Wildlife reintroduction: considerations of habitat quality at the release site.

RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are.BACKGROUND: Assessing the suitability of a habitat prior to the release of animals is vital. Proper assessment of the flora will allow reintroduction programmes to determine whether the area will be capable of supporting the released animals in the long-term. Here data are presented from an island in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia which has been used as a release site for agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis albibarbis) since January 2003. RESULTS: Methods and results regarding fruit abundance, fruit productivity, tree density and diversity are presented. This information is then analysed in the context of the island's suitability to sustain released gibbons and without impact on the resident fauna. Based on the above ecological characteristics, the final carrying capacity of the island is estimated to be between 3 and 19 gibbons. CONCLUSION: These data highlight the need to survey areas being considered for release of gibbon prior to the release taking place. For reintroductions to be successful, long-term habitat assessment is vital, both pre- and post-release

Hierarchical position of individual captive western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla and its impact on neighbour associations and behaviour

This study investigated the social relationships observed within a captive breeding group of western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla at a European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) accredited facility: Blackpool Zoo, UK. Gorillas are complex and intelligent primates, and the western lowland sub-species is popular in zoo collections. Captivity can raise issues for gorillas which, in the wild, live in large family groups with a distinct hierarchy forming the basis of group stability. Studying captive groups can help facilities make informed decisions for gorilla captive management. This study considered if and how captive gorilla behaviour could be influenced by social positioning. It was carried out in May–July 2018 and focused on social behaviour, nearest neighbour and position in the enclosure recorded for focal individuals with notes on enclosure design taken. Interval focal sampling was used to record gorilla (n=6; two adult females, one adult male, two juvenile females and one infant male) social behaviour, their nearest neighbour (the animal physically closest to the focal individual) and position in the enclosure simultaneously every 10 min, during six-hour observation periods over two months. A different individual was observed daily. Data on independent and social behaviours were collected to determine activity budgets using an ethogram. Data on independent behaviours can demonstrate if there are variations in behaviour when gorillas are in social proximity. Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted on mean frequencies of independent (n=10) and social (n=5) behavioural categories for each individual. Independent inactive behaviours were most common (n=53.6) with adult gorillas displaying increased levels of sitting and lying in comparison with younger individuals. There is a difference among the gorillas in their social behaviour. Nearest neighbour data were analysed using cluster analysis. The silverback was most closely associated to his youngest offspring and lactating female. The sub-adult female has the weakest associations in comparison to the rest of the group. The results suggest individual preferences for social associations, with younger individuals associating closely with their mothers, and a mother and infant associating closely with the silverback. A sub-adult female was less associated with all individuals, which could suggest her readiness to transfer. This study emphasises the influence that hierarchical social organisation within a captive setting has on captive gorilla behaviour monitoring in general, relating to how individual gorillas manage their position in a hierarchical group. This study also provides specific suggestions for gorilla management within the centre and in conjunction with BIAZA guidelines, including a suggestion to relocate the sub-adult female to a new group and considerations for aggression mitigation

Ape socioecology

First paragraph: This section presents an overview of the socioecology of the seven species of nonhuman apes: bonobos, chimpanzees, gibbons (including siamangs), eastern and western gorillas, and Bornean and Sumatran orangutans. For more detailed information, see Wich et al. (2009b), Emery Thompson and Wrangham (2013), Reinartz, Ingmanson and Vervaecke (2013), Williamson and Butynski (2013a, 2013b), and Williamson, Maisels and Groves (2013)

Ape Population Abundance Estimates

This annex presents ape abundance estimates at the site level. The term “site” refers to a protected area and its buffer zone, a logging concession or group of concessions, or any discrete area where a survey has taken place in the past two decades, although this annex also lists a few sites that were last surveyed in the 1970s and 1980s.Output Type: Online-only anne

Impacts of Infrastructure on Apes, Indigenous Peoples and Other Local Communities

Chapter 2 explores the ecological and behavioral impacts of infrastructure on apes in the forest, as well as the social impacts on forest peoples and communities dependent on forest resources. The chapter then offers some lessons learned and steps that can be taken to minimize the deleterious effects of infrastructure development

Population assessment of the endangered Western Hoolock Gibbon Hoolock hoolock Harlan, 1834 at Sheikh Jamal Inani National Park, Bangladesh, and conservation significance of this site for threatened wildlife species

Sheikh Jamal Inani National Park (Inani) is a wildlife habitat in Bangladesh located under the Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division, Cox’s Bazar. It constitutes significant habitat for the charismatic and globally ‘Endangered’ Western Hoolock Gibbon Hoolock hoolockin Bangladesh. Here, we show that Inani is a poorly-known gibbon habitat with a population of seven groups, comprising a total of 18 individuals. Among them, 77.8% were adults (males and females), and 11.1%, 5.6%, and 5.6% were sub-adults, juveniles, and infants, respectively, indicating low reproductive output. Five of seven groups had no offspring present in the group, and the mean group size of 2.57 individuals/group is low compared to other habitats in Bangladesh. Beside Western Hoolock Gibbon, Inani is home to many threatened wildlife species. The first record of the Slaty-backed Flycatcher Ficedula erithacus in Bangladesh occurred in Inani, adding this new species to the national bird checklist of Bangladesh. The presence of the globally ‘Endangered’ Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Phayre’s Langur Trachypithecus phayrei, & Elongated Tortoise Indotestudo elongata and the globally ‘Vulnerable’ Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina, Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus, Indian Leopard Panthera pardus, & Asiatic Softshell Turtle Amyda cartilaginea highlight the importance of Inani as a conservation area in Bangladesh. The Western Hoolock Gibbon and other threatened wildlife of Inani are now on the verge of local extinction due to a sharp increase in forest resource extraction resulting from the recent influx of large numbers of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, many of whom have settled around Inani. Through stakeholder interviews in the area, we have identified feasible and measurable conservation actions at Inani that are urgently needed to prevent further loss of wildlife and to protect this important gibbon habitat

Professional development in conservation: An effectiveness framework

Contemporary conservation professionals are part of a workforce focused on overcoming complex challenges under great time pressure. The characteristics of conservation work, and in particular the evolving demands placed on the workforce, mean that to remain effective these professionals need to enhance their skills and abilities continually. Currently, there are no sector-wide guidelines to promote systematic professional development that addresses both individual and organizational learning. This study builds upon existing knowledge from other sectors by examining professional development in conservation through an in-depth qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with 22 conservation professionals, resulting in an effectiveness framework for professional development in the conservation sector. Our findings indicate how individuals’ motivation to learn, proactivity, open-mindedness towards alternative information and views were considered preconditions for effective professional development. A balance between organizational goals and career ambitions was found essential to maintain this motivation to learn and vital for staff retention and preservation of institutional knowledge. Professional development plans may help distinguish between individual career aspirations and organizational objectives and aid a discussion between staff and management on how to balance the two. Leaders have the opportunity to remove barriers to effective professional development. We discuss solutions to overcome specific barriers, to promote an inclusive approach for diverse learners through provision of opportunities, effective learning design, and resource distribution for professional development. This effectiveness framework can be used by conservationists and conservation organizations to plan and decide on professional development