same core areas, indicating that these birds were faithful to foraging areas between years, although the time spent there varied, probably in response to local changes in food availability. Overall, 50% of the birds we tracked left their core area towards the end of the non-breeding period, moving into the Chukchi Sea, suggesting that the birds have flexible intra-seasonal foraging strategies whereby they follow prey aggregations. We hypothesise that seasonal declines in chlorophyll a concentrations in their primary core foraging areas coincide with changes in the availability of large-bodied krill, an important food source for short-tailed shearwaters. Decreasing prey abundance likely prompts the movement of birds out of their core foraging areas in search of food elsewhere. This strategy, through which individuals initially return to familiar areas but disperse if food is limited, provides a mechanism that allows the birds to respond to the effects of climate variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals vary in how they respond to risks, and the extent to which they can modify their responsiveness has important consequences for understanding demographic responses to rapid human-induced environmental changes. The development of behavioural tolerance toward potentially risky situations may be particularly advantageous in such contexts. Behavioural tolerance can emerge from a variety of processes, leading to demographic and evolutionary consequences that can widely vary depending on the type of stressor. We suggest that developing a mechanistic theory of tolerance is essential to understand its consequences for fitness, population viability, and human–wildlife interactions. Behavioural responses are widely held to allow animals to cope with human-induced environmental changes. Less often appreciated is that the absence of behavioural response can also be advantageous. This is particularly true when animals become tolerant to situations that may be perceived as risky, although the actual risk is nonexistent. We provide a framework to understand the causes and consequences of behavioural tolerance. Tolerance can emerge from genetic, epigenetic, or learning mechanisms, each exerting different degrees of influence on its speed of acquisition, reversibility, specificity, and duration. The ultimate impact on fitness hinges on the interplay between these mechanisms and the nature of the stressor. Mechanistic clarity is therefore essential to better understand and manage human–wildlife interactions in the Anthropocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife populations are becoming increasingly fragmented by anthropogenic development. Small and isolated populations often face an elevated risk of extinction, in part due to inbreeding depression. Here, we examine the genomic consequences of urbanization in a caracal (Caracal caracal) population that has become isolated in the Cape Peninsula region of the City of Cape Town, South Africa, and is thought to number ~50 individuals. We document low levels of migration into the population over the past ~75 years, with an estimated rate of 1.3 effective migrants per generation. As a consequence of this isolation and small population size, levels of inbreeding are elevated in the contemporary Cape Peninsula population (mean FROH = 0.20). Inbreeding primarily manifests as long runs of homozygosity >10 Mb, consistent with the effects of isolation due to the rapid recent growth of Cape Town. To explore how reduced migration and elevated inbreeding may impact future population dynamics, we parameterized an eco‐evolutionary simulation model. We find that if migration rates do not change in the future, the population is expected to decline, though with a low projected risk of extinction. However, if migration rates decline or anthropogenic mortality rates increase, the potential risk of extinction is greatly elevated. To avert a population decline, we suggest that translocating migrants into the Cape Peninsula to initiate a genetic rescue may be warranted in the near future. Our analysis highlights the utility of genomic datasets coupled with computational simulation models for investigating the influence of gene flow on population viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and anthropogenic noise are two of the most widespread human-induced stressors affecting wildlife populations globally. However, the effects of these stressors are rarely investigated together, despite the fact that they often co-occur, particularly in urbanized areas and can have a multitude of adverse effects on species. Here, we compared the effects of heat stress and anthropogenic noise, both when presented alone and together, on the behaviour of wild Western Australian magpies, Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis. Birds were presented with a playback of background noise and a playback of anthropogenic (plane) noise under both heat stress and nonheat stress conditions. Consistent with previous studies, we found both heat stress and anthropogenic noise reduced foraging and increased vigilance behaviours of magpies. Importantly, exposure to these two stressors simultaneously led to a greater change in behaviour, revealing that the simultaneous occurrence of two anthropogenic stressors had a more marked effect on behaviour compared to either stressor alone. This study provides some of the first evidence of the additive impact of heat stress and anthropogenic noise on the behaviour of a wild urban-dwelling bird species. Such findings highlight the importance of considering multiple stressors when looking at the effects of human-induced rapid environmental change on animals, since anthropogenic stressors rarely occur in isolation. • Few studies investigate the impact of multiple simultaneous anthropogenic stressors. • Heat stress and anthropogenic noise are two stressors that often co-occur. • Magpies forage less and are vigilant more when exposed to both these stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding peoples' values and beliefs relating to wildlife is important in regions where human wildlife conflict is prevalent. This study investigated wildlife value orientations (WVO) among subsistence farmers in Bhutan. We explored WVOs and how they shape peoples' attitudes toward wildlife using 48 semi-structured interviews and 8 focus group discussions in four districts. A qualitative thematic analysis of this data revealed alignment with seven WVOs identified from the literature. Most respondents showed positive WVOs related to widely held Buddhist beliefs; however, negative WVOs were dominant amongst herders, whose livelihoods were most affected by wildlife. This leads to personal and community dissonance between societal religious beliefs and WVOs. Policies that address HWC should capitalize on positive societal beliefs and WVOs but recognize that herders will need a particular focus to overcome negative WVOs. Policies need to be redesigned to avoid future negative impacts on people, livelihoods, and conservation objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptospirosis, a disease of significant economic impact on livestock and public health concern, may exhibit unique epidemiological characteristics in indigenous villages, particularly those located within semiarid climates such as the Caatinga biome in Brazil. This environment often presents conditions unfavorable for leptospire survival. This study conducted serological diagnoses of livestock in indigenous villages within the Caatinga biome, Northeastern Brazil. The survey was carried out in the Mãe Maria and Santa Helena indigenous villages, home to the Xukuru de Cimbres tribe, in the county of Pesqueira, Pernambuco State, Brazil, within the Caatinga biome. Blood samples were collected from cattle (n = 42), goats (n = 41), and sheep (n = 19). Out of the 102 samples tested, 73 (71.6%; 95% CI = 62.8% - 80.3%) were seroreactive (cut-off = 100). The seropositivity rates for cattle, goats, and sheep were 54.8%, 80.5%, and 89.5%, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed in the proportion of seropositive animals between cattle and goats and cattle and sheep (P < 0.05). Icterohaemorrhagiae was identified as the most probable serogroup across all animal species. The study revealed that livestock in indigenous villages within the Caatinga biome are frequently exposed to leptospires. This finding underscores the importance of a One Health approach, emphasizing the need for comprehensive studies in areas where large human and animal populations coexist. Such studies are crucial for investigating zoonotic infections and for planning and implementing control measures against livestock-associated leptospirosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine infectious anaemia (EIA) is a life-long viral infection affecting equids, transmitted mechanically by biting flies and iatrogenic means. Despite its global distribution, active surveillance is limited, with passive clinical surveillance or control of specific equine sectors prevailing. In Italy, a national surveillance plan in horse, donkey, and mule populations has been established and includes mandatory passive and active surveillance through annual serological tests. During 2007–2010, the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test served as both screening and confirmatory tests. Since 2011, a three-tier diagnostic pathway was introduced, utilizing the ELISA test for screening, AGID as the confirmatory test, and the immunoblot test for cases where ELISA was positive and AGID was negative. From a total equid population of 406,000 animals, 1,337,899 samples were analysed during 2007–2012, with 2,348 (0.18%) testing positive. EIA seroprevalence significantly decreased across all the species/hybrids during the study period. EIA occurrence was higher in mules (IRR = 48.90) and lower in donkeys (IRR = 0.56) compared to horses. The holding seroprevalence was 1.15%. Spatial analysis revealed clusters of infection in central Italy. These findings demonstrate that active systematic surveillance effectively reduces EIA prevalence in equid populations. Mules and working horses in wooded areas appeared to be at higher risk of infection and act as EIA reservoirs. Surveillance and control should be maintained and strengthened in these species/hybrids and in these areas to effectively control EIA. Passive surveillance alone is insufficient to eradicate the disease, and EIA remains a constant threat for the equine industry if active control is not implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow is a major, climate-sensitive feature of the Earth's surface and catalyst of fundamentally important ecosystem processes. Understanding how snow influences sentinel species in rapidly changing mountain ecosystems is particularly critical. Whereas effects of snow on food availability, energy expenditure, and predation are well documented, we report how avalanches exert major impacts on an ecologically significant mountain ungulate - the coastal Alaskan mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus). Using long-term GPS data and field observations across four populations (421 individuals over 17 years), we show that avalanches caused 23−65% of all mortality, depending on area. Deaths varied seasonally and were directly linked to spatial movement patterns and avalanche terrain use. Population-level avalanche mortality, 61% of which comprised reproductively important prime-aged individuals, averaged 8% annually and exceeded 22% when avalanche conditions were severe. Our findings reveal a widespread but previously undescribed pathway by which snow can elicit major population-level impacts and shape demographic characteristics of slow-growing populations of mountain-adapted animals. Snow avalanches—a direct physical process—represent a major source of mortality and comprise a previously undescribed pathway by which climate-linked mechanisms impact demographics of slow-growing populations of mountain-adapted animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife damage to agriculture is serious in Japan; therefore, it is important to understand changes in wildlife population sizes. Although several studies have been conducted to detect wildlife from drone images, behavioral changes (such as wildlife escaping when a drone approaches) have been confirmed. To date, the use of visible and near-infrared images has been limited to the daytime because many large mammals, such as sika deer (Cervus nippon), are crepuscular. However, it is difficult to detect wildlife in the thermal images of urban areas that are not open and contain various heat spots. To address this issue, a method was developed in a previous study to detect moving wildlife using pairs of time-difference thermal images. However, the user's accuracy was low. In the current study, two methods are proposed for extracting moving wildlife using pairs of airborne thermal images and deep learning models. The first method was to judge grid areas with wildlife using a deep learning classification model. The second method detected each wildlife species using a deep learning object detection model. The proposed methods were then applied to pairs of airborne thermal images. The classification test accuracies of "with deer" and "without deer" were >85% and >95%, respectively. The average precision of detection, precision, and recall were >85%. This indicates that the proposed methods are practically accurate for monitoring changes in wildlife populations and can reduce the person-hours required to monitor a large number of thermal remote-sensing images. Therefore, efforts should be made to put these materials to practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In search of an alternative standard for an increasingly divided world there has been a rise in scholarly interest in non-commodified hospitality to achieve sustainable human–human and human–Nature relations. Unlike tolerance, hospitality offers us the intellectual space required to rethink human–wildlife relations in a way that reverses the anthropocentric power dynamic undergirding tolerance and creates hospitable spaces for wild animals on a crowded planet. This conceptual scoping project engages a thorough critique of tolerance as a design principle within wildlife conservation governance, particularly human–wildlife conflict, and proposes a more durable human–wildlife coexistence arrangement underpinned by hospitality. Tolerance has become a central position in wildlife conservation thought, and a goal in and of itself. Appeals to tolerance are expected to grow as the planet becomes more crowded, species are lost, and habitat is degraded. The concept has been uncritically adopted in wildlife conservation to mitigate human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). However, scholars have demonstrated that tolerance is burdened with limitations, paradoxes, and shortcomings. Thus, blind adherence to it is not expected to produce a coexistence design necessary to sustain wildlife populations in the long term. This paper is a conceptual scoping project that engages a summary and critique of tolerance as a design principle within wildlife conservation governance. After introducing a resultant theory of dysfunctional human–wildlife coexistence, a pathway toward hospitality as a social institution is outlined via several commitments societies can make to transition to an era of normalizing a process of sincere welcoming, care, and support. The transition from tolerance to hospitality will entail shifting responsibility to humans to modify their behavior to help keep wildlife invisible where it is essential, learning about what wildlife want and need, and ensuring wildlife is not injured for being themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa are major concerns for public health worldwide. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in clinical, environmental, and poultry sources in Bangladesh, along with their antibiotic susceptibility and the profiling of β-lactamase and virulence genes using standard molecular and microbiology techniques. We collected 110 samples from five different locations, viz., BAU residential area (BAURA; n = 15), BAU Healthcare Center (BAUHCC; n = 20), BAU Veterinary Teaching Hospital (BAUVTH; n = 22), Poultry Market (PM; n = 30) and Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MCCH; n = 23). After overnight enrichment in nutrient broth, 89 probable Pseudomonas isolates (80.90%) were screened through selective culture, gram-staining and biochemical tests. Using genus- and species-specific PCR, we confirmed 22 isolates (20.0%) as P. aeruginosa from these samples. Antibiogram profiling revealed that 100.0% P. aeruginosa isolates (n = 22) were multidrug-resistant isolates, showing resistance against Doripenem, Penicillin, Ceftazidime, Cefepime, and Imipenem. Furthermore, resistance to aztreonam was observed in 95.45% isolates. However, P. aeruginosa isolates showed a varying degree of sensitivity against Amikacin, Gentamicin, and Ciprofloxacin. The blaTEM gene was detected in 86.0% isolates, while blaCMY, blaSHV and blaOXA, were detected in 27.0%, 18.0% and 5.0% of the P. aeruginosa isolates, respectively. The algD gene was detected in 32.0% isolates, whereas lasB and exoA genes were identified in 9.0% and 5.0% P. aeruginosa isolates. However, none of the P. aeruginosa isolates harbored exoS gene. Hence, this study provides valuable and novel insights on the resistance and virulence of circulating P. aeruginosa within the clinical, environmental, and poultry environments of Bangladesh. These findings are crucial for understanding the emergence of β-lactamase resistance in P. aeruginosa, highlighting its usefulness in the treatment and control of P. aeruginosa infections in both human and animal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of pathogen prevalence are, at least partially, the result of coevolutionary host–pathogen interactions. Thus, exploring the distribution of host genetic variation in relation to infection by a pathogen within and across populations can provide important insights into mechanisms of host defence and adaptation. Here, we use a landscape genomics approach (Bayenv) in conjunction with genome‐wide data (ddRADseq) to test for associations between avian malaria (Plasmodium) prevalence and host genetic variation across 13 populations of the island endemic Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii). Considerable and consistent spatial heterogeneity in malaria prevalence was observed among populations over a period of 15 years. The prevalence of malaria infection was also strongly positively correlated with pox (Avipoxvirus) prevalence. Multiple host loci showed significant associations with malaria prevalence after controlling for genome‐wide neutral genetic structure. These sites were located near to or within genes linked to metabolism, stress response, transcriptional regulation, complement activity and the inflammatory response, many previously implicated in vertebrate responses to malarial infection. Our findings identify diverse genes – not just limited to the immune system – that may be involved in host protection against malaria and suggest that spatially variable pathogen pressure may be an important evolutionary driver of genetic divergence among wild animal populations, such as Berthelot's pipit. Furthermore, our data indicate that spatio‐temporal variation in multiple different pathogens (e.g. malaria and pox in this case) may have to be studied together to develop a more holistic understanding of host pathogen‐mediated evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning shows promise for automating detection and classification of wildlife from digital aerial imagery to support cost-efficient remote sensing solutions for wildlife population monitoring. To support in-flight orthorectification and machine learning processing to detect and classify wildlife from imagery in near real-time, we evaluated deep learning methods that address hardware limitations and the need for processing efficiencies to support the envisioned in-flight workflow. We developed an annotated dataset for a suite of marine birds from high-resolution digital aerial imagery collected over open water environments to train the models. The proposed 3-stage workflow for automated, in-flight data processing includes: 1) image filtering based on the probability of any bird occurrence, 2) bird instance detection, and 3) bird instance classification. For image filtering, we compared the performance of a binary classifier with Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) as a means of sub-setting large volumes of imagery based on the probability of at least one bird occurrence in an image. On both the validation and test datasets, the binary classifier achieved higher performance than Mask R-CNN for predicting bird occurrence at the image-level. We recommend the binary classifier over Mask R-CNN for workflow first-stage filtering. For bird instance detection, we leveraged Mask R-CNN as our detection framework and proposed an iterative refinement method to bootstrap our predicted detections from loose ground-truth annotations. We also discuss future work to address the taxonomic classification phase of the envisioned workflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age estimation is crucial for investigating animal populations in the past and present. Visual examination of tooth wear and eruption is one of the most common ageing methods in zooarchaeology, wildlife management, palaeontology, and veterinary research. Such approaches are particularly advantageous because they are non-destructive, can be completed using photographs, and do not require specialized training. Several tooth wear and eruption methods have been developed for Rangifer tarandus, a widely distributed and long-utilized species in the North. This paper evaluates the practicality and effectiveness of three existing visual tooth wear and eruption methods for this species using a large known-age sample from several caribou populations in northern Canada (Bluenose East, Bluenose West, Dolphin-Union, Qamanirjuaq, and Beverly herds). These methods are evaluated based on: (1) the amount of error and bias between estimated and actual ages, (2) suitable and interpretable results, (3) user-friendly and unambiguous procedures, and (4) which teeth and visual features of those teeth are used to record wear and eruption status. This study finds that the three evaluated methods all have variable errors and biases, and two show extensive biases when applied to older individuals. Demographic data is simpler to generate and more flexible to report when methods allow age to be estimated as a continuous or discrete variable, rather than as age ranges. The dentition samples used by two of the previously developed methods impact their applicability to other populations of Rangifer. In one existing method, individuals were unavailable from some age ranges leaving gaps when assigning ages. For another Rangifer-ageing method, the population utilized was too distinct in morphology or diet to be used with the Canadian caribou analyzed here. Additional refinement of tooth wear and eruption ageing methods will benefit zooarchaeological research on reindeer and caribou remains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild animals eating agricultural products and coming close to people's residences are primary causes of human--wildlife conflict worldwide. When carnivores eat anthropogenic foods and cause human safety concerns, it often results in the removal of the animals and public demand for reduced wildlife populations. The use of remote methods, such as scare devices, to deter carnivores has been touted in the literature; however, efficacy evidence remains thin. I test the efficacy of a widely available motion-activated solar alarm lamp to deter grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) from farms in Montana, USA. When scare devices were activated, there was a 46% reduction in the odds bears would access an attractant. For every additional scare device, there was an additional 44% reduction in the odds of a bear getting the food. Additionally, scare devices caused bears to be more vigilant and increase movement behavior. More bears in a group led to loss of deterrence efficacy, and there was no evidence for habituation to the aversive stimuli. This deterrence method was most effective in August and for fungicide-treated wheat. Out of 21 farms, scare devices stopped bears from returning to 11 sites. Overall, scare devices can be a cheap and easy first step to preventing, or resolving, some grizzly bear issues in the use-of-force continuum, which hierarchically organizes conflict responses from non-lethal to more severe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity is omnipresent in our landscapes. Animals can perceive risk from humans similar to predation risk, which could affect their fitness. We assessed the influence of the relative intensity of recreational activities on the bodyweight and pregnancy rates of red deer (Cervus elaphus) between 1985 and 2015. We hypothesized that stress, as a result of recreational activities, affects the pregnancy rates of red deer directly and indirectly via a reduction in bodyweight. Furthermore, we expected non‐motorized recreational activities to have a larger negative effect on both bodyweight and fecundity, compared to motorized recreational activities. The intensity of recreational activities was recorded through visual observations. We obtained pregnancy data from female red deer that were shot during the regular hunting season. Additionally, age and bodyweight were determined through a post‐mortem examination. We used two Generalized‐Linear‐Mixed Models (GLMM) to test the effect of different types of recreation on (1) pregnancy rates and (2) bodyweight of red deer. Recreation had a direct negative correlation with the fecundity of red deer, with bodyweight, as a mediator as expected. Besides, we found a negative effect of non‐motorized recreation on fecundity and bodyweight and no significant effect of motorized recreation. Our results support the concept of humans as an important stressor affecting wild animal populations at a population level and plead to regulate recreational activities in protected areas that are sensitive. The fear humans induce in large‐bodied herbivores and its consequences for fitness may have strong implications for animal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvesting and culling are methods used to monitor and manage wildlife diseases. An important consequence of these practices is a change in the genetic dynamics of affected populations that may threaten their long‐term viability. The effective population size (Ne) is a fundamental parameter for describing such changes as it determines the amount of genetic drift in a population. Here, we estimate Ne of a harvested wild reindeer population in Norway. Then we use simulations to investigate the genetic consequences of management efforts for handling a recent spread of chronic wasting disease, including increased adult male harvest and population decimation. The Ne/N ratio in this population was found to be 0.124 at the end of the study period, compared to 0.239 in the preceding 14 years period. The difference was caused by increased harvest rates with a high proportion of adult males (older than 2.5 years) being shot (15.2% in 2005–2018 and 44.8% in 2021). Increased harvest rates decreased Ne in the simulations, but less sex biased harvest strategies had a lower negative impact. For harvest strategies that yield stable population dynamics, shifting the harvest from calves to adult males and females increased Ne. Population decimation always resulted in decreased genetic variation in the population, with higher loss of heterozygosity and rare alleles with more severe decimation or longer periods of low population size. A very high proportion of males in the harvest had the most severe consequences for the loss of genetic variation. This study clearly shows how the effects of harvest strategies and changes in population size interact to determine the genetic drift of a managed population. The long‐term genetic viability of wildlife populations subject to a disease will also depend on population impacts of the disease and how these interact with management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmenting depleted genetic diversity can improve the fitness and evolutionary potential of wildlife populations, but developing effective management approaches requires genetically monitored test cases. One such case is the small, isolated and inbred Cotter River population of an endangered Australian freshwater fish, the Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica, which over 3 years (2017–2019) received 71 translocated migrants from a closely related, genetically more diverse population. We used genetic monitoring to test whether immigrants bred, interbred with local fish and augmented population genetic diversity. We also investigated whether levels of river flow affected recruitment, inbreeding depression and juvenile dispersal. Fish length was used to estimate the age, birth year cohort and growth of 524 individuals born between 2016 and 2020 under variable flow conditions. DArT genome‐wide genotypes were used to assess individual ancestry, heterozygosity, short‐term effective population size and identify parent‐offspring and full‐sibling families. Of 442 individuals born after translocations commenced, only two (0.45%) were of mixed ancestry; these were half‐sibs with one translocated parent in common. Numbers of breeders and genetic diversity for five birth year cohorts of the Cotter River fish were low, especially in low‐flow years. Additionally, individuals born in the year of lowest flow evidently suffered from inbreeding depression for juvenile growth. The year of highest flow was associated with the largest number of breeders, lowest inbreeding in the offspring and greatest juvenile dispersal distances. Genetic diversity decreased in the upstream direction, flagging restricted access of breeders to the most upstream breeding sites, exacerbated by low river flow. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of translocations could be increased by focussing on upstream sites and moving more individuals per year; using riverine sources should be considered. Our results indicate that river flow sufficient to facilitate fish movement through the system would increase the number of breeders, promote individuals' growth, reduce inbreeding depression and promote genetic rescue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global and national authorities have not historically approached animal health emergencies through a gendered lens. Yet these events almost certainly have gendered dimensions, such as differential engagement of women or men depending on their culturally accepted or assigned roles for animal care: risk of exposure to zoonoses; and access to emergency resources during response and recovery. Despite the role that gender seems to play with respect to animal health emergencies, little research has been conducted to better understand such dynamics, and little policy has been promulgated to address it in a way that optimizes response while ensuring equitableoutcomes. This piece summarizes 3 key themes that emerged from a panel discussion on gender and animal health emergencies at the World Organisation for Animal Health Global Conference on Emergency Management in April 2023. These themes were differential gendered exposure to pathogens; a lack of equitable gender representation in animal health decision-making; and enhancement of pathways for recognizing gender in national and international actions in preparing for, detecting, and responding to animal health emergencies. Beyond increasing opportunities for women to engage in leadership, the animal health and veterinary communities will benefit from connecting practitioners with gender experts to develop more integrative approaches to emergency preparedness and management. Animal health professionals should also advocate for further research to elucidate gender-specific dynamics in human populations in the context of animal emergencies and the promulgation of evidence-based policies. Such transformative efforts will lead to better outcomes for all people who depend on and provide care for animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hippopotamus and other wildlife species survey were conducted in the Zambezi River between Kariba dam wall and Luangwa River confluence. The main objective of the survey was to establish hippopotamus and other wildlife species population distribution and densities along the Zambezi River. The boat survey method was used on both sides of the river in October 2022 for 262 km. Individual hippopotamus counted were 1769 on the Zambian side and 1424 on the Zimbabwean side. The Zimbabwean side recorded higher hippopotamus pods (138) than the Zambian side (123). Individual hippopotamus density was 26.60/km with a pod density of 0,45/km. There was a significant difference in hippo population between the five Zambezi River sections on the Zambian side (${x^2}$ x 2 = 2345, df = 4, p = 0.01) and Zimbabwean side (${x^2}$ x 2 = 538, df = 4, p = 0.01). The study established areas with high hippo and other wildlife species population distribution and densities, and the study helps to inform management of protected areas' carrying capacities and management of Human Wildlife Conflicts. The study recommends more studies on hippopotamus migration, population demography, variation in home ranges and regular population surveys in both rivers and inland waterholes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthrax, a zoonotic disease with serious public health consequences, has been the subject of rigorous mathematical and statistical modeling to better understand its dynamics and to devise effective control techniques. In this study, we propose a novel mathematical risk-structured model for anthrax disease spread that includes both qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Our research focuses on the complex interplay between host–anthrax interactions and zoonotic transmission. Our mathematical approach incorporates bifurcation analysis and stability considerations. We investigate the dynamic behavior of the proposed model under various settings, shedding light on the important parameters that determine anthrax transmission and persistence. The normalized forward sensitivity analysis method is used to determine the parameters that are relevant to reducing R c and, by extension, disease spread. Through scenario simulation of our model, we identify intervention techniques, such as enlightenment of the populace, that will effectively minimize disease transmission. Our findings provide insights into anthrax epidemiology and emphasize the importance of effective disease management. Bifurcation investigations reveal the existence and stability of numerous equilibria, allowing for a better understanding of the behavior of the system under various scenarios. This study adds to the field of anthrax modeling by providing a foundation for informed decision-making regarding public health measures. The use of a mathematical modeling approach improves our ability to anticipate and control anthrax epidemics, ultimately helping to protect both human and animal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial communities of fish are considered an integral part of maintaining the overall health and fitness of their host. Research has shown that resident microbes reside on various mucosal surfaces, such as the gills, skin, and gastrointestinal tract, and play a key role in various host functions, including digestion, immunity, and disease resistance. A second, more transient group of microbes reside in the digesta, or feces, and are primarily influenced by environmental factors such as the host diet. The vast majority of fish microbiome research currently uses lethal sampling to analyse any one of these mucosal and/or digesta microbial communities. The present paper discusses the various opportunities that non‐lethal microbiome sampling offers, as well as some inherent challenges, with the ultimate goal of creating a sound argument for future researchers to transition to non‐lethal sampling of wild fish in microbiome research. Doing so will reduce animal welfare and population impacts on fish while creating novel opportunities to link host microbial communities to an individual's behavior and survival across space and time (e.g., life‐stages, seasons). Current lethal sampling efforts constrain our ability to understand the mechanistic ecological consequences of variation in microbiome communities in the wild. Transitioning to non‐lethal sampling will open new frontiers in ecological and microbial research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic noise is one of the fastest growing, globally widespread pollutants, affecting countless species worldwide. Despite accumulating evidence of the negative impacts of wind turbines on wildlife, little is known about how the noise they generate affects ecological systems. Songbirds may be susceptible to noise pollution due to their reliance on vocal communication and thus, in this field study, we examined how songbirds are affected by wind turbine noise. We broadcasted noise produced by one wind turbine in a migratory stopover site during the nonbreeding season. Throughout the study, we repeatedly monitored the acoustic environment and songbird community before, during, and after the noise treatments with passive acoustic monitoring and mist netting. We employed generalized linear mixed effects models to assess the impact of experimental noise treatment on birds behavior and likelihood ratio tests to compare models with variables of interest with null models. The daily number of birds in the presence of wind turbine noise decreased by approximately 30% compared with the before and after phases. This reduction had a significant spatial pattern; the largest decrease was closer to the speaker and on its downwind side, fitting measured sound propagation. Although we found no impact on species diversity, two out of three most common species showed clear avoidance behavior: 45% and 36% decrease in abundance for the lesser whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) and Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala momus), respectively. In the after phase, there were lingering effects on the lesser whitethroat. The age structure of the lesser whitethroat population was affected because only juvenile birds showed avoidance behavior. No difference in avoidance extent was found between migratory and nonmigratory species, but the impacts of displacement on migrants during stopover are especially troubling from a conservation perspective. Our results stress the need to address the impacts of noise pollution on wildlife when planning noise‐generating infrastructures, such as wind turbines, to allow for sustainable development without threatening already declining songbird populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiome science has provided groundbreaking insights into human and animal health. Similarly, evolutionary medicine – the incorporation of eco‐evolutionary concepts into primarily human medical theory and practice – is increasingly recognised for its novel perspectives on modern diseases. Studies of host–microbe relationships have been expanded beyond humans to include a wide range of animal taxa, adding new facets to our understanding of animal ecology, evolution, behaviour, and health. In this review, we propose that a broader application of evolutionary medicine, combined with microbiome science, can provide valuable and innovative perspectives on animal care and conservation. First, we draw on classic ecological principles, such as alternative stable states, to propose an eco‐evolutionary framework for understanding variation in animal microbiomes and their role in animal health and wellbeing. With a focus on mammalian gut microbiomes, we apply this framework to populations of animals under human care, with particular relevance to the many animal species that suffer diseases linked to gut microbial dysfunction (e.g. gut distress and infection, autoimmune disorders, obesity). We discuss diet and microbial landscapes (i.e. the microbes in the animal's external environment), as two factors that are (i) proposed to represent evolutionary mismatches for captive animals, (ii) linked to gut microbiome structure and function, and (iii) potentially best understood from an evolutionary medicine perspective. Keeping within our evolutionary framework, we highlight the potential benefits – and pitfalls – of modern microbial therapies, such as pre‐ and probiotics, faecal microbiota transplants, and microbial rewilding. We discuss the limited, yet growing, empirical evidence for the use of microbial therapies to modulate animal gut microbiomes beneficially. Interspersed throughout, we propose 12 actionable steps, grounded in evolutionary medicine, that can be applied to practical animal care and management. We encourage that these actionable steps be paired with integration of eco‐evolutionary perspectives into our definitions of appropriate animal care standards. The evolutionary perspectives proposed herein may be best appreciated when applied to the broad diversity of species under human care, rather than when solely focused on humans. We urge animal care professionals, veterinarians, nutritionists, scientists, and others to collaborate on these efforts, allowing for simultaneous care of animal patients and the generation of valuable empirical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wild animal populations, there is a differentiation between populations due to natural selection. The direction and pressure of natural selection in the wild sheep are different in the various geographic areas. Linkage disequilibrium studies showed that regions of the genome in whole wild sheep are under natural selection and that natural selection can affect immune or reproductive or metabolic traits. The study aimed to identify genomic regions under natural selection in wild sheep. For this purpose, the genetic information of 24 European wild sheep and 24 Sardinian wild sheep was used. The genotypes were determined using Illumina 50 K SNPChip arrays based on Oar_4.0 version of the sheep genome. After quality control steps, finally, 31,560 SNP markers were analyzed. The value of LD was calculated by calculating the r2 statistic between all pairs of locations through PLINK software. To identify signs of selection based on linkage disequilibrium methods, an extended haplotype homozygosity test of XP-EHH crossing population and iHS intrapopulation was used. The results of iHS studies showed that in European and Sardinian wild sheep, the highest iHS coefficient under natural selection was observed on 3 and 2 chromosome numbers, respectively. Also, the results of XP-EHH studies showed that the largest XP-EHH coefficients under natural selection in European wild sheep compared to Sardinian and vice versa in Sardinian wild sheep compared to European wild sheep were observed on 3 and 16 chromosome numbers, respectively. In addition, the results of gene cycle studies showed that COPB1, SEC24D, ZDHHC17, BBS4, RFX3, SLC26A8, CAMK2D, GRIA1, GRM1, GRID2, PPP2R1A, CPEB4, PLEKHA5 and KIF13A, VPS39, VPS53, DTNBP1, DYNC1I1, FAM91A genes are under natural selection in Sardinian and European wild sheeps, respectively. The direction and selection pressure of natural selection in the two breeds of wild sheep is different due to different geographic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burns are a serious public health problem worldwide, causing high morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to compare two forms of treatment for partial skin burns and to determine whether one is superior to the other in terms of efficacy and benefits through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. This article highlights the efficacy of tilapia skin in the treatment of burns. We performed a meta-analysis of 199 patients and highlighted the promising results that indicate the clinical relevance of this resource when we compared the cost of dressings with the daily need for dressing changes, healing potential, and reduction in pain level according to the VAS scale and reduced frequency of dressing changes. Methods: A search of PubMed, Cochrane Central, and LILACS was performed to identify randomized controlled trials comparing tilapia skin and silver-based dressings for treating burns. Studies involving overlapping populations and animals were excluded. The outcomes of interest were complete re-epithelialization, decreased pain level, and dressing change. Results: Summarize the article's main findings. Conclusions: Four randomized trials were included with a total of 199 patients with partial-thickness burns between the ages of 2 and 70 years. A total of 99 (49.74%) patients were treated with tilapia skin, and conventional treatment was used on 100 (50.25%) of the patients. Differences were found between the tilapia and silver-based treatments concerning re-epithelialization (MD −0.48; CI 95% −0.71 to −0.24; p < 0.01; I2 = 0%), decreased pain level (MD −0.79; CI 95% −1.10 to −0.47; p < 0.01; I2 = 0%), and dressing change outcome (MD −3.54; 95% CI −5.81 to −1.26; p = 0.02; I2 = 97%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Several pedigree-based analyses of dog breed populations have revealed increased levels of inbreeding worldwide. These inbreeding levels threaten dogs' fitness and adaptability, population development, and survival, as well as breeds' economic importance and breeding goals. Therefore, determining the population structure of the Boerboel dog breed is critical for monitoring and controlling the loss of genetic diversity through optimal breeding programs in order to preserve its unique genes. This study's findings revealed that the Boerboel dog breed has less genetic diversity, implying increased homogeneity, and there is unequal founder contribution to the current population's genetic variation. Future breeding strategies would need to avoid the mating of closely related animals and the use of popular males. The Boerboel dog breed (BBD) is indigenous to South Africa (SA) and plays an important role in safeguarding homes and farms. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD) classifies the BBD as a protected species, and it is valued for its intelligence, boldness, and strength, as well as for continually ensuring the safety of its owners. The aim of this study was to investigate genetic diversity within the BBD population using pedigree information. The original BBD data, which contained 87,808 records, were obtained from the Integrated Registration and Genetic Information System (INTERGIS). After editing, the pedigree data included 87,755 records of animals born between 1971 and 2019. Pedigree analyses were performed using PEDIG (Fortran 77 software) to determine the completeness, inbreeding coefficients, and genetic diversity as defined by the genetic contributions of the most important ancestors of the current animals. This study identified 91.2% inbred animals in the BBD population, with an average and maximum inbreeding of 7.5% and 50% of inbred animals, respectively. The estimated inbreeding rate per year was 0.20% with an effective population size of 83.1. The most influential ancestors explained 82.63% and 80.92% of the total genetic variation for males and females in the studied populations, respectively. Only 10 important ancestors explained more than 50% of the entire population's genetic diversity. The numbers of founders ( f ) were 348 and 356, and the effective numbers of founders ( f e ) were 57.4 and 60.1, respectively, for males and females. The numbers of founders were higher than the effective numbers of founders, implying a loss of genetic diversity due to unequal founder contributions. The BBD population was not critically endangered based on the inbreeding rates and effective population size; however, the population experienced a significant loss of genetic variability, unequal genetic contributions by founders, and a genetic bottleneck. Future breeding strategies could benefit from using equal proportions of parent stock and including new genetically distant breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The avian population, occupying a diverse range of ecological niches and urban environments, serves as a crucial reservoir and sentinel for various pathogens. The role of birds in the transmission of infectious diseases is well established, and their ability to harbor a wide range of pathogens has been documented by numerous studies. As such, their surveillance and monitoring can provide valuable insights into the emergence and spread of bacterial diseases. Therefore, understanding the complex interactions between birds and their pathogens is of utmost importance in the field of public health and requires continued research and investigation. Birds that roam freely, particularly those that migrate, have the potential to carry a range of diseases that can be passed on to humans. The vast movement of these birds across diverse environments and urban areas can contribute to the spread of bacteria over long distances, impacting both human and animal populations. Stress, overcrowding, and human interaction can also play a role in the transmission of infectious diseases among birds and humans. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the intricate connections between birds, vectors, zoonotic pathogens, and the environment, especially given the increasing urbanization and emergence of zoonotic illnesses. This review aims to provide a systematic overview of the significance of avian species in transmitting bacterial pathogens that pose a risk to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of social disengagement, network narrowing and social selectivity with advancing age in several non-human animals challenges our understanding of the causes of social ageing. Natural animal populations are needed to test whether social ageing and selectivity occur under natural predation and extrinsic mortality pressures, and longitudinal studies are particularly valuable to disentangle the contribution of within-individual ageing from the demographic processes that shape social ageing at the population level. Data on wild Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) were collected between 2013 and 2020 at the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. We investigated the social behaviour of 61 adult females observed for 13 270 h to test several mechanistic hypotheses of social ageing and evaluated the consistency between patterns from mixed-longitudinal and within-individual analyses. With advancing age, females reduced the size of their social network, which could not be explained by an overall increase in the time spent alone, but by an age-related decline in mostly active, but also passive, behaviour, best demonstrated by within-individual analyses. A selective tendency to approach preferred partners was maintained into old age but did not increase. Our results contribute to our understanding of the driver of social ageing in natural animal populations and suggest that social disengagement and selectivity follow independent trajectories during ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coxiella burnetii infection was monitored during seven kidding seasons (2017–2023) in a dairy goat herd that after an outbreak of Q fever abortions was vaccinated with an inactivated phase I vaccine. Due to the high infection rate just after the outbreak, only the replacement stock was vaccinated during the first three kidding seasons, and when the average herd immunity had decreased (fourth kidding season onwards), the whole herd was vaccinated. Vaginal swabs, feces, and milk were analyzed by PCR to monitor infection, and dust and aerosols were analyzed to measure C. burnetii environmental contamination. One year after the onset of the outbreak, a significant reduction in C. burnetii shedding loads was observed, but the percentage of shedding animals remained high until the third kidding season. By the seventh kidding season, no shedders were detected. The bacterial load excreted was significantly lower in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated animals, and in yearlings compared with multiparous. C. burnetii was detected by PCR in aerosols collected inside the animal premises throughout the study period except in the last season; whereas, aerosols collected outdoors tested negative in the last three kidding seasons. Viable C. burnetii was detectable in environmental dust collected inside the barn until the third kidding season following the outbreak. These results indicate that after an outbreak of Q fever, the risk of infection for humans and susceptible animals can remain high for at least three kidding seasons when the number of C. burnetii animal shedders is still high, even when bacterial excretion is low. IMPORTANCE Q fever is a zoonosis distributed worldwide. Ruminants are the main reservoir, and infection can cause high rates of abortion. After entering a farm, Coxiella burnetii infection can persist in the animal population over several lambing/kidding periods. Once infection is established in a herd, vaccination with the inactivated Phase I vaccine significantly reduces bacterial shedding, but although at low levels, excretion may continue to occur for several lambing/kidding seasons. The time that C. burnetii remains viable in the farm environment after an outbreak of Q fever determines the period when risk of infection is high for the people in close contact. This work showed that this period extends at least three kidding seasons after the outbreak. These results provided valuable information on the epidemiology of C. burnetii infection in goat herds and may help to develop guidelines for controlling the disease and reducing infection risk for susceptible people and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of human activities across natural environments is now well known. This includes agricultural activities that effectively render many former natural environments sterile habitats for animals. Very often, what remains of the natural habitat are hedgerows that serve as habitat or pathways for movement between habitats for many species, including reptiles. In this study, we describe population changes in the western green lizard, Lacerta bilineata, in a hedgerow system in western France. The results are derived from a univariate diversity analysis of photographic data to identify individual lizards over a 4-year study period. Lizards were sighted from March April to October early November but there was a midsummer gap in sightings during July–August. The annual presence of individual lizards was low, both between and within years, but based on the diversity analysis, the overall stability of the population was high. Female numbers varied and were highest in 2020, but juveniles were highest in 2023; the numbers of males present each year were approximately the same. Individual lizards that were present before the midsummer gap were mostly absent after the midsummer gap and were replaced by new individuals. Incidences of autotomy were low in males and juveniles and were not recorded in females. In general, the results suggest that the lizards move through hedgerow systems but remain in a specific section for reproduction from March to July. Through this study, we also highlight the importance of univariate diversity formulas to obtain robust results in investigations of the demographic aspects of animal populations that are easy to monitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are an essential part of modern healthcare, revolutionizing medicine and saving countless lives worldwide. However, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern, with the potential to cause a public health crisis in the future. The aim of this review article is to provide an overview of the microbial and anthropogenic factors contributing to AMR, as well as the consequences of inaction to address the AMR crisis. We searched various international databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar using "Antimicrobial Resistance"," Superbug", "Antibiotic Stewardship", "One Health' and "Surveillance" as search keywords in different combinations. We have thoroughly discussed the causes of AMR, such as the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, and the development of resistant strains of bacteria. We have also suggested possible interventions to combat AMR, such as the one health approach, antibiotic stewardship protocols, and the application of artificial intelligence in drug design. Additionally, we have explored the benefits of traditional ethnic medicinal practices in therapy. In conclusion, this review article emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive and strategic plan to address the issue of AMR. Further in-depth research and novel approaches can mitigate the growing menace of AMR and safeguard of both human and animal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to protect endangered prey, ecologists suggest introducing parasites into predators which have achieved the expected goal in practice. Then how to explain the inherent mechanism and validate the effectiveness of this approach theoretically? In response to this question, we propose an eco-epidemiological system with the standard incidence rate and the anti-predator behavior in this paper, where the predator population is infected by parasites. We show the existence and local stability of equilibria for the system, and verify the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation. Theoretical and numerical results suggest that the fear effect reduces the density of the predator population but has no effect on the density of prey population. In addition, the cost of fear may not only break the stability of the equilibrium of the system, but also induce the equilibrium to change from unstable to stable. Based on the theoretical analysis, we confirm that introducing parasites into the predator population is an effective method to protect endangered prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The dedication of people towards wildlife will form an important part in future wildlife conservation and the halt of biodiversity decline. In this context, education and knowledge transfer can help to prevent actions deriving from misinformation. In this study, we refer to a survey among people interested in wildlife and try to highlight the importance of the improvement of educational services for a success in future coexistence and meaningful wildlife care. We discovered that a strong opinion about dealing with wildlife is associated with increasing contextual knowledge and experience in wildlife conservation. With the results of a survey presented in this paper, we provide insight into public attitudes towards dealing with wildlife. Based on 1569 data sets derived from participating stakeholders, we inquired about the individual experience the participants had made with wild animals, and asked about their personal engagement, attitude towards management, and emotions involved and tried to evaluate basic contextual knowledge. As a result, we discovered a positive effect showing that a strong opinion about dealing with wildlife is associated with increasing contextual knowledge. People that are experienced in and engaged in wildlife conservation expressed significantly stronger positive emotions in this context. We conclude that education is essential in dealing with wildlife responsibly and that positive emotions are a main trigger for such engagement. The results of the survey underline that a combination of contextual knowledge and a positive attitude towards wildlife leads to a higher awareness of possible conflicts between humans and wildlife. Furthermore, these criteria are crucial when developing strategies that strive for a sustainable coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As temperatures warm in response to anthropogenic changes (climate change and urbanization), animals must respond adaptively to these changes or be displaced. Here, we use community science data (iNaturalist and BugGuide) to show that melanization in larval monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758), an endangered species in Canada) is correlated with latitude and temperature across a latitudinal gradient, indicating likely use in thermoregulation. We also predicted that melanization would decrease in cities where temperatures are consistently higher than rural areas; however, we found that while melanization was lower in urban areas, it was not statistically significant. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering life stage when assessing capacity for adaptation to anthropogenic change in vulnerable animal populations, like monarch butterflies. We also show the value of using community science to sample species (particular those of most concern) distributions across the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the genetic diversity and gene flow among populations in combination with ecological data provides valuable insight into the spatial use and genetic structure of wildlife. Anthropic impact generates landscape changes that threaten species by favouring their isolation in small patches and limiting their connectivity. However, in some cases, it can increase genetic exchange among wild populations. Here, we used a set of 16 microsatellites to study the genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and historical and current gene flow of coypu (Myocastor coypus) populations, a semi-aquatic rodent that inhabits watercourses of the highly anthropized agroecosystems of the Pampas region. Our results showed moderate to high levels of genetic diversity and revealed the existence of genetic structure among populations. Bayesian analysis showed different patterns of genetic structure among and within sampling sites. Also, the patterns of historical gene flow differed from that seen today. These results, together with previous studies, suggest that anthropic pressure, habitat fragmentation and ephemeral landscapes in a highly modified ecosystem could alter the dispersal patterns of coypus in their native range, which would otherwise be different in an environment with low anthropic impact. The results provide new information that could be used in effective conservation programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective wildlife conservation requires understanding diet composition and its consequences for population demography. Generalist predators consume a wide range of prey species and are therefore less sensitive to changes in prey abundance than specialists, but their reproductive success can still be driven by a primary prey species. We assessed breeding season diet of an at-risk population of American Goshawks (Accipiter atricapillus) across two ecological zones (coastal and transitional) on the south coast of British Columbia. We used three methods: egested pellets, prey remains, and nest cameras. We further assessed the impact of diet specialization and diet diversity on goshawk productivity. Diet composition and diversity differed among sample sources (pellets, pooled pellets-and-remains, cameras) and between measurements (biomass vs. counts of prey items), highlighting the importance of transparent methodology in raptor diet studies. Goshawks consumed 32 identified prey species but pine squirrels (Tamiasciurus spp.) dominated their diet in both ecological zones (14–61% of biomass), which indicated that pine squirrels may be a primary prey for this population. Diet of coastal zone goshawks contained slightly more birds and fewer hares than diet of transitional zone goshawks, consistent with the hypothesis that goshawk diet reflects local prey abundance. Goshawk pairs at 12 nests monitored with nest cameras fledged 1.4 ± 0.8 young per nest, but we found no evidence to support a correlation between diet diversity or dietary specialization and goshawk productivity. Our results suggest goshawks in this region act as functional specialists on locally abundant prey resources, but more research is needed to understand how variation in prey abundance affects goshawk diet and demographics in this temperate rainforest generalist. La conservación efectiva de la vida salvaje requiere comprender la composición de la dieta y sus consecuencias para la demografía poblacional. Los depredadores generalistas consumen una amplia variedad de especies presa y, por lo tanto, son menos sensibles a los cambios en la abundancia de presas que los especialistas, pero su éxito reproductivo aún puede depender de una especie presa principal. Evaluamos la dieta durante la temporada de cría de una población en riesgo de Accipiter atricapillus a lo largo de dos zonas ecológicas (costera y de transición) en la costa sur de la Columbia Británica. Utilizamos tres métodos: egagrópilas regurgitadas, restos de presas y cámaras de nidos. Además, evaluamos los impactos de la especialización y de la diversidad de la dieta en la productividad de A. atricapillus. La composición y la diversidad de la dieta difirieron entre las fuentes de muestreo (egagrópilas, egagrópilas y restos combinados, cámaras) y entre las mediciones (biomasa vs. recuento de presas), destacando la importancia de utilizar una metodología transparente en los estudios de dieta de rapaces. Los individuos de A. atricapillus consumieron 32 especies de presas identificadas, pero las ardillas de pino (Tamiasciurus spp.) dominaron su dieta en ambas zonas ecológicas (14–61% de la biomasa), lo que indica que las ardillas de pino pueden ser una presa principal para esta población. La dieta de los individuos de A. atricapillus de la zona costera incluyó ligeramente más aves y menos liebres que la dieta de los individuos de la zona de transición, lo que es consistente con la hipótesis de que la dieta de A. atricapillus refleja la abundancia local de presas. Las parejas de A. atricapillus en 12 nidos monitoreados con cámaras en nido criaron 1.4 ± 0.8 juveniles por nido, pero no encontramos evidencia que respalde una correlación entre la diversidad o la especialización de la dieta y la productividad de A. atricapillus. Nuestros resultados sugieren que A. atricapillus en esta región actúa como un especialista funcional sobre los recursos de presas localmente abundantes, pero se necesita más investigación para comprender cómo la variación en la abundancia de presas afecta la dieta y la demografía de A. atricapillus, una especie generalista del bosque templado. [Traducción del equipo editorial] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uma Ramakrishnan, the recipient of the 2023 Molecular Ecology Prize, has had a successful career in population genetics and molecular ecology. She grew up in an academic environment and was exposed to scientists and ecological ideas from a young age. Her interest in animals and ecology led her to pursue degrees and internships in related fields, where she developed skills in genetic analysis and data-driven research. Uma's research has focused on various species, including tigers, bats, and elephants, and has contributed to our understanding of genetic diversity, population structure, and conservation strategies. She has also been involved in mentoring and outreach efforts to inspire and support students, particularly women, in the field of research. [Extracted from the article]

Impact of human activities on conservation of endangered species is significant due to the creation of wildlife-livestock interfaces (WLI), which increases the likelihood of disease transmissions. Protected wildlife populations may suffer from diseases caused by gastrointestinal (GI) parasites, potentially impacting conservation efforts. A population of ~100 wild bantengs inhabits the Lam-Pao non-hunting area, which is adjacent to human communities, animal farms and the Pao River, making this WLI suitable for a study of prevalence of GI parasites in the bantengs and domestic cattle. This research examined the prevalence and diversity of GI parasites and explored the associations between the parasitic species identified in the 2 animal groups. Formalin ethyl - acetate concentration technique (FECT) identified overall prevalence of 26.2, 17.4, 53.3 % for both animal groups, bantengs and domestic cattle respectively. The following prevalence of parasitic eggs were identified in the bantengs (N = 46) and the domestic cattle (N = 15) respectively: 1) 8.7 and 46 % of strongyle-type; 2) 4.3 and 6.7 % of Moniezia spp.; 3) 2.2 and 0 % of Fasciola spp.; 4) 6.5 and 6.7 % of Rumen flukes; 5) 0 and 13.3 % of Toxocara spp.; 6) 0 and 6.7 % of Capillaria spp.; 7) 0 and 6.7 % of Strongyloides spp.; and 8) 0 and 6.7 % of Trichuris spp. The combination of coproculture and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) was used to identified common strongyle-type species. We determined Oesophagostomum radiatum in 2 cattle (13.3 %) and 3 (6.5 %) banteng samples, Cooperia onchophora in 1 (6.7 %) cattle sample and Ostertagia ostertagi in 1 (6.7 %) cattle sample. The results present in this study would enable management to proactively strategize and prepare for parasitic diseases that can endanger such a population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) studies generate thousands of hours of audio, which may be used to monitor specific animal populations, conduct broad biodiversity surveys, detect threats such as poachers, and more. Machine learning classifiers for species identification are increasingly being used to process the vast amount of audio generated by bioacoustic surveys, expediting analysis and increasing the utility of PAM as a management tool. In common practice, a threshold is applied to classifier output scores, and scores above the threshold are aggregated into a detection count. The choice of threshold produces biased counts of vocalizations, which are subject to false positive/ negative rates that may vary across subsets of the dataset. In this work, we advocate for directly estimating call density: The proportion of detection windows containing the target vocalization, regardless of classifier score. We propose a validation scheme for estimating call density in a body of data and obtain, through Bayesian reasoning, probability distributions of confidence scores for both the positive and negative classes. We use these distributions to predict site-level call densities, which may be subject to distribution shifts (when the defining characteristics of the data distribution change). These methods may be applied to the outputs of any binary detection classifier operating on fixedsize audio input windows. We test our proposed methods on a real-world study of Hawaiian birds and provide simulation results leveraging existing fully annotated datasets, demonstrating robustness to variations in call density and classifier model quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is competition for land between Maasai pastoralists and the park agency in the Serengeti ecosystem. The park agency wants to use the land for wildlife conservation while the pastoralist community wants to use it for livestock grazing. Predatory wildlife kills livestock while herbivorous wildlife competes with livestock for water and grazing. In retaliation, the Maasai hunt predators and grazers to protect their livestock and also to supply the black market for wildlife products. With both the Maasai and animal populations growing, increased conflicts are inevitable. This paper develops a bioeconomic model with three animal species to analyse the optimal combination of pastoral activities and wildlife conservation in the Serengeti ecosystem. Using Pontryagin's maximum principle, the market problem for each agent is optimized and compared to the social planner's outcome. Results show that the market solutions are suboptimal because of negative externalities affecting both agents and inadequate regard to biodiversity conservation values. Mathematical simulations of the bioeconomic model are used to generate a solution in which the Maasai pastoralists and park agency can optimally share the land for their mutual benefit. The policy implication is that the government should establish an independent regulatory institution with a primary mandate of balancing the contested socioeconomic and ecological needs of stakeholders in prime ecosystems such as the Serengeti. Recommendations for Resource Managers: Both pastoralists and park agencies must limit the amount of effort engaged in extensive livestock production and wildlife conservation, as this translates into increased demand for land by either party.In terms of welfare, a combination of antipoaching effort by the parks agency and poaching effort by the pastoralists that exceed optimum levels results in a decrease in social welfare.Increasing extensive livestock production entails greater demand for grazing space, which must be offset by a reduction in protected acreage; this, too, poses a risk of species extinction.Given that the current size of the Serengeti's wildlife stock may be near optimal, the goal of wildlife policy should be to simultaneously reduce the incentives for resource managers to exert excessive antipoaching effort to maintain a healthy wildlife population while also reducing incentives for the pastoralist community to overstock livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]