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This article discusses the complexities of reintroducing cheetahs in India as part of the Project Cheetah initiative. The authors address the challenges of extrapolating data from African cheetah populations to predict the space use of cheetahs in India's Kuno National Park. They highlight the differences in ecosystems, vegetation, and human activity between the two regions, which may affect cheetah movement patterns. The article also mentions the strategies employed by Project Cheetah to manage cheetahs' ranging patterns and mitigate conflicts with humans and other animals. The authors emphasize the need for empirical data on cheetah spatial ecology in India and stress the importance of adaptive management in the reintroduction process. Overall, the article provides insights into the complexities of reintroducing cheetahs and emphasizes the need for time and careful planning to ensure the success of conservation and restoration projects. [Extracted from the article]

Genetic Basis for Species Vulnerability in the Cheetah Over 1000 animal species, many of them mammalian, have been recognized by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species as being [...]

Human-wildlife conflict is detrimental to the conservation of threatened carnivores and the livelihoods of rural communities. This paper compares perceived levels of human-carnivore conflict experienced on five Namibian communal conservancies and four resettled farming areas. Factors explored include how reported depredation was affected by livestock husbandry practices, the perceived annual cost of depredation and the reported problem predator species. Of the 147 respondents interviewed, perceived depredation was greater than in previous studies; high perceived depredation was associated with greater rates of predator removal, increased ranking of predators as problems and increased predator sighting frequency. Small stock species were the most commonly depredated livestock. The most frequently perceived predators were: jackals on goats and sheep, wild cats on chickens, leopards on horses and spotted hyenas on cattle. The financial cost of this predation was US$508898, mostly attributable to cattle depredation, and agricultural training schemes recommending good livestock management may help reduce this cost. A move from small to large stock farming could be promoted in areas with an abundance of small- to medium-sized carnivores and a lack of large carnivores. Further incentives, such as meat provision and income from consumptive and non-consumptive tourism could ensure benefits outweigh costs of wildlife coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Knowledge of a species' ranging behaviour is both fundamental to understanding its behavioural ecology and a prerequisite to planning its management. Few data exist on the spatial ecology of cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus outside protected areas, but such areas are particularly important to their conservation. Cheetahs on Namibian farmlands occupied exceptionally large home ranges, averaging 1651 km2 (±1594 km2), with no detectable effect of sex, social grouping or seasonality. Despite such large ranges, cheetahs tended to utilize intensively only a small fraction of that area: 50% of the fixes were located within an average of 13.9±5.3% of the home range. Ranges were not exclusive, overlapping on average by 15.8±17.0%, with male cheetahs showing more intra-sexual range overlap than did females. Coalitions of males appeared to select for a dense, prey-rich habitat, but this preference was not apparent for other social groupings. Conflict with humans is an important contributor to the species' decline, and these large, overlapping cheetah home ranges result in the movements of each individual cheetah encompassing many farms (21 based on the average home-range size). Consequently, many cheetahs may be exposed to a minority of farmers attempting to kill them, and also that many farmers may see the same cheetahs, thereby gaining an exaggerated impression of their abundance. Conservation priorities for cheetahs outside protected areas are the development of techniques for conflict resolution, as well as the maintenance and restoration of suitable habitat and promotion of land-management practices compatible with the continued existence of large carnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding spatial ecology is fundamental to effectively managing large, wide-ranging carnivores such as the leopard (Panthera pardus). While numerous studies have been conducted on leopards within protected areas, more information regarding leopard ecology is needed outside such areas for effective conservation. This study examined the spatial ecology of leopards living on commercial Namibian farmlands, and assessed information from other studies to investigate which factors appeared to influence leopard range size and density. Home range sizes were particularly large in Namibia, with high range overlap, and neither sex exhibited exclusive home range use. There were no significant differences in range size between males and females, or between wet and dry seasons for either sex. Rainfall did not directly affect range size, but exerted an influence via prey biomass. Leopard density was positively correlated with prey biomass and negatively related to range size. Leopards showed marked variation in range size and land tenure systems between studies, reflecting their remarkable ecological flexibility. Nevertheless, large home range sizes and low population densities mean that leopards require large, contiguous tracts of suitable habitat, and that more conservation efforts must be extended beyond protected areas to ensure the long-term viability of leopard populations in such areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Captive breeding of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) has had limited success because a high percentage of captive females exhibit a lack of ovarian activity. This study examined concentrations of ovarian and adrenal hormones in wild-caught cheetahs (n = 3) housed in large outdoor enclosures on private game ranches in Namibia. Cheetahs were monitored for a 16-month period to investigate the effect of season on ovarian and adrenal function. Secretory profiles of oestradiol, progestagen, and cortisol metabolites were quantified non-invasively using faecal steroid analysis. All three cheetahs exhibited ovarian activity; however, none cycled continuously. Periods of anoestrus occurred during overlapping periods between August and December 1994, but not during the same time period in 1995. Mean duration of the oestrous cycle, oestrus period and baseline concentrations of reproductive hormones were consistent with those observed in other captive cheetah populations. Concentrations of faecal corticoids were lower than those from captive cheetahs in North America. There was no correlation between adrenal activity and ovarian function. Spontaneous ovulation was documented in one cheetah. These findings support those of earlier studies that even under natural and, therefore, presumably ideal environmental conditions, reproductive activity in captive cheetahs is not continuous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on skin response to intradermal injection of compound 48/80 and histamine was studied in order to determine whether ASA elicits any abnormalities also in the skin of asthmatics reacting with bronchoconstriction to ingestion of this drug. The applied ASA dose (mean dose 150 mg) elicited bronchoconstriction in all 16 patients with asthma and ASA sensitivity (mean fall of FEV1 34%) and increased the weal response to compound 48/80 to about 51% ( P < 0.05) as compared with the response before the ASA-challenge. In asthmatic persons without ASA sensitivity a 150 mg ASA dose did not influence the skin response to any of the reagents. On the other band, a 600 mg dose decreased skin response to histamine and compound 48/80 in persons without ASA intolerance, although the decrease was statistically significant only in the flare after compound 48/80 (P < 0.05). The authors believe that additional local defect is needed to reveal sensitivity to ASA in the skin of ASA-sensitive asthmatics, just as bronchial hyperreactivity is indispensible for revealing she action of ASA in the bronchi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Namibian farmers are diversifying from exclusive livestock farming to mixed farming, resulting in a sharp increase in the number of game-fenced areas. However, animals such as warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) and aardvark (Orycteropus afer) dig holes under game fences, allowing access to predators such as cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Swing gates were installed along a 4800 m section of game fencing in the Otjiwarongo district of Namibia. The fence was monitored before and after gate installation and trip cameras were used to identify species that used the gates. Warthog, aardvark and porcupines commonly used the gates and the number of holes under the fencing was significantly reduced following gate installation. No predators were observed using the swing gates and the cost was substantially lower than fence electrification This initial research suggests that swing gates could be an important non-lethal predator exclusion technique, although further studies will be needed to confirm their long-term effectiveness. Using techniques such as swing gates, which effectively and economically reduce the frequency with which animals dig holes under fences may not only benefit farmers, but also reduce the unnecessary destruction of non-target wildlife species resulting from unselective trapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botulinum toxin (BTX) is a neurotoxin that has an ability to create a fully reversible relaxation of muscles through decreased release of acethylcholin. It also has an effect on the cholinergic autoimmune nervous system, and it can reduce pain sensitization. BTX is widely used in cosmetic treatments. In recent years, BTX has increasingly been used to treat several medical and surgical conditions. In many cases, this is despite weak evidence and without approval from the European Medicine Agency (EMA). This narrative review describes how BTX is used in the different surgical specialties and provides a brief overview of the use of BTX for non-cosmetic surgical conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The large majority of individuals who access substance use disorders (SUD) treatment do not receive evidence-based care. Little attention has been paid to the notion that the scale-up of evidence-based practices (EBPs) has been limited in large part due to a weakness in the "distribution system" for bringing new innovations to the attention of practitioners and into practice settings. This study explores the impact of the Training and Practice Implementation Institute (TPII; funded by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene), an intensive technical assistance initiative that offers external facilitation to outpatient SUD treatment providers via the incorporation of multiple evidence-based implementation strategies to enhance the practice of motivational interviewing (MI). Findings from this study show that staff completed a large majority (86%) of required training/technical assistance (TTA) activities across the 9-month implementation period, demonstrating a high level of engagement among staff and the feasibility of externally facilitated intensive TTA delivered to community-based organizations for the purpose of enhancing implementation of MI for SUDs. Results also show statistically significant improvements in the delivery of MI's technical components among staff, though did not reveal corresponding improvements in the delivery of MI's relational components. An understanding of the potential return on investment associated with externally facilitated TA, offers organizations an opportunity to inform the allocation of limited resources to areas where they will have the greatest impact and ultimately improve the quality and efficacy of services., (© 2023. National Council for Mental Wellbeing.)

Early deprivation of adult influence is known to have long-lasting effects on social abilities, notably communication skills, as adults play a key role in guiding and regulating the behavior of youngsters, including acoustic repertoire use in species in which vocal production is not learned. Cheetahs grow up alongside their mother for 18 months, thus maternal influences on the development of social skills are likely to be crucial. Here, we investigated the impact of early maternal deprivation on vocal production and use in 12 wild-born cheetahs, rescued and subsequently hand-reared either at an early (less than 2 months) or a later stage of development. We could distinguish 16 sound types, produced mostly singly but sometimes in repeated or multitype sound sequences. The repertoire of these cheetahs did not differ fundamentally from that described in other studies on adult cheetahs, but statistical analyses revealed a concurrent effect of both early experience and sex on repertoire use. More specifically, early-reared males were characterized by a high proportion of Purr, Meow, and Stutter; early-reared females Mew, Growl, Hoot, Sneeze, and Hiss; late-reared males Meow, Mew, Growl, and Howl; and late-reared females mostly Meow. Our study demonstrates therefore the long-term effects of maternal deprivation on communication skills in a limited-vocal learner and its differential effect according to sex, in line with known social differences and potential differential maternal investment. More generally, it emphasizes the critical importance to consider the past history of the subjects (e.g., captive/wild-born, mother/hand-reared, early/late-mother-deprived, etc.) when studying social behavior, notably acoustic communication., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The rapid decline of cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ) throughout their range and long-term studies of captive breeding has increased conservation action for this species including the study of chronic diseases. Gastritis is one of the captive diseases that leads to high mortality presented with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and weight loss. The disease presents different histological lesions in the gastrointestinal tract that are characterized by inconstant and different clinical appearance in captive and free-range cheetahs. The aim of this review is to summarize the causes of chronic gastritis in the cheetah. Factors including diet, living conditions, infections with gastric Helicobacter -like organisms (GHLOs), the lack of genetic polymorphism and the cheetah's specific-immunocompetence are analyzed. All studies on gastroenteric cheetah pathologies, conducted between 1991 (to the best of our knowledge, the first report on online databases) and 2021, are included in this review, highlighting the possible correlation between stress-related captive conditions and chronic gastric pathology.

African wild dogs (AWDs; Lycaon pictus) are an endangered canid species facing drastic decline throughout their range due to habitat fragmentation and persecution by humans over livestock depredation, resulting in dens destroyed and adult members of packs and pups often being killed. Breeding of captive AWDs is challenging due to high juvenile mortality, only marginally improved from wild conditions, thus both in situ and ex situ conservation remains critical. As a result of human-wildlife conflict, between 2017 and 2018, the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism confiscated three litters of orphaned AWD pups from rural farmers who had destroyed the dens in Eastern Namibia and placed the pups with the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Seventeen of the 18 pups were successfully reared to yearlings with 15 individuals translocated for eventual soft release into a private game reserve. This case study provides information on the successful rearing of three litters of orphaned wild dog pups on behavior, housing, husbandry, diet, growth and medical issues as limited information is available for rearing orphaned pups from the age of 2.5 weeks old., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ) are classified as "vulnerable" species due to the low numbers persisting in the wild. Gastrointestinal diseases are very common in this species when they are kept in captivity, in particular gastritis. Clinical signs are predominantly characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and anorexia. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a multi-strain probiotic in two groups of cheetahs: Group A ( n = 4)-rescued cheetahs housed at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (Otjiwarongo, Namibia); Group B ( n = 9)-captive cheetahs housed in Italian zoos. Animals showed gastrointestinal signs of different severity, and were positive for Helicobacter spp., detected by PCR in stool samples. Two sachets of probiotic formulation were administered to all cheetahs once a day for 21 consecutive days. Clinical conditions (appetite loss, vomiting, stool consistency and Body Condition Score) before (T0) and after 21 days of probiotic administration (T1) were then compared using a simplified Feline Chronic Enteropathy Activity Index (FCEAI) score. A slight but not significant improvement in the scores was observed in Group A, which had mild intestinal symptoms, while a significant decrease in vomiting and stool consistency (** p < 0.01) scores was observed in Group B, which had more pronounced symptoms. Results suggest that high concentrations of live probiotics can be of help in managing gastrointestinal signs in cheetahs.

Objectives: Primary frozen shoulder (pFS) has three phases that differ in clinical presentation. It is characterized by contracture of the joint capsule. We hypothesized that there is a general upregulation of collagens in pFS, and that this is highest in the first phase of the disease. The aims of this study were to investigate the expression of various collagens and degradation of collagens in patients with primary pFS and relate this to the three phases of the condition., Methods: From twenty-six patients with pFS and eight control patients with subacromial impingement, biopsies were obtained during shoulder arthroscopy from the middle glenohumeral ligament and the anterior capsule, and mRNA levels for collagens, MMP-2 and -14 and TGF-β1, - β2 and -β3 in the tissue were analysed using real-time PCR., Results: Genes for collagens type I, III, IV, V, VI and XIV, were activated in pFS, and the total mRNA for all collagens was increased (P < 0.05). This upregulation was independent of disease phases in pFS. In addition, MMP-2, MMP-14, TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 were upregulated in all phases of the disease., Conclusion: There is a general upregulation and an increased degradation of collagens in pFS in all three phases of the disease. This indicates a constantly increased turnover of the fibrotic tissue in the capsule from pFS. The difference in clinical presentation of pFS observed in the three phases of the disease is not primarily a result of variations in collagen production., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ) are a keystone predator of savanna systems in Africa, yet their populations have dramatically declined due to pressures such as human-wildlife conflict, loss of habitat, and most notably the illegal trade in live cheetah cubs as pets. We provide the most extensive dataset relevant to seized and non-intercepted illegal trade in live cheetahs and cheetah parts for the decade 2010-2019, spanning over 300 sources and 56 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America. It includes 1,884 individual incidents involving at least 4,000 cheetahs or cheetah parts or products likely or confirmed to breach national laws or CITES regulations. While the covert nature of illegal trade of any kind makes it extremely difficult to capture its true volume, we believe that the information contained in this dataset demonstrates the need for a more in-depth look into illegal cheetah trade, including sustainability assessments with emphasis in regions where cheetah populations are small and widely exploited, such as the Horn of Africa, as this dataset suggests. Ultimately, such actions could lead to improved enforcement and legal frameworks, and provide a guide for CITES actions involving international cooperation and demand reduction efforts., Competing Interests: No funding was received for this research. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have, or could be perceived to have, influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Purpose: Frozen shoulder is characterized by pain and reduced passive movement capability, and the diagnose is made clinically. However, pain is the major symptom in the first stage before stiffness occurs, and the condition can be mistaken for subacromial impingement. This study explored the possibility to use positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with a 18 F Flour-Deoxy-Glucose (FDG) tracer in the diagnostic process., Methods: Eleven patients with frozen shoulder and 9 patients with subacromial impingement received a 18 F-FDG PET/CT scan before being treated surgically. During arthroscopy, the diagnoses were confirmed. Images were blindly analyzed visually by two nuclear medicine physicians. Also, semi-quantified analysis applying a set of standard regions was performed, and standard uptake value in both shoulder regions was recorded., Results: Both the visual description of the pictures and the semi-quantified analysis generally showed increased FDG uptake in the affected shoulder regions of patients that had frozen shoulder and no uptake in patients with subacromial impingement. Kappa for interobserver agreement in the visual assessments was 0.74. Sensitivity was 92% and specificity 93% of the visual assessment, 77% and 93%, respectively, of the semi-quantified analyses, and by combining the two types of analyses sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 93% for the distinction between frozen shoulders and subacromial impingement/unaffected shoulders., Conclusion: 18 F-FDG PET/CT seems to be a valid method to diagnose frozen shoulder. This is clinically relevant in diagnostically challenging cases, for instance in the first phase of frozen shoulder, which can be difficult to distinguish from subacromial impingement., Level of Evidence: II.

Objective: To establish a reference interval for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) determined by measuring serum clearance of a single IV dose of inulin in clinically normal cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ) and compare serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentration in cheetahs with GFR., Animals: 33 cheetahs housed at 3 institutions., Procedures: A single bolus of inulin (3,000 mg/m 2 ) was administered IV, and 5 serial blood samples were collected and analyzed for serum inulin concentration with the anthrone technique. The GFR was estimated with a modified slope-intercept method for the slow component of the serum concentration-versus-time curve. Blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine concentrations were measured in samples obtained immediately prior to inulin administration, and serum SDMA concentration was measured in stored samples., Results: Mean ± SD measured GFR was 1.58 ± 0.39 mL/min/kg, and the calculated reference interval was 0.84 to 2.37 mL/min/kg. There were significant negative correlations between GFR and serum creatinine concentration ( r = -0.499), BUN concentration ( r = -0.592), and age ( r = -0.463). Serum SDMA concentration was not significantly correlated with GFR ( r = 0.385), BUN concentration ( r = -0.281), or serum creatinine concentration ( r = 0.165)., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: A reference interval for GFR in clinically normal cheetahs was obtained. Further evaluation of animals with renal disease is needed to determine whether measuring serum clearance of a single IV dose of inulin is a reliable diagnostic test for early detection of renal disease in cheetahs.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is listed as a vulnerable species by the International union for the conservation of nature (IUCN), including two critically endangered subspecies, the Saharan cheetah, and the Iranian cheetah, so it is imperative that we understand variation in cheetah morphology to make good decisions regarding the conservation of this species. Here, we aim to determine whether northeastern African cheetahs have smaller body sizes than southern African cheetahs. This study also adds to our knowledge of cheetah morphology from two cheetah populations that do not yet have comprehensive published data: Kenya, and northeastern Africa, including captive individuals. We calculated means and standard deviations on cranial and body measurements of live or in few cases, freshly dead, cheetahs from the aforementioned populations, plus previously published data on Namibian and Botswanan cheetahs and compared them to one another using multivariate analysis of variance. Results show that northeastern African cheetahs have smaller body sizes than southern and eastern African populations. We also found that captive cheetahs retain the morphological characteristics of their ancestral population- captive cheetahs from southern Africa have similar body sizes to wild southern African cheetahs and larger body sizes than captives from northeastern Africa. Other analyses regarding cheetah growth agree with previous studies on Namibian and Botswanan cheetah populations rates. As such, this study can serve as a baseline for the care of captive cheetah populations to maintain healthy weights and body proportions., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The dwindling wildlife species of our planet have become a cause célèbre for conservation groups, governments, and concerned citizens throughout the world. The application of powerful new genetic technologies to surviving populations of threatened mammals has revolutionized our ability to recognize hidden perils that afflict them. We have learned new lessons of survival, adaptation, and evolution from viewing the natural history of genomes in hundreds of detailed studies. A single case history of one species, the African cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is here reviewed to reveal a long-term story of conservation challenges and action informed by genetic discoveries and insights. A synthesis of 3 decades of data, interpretation, and controversy, capped by whole genome sequence analysis of cheetahs, provides a compelling tale of conservation relevance and action to protect this species and other threatened wildlife., (© The American Genetic Association 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)