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Wire snares are a frequently-used method for illegal bushmeat poaching and are increasingly recognised as a global threat to biodiversity. For large carnivores, wire snares can negatively influence population persistence through both prey depletion and direct mortality and injury from snaring by-catch. However, studies investigating the underlying drivers of snare placement and areas of increased likelihood of detecting snared animals are lacking, particularly in fenced protected areas. We estimated the occurrence of large carnivore snaring incidents in Kruger National Park, South Africa, using citizen science records reported on social media pages. Using occupancy modelling to account for imperfect detection, we assessed the drivers of snare occurrence and predicted areas of high snaring risk across the protected area. Our results suggest that the probability of snared large carnivores increases with proximity to areas of higher human activity. Specifically, snare occurrence is significantly higher at the reserve boundary in areas that are bordered by human settlements. Prey biomass also significantly influenced the probability of snare occurrence, with areas of lower prey biomass significantly more likely to detect snared carnivores. Our findings suggest that areas of increased accessibility are the primary motivator for snare placement in fenced reserves, rather than ecological and environmental considerations. Spotted hyaena were the most frequently observed snared large carnivore, in accordance with previous literature that suggests snare bycatch may be an underrepresented threat to the species’ survival. Our novel approach can be used to predict areas of increased snare occurrence and inform applied law enforcement and mitigation strategies.

Environmental enrichment is an effective tool for zoos and similar institutions to improve the general welfare of their resident animals through mental stimulation of one or more senses. Auditory enrichment appeals to the auditory centers of the brain and commonly takes the form of music or recordings taken in a natural setting. However, previous studies observing the effect of auditory enrichment on captive animals have primarily been done on small sample sizes and in single population systems. Here, I aimed at exploring the behavioural responses of captive ring-tailed lemurs (Catta lemur) to diverse forms of auditory enrichment by assessing their preferences between ecologically relevant sounds from their native habitat in Madagascar and classical music. I show that across three zoos, 17 ring-tailed lemurs consistently preferred ecologically relevant recordings taken from their natural environment in Madagascar over popular classical music. Across six, one-hour playback sessions for each treatment, ring-tailed lemurs spent more time closer to the source of ecologically relevant playback during the initial 30 minutes, before returning to baseline levels of distance in the latter 30-minute period. My results add ring-tailed lemurs to the current list of animals that have been found to be affected by auditory enrichment and shows that these animals have a consistent preference for ecologically relevant auditory enrichment across multiple zoos. Zoos and similar institutions may use the conclusions drawn in this study to make an informed decision about introducing their own ring-tailed lemurs to ecologically relevant auditory enrichment.

Environmental enrichment is an effective tool for zoos and similar institutions to improve the general welfare of their resident animals through mental stimulation of one or more senses. Auditory enrichment appeals to the auditory centers of the brain and commonly takes the form of music or recordings taken in a natural setting. However, previous studies observing the effect of auditory enrichment on captive animals have primarily been done on small sample sizes and in single population systems. Here, I aimed at exploring the behavioural responses of captive ring-tailed lemurs (Catta lemur) to diverse forms of auditory enrichment by assessing their preferences between ecologically relevant sounds from their native habitat in Madagascar and classical music. I show that across three zoos, 17 ring-tailed lemurs consistently preferred ecologically relevant recordings taken from their natural environment in Madagascar over popular classical music. Across six, one-hour playback sessions for each treatment, ring-tailed lemurs spent more time closer to the source of ecologically relevant playback during the initial 30 minutes, before returning to baseline levels of distance in the latter 30-minute period. My results add ring-tailed lemurs to the current list of animals that have been found to be affected by auditory enrichment and shows that these animals have a consistent preference for ecologically relevant auditory enrichment across multiple zoos. Zoos and similar institutions may use the conclusions drawn in this study to make an informed decision about introducing their own ring-tailed lemurs to ecologically relevant auditory enrichment.

Wire snares are a frequently-used method for illegal bushmeat poaching and are increasingly recognised as a global threat to biodiversity. For large carnivores, wire snares can negatively influence population persistence through both prey depletion and direct mortality and injury from snaring by-catch. However, studies investigating the underlying drivers of snare placement and areas of increased likelihood of detecting snared animals are lacking, particularly in fenced protected areas. We estimated the occurrence of large carnivore snaring incidents in Kruger National Park, South Africa, using citizen science records reported on social media pages. Using occupancy modelling to account for imperfect detection, we assessed the drivers of snare occurrence and predicted areas of high snaring risk across the protected area. Our results suggest that the probability of snared large carnivores increases with proximity to areas of higher human activity. Specifically, snare occurrence is significantly higher at the reserve boundary in areas that are bordered by human settlements. Prey biomass also significantly influenced the probability of snare occurrence, with areas of lower prey biomass significantly more likely to detect snared carnivores. Our findings suggest that areas of increased accessibility are the primary motivator for snare placement in fenced reserves, rather than ecological and environmental considerations. Spotted hyaena were the most frequently observed snared large carnivore, in accordance with previous literature that suggests snare bycatch may be an underrepresented threat to the species’ survival. Our novel approach can be used to predict areas of increased snare occurrence and inform applied law enforcement and mitigation strategies.

Marine mammals play a crucial role as sentinels of the oceans, monitoring the health and quality of aquatic ecosystems. However, they face escalating anthropogenic pressures, including the alarming issue of accidental bycatch resulting in the tragic loss of countless large oceanic vertebrates. Among these species, harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stand out as particularly vulnerable. To mitigate bycatch, acoustic alarms known as pingers have proven effective, yet concerns about associated risks have spurred the development of a new device, the Porpoise Alert (PAL) even though, understanding the behavioral responses of wild porpoises to PALs remains still limited. Addressing this knowledge gap, I conducted 33 playback trials in Danish waters during the summers of 2021 and 2022 to investigate the fine-scale behavioral reactions of porpoises to PALs. Employing drone tracking, I recorded porpoise behaviour during 2 min before, during, and after exposure to PAL signals to model their behavioural responses. My findings underscore significant changes in behavior in response to PALs. Specifically, we observed a marked decrease in Touching behavior as well as an effect of the distance from the sound source emerged as a key factor influencing behavioral responses, during PAL playbacks. AbruptStop, Travelling, and Diving, were scores closer to the PAL sound, while PotentialFeeding and BottomGrubbing were more common to greater distances. Importantly, PAL playbacks stimulate alert responses in porpoises characterized by a decrease in Touching and an increase in Travelling, Diving and AbruptStop. Furtheremore, the potential link of the AbruptStop behavior to sudden changes in ongoing behavioral states represent noteworthy discoveries. In the post-exposure phase, group size emerged as a significant determinant of behavioral responses. Larger groups displayed higher frequencies of PotentialFeeding and BottomGrubbing, along with Accelerating, while smaller groups exhibited inc

Marine mammals play a crucial role as sentinels of the oceans, monitoring the health and quality of aquatic ecosystems. However, they face escalating anthropogenic pressures, including the alarming issue of accidental bycatch resulting in the tragic loss of countless large oceanic vertebrates. Among these species, harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) stand out as particularly vulnerable. To mitigate bycatch, acoustic alarms known as pingers have proven effective, yet concerns about associated risks have spurred the development of a new device, the Porpoise Alert (PAL) even though, understanding the behavioral responses of wild porpoises to PALs remains still limited. Addressing this knowledge gap, I conducted 33 playback trials in Danish waters during the summers of 2021 and 2022 to investigate the fine-scale behavioral reactions of porpoises to PALs. Employing drone tracking, I recorded porpoise behaviour during 2 min before, during, and after exposure to PAL signals to model their behavioural responses. My findings underscore significant changes in behavior in response to PALs. Specifically, we observed a marked decrease in Touching behavior as well as an effect of the distance from the sound source emerged as a key factor influencing behavioral responses, during PAL playbacks. AbruptStop, Travelling, and Diving, were scores closer to the PAL sound, while PotentialFeeding and BottomGrubbing were more common to greater distances. Importantly, PAL playbacks stimulate alert responses in porpoises characterized by a decrease in Touching and an increase in Travelling, Diving and AbruptStop. Furtheremore, the potential link of the AbruptStop behavior to sudden changes in ongoing behavioral states represent noteworthy discoveries. In the post-exposure phase, group size emerged as a significant determinant of behavioral responses. Larger groups displayed higher frequencies of PotentialFeeding and BottomGrubbing, along with Accelerating, while smaller groups exhibited inc

Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are considered an endangered species according to the IUCN Red List, with populations following a decreasing trend and being severely fragmented. The population status of long-tailed macaques has changed drastically during the last fifteen years, from being Least Concern in 2008, to Endangered in 2022. This rapid change has generated intense concern in the research community, leading many researchers to claim that this species shares many similarities with the Passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) case. The threats faced by long-tailed macaques are classified as both direct and indirect. Trade for the medical industry (laboratory animals) and pet trade, with numerous animals captured and being “abducted” from their natural habitat, can be considered as major threats. Furthermore, habitat loss and fragmentation could consequently lead to fragmented populations and even threaten them more intensively with extinction. Nevertheless, the most important threat of this species relies on the lack of knowledge related to the distribution, abundance and ecology of it in all the countries where it can be found. Because of this deficiency, institutes and governmental agencies have established laws that are focused mainly on the conflicts between humans and long-tailed macaques. This one-sided perspective of problem solving is more possible to create inappropriate management plans that would not take into consideration the status and the conservation of this species. Perceiving the lack of data concerning the distribution of long-tailed macaques in Southeast Asia as a trigger, we decided to conduct research that will be useful in order to point out possible hotspots areas that should be surveyed further in the near future. Using the Maxent software we conducted a species distribution modeling (SMD) to detect the most suitable habitats for the long-tailed macaques in the northern part of Southeast Asia (Vietn

Habitat loss and fragmentation are listed as the number one causes of the current biodiversity crisis. Roads are widely recognized as having adverse effects on wildlife and biological processes by creating barriers and resulting in the death of animals. Fences on the other hand, have received little attention although they occur more frequently in the landscape than roads and have similar, perhaps more serious and far-reaching, consequences for the natural world. There are four types of fences: 1) boundary fences, 2) livestock fences, 3) conservation fences and 4) exclusion fences, which are built for a variety of purposes. Fences can cause direct mortality of wildlife as well as injury and stress while more indirect impacts include disruption to movement, migration and dispersal routes. This may result in lack of food, water and mates and resulting effects on fecundity and survival. Fences can also isolate species thereby reducing gene flow and potentially lowering genetic diversity over time. Few mitigation strategies currently exist besides from wildlife-friendly fence designs. Installation of fauna passages has been attempted at border walls, which block access between countries, but little knowledge exists on this topic. This is in stark contrast to the large body of research on implementation of wildlife crossing structures above or below roads. In Denmark, an exclusion fence has been erected on the border to Germany because of African Swine Flu (ASF), a highly virulent and deadly virus that infects domestic pigs and wild boars. The disease causes substantial economic losses to the pig farming industry and has created havoc in the many countries it has quickly spread to. Wild boars are carriers of the disease and thought to be one of the main drivers of transmission and persistence of ASF in Europe. The fence has been met with fierce opposition from green groups who argue it will have serious consequences for local wildlife. The agencies responsible for

Habitat loss and fragmentation are listed as the number one causes of the current biodiversity crisis. Roads are widely recognized as having adverse effects on wildlife and biological processes by creating barriers and resulting in the death of animals. Fences on the other hand, have received little attention although they occur more frequently in the landscape than roads and have similar, perhaps more serious and far-reaching, consequences for the natural world. There are four types of fences: 1) boundary fences, 2) livestock fences, 3) conservation fences and 4) exclusion fences, which are built for a variety of purposes. Fences can cause direct mortality of wildlife as well as injury and stress while more indirect impacts include disruption to movement, migration and dispersal routes. This may result in lack of food, water and mates and resulting effects on fecundity and survival. Fences can also isolate species thereby reducing gene flow and potentially lowering genetic diversity over time. Few mitigation strategies currently exist besides from wildlife-friendly fence designs. Installation of fauna passages has been attempted at border walls, which block access between countries, but little knowledge exists on this topic. This is in stark contrast to the large body of research on implementation of wildlife crossing structures above or below roads. In Denmark, an exclusion fence has been erected on the border to Germany because of African Swine Flu (ASF), a highly virulent and deadly virus that infects domestic pigs and wild boars. The disease causes substantial economic losses to the pig farming industry and has created havoc in the many countries it has quickly spread to. Wild boars are carriers of the disease and thought to be one of the main drivers of transmission and persistence of ASF in Europe. The fence has been met with fierce opposition from green groups who argue it will have serious consequences for local wildlife. The agencies responsible for

Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are considered an endangered species according to the IUCN Red List, with populations following a decreasing trend and being severely fragmented. The population status of long-tailed macaques has changed drastically during the last fifteen years, from being Least Concern in 2008, to Endangered in 2022. This rapid change has generated intense concern in the research community, leading many researchers to claim that this species shares many similarities with the Passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) case. The threats faced by long-tailed macaques are classified as both direct and indirect. Trade for the medical industry (laboratory animals) and pet trade, with numerous animals captured and being “abducted” from their natural habitat, can be considered as major threats. Furthermore, habitat loss and fragmentation could consequently lead to fragmented populations and even threaten them more intensively with extinction. Nevertheless, the most important threat of this species relies on the lack of knowledge related to the distribution, abundance and ecology of it in all the countries where it can be found. Because of this deficiency, institutes and governmental agencies have established laws that are focused mainly on the conflicts between humans and long-tailed macaques. This one-sided perspective of problem solving is more possible to create inappropriate management plans that would not take into consideration the status and the conservation of this species. Perceiving the lack of data concerning the distribution of long-tailed macaques in Southeast Asia as a trigger, we decided to conduct research that will be useful in order to point out possible hotspots areas that should be surveyed further in the near future. Using the Maxent software we conducted a species distribution modeling (SMD) to detect the most suitable habitats for the long-tailed macaques in the northern part of Southeast Asia (Vietn