Community Perceptions of Grivet Monkey Crop Depredation in the Ethiopian Highlands: Implications for Primate Conservation

Human–primate conflicts in Africa have been increasing due to increased human population growth and the resulting competition for forest resources. The Ethiopian Highlands in northern Ethiopia, home to the grivet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops), once consisted of large forested areas. This region has been severely denuded and now exhibits only small forest patches remaining at sites with special cultural significance in the immediate vicinity of churches. These forest patches, surrounded by agricultural crops, provide refugia habitat for the grivet monkey. We randomly surveyed 50 villagers living near the Batiero Church Forest, a 45-ha forest patch located in northern Ethiopia, to determine villagers’ perceptions of the crop damage caused by the monkeys and mitigation measures to reduce crop loss. Most respondents expressed negative perceptions (74%) toward grivet monkeys, and 50% of respondents reported that crop damage was the most encountered problem in the study area. The perception of villagers to grivet monkeys differed based on farmland size (P = 0.00). To reduce crop damage, 53% of households used dogs to guard their farmland and 44% employed methods to physically scare or harass monkeys to protect their crops. At present, the villagers do not receive any government compensation for crop depredation. Thus, the villagers we surveyed wanted to eliminate the grivet monkey populations. This study provided insight into villager perception regarding human–primate conflicts that can impact primate conservation efforts in other areas where human encroachment into primate habitats is increasing

Magnitude of extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae among commonly vended street foods in Arba Minch town, southern Ethiopia

Abstract Background The rising prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESβL-PE) in street foods poses a significant risk to human health due to its epidemiological significance. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of foodborne Enterobacteriaceae that produce carbapenemase and ESβL, as well as their patterns of antibiotic resistance, in the studied area. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from January 1st, 2023, to February 30th, 2023. One hundred randomly chosen street-vended food items (one hundred grams of each food item) were aseptically collected, and aliquots of 0.1 ml from the homogenized (25 g of samples into 225 ml of buffered peptone water (BPW)) were inoculated on MacConkey agar and Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate Agar (XLD). Enterobacteriaceae isolates were identified using various biochemical tests. ESβL and carbapenemase were first screened by indicator cephalosporins and carbapenem antibiotics, respectively. ESβL and carbapenemase were confirmed by a double-disc synergy test and modified carbapenem inactivation methods, respectively. Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used for the antimicrobial-resistant test. Results A total of 112 Enterobacteriaceae belonging to six different genera were isolated. E. coli was attributed 39 (34.8%), followed by Citrobacter spp. 22 (19.6%) and K. pneumoniae 18 (16.1%), with only 8 (7.1%) isolated Salmonella spp. About 15.2% (n = 17) and 8.9% (n = 10) of Enterobacteriaceae were phenotypically confirmed to be extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESβL) and carbapenemase producers, respectively. The highest percentage of ESβL-producing isolates was attributed to K. pneumoniae (n = 5), E. coli (n = 4), and Enterobacter spp. (n = 3). Proteus spp. and Salmonella spp. isolates were carbapenemase-negative. All carbapenemase-positive isolates were found to be ESβL-producers. 70.6% (12/17) of ESβL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were found to be multidrug-resistant (MDR). Conclusion A considerable number of multidrug-resistant ESβL and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were identified, suggesting that street foods may be a potential source of MDR foodborne infections. Consequently, it is important to conduct routine examinations of street food items and track trends in medication resistance

Feeding Habits and Activity Patterns of Grivet Monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops L.) in Batiero Church Forest, Northern Ethiopia

Grivet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) are restricted to fragmented forests where food and space are limiting factors. The study investigated the feeding and activity patterns of grivet monkeys in Batiero Church Forest, northern Ethiopia, using focal and scan sampling techniques. Both focal and scan animal sessions lasted 15 min, with 5 min rest intervals between sessions. During the early dry season, grivet monkeys mainly fed on Acacia sieberiana (26.5%) and Juniperus procera (17.5%). Dry season food selection was significantly different, J. procera (20.5%), Acacia mearnsii (15.6%), A. sieberiana (14.2%), and Cyperus bulbosus (12.7%). The predominant plant parts eaten were seeds (42.6% and 33.3% in early dry and dry seasons, respectively) followed by leaves (34.5% and 22.5% in early dry and dry seasons, respectively). The activity patterns showed no significant seasonal variation, and the most frequent activity was feeding (33.3% and 32.6%, in early dry and dry seasons, respectively). The preferred food source tree species are threatened, and the survival of the grivet monkeys depends on the conservation of indigenous plants and trees

Diurnal activity patterns of Harwood’s Spurfowl Pternistis harwoodi in relation to habitat types and climatic conditions in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Harwood’s Spurfowl Pternistis harwoodi is an endemic bird of Ethiopia. Globally, it is categorised as Vulnerable. Habitat loss and hunting are the major conservation threats to the species. This study investigated the activity patterns of Harwood’s Spurfowl in relation to biophysical variables in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia. A species focal sampling method was applied to quantify the time budget of the target species during the dry and wet seasons of 2016. The time spent by the species on various activity patterns were significantly different (p < 0.05). The mean proportion of time utilised by the species for ‘calling’, ‘feeding’, ‘preening’ and ‘resting’ activities based on habitat types and seasons were also statistically different (p < 0.05). Except for ‘resting’, most activity patterns showed bimodal patterns with peaks during the early morning and late in the afternoon. The number of Harwood’s Spurfowl (birds per hour per square metre) detected was higher during the cooler wet season. The highest bird counts occurred during low temperature, low wind speed and high relative humidity in the early morning and late afternoon. The species was recorded most in the scrubland habitat where human disturbance was low. Thus, this habitat should be conserved and managed to sustain the population