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ABSTRACT Human‐caused mortality can be pervasive and even highly selective for individuals in groups of cooperative breeders. Many studies of cooperative breeders, however, do not address human‐caused mortality. Similarly, studies focused on the effects of human‐caused mortality on wildlife populations often do not consider the ecology of cooperative breeders. We searched the literature and identified 58 studies where human‐caused mortality affected a group characteristic, vital rate, or population state of a cooperative breeder. Of studies reporting population growth or decline, 80% reported a link between human‐caused mortality and population declines in cooperative breeders. Such studies often did not identify the mechanism behind population declines, but 28% identified concurrent declines in adult survival and another 21% reported concurrent declines in recruitment or reproduction. There was little overlap between the cooperative breeding and human‐caused mortality literatures, limiting our ability to accrue knowledge. Future work would be beneficial if it (i) identified the vital rate(s) causing population declines, (ii) leveraged management actions such as lethal removal to ask questions about the ecology of group‐living in cooperative breeders, and (iii) used insights from cooperative breeding theory to inform management actions and conservation of group‐living species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal is a biodiversity-rich country harboring endangered wildlife species. Despite commendable achievements in conserving charismatic wildlife species like the Tiger and Rhinoceros, Nepal is still a pivotal point for the illicit wildlife trade. In this perspective, we explore the current situation of wildlife poaching and smuggling, factors conducive to such activities, and present some minimum practitioner steps for what should be tried to prevent such a situation in Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing poses a significant threat to marine resource management globally. Environmental criminology plays a vital role in understanding and mitigating IUU activities by focusing on the contextual elements surrounding these crimes. This study examines the dynamics of poaching within areas managed through Territorial User Rights for Fisheries (TURFs), with a specific emphasis on the loco (Concholepas concholepas) fishery in Chile. Methods: Employing Crime Script Analysis (CSA) as the primary methodological lens, this research meticulously deconstructs the criminal process involved in TURFs poaching operations. CSA is used to identify key elements, providing a comprehensive understanding of poachers modus operandi. Additionally, by integrating CSA with Situational Precipitators of Crime (SPC), the study identifies critical factors such as environmental conditions, socio-economic disparities, and enforcement weaknesses that shape poaching opportunities within TURFs. Results: The analysis reveals a complex interplay between SPC factors, underscoring their role in shaping poaching dynamics. Key findings highlight the importance of specific environmental conditions, socio-economic disparities, and enforcement weaknesses in facilitating poaching activities. The study identifies various tactics and strategies employed by poachers and the roles of different actors involved in the poaching process. Discussion: Building upon these findings, the study proposes a comprehensive Situational Crime Prevention (SCP) framework aimed at effectively combating TURFs poaching. The framework emphasizes the importance of striking a careful balance between restrictive and inclusive measures to mitigate potential negative consequences. The study contributes valuable insights into understanding and addressing IUU fishing, particularly within TURFs in Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The illegal hunting (poaching) of wildlife has persisted for decades and adversely effected wildlife populations in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. It has not been clearly understood why illegal hunting has continued notwithstanding efforts to control it. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand why illegal hunting has persisted despite increased mitigation efforts. The study revealed that illegal hunting has continued because its main root causes are the critical need for survival and sustaining the livelihoods of local hunters, which were not adequately addressed. Furthermore, law enforcement, which was the main intervention measure, failed to adequately deter local hunters from poaching wildlife because it could not address the main root causes of illegal hunting. The study concluded that the illegal harvesting of resources in protected areas may persist when the local people's key motivations for illegal harvesting relate to their critical need to survive and maintain their livelihoods and the main mitigation efforts do not address these critical needs. These study findings are valuable in providing an understanding of how the critical need for survival and maintaining livelihoods and other factors influence the persistence of illegal hunting and in guiding the development of a strategy for the effective control of poaching in the Luangwa Valley. Decades of illegal hunting (poaching) have adversely affected wildlife populations and thereby limited sustainable wildlife conservation in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. Despite intervention efforts to address the problem, the illegal hunting of wildlife has persisted. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand the persistence of illegal hunting by investigating the drivers of poaching and intervention measures using a mixed methods approach. Stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 346 respondents through structured questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to collect data through nine focus group discussions and three in-depth interviews with experts. The study revealed that persistent illegal hunting was mainly driven by people's critical need for survival and sustaining their livelihoods and not by inadequate law enforcement as presumed by resource managers. Although law enforcement was the most prevalent intervention measure, it did not deter local illegal hunters because their main motivations for poaching were not effectively addressed. The key implication of these findings is that where the illegal harvesting of natural resources in protected areas by local resource users is driven by people's critical need for survival and a livelihood, which is ineffectively addressed, illegal harvesting may persist even with increased law enforcement. This study provides empirical evidence, novel conceptual knowledge and an understanding of how prevalent drivers of poaching and other factors may have influenced persistent illegal hunting in the Luangwa Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The very large demand for songbirds in Indonesia undermines the efforts of the Government of Indonesia to regulate and control harvest and trade. As more species become increasingly rare, new species are sought after and included in the trade to supply demand from hobbyists, traders and songbird competition participants. One such group of species is the butcherbirds. Four species of butcherbirds are native to Indonesia and prior to 2016 these birds were hardly found in trade. Since then, the trade has grown rapidly and during 57 surveys of bird markets in 12 cities on Java, Bali and Lombok, we recorded 235 butcherbirds. We found 43 advertisements online offering butcherbirds for sale. The highest numbers were recorded in the easternmost cities we surveyed (Mataram, 11.5 birds/survey; Denpasar 9.0 birds/survey) and we recorded higher numbers of butcherbirds for sale nearer to their natural distribution range. Compared to other species, butcherbirds command high prices (hooded butcherbird: US$185; black butcherbird: US$122). Despite the authorities attempting to regulate the exploitation of butcherbirds with annual harvest and trade quotas (set at zero for 2022), the trade evidently is challenging to control and may pose a threat to the conservation of these species in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of blockchain technology, the quest for scalable and high-quality-of-service (QoS) systems remains a formidable challenge. Existing blockchain models often grapple with trade-offs between efficiency, speed, and security, particularly in the face of growing demands for energy-efficient and swift data processing. This paper introduces an innovative approach to address these limitations, leveraging Q Learning for context-based shard management, coupled with Elephant Herd Fish Swarm Optimization (EHFSO) process. This novel combination is specifically engineered to dynamically select hashing and encryption techniques tailored to each context-based shard, thereby enhancing the overall performance of blockchain systems. The proposed model marks a significant departure from traditional blockchain architectures. By integrating Q Learning, the system intelligently adapts to varying data contexts, ensuring optimal shard management operations. The EHFSO algorithm, drawing inspiration from natural swarm behavior, further refines the selection process for hashing and encryption techniques. This dual approach not only fortifies security but also augments efficiency levels. The practical efficacy of this model is underscored by its performance on multiple medical datasets & its samples. The results are compelling: an 8.5% improvement in mining energy efficiency, a 4.9% increase in mining speed, 5.9% higher throughput, 4.5% more consistent mining, and a noteworthy 5.9% reduction in storage costs compared to existing methods. Primarily, the work paves the way for more sustainable and efficient blockchain operations, particularly crucial in energy-sensitive sectors. Additionally, the enhanced throughput and mining consistency significantly improve the blockchain's applicability in real-world scenarios, where speed and reliability are paramount in real-time use cases. This research not only addresses the current limitations of blockchain technology but also sets a new benchmark for future developments in this field for different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of a global biodiversity crisis, vascular plants are facing unprecedented extinction rates. We conducted an assessment of the extinction risk of 32 species and 7 subspecies of Copiapoa, a genus endemic to Chile's fog‐dependent coastal Atacama Desert. We applied the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Categories and Criteria enhanced by expert insights and knowledge. Our primary aim was to analyze the impact of trade and poaching on their extinction risk. We employed machine learning models, including multinomial logistic regression (MLR), decision tree (DT), and random forest (RF), to analyze the relationships between conservation status and various factors. These factors encompassed trade and poaching activities, landscape condition, human footprint, monthly cloud frequency, and biological traits such as evolutionary distinctiveness and maximum diameter. Seven taxa had an area of occupancy (AOO) of <10 km2, 10 additional taxa had an AOO of <20 km2, and 16 taxa had an AOO of ≤100 km2. This reassessment exposed a critical level of extinction risk for the genus; 92% of the taxa were classified as threatened, 41% as critically endangered, 41% as endangered, and 10% as vulnerable. MLR, DT, and RF exhibited accuracies of 0.784, 0.730, and 0.598, respectively, and identified trade and poaching pressure and landscape condition as the primary drivers of extinction risk. Our assessment of Copiapoa showed trade, poaching, habitat degradation, and their synergic impacts as the main drivers of the genus' extinction risk. Our results highlight the urgent need for nations to develop and enforce strategies to monitor and control trade and poaching pressure because these factors are crucial for the long‐term persistence of desert plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, illegal sport hunting can threaten prey populations when unregulated. Due to its covert nature, illegal sport hunting poses challenges for data collection, hindering efforts to understand the full extent of its impacts. We gathered social media data to analyze patterns of illegal sport hunting and wildlife depletion across Brazil. We collected data for 2 years (2018–2020) across 5 Facebook groups containing posts depicting pictures of illegal sport hunting events of native fauna. We described and mapped these hunting events by detailing the number of hunters involved, the number of species, the mean body mass of individuals, and the number and biomass of individuals hunted per unit area, stratified by Brazilian biome. We also examined the effects of defaunation on hunting yield and composition via regression models, rank–abundance curves, and spatial interpolation. We detected 2046 illegal sport hunting posts portraying the hunting of 4658 animals (∼29 t of undressed meat) across all 27 states and 6 natural biomes of Brazil. Of 157 native species targeted by hunters, 19 are currently threatened with extinction. We estimated that 1414 hunters extracted 3251 kg/million km2. Some areas exhibited more pronounced wildlife depletion, in particular the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes. In these areas, there was a shift from large mammals and reptiles to small birds as the main targeted taxa, and biomass extracted per hunting event and mean body mass across all taxonomic groups were lower than in other areas. Our results highlight that illegal sport hunting adds to the pressures of subsistence hunting and the wild meat trade on Brazil's wildlife populations. Enhanced surveillance efforts are needed to reduce illegal sport hunting levels and to develop well‐managed sustainable sport hunting programs. These can support wildlife conservation and offer incentives for local communities to oversee designated sport hunting areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, it is argued that a microhistorical perspective applied to historical archaeologies provides intelligibility to certain mechanisms of exercise of power and forms of resistance in the local sphere. Adopting a microhistorical approach, two primary mechanisms of social order consensus creation and contestation are explored through the creation and negotiation of symbolic capital. Micropolitics are understood as a set of poorly formalised but meaningful practices that define, model, and negotiate forms of social domination by integrating different communicative languages. Infrapolitics shape the forms of resistance and agency of subaltern groups and, by definition, are not easy to track and identify. Through the study of small empirical illustrations from the medieval period in the Basque Country, the aim is to argue that there is a correlation between the intensity and complexity of the political practices that develop in local societies and the forms of contestation of rights and cohesion mechanisms. To carry out this analysis, material, textual, mnemonic, and oral records are used.

Abstract Zoonoses constitute a major risk to human health. Comprehensive assessments on the potential emergence of novel disease outbreaks are essential to ensure the effectiveness of sanitary controls and to establish mitigating actions. Through a continental‐scale survey of rural human settlements conducted over 13 years in 15 Neotropical countries, we document the vast extent of poaching to meet the local demand for pets, resulting in thousands of families living with ca. 275 species of wild animals without any sanitary controls. Parrots account for ca. 80% of wild pets, dying mostly from diseases at an average age of 1 year. This culturally rooted tradition, which dates back to pre‐Columbian times, may lead to health risks by bringing wild animals prone to carrying parasites and pathogens into close contact with humans and their exotic pets and livestock. Although animal pathogens and parasites have been transmitted to humans for centuries, the current trend of human population growth and connectivity can increase the risk of zoonotic outbreaks spreading at an unprecedented pace. Similarly, disease transmission from humans and poultry to wild animals is also expected to be facilitated via wild pets, leading to conservation problems. Several studies have highlighted the risk posed by wildlife city markets for cross‐species disease transmission, ignoring the risk associated with widespread pet ownership of wild animals poached locally in rural areas. Given its geographic and social dimensions, a holistic approach is required to reduce this illegal activity as well as to strengthen health surveillance of seized individuals and people in close contact with poached pets, which would benefit both people and wildlife. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Abstract Image‐based analyses from an online repository on rhino horns asserted that declines in size over time could be the consequence of poaching and hunting. We provide reflections on whether the sample was representative enough to make generalizations, the study adequately accounted for the main sources of horn‐size variation and the statistical methods were adequate to be confident in the results. The sample had a limited representation, most coming from zoo animals. We highlight several sources of variance in horn size that such a sample could not evaluate robustly using linear regressions, both for establishing a proxy for horn size corrected for size of a rhino and assessing trends over time. Nevertheless, horn poaching continues to be the key threat to rhinos. Addressing the underlying drivers of poaching and trafficking are key priorities for responsible public debate, policy making and interventions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Rural population who lives in the same natural and cultural landscape, and sometimes within the same village, are differentiated in their rights to access natural resources. People classified as indigenous population of the North, Siberia and the Far East (KMNS), unlike officially non-indigenous population, receive legal access to various biological resources. Positive discrimination of particular groups, for various reasons attributed to ‘more’ indigenous, has been causing controversy among anthropologists and sociologists for several decades, especially regarding the situation of non-indigenous residents of multi-ethnic rural areas who do not have the right of access to natural resources, while living in the same environment. In Russia, this problem is specifically relevant for the coastal regions of the Far East, where fish and salmon roe have been historically the most important resource of self-sustainment for both indigenous residents and resettlers. Using the example of one of the coastal areas of Primorsky Krai, where representatives of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples live alongside each other, we show how unequal distribution of rights to extract natural resources affects communication between them. Based on semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and observations collected during the field research, we have found that individual salmon fishing quotas are becoming a way to partially legalize informal fishing. Villagers go out fishing with their fellow villagers, and in case of the appearance of law enforcement agencies, fishermen from among KMNS take full responsibility for the catch and fishing gear on themselves. Regardless of nationality, rural residents consider it unfair that non-indigenous peoples, who live in the same natural and climatic conditions, and have similar to KMNS economy, have no rights to catch salmonids. Thus, against the background of allocation of quotas for salmonid catching only to indigenous fishermen, new practices of reproduction of solidarity and reciprocity are emerging in multiethnic rural communities.

The decrease in African rhino poaching incidents since 2015 has prompted many to praise the effectiveness of anti-poaching efforts. To test the validity of this statement, we calculated how far poachers moved on average from 2007 to 2022 to find a rhino in the context of the dwindling rhino densities. These calculations demonstrate that the total poaching pressure has remained persistently high since 2013. Given the concurrently declining arrest rates, our results show that the rhino protection practices of the past decade have been insufficient. Instead, we propose that rhinos can best be protected in small and well-monitored "safe havens" while focusing on long-term rhino horn demand reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poaching is again driving rhinos to the brink of extinction due to the demand for rhino horn products consumed for cultural, medicinal, and social purposes. Paradoxically, the same horn for which rhinos are killed may contain valuable clues about the species' health. Analyses of horn composition could reveal such useful bioindicators while elucidating what people actually ingest when they consume horn derivatives. Our goals were to quantify minerals (including metals) in rhino horn and investigate sampling factors potentially impacting results. Horns (n = 22) obtained during necropsies of white (n = 3) and black (n = 13) zoo rhinos were sampled in several locations yielding 182 specimens for analysis. Initial data exposed environmental (soil) contamination in the horn's exterior layer, but also confirmed that deep (≥ 1 cm), contaminant-free samples contained measurable concentrations of numerous minerals (n = 18). Of the factors examined in deep samples, color-associated mineral differences were the most profound with dark samples higher in zinc, copper, lead, and barium (p < 0.05). Our data demonstrate that rhino horns contain both essential and potentially toxic minerals that could be relevant to rhino health status, but low concentrations make their human health benefits or risks unlikely following consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the Taiwanese-Chinese religious movement Yiguandao ("Way of Pervading Unity") creates a community of non-Chinese followers by utilizing Daoism-related beliefs and practices. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork conducted in California in early 2018, published Yiguandao materials, and internet resources, the paper argues that Yiguandao activists specifically invest their messages in Daoist symbols, beliefs, and practices to reach out to non-Chinese sympathizers of "Asian philosophies" and eventually to establish a global and cross-cultural community of Dao followers. By discussing a case study from Los Angeles, the paper seeks to understand the patterns of Yiguandao activists' engagement with Daoism and how their efforts blend into establishing a global Daoist field. Finally, it thereby invites us to rethink the often haphazardly drawn boundaries—both by practitioners and scholars—between Daoism and other religious phenomena, including New Age, spirituality, and Chinese popular sects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Image‐based analyses from an online repository on rhino horns asserted that declines in size over time could be the consequence of poaching and hunting.We provide reflections on whether the sample was representative enough to make generalizations, the study adequately accounted for the main sources of horn‐size variation and the statistical methods were adequate to be confident in the results.The sample had a limited representation, most coming from zoo animals. We highlight several sources of variance in horn size that such a sample could not evaluate robustly using linear regressions, both for establishing a proxy for horn size corrected for size of a rhino and assessing trends over time.Nevertheless, horn poaching continues to be the key threat to rhinos. Addressing the underlying drivers of poaching and trafficking are key priorities for responsible public debate, policy making and interventions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Location Methods Results Main Conclusions Wildlife overexploitation, either for food consumption or for the pet trade, is one of the main threats to bird species in tropical forests. Yet, the spatial distribution and intensity of harvesting pressure on tropical birds remain challenging to quantify. Here, we identify the drivers of hunting‐induced declines in bird abundance and quantify the magnitude and the spatial extent of avian defaunation at a pantropical scale.Pantropical.We compiled 2968 abundance estimates in hunted and non‐hunted sites across the tropics spanning 518 bird species. Using a Bayesian modelling framework, we fitted species' abundance response ratios to a set of drivers of hunting pressure and species traits. Subsequently, we applied our model to quantify the spatial patterns of avian defaunation across tropical forests and to assess avian defaunation across biogeographic realms, and for species captured for the pet trade or for food consumption.Body mass and its interactions with hunter accessibility and proximity to urban markets were the most important drivers of hunting‐induced bird abundance declines. We estimated a mean abundance reduction of 12% across the tropics for all species, and that 43% of the extent of tropical forests harbour defaunated avian communities. Large‐bodied species and the Indomalayan realm displayed the greatest abundance declines. Further, moderate to high levels of defaunation extended over 24% of the pantropical forest area, with distinct spatial patterns for species captured for the pet trade (Brazil, China and Indonesia) and for food consumption (SE Asia and West Africa).Our study emphasizes the role of hunter accessibility and the proximity to urban markets as major drivers of bird abundance declines due to hunting and trapping. We further identified hotspots where overexploitation has detrimental effects on tropical birds, encompassing local extinction events, thus underscoring the urgent need for conservation efforts to address unsustainable exploitation for both subsistence and trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife are natural resources utilised by many people around the world, both legally and illegally, for a wide range of purposes. This scoping review evaluates 82 studies nested in 75 manuscripts to provide an overview of the documented motivations and methodologies used, and to identify and analyse knowledge gaps in the motivations of illegal harvesters. Studies differ in what data is collected, often leaving out important contextual variables. We find 12 different motivations, frequently interlinked and multiple often play a role in the same harvesting incident. Motivations seemed to differ between taxa. Future research needs to move beyond a general description but recognise the complexity of the matter and allow for context-specific adjustments to facilitate a deeper understanding of these motivations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Hooded Vulture populations in West Africa have decreased substantially. However, in some areas within this region, the species is still relatively abundant. To find out more about the situation in West Africa, we assessed the status of Hooded Vultures in Benin, one of the countries where their status is not well known. We conducted road counts on paved and unpaved roads and along small trails over a total of 1451 km. We also conducted interviews with local abattoir watchmen, veterinarians, butchers and foresters to examine potential threats to this species. A total of 52 Hooded Vultures were counted mostly in the departments of Atacora (32) but also in Alibori (10) and Borgou (10). The relative abundance was four Hooded Vultures per 100 km, highlighting the near extirpation of this bird from Benin. A total of 49 interviews revealed that poaching for belief‐based use (through shooting and traps) and decreasing food availability remain the most important threats for Hooded Vultures in northern Benin. If these threats are not mitigated, we predict the extirpation of the Hooded Vulture outside protected areas in Benin within the next two decades, possibly even sooner. Conservation measures, including awareness campaigns, and the improvement and enforcement of environmental legislation, must be urgently implemented to improve the protection of this Critically Endangered vulture species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade in pangolins is illegal, and yet tons of their scales and products are seized at various ports. These large seizures are challenging to process and comprehensively genotype for upstream provenance tracing and species identification for prosecution. We implemented a scalable DNA barcoding pipeline in which rapid DNA extraction and MinION sequencing were used to genotype a substantial proportion of pangolin scales subsampled from 2 record shipments seized in Singapore in 2019 (37.5 t). We used reference sequences to match the scales to phylogeographical regions of origin. In total, we identified 2346 cytochrome b (cytb) barcodes of white‐bellied (Phataginus tricuspis) (from 1091 scales), black‐bellied (Phataginus tetradactyla) (227 scales), and giant (Smutsia gigantea) (1028 scales) pangolins. Haplotype diversity was higher for P. tricuspis scales (121 haplotypes, 66 novel) than that for P. tetradactyla (22 haplotypes, 15 novel) and S. gigantea (25 haplotypes, 21 novel) scales. Of the novel haplotypes, 74.2% were likely from western and west‐central Africa, suggesting potential resurgence of poaching and newly exploited populations in these regions. Our results illustrate the utility of extensively subsampling large seizures and outline an efficient molecular approach for rapid genetic screening that should be accessible to most forensic laboratories and enforcement agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poaching of marine resources has been defined as the conscious breaking of fishery regulations, a situation that occurs at severe levels and high frequencies in many socio-ecological contexts around the world. A classification of poachers is fundamental to defining the actors and the scale of poaching. However, proper classification of poachers has yet to be designated, hindering the development of management approaches that seek to recognize and reduce poaching. This paper provides a theoretical typology of four general types of poachers that can be applied in different contexts of fisheries resource appropriation. This classification may help outline better compliance and enforcement strategies, including the active involvement of fisheries users and the consequent improvement of the legitimacy of fishing regulations. Additionally, we recommend measures to assist in the fight against poaching associated with each of the four types of poachers proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forests of Southeast (SE) Asia support large ungulate species listed as globally threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List. In Thailand, Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary (HKK) still contains the endangered banteng (Bos javanicus) and the vulnerable gaur (Bos gaurus) and sambar (Rusa unicolor). These species have been declining for decades in SE Asia. HKK is within the core area of the Western Forest Complex, one of the largest protected forest landscapes in SE Asia. This area is one of the few remaining that have the capacity to support species recovery for large ungulates and the tiger that depend on them. However, critical knowledge gaps remain on ungulate population metrics and trends of the species. In 2021, we revisited the locations surveyed in 2007–2008 and used distance sampling methodology to estimate density and abundance of banteng, gaur, and sambar. Using 32 transects in 2007, 2008 and 2021, we conducted replicated sample surveys with a total walk-efforts of 1,000 km per year and collected Distance-sampling data on target species. Banteng density increased two-fold from 0.91 ± 0.40–1.71 ± 0.79 individuals/km2, and sambar density doubled from 2.03 ± 0.51–3.99 ± 0.95 individuals/km2. In 2021, HKK supported 2,736 ± 1,264 banteng and 9,855 ± 2,347 sambar, the largest populations of these two globally threatened species in SE Asia. These results indicate evidence for recovery of large ungulate species in HKK and hope for the conservation of these globally threatened species. Our results illustrate the value of HKK as an important tiger recovery site in SE Asia, as these species are primary prey for tigers and underscore the value of ongoing efforts to eradicate poaching.

The illegal poaching of lions for their body parts poses a severe threat to lion populations across Africa. Poaching accounts for 35% of all human-caused lion deaths, with 51% attributed to retaliatory killings following livestock predation. In nearly half of the retaliatory killings, lion body parts are removed, suggesting that high demand for lion body parts may fuel killings attributed to human-lion conflict. Trafficked items are often confiscated in transit or destination countries far from their country of origin. DNA from lion parts may in some cases be the only available means for examining their geographic origins. In this paper, we present the Lion Localizer, a full-stack software tool that houses a comprehensive database of lion mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences sourced from previously published studies. The database covers 146 localities from across the African continent and India, providing information on the potential provenance of seized lion body parts. Lion mtDNA sequences of 350 or 1,140 bp corresponding to the cytochrome b region can be generated from lion products and queried against the Lion Localizer database. Using the query sequence, the Lion Localizer generates a listing of exact or partial matches, which are displayed on an interactive map of Africa. This allows for the rapid identification of potential regions and localities where lions have been or are presently being targeted by poachers. By examining the potential provenance of lion samples, the Lion Localizer serves as a valuable resource in the fight against lion poaching. The software is available at https://lionlocalizer.org. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an unusual and accidental mortality event of a group of Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus nirnai Illiger, 1815) trapped inside natural river pits in the Moyar River, Western Ghats, India. Otter populations are likely declining in the Western Ghats region due to various anthropogenic pressures and human-cause mortalities (poaching, roadkill, retaliate killing). Safeguarding otters from accidental mortality will help support their future survival. We discuss preventive measures to avoid such a cause of accidental mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers cultural probes as an experimental qualitative method in promoting collaborative and prefigurative participation in research. While the extant literature tends to frame cultural probes either as the discounted ethnographic tool or the means to gather design inspiration, such a framing also results in an irreconcilable methodological and conceptual dichotomy. Seeking to overcome this binary, this paper draws inspiration from Michel de Certeau's concept of "poaching" to contemplate how cultural probes may elicit and provoke both inspirational and analytical data. Through an empirical study of the everyday waste practices of 10 young university students in Hong Kong, this study discusses the rationale of different cultural probes designs and participants' experience in completing the probes. This paper argues that the cultural probes may offer a speculative and creative qualitative inquiry to cultivate one's "attentiveness", generate "politics of reconfiguration", and make sense of "uncertainty" in knowledge production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife crime has emerged as one of the most crucial threats to biodiversity conservation and is particularly severe in south and southeast Asia. Addressing the ever-increasing challenges of wildlife crime in Nepal requires strategies informed by rigorous analysis of spatiotemporal patterns of wildlife crime. However, little do we know about the nature and trends of wildlife crimes in Nepal. Retrieving the information on the registered wild-life crime cases of Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) from the Annapurna Conservation Area Liaison Office (ACALO) and Kaski District Court, this study assessed the temporal trend and spatial pattern of wildlife crime in the ACA from 1994 to 2019. Additionally, this study assessed the sociodemographic characteristics of the people convicted in wildlife crime cases. A total of 48 cases of crimes were registered over the last 25 years among which the majority of the cases were of poaching and wildlife trophies transportation (89.6%) mainly from Kaski district (60%). For those cases, a total of 132 people were convicted (65% from local villages and 35% from outside the ACA). About 68% of the convicted perpetrators were from Janajati ethnicity with poor economic conditions. These inferences emphasize the necessity of understanding the severity and pattern of the crime to prevent it by synthesizing and implementing conservation programs such as educating targeted groups and providing alternative sources of income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of forests and forestland resources is essential in ensuring the long-term well-being of ecosystems, biodiversity, and human society. This study analyzed available data from triangulated sources that produced information about extent and locations of the current assets, threats, and opportunities that were analyzed using various statistical methods, image and spatial analysis, and situational analysis in order to develop and sustain applicable management, conservation, and protection strategies for forest and forestland (FFL) resources of Baler, Aurora. Results revealed that there were significant changes of FFL assets from 2003 to 2018, and the recent data showed that closed forest was still the dominant cover of the area along with other assets like biodiversity, tourism, water resources, and others. The decreasing trend of the forest cover was the result of expansion of cultivated lands that follows the occurrence of several threats both from natural and anthropogenic sources. The most severe among the anthropogenic threats is timber poaching followed by charcoal making, pole timber collection, and firewood gathering. These threats were driven by the number of dependents, home-to-threat distance, conveyances used, and income earned per activity. Social geomatics of the identified threats shows that the human activities had extended almost to the farthest portions of each sub-watersheds that affects opportunities for development and sustainable utilization of resources. Assets, threats, and opportunities were considered as inputs used in situational analysis of sub-watersheds of which prior-itization of use was decided and FFL management strategies were developed and proposed to be sustained in order to produce optimum ecological, socio-cultural, and economical benefits in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When firms have to employ a high-ability worker at a managerial position, sometimes they have to poach a promoted worker from another firm without observing that worker's ability. We discuss the implications of this practice for the promotion signaling framework. Our model shows the turnover of workers and the wages paid at such an economy, and how they depend on the worker's own ability and the ability of other workers in the firm. We show that due to the winner's curse, firms make a non-positive expected profit from poaching a worker. In that case, non-promoted workers "subsidize" the wage paid to their manager. The need to hire managers without observing their ability is a new barrier to entry for firms (JEL codes: M51, J31). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata and the Indian Crested Porcupine Hystrix indica are subject to extensive poaching in Purulia District (West Bengal, India), diminishing their populations, and making the study difficult. Applying methodologies that include local sightings, field observations, camera trapping, and quadrate analysis, these species were observed to co-occur in rocky cavities in Ajodhya hills at several locations. Evidence for this included fresh pangolin tail drag marks, claw prints, footprints, scales, porcupine quills, teeth marks, and faecal matter in the same locations within the study area. Quadrate analysis showed that the trees housing the target prey species of the Indian Pangolin as well as the trees bearing fruits favoured by the Indian Crested Porcupine, occurred at maximum frequency within the Quadrate area. We hypothesise that pangolins and porcupines co-occupy rocky cavities for protection from poachers, who can easily break into more typical burrows and set traps in front of them. This may be an example of adaption to poaching, which demonstrates the necessity of conservation measures to alleviate severe anthropogenic pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once distributed all over the Philippines, the endemic Philippine Crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) is nowadays threatened with extinction. It is estimated that less than 140 mature individuals live in the wild. Human activities like fishing and poaching, as well as land-use change and habitat conversion cause a continuing threat to the remaining populations. Therefore, designated protected areas (PAs) were evaluated with species distribution models (SDMs) and also to see if most suitable areas are covered by PAs in order to improve future conservation efforts. For this purpose, the existing IUCN-reserves were analysed for potential habitat suitability (combining bioclimatic and remote sensing variables), wetland occurrences and the human footprint index by using MaxEnt and QGIS. Based on species records, our final SDM showed high performance and revealed the climatically most suitable areas for the species, which were mostly on Luzon and Mindanao. However, only small parts of the climatically suitable wetlands are currently covered by reserves (0.3-46.3%). In addition, none of the species' records was located within a PA. The anthropogenic pressures in the reserves measured by human footprint index (considering eight variables i.e. 'population density', 'navigable waterways', 'crop lands' and 'roads') were diverse and varied between a low and moderate level. Most of the records were found in areas with a moderate human footprint. Considering the three criteria, 'Lake Lanao Watershed Reservation', 'Angat Watershed Forest Reserve District (Metro Water District)', 'Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park', 'Talaytay Protected Landscape' and 'Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary' revealed to be the most suitable conservation areas for C. mindorensis, whereas suitable areas outside PAs are highly recommended for further surveys. We recommend to declare Ligawasan Marsh, Mindanao as a PA as this area harbours a large population of C. mindorensis. The declaration of more climatically suitable areas with low level of human footprint to PAs is a necessary step for the long-term conservation of this endemic crocodile species. The current network of existing PAs needs improvement in order to provide well-suited and long-term protection for C. mindorensis. More surveys are also necessary to find hidden, so far overlooked populations and to assess C. mindorensis tolerance level for human impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the presence of habitual ground nesting in a newly studied East African chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) population in the Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, Uganda. Across a 2‐year period, we encountered 891 night nests, 189 of which were classified as ground nests, a rate of ~21%. We find no preliminary evidence of socio‐ecological factors that would promote its use and highlight local factors, such as high incidence of forest disturbance due to poaching and logging, which appear to make its use disadvantageous. While further study is required to establish whether this behavior meets the strict criteria for nonhuman animal culture, we support the argument that the wider use of population and group‐specific behavioral repertoires in flagship species, such as chimpanzees, offers a tool to promote the urgent conservation action needed to protect threatened ecosystems, including the Bugoma forest. Research highlights: Chimpanzees in the Bugoma Forest, Uganda, habitually employ overnight ground nests (21% of total nests, ground nests present in 25% of nest sites).We discuss a range of socio‐ecological and cultural explanations, highlighting local factors that appear to be disadvantageous for the behavior.While behavioral variation may offer a powerful tool for conservation, strict scientific thresholds for establishing cultural explanations may not be compatible with urgent conservation timelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource user compliance is a key element in effective fisheries management. Herein, we examine two decades of enforcement records pertaining to Atlantic salmon from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Illegal incidents were negatively correlated with the number of licensed anglers but not salmon abundance. Over two decades, illegal incidents declined by 66%, even after correcting for the positive relationship between enforcement effort and illegal incidents. This decline was primarily driven by a 67% reduction in netting and jigging‐related violations, which were likely to impose the highest levels of mortality on adult salmon among violations examined. Additionally, illegal incidents and violation types did not increase as a result of management changes. While Newfoundland and Labrador remains one of the last strongholds for Atlantic salmon, we encourage other jurisdictions to monitor fisheries compliance to better understand the social‐ecological landscape that is crucial to supporting healthy fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the conservation sector in South Africa is fossilized – unsustainable, outmoded and resistant to change – in two integrated ways. First, it is completely dependent on and steeped in fossil fuels and mineral extraction. The historical development of the South African economy's reliance on fossil and mineral resources provides the basis for this dependency but has since tentacularized into the very fabric of conservation and associated wildlife economies in the country. This unsustainable basis of the sector places a major stain on the ways in which South Africa's biodiversity is 'saved' for posterity. Second and relatedly, the social and labour relations that make up conservation in South Africa are fossilized in particularly racialized and gendered ways. This is socially unsustainable, as most of these relations are unjust and exploitative. Building on theories of fossil energy and labour relations that emphasise their everyday character, we argue that confronting the fossilized state of conservation in South Africa is necessary in and of itself, and a prerequisite for a broader societal transformation to sustainability. We conclude that the effective chances for this to happen are low, especially given the massive conservation attention on combatting rhino poaching in the last decade. This seems to have reinforced rather than alleviated the status quo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cornerstone of conservation policy for endangered species subject to illegal harvest involves estimating their population and offtake numbers. Census enumerations are expensive to conduct on nationwide scales, especially in resource‐constrained countries housing such species. Resource and data limitations necessitate the estimation of population counts. The effect of poaching on species recruitment is often ignored in scientific population projections. Estimation of population counts should account for the interactive feedback between harvest and recruitment. Data on tiger population sizes and poaching from 51 reserves in India between 1994 and 2022 were obtained to calibrate a coupled ecological‐economic model of tiger population dynamics and poaching. Cobb–Douglas harvest functions with differing degrees of concavity and scale economies are used to characterize the economics of poaching. Population dynamics are evaluated using exponential and critical depensation growth functions. The predictive abilities of linked models and their parameter parsimony are evaluated using information criteria. Poaching is shown to substantially affect recruitment dynamics and is best characterized by a Schaefer function coupled with critical depensation growth. This paper provides a novel perspective of the interaction between tiger poaching and population dynamics in India. A systematic understanding of coupled ecological‐economic processes would improve the management of high‐value endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife trade is one of the major contributors to biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia, especially in songbirds. Wildlife forensics using genomic data can be instrumental in informing conservation action by identifying trade routes and animals' provenance to help law enforcement. We obtained ~ 10,000 genome-wide markers spanning a panel of 87 wild, captive, and confiscated individuals of one of the most widely traded songbirds in Southeast Asia, Swinhoe's white-eye (Zosterops simplex), to examine shifts in trade routes. Our population-genomic analyses reveal that a well-studied population of this white-eye on Singapore Island exhibits a major genomic contribution from the geographically distant subspecies simplex, reflecting historic trade into Singapore from China. In contrast, modern confiscated samples as well as a minority of wild Singapore samples carry the genomic signature of the Southeast Asian subspecies erwini, suggesting that modern trade sources in Singapore have shifted from China towards adjacent Malaysia. Our study highlights how accurate identification of trade routes can help conservationists' efforts in tackling the growing songbird crisis in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Understanding human-wildlife interactions is critical to overcoming the socio-environmental crises we face worldwide. Among these interactions, poaching and hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and transmission of zoonotic diseases are major causes of biodiversity loss and detrimental to human well-being. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze wildlife poaching, feral pig hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and health issues in a region of the Brazilian Cerrado, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The study also focused on the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), a poached species listed as vulnerable to extinction. Methods: From October 2016 to September 2017, we conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 51 local people from nine stakeholder groups. Interview answers and additional information compiled during the study were evaluated using coding, narrative, and co-occurrence analyses. Results and discussion: We found that the main human-wildlife conflict in the region involves feral pigs, and hunting is practiced as a population control strategy. The lowland tapir is not considered a conflictual species, as it is beloved by most people. However, tapirs are still poached, although less so than in the past, mainly for cultural reasons. Culture was the main motivation behind wildlife poaching in general. We identified 28 species and five taxa currently poached in this Cerrado region, of which 11 are used for medical and aphrodisiac purposes. Historically, wildlife poaching was linked to poor livelihood conditions and lack of support from governmental institutions during the Agrarian Reform process, becoming a cultural habit over the years. Nevertheless, wildlife poaching is less frequent than in the past, and its main barriers are surveillance, poaching prohibition by landowners, and social norm. Therefore, promoting a change in the way people relate to nature, meeting socioeconomic needs, and increasing surveillance appear to be important conservation strategies. Although feral pig hunting may replace wildlife poaching, some hunters still poach wild species, especially peccaries. Hence, it is necessary to keep hunters under surveillance, raise awareness among them, and make them allies in conservation strategies. We found a worryingly low level of awareness about disease transmission risk through bushmeat manipulation and consumption, highlighting the importance of One Health approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the main causes that can contribute to the decrease of fish stocks with economic value in the Danube River, based on an analysis of both the recorded fishing catches and the quantities of fish retained following the control actions carried out by the authorities with the right of inspection and control with the aim of combating fish poaching, as well as the normative regulatory acts in the field of fishing. A broader perspective involves analysing the environmental factors and their role in the decline of economically valuable fish species in the Danube. From the analysed data, it was found that following the specific actions organized and carried out by the competent authorities, significant quantities of fish with economic value, originating from illegal fishing, were confiscated, thus resulting in the fact that both the regulations that sanction acts of poaching and the capacity of the responsible authorities are insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus, Hermann, 1779) is an endangered species of pinniped endemic to few areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Extensive hunting and poaching over the last two centuries have rendered it a rare sight, scattered mainly in the Aegean Sea and the western coast of North Africa. In a rare event, a female monk seal calf stranded and died in southern Italy (Brindisi, Puglia). During due necropsy, the brain was extracted and fixed. The present report is the first of a monk seal brain. The features reported are remarkably typical of a true seal brain, with some specific characteristics. The brain cortical circonvolutions, main fissures and the external parts are described, and an EQ was calculated. Overall, this carnivore adapted to aquatic life shares some aspects of its neuroanatomy and physiology with other seemingly distant aquatic mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii Smuts 1832) is vulnerable to extinction due to poaching and trafficking. Recovery of pangolins from the trade and subsequent rehabilitation and release form a core component of pangolin conservation. Post-release monitoring of rehabilitated pangolins through the attachment of very high frequency (VHF) transmitters and satellite devices is carried out to determine the efficacy of release protocols. We report on 14 confirmed and 19 potential incidents of device removal by predators during non-fatal attacks, which occurred over a 6 year period. During this time, 78 devices were deployed 109 times attached to 36 rehabilitated pangolins. These incidents should be considered during the design of future post-release monitoring protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Poaching for ivory has caused disturbances in the behaviour of elephants. The nature and magnitude of such disturbance are not yet fully understood. Here, we studied the daily activity cycles of 10 elephants tracked for a minimum of two years each in the Samburu ecosystem in Kenya. The elephants were tracked over a spatial or temporal gradient of poaching risk in their distribution area. Laikipia Samburu landscape is shared with humans and is a mosaic of land ownership and management practices, all of which lead to varied levels of illegal killing. Using movement data of elephants tracked on various dates between 2002 and 2016, we studied the daily activity cycle when they were in their different core areas. Using Generalized Additive Models, we found that elephants moved less around midday in high poaching areas. Despite the adaptive shift in activity times, elephants were moving for fewer hours per day in areas with higher risk, reducing total movement daily in risky areas or times. The elephants lost one hour daily from their usual movement time when they went into high-risk areas, which they did not compensate for despite increased activity at dawn and dusk. The level of illegal killing was the best explanatory variable for altering the activity cycle. We infer that such risk avoidance behaviour culminates in the potential reduction of foraging efforts in a risky area. A deficit in their activity time may have consequences for their social life, reproduction, or overall foraging success, aspects of elephant ecology that are not fully understood yet. We discuss the results in light of the increasing need for more fine-scale temporal analyses of the influence of risk on the diel activity of elephants for sites that achieve both movement data and verified records of causes of elephant deaths.

Abstract In recent years, Hooded Vulture populations in West Africa have decreased substantially. However, in some areas within this region, the species is still relatively abundant. To find out more about the situation in West Africa, we assessed the status of Hooded Vultures in Benin, one of the countries where their status is not well known. We conducted road counts on paved and unpaved roads and along small trails over a total of 1451 km. We also conducted interviews with local abattoir watchmen, veterinarians, butchers and foresters to examine potential threats to this species. A total of 52 Hooded Vultures were counted mostly in the departments of Atacora (32) but also in Alibori (10) and Borgou (10). The relative abundance was four Hooded Vultures per 100 km, highlighting the near extirpation of this bird from Benin. A total of 49 interviews revealed that poaching for belief‐based use (through shooting and traps) and decreasing food availability remain the most important threats for Hooded Vultures in northern Benin. If these threats are not mitigated, we predict the extirpation of the Hooded Vulture outside protected areas in Benin within the next two decades, possibly even sooner. Conservation measures, including awareness campaigns, and the improvement and enforcement of environmental legislation, must be urgently implemented to improve the protection of this Critically Endangered vulture species.