Ecology and conservation of the southern woolly lemur (Avahi meridionalis) in the Tsitongambarika Protected Area

Recent studies question the assumption that folivorous primates rely on ubiquitous and evenly distributed food resources with a low and uniform nutritional quality. They suggest that folivores experience scramble competition and their resources vary in quality, availability, and spatial distribution. Woolly lemurs, Avahi sp., are the only true nocturnal folivorous primates. This study aims to explore whether A. meridionalis experiences food constraints in the Tsitongambarika lowland rainforest of south-east Madagascar, a habitat that is expected to have low variation in quality, availability, and spatial distribution of leaves. I collected data from May 2015 to July 2016 at Ampasy, north of the Tsitongambarika Protected Area, on abundance of lemur species, and ranging pattern, sleeping site selection, diet, and activity pattern of A. meridionalis. I delivered four lessons to teachers in the municipality that hosts Ampasy to raise awareness on the threats that lemurs and forests are facing, and assessed the effective retention of knowledge after one year. The density of the nocturnal folivore Lepilemur fleuretae was very high, suggesting a possible scramble competition with A. meridionalis. Avahi meridionalis adopted a resource-maximising strategy in terms of annual ranges, suggesting a high-quality habitat, and a time-minimising strategy in terms of daily distances travelled, sleeping site selection, and dietary choices, suggesting a seasonal fluctuation of resources. The competition with L. fleuretae may explain the dietary breadth reduction during the lean season and the opportunistic cathemeral activity that I found in A. meridionalis. Teachers retained most of the information provided, which can thus be transferred to students. This is the first step to favour a change in attitude by the local community in the area. My results on A. meridionalis showed several lines of evidence to support the hypothesis that folivores experience similar food constraints to frugivores

Stress and habitat fragmentation in Eulemur collaris evaluated by glucocorticoid metabolite levels in faecal samples

This study investigates the relationship between Madagascar’s environment and the stress physiology of the red collared brown lemur, Eulemur collaris. Habitat disturbance in Madagascar is pervasive and lemurs possess many unique traits compared with other primates that are primarily attributed to environmental or nutritional stress. Glucocorticoids (GCs) like cortisol are stress indicators. The assessment of welfare in animals is a developing field of study, and stressors in natural habitat can be estimated by measuring GC metabolites (GCM) in faeces. The littoral forests of southeastern Madagascar are among the most endangered habitats in the world and Eulemur collaris is well adapted to survive in these forests. The red collared brown lemur is a mostly frugivorous and cathemeral lemur with an extraordinary ecological flexibility that allows it to tolerate a certain degree of habitat changes. The goal of this study was to assess whether the health state measured by GCM levels of animals which living in a degraded habitat is comparatively different than the state of con-specific individuals living in a more pristine area. For this we compared faecal GCM levels in wild adults Eulemur collaris in a degraded (Mandena) and an intact littoral forest (Sainte Luce) in South-eastern Madagascar over a one year period (February 2011- January 2012). We analysed how GCM levels varied among reproductive stages and phenological seasons, using forest degradation, rank and sex as covariates. In general, lemurs at Mandena were more stressed than lemurs at Sainte Luce. Lemurs showed higher GCM levels during the mating season, followed by gestation season, lactation season and the non-reproductive season. We found that females at Mandena were more stressed than females at Sainte Luce during the gestation season. In relation to phenological seasons, individuals at Mandena were significantly more stressed than individuals at Sainte Luce, and lemurs at Mandena were more stressed during the lean season than lemurs at Sainte Luce. This study found no rank-related GCM levels. These results showed, as predicted, that lemurs in a degraded habitat are more stressed and this has important implications for future conservation plans. Eulemur collaris is the largest frugivorous primate present in the littoral forest and is an important seed disperser, its presence is of vital importance for the forest per se. Due to its role of seed disperser, protecting this lemur species also means helping regeneration of degraded habitats

Temporal niche separation between the two ecologically similar nocturnal primates Avahi meridionalis and Lepilemur fleuretae

Time is considered a resource in limited supply, and temporal niche separation is one of the most common strategies that allow ecologically similar species to live in sympatry. Mechanisms of temporal niche separation are understudied especially in cryptic animals due to logistical problems in gathering adequate data. Using high-frequency accelerometers attached to radio-collars, we investigated whether the ecologically similar lemurs Avahi meridionalis and Lepilemur fleuretae in the lowland rainforest of Tsitongambarika, south-eastern Madagascar, show temporal niche separation. Accelerometers stored data with a frequency of 1 Hz for a total of 71 days on three individuals of A. meridionalis and three individuals of L. fleuretae. We extrapolated motor activity patterns via the unsupervised learning algorithm expectation maximisation and validated the results with systematic behavioural observations. Avahi meridionalis showed peaks of activity at twilights with low but consistent activity during the day, while L. fleuretae exhibited more activity in the central hours of the night. Both lemur species had their activity pattern entrained by photoperiodic variations. The pair-living A. meridionalis was found to be lunarphilic while the solitary-living L. fleuretae was lunarphobic. We suggest that these activity differences were advantageous to minimise feeding competition, as an anti-predator strategy, and/or for dietary-related benefits. These findings demonstrate a fine-tuned temporal partitioning in sympatric, ecologically similar lemur species and support the idea that an activity spread over the 24-h, defined here as cathemerality sensu lato, is more common than previously thought in lemurs. Significance statement. Ecologically similar species may exhibit temporal niche partitioning and separate their peaks of activity when co-occurring in an area. We show for the first time that the mainly nocturnal genus Avahi can exhibit high crepuscular activity with low but consistent bouts of activity (up to 44.6% of daily activity) during the day. We defined this activity as cathemerality sensu lato as opposed to the cathemerality sensu stricto observed in Eulemur sp. We suggest that this flexible activity may be advantageous for the species to minimise feeding competition and predatory pressure, and/or to provide dietary-related benefits. This finding in the secondary nocturnal genus Avahi supports the idea that activity patterns in lemurs are graded and traditional categorisations are inadequate

Assessment of long-term retention of environmental education lessons given to teachers in rural areas of Madagascar

Assessing the retention of knowledge is the first step of environmental education programs. The low education level in rural areas is one factor influencing habitat loss in Madagascar. We tested whether environmental education lessons given to teachers from a municipality, Iaboakoho, in a priority area for lemur conservation were retained after one year. Questionnaires were given to teachers from Iaboakoho and from other three neighbouring municipalities (control groups). Teachers from Iaboakoho had higher scores than the others. Knowledge gained was retained and might be transferred to children. Increasing proenvironmental attitudes and behaviours is the next step to reduce environmental exploitation

Active learning increases knowledge and understanding of wildlife friendly farming in middle school students in Java, Indonesia

The main objective of environmental education is to promote pro-environmental behaviors; increasing knowledge and understanding are the first steps. Active learning plays a crucial role in increasing engagement levels and achieving positive behavioral development. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a wildlife-friendly farming curriculum, including active learning, presented to 223 students aged 13–15 years from ten middle schools in Garut Regency, Indonesia, from June to September 2019. Using pre- and post-questionnaires, we found that knowledge retention and understanding increased if students completed an exercise that involved an active discussion with parents and if the class was engaged (monitored via WhatsApp groups) in an active learning experiment. Key concepts regarding wildlife-friendly farming, such as mutual benefits for wildlife and humans, the provision of ecosystem services by animals, and the use of organic farming, were more frequent if students discussed the program with parents or if they were engaged during the experiment. We found evidence that student engagement via active learning increased knowledge retention and understanding of wildlife-friendly farming. Similar approaches should be used to promote wildlife-friendly farming approaches from even younger ages and should be tested with other projects aimed at producing pro-environmental behaviors

Let’s get virtual! Reinventing a science festival during a pandemic: Limitations and insights

Non-formal, yet educative, activities such as science festivals can positively influence the public regarding their attitude towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects and students’ willingness to pursue STEM-related careers. We evaluate the changes made to adapt the Oxford Brookes Science Bazaar, a science festival that has been delivered face-to-face since 2008, to a virtual format in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The online festival included 28 pre-recorded and 12 live activities of different types (hands-on, demonstration, games, lectures, podcasts, virtual tours). Hands-on activities and virtual tours had the highest number of unique viewers, while lectures and podcasts were the least watched. The videos were watched also after the advertised date of the festival and reached a broader audience than the physical events. The number of participants, the holding time, and the proportion of people who filled the feedback forms, however, were lower in the online than the physical events. STEM organisations should consider hybrid events, with both virtual and in-person contents, to reach a broader audience and to create more inclusive events. We provide recommendations on how to maximise the benefit of virtual formats, including expanding blended virtual activities to reach a wider variety of age groups

Training in the dark: Using target training for non-invasive application and validation of accelerometer devices for an endangered primate (Nycticebus bengalensis)

Accelerometers offer unique opportunities to study the behaviour of cryptic animals but require validation to show their accuracy in identifying behaviours. This validation is often undertaken in captivity before use in the wild. While zoos provide important opportunities for trial field techniques, they must consider the welfare and health of the individuals in their care and researchers must opt for the least invasive techniques. We used positive reinforcement training to attach and detach a collar with an accelerometer to an individual Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) at the Shaldon Wildlife Trust, U.K. This allowed us to collect accelerometer data at different periods between January–June 2020 and January–February 2021, totalling 42 h of data with corresponding video for validation. Of these data, we selected 54 min where ten behaviours were present and ran a random forest model. We needed 39 15-min sessions to train the animal to wear/remove the collar. The accelerometer data had an accuracy of 80.7 ± SD 9.9% in predicting the behaviours, with 99.8% accuracy in predicting resting, and a lower accuracy (but still >75% for all of them apart from suspensory walk) for the different types of locomotion and feeding behaviours. This training and validation technique can be used in similar species and shows the importance of working with zoos for in situ conservation (e.g., validation of field techniques)

Medication Overuse Withdrawal in Children and Adolescents Does Not Always Improve Headache:A Cross-Sectional Study

Background:MOH can be diagnosed in subjects with headache occurring 15 days/month in association with a regular medication overuse, but its existence is not universally accepted. ICHD-3 redefined criteria for MOH, removing the criterion associating drug suspension with headache course. The aim of our study was to compare the rate of patients diagnosed with medication overuse headache (MOH) according to ICHD-2 and ICHD-3 criteria, to verify the degree of concordance. The secondary aim was to verify if drug withdrawal was really associated with pain relief. Methods:In this cross-sectional study, we retrospectively analyzed a sample of 400 patients followed for primary chronic headache at the Headache Center of Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital. We then selected those presenting with a history of medication overuse, and we applied both ICHD-2 and ICHD-3 criteria to verify in which patients the criteria would identify a clinical diagnosis of MOH. Results:We identified 42 subjects (10.5%) with MOH; 23 of them (55%) presented a relief of headache withdrawing drug overuse. Regarding the applicability of the ICHD-2 criteria, 43% of patients (18/42) fulfilled all criteria, while all ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria were satisfied in 76% of patients (32/42). Eighteen patients (43%) satisfied both ICHD-2 and ICHD-3 criteria, while 10 patients (24%) did not satisfy either diagnostic criterion. Conclusions:Our study suggests that in children and adolescents, withdrawing medication overuse is not always associated with a clinical benefit. Therefore, though allowing a MOH diagnosis in a higher rate of patients as compared to ICHD-2, the application of ICHD-3 criteria does not guarantee a true a causal relationship between medication overuse and headache worsening

From the New Diagnostic Criteria to COVID-19 Pandemic Passing Through the Placebo Effect. What Have We Learned in the Management of Pediatric Migrane Over the Past 5 Years?

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) therapies for the treatment of migraine represented a milestone for the management of the disease in adults. On the contrary, the novelties in the field of pediatric migraine are inserted in a different scenario and still concern: (1) diagnostic criteria of the international classification of headache disorders-3 (ICHD-3) that show numerous limits of applicability in the developmental age; (2) the release of the results of the Childhood and Adolescent Migraine Prevention (CHAMP) study that raised doubts about the usefulness of traditional drugs for the treatment of pediatric migraine; (3) the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put the spotlight on the importance of managing the psychological factors associated with the disease. In this mini review we discuss the most relevant news in pediatric migraine over the last 5 years

Does forest management and researchers’ presence reduce hunting and forest exploitation by local communities in Tsitongambarika, south-east Madagascar?

Hunting of wildlife is one of the major threats to biodiversity. For effective conservation programmes in countries where hunting and shifting agriculture are the main sources of subsistence, forest management should aim to reduce hunting pressure and forest exploitation. The presence of researchers has been promoted as one of the main ways to mitigate anthropogenic pressures on wildlife populations. Our aim was to test whether local management and the establishment of a research station had a role in decreasing forest exploitation by local people living adjacent to a recently protected area in south-east Madagascar. We interviewed local people from nine villages at various distances from the recently established research station of Ampasy, in the northernmost portion of the Tsitongambarika Protected Area, to explore how people use the forest, with a particular focus on hunting. We also performed transect surveys to estimate snare and lemur encounter rates before local forest management began, at the establishment of the research station, and 1 year after. The impact of local communities on the forest seems to have decreased since the beginning of forest management, with a further decrease since the establishment of the research station. Participants from villages not involved in the local management were more reluctant to declare their illegal activities. We conclude that a combination of local management and related activities (e.g. installation of a research station) can assist in temporarily reducing forest exploitation by local communities; however, community needs and conservation plans should be integrated to maintain long-term benefits