Challenges and possible conservation implications of recolonizing dholes Cuon alpinus in Nepal

The Endangered dhole Cuon alpinus is a medium-sized canid that was historically distributed widely across East, Central, South and Southeast Asia. In Nepal, following heavy persecution during the 1970s and 1980s, the species was locally extirpated across large parts of the country. After decades of near absence, the dhole is reportedly showing signs of recovery in various areas of Nepal. We carried out three surveys using camera traps (resulting in a total of 6,550 camera-trap days), reviewed literature and interviewed herders and conservation practitioners (40 interviews) to determine the historical and current distribution of dholes in the country, and the species’ current status. Our camera traps recorded five images of dholes, and the literature review and interview survey provided further insights into the historical and current presence of dholes in Nepal. The combined findings suggest dholes have recolonized many areas where they had been locally extirpated, such as the Annapurna Conservation Area in central Nepal and the Tinjure–Milke–Jaljale forests in the eastern part of the country. Although these returns are encouraging, challenges remain for dhole recolonization, including conflict with livestock herders, human hunting of wild ungulates affecting the species’ prey base, increasing infrastructure development in forested areas, and diseases.The Rufford Foundation, Bernd Thies Stiftung and Rural Reconstruction Nepal.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryxhj2024Zoology and EntomologySDG-15:Life on lan

Small carnivores in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

The leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis, large Indian civet Viverra zibetha and yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula are widely distributed through much of South and Southeast Asia, but their ecology remains poorly understood. We recorded these small carnivores during a camera trapping survey in the eastern mid-hills of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. This protected area is the largest in the country and represents Himalayan mountain ecosystems. Our study area comprised an elevation range of 1550 – 2950 m in upper subtropical to upper temperate bioclimatic zones. During a sample effort of 370 trap days, leopard cat was the most commonly recorded carnivore, followed by large Indian civet and yellow-throated marten. We obtained the highest altitudinal record of a large Indian civet in Nepal at an altitude of 2420 m. Capture rates for small carnivores were broadly similar across bioclimatic zones. The level of human activity was low in the temperate bioclimatic zone during the late winter season when the study was conducted

Decline in small mammal species richness in coastal‐central California, 1997–2013

Abstract The richness and composition of a small mammal community inhabiting semiarid California oak woodland may be changing in response to climate change, but we know little about the causes or consequence of these changes. We applied a capture‐mark‐recapture model to 17 years (1997–2013) of live trapping data to estimate species‐specific abundances. The big‐eared woodrat was the most frequently captured species in the area, contributing 58% of total captures. All small mammal populations exhibited seasonal fluctuations, whereas those of the California mouse, brush mouse, and pinyon mouse declined during the study period. We also applied a multispecies dynamic occupancy model to our small mammal detection history data to estimate species richness, occupancy (ψ), detection (p), local extinction (ϵ), and colonization (γ) probabilities, and to discern factors affecting these parameters. We found that ψ decreased from 0.369 ± 0.088 in 1997 to 0.248 ± 0.054 in 2013; γ was lower during the dry season (May–September) than the wet season (October–April) and was positively influenced by total seasonal rainfall (slope parameter, β = 0.859 ± 0.371; 95% CI = 0.132–1.587). Mean mammalian species richness decreased from 11.943 ± 0.461 in 1997 to 7.185 ± 0.425 in 2013. With highly variable climatic patterns expected in the future, especially increased frequency and intensity of droughts, it is important to monitor small mammal communities inhabiting threatened California oak woodlands

COVID-19 Highlights the Need for More Effective Wildlife Trade Legislation

Over the past three decades, most new human pathogens with substantial impacts on human health or economies have originated in wildlife [1,2]. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is among the latest of these zoonotic diseases and is now a pandemic that has resulted in more than a million fatalities globally as of 1 October 2020 (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019). Direct contact between people and animal species due to the wildlife trade and increased human–livestock–wildlife interactions through rapid fragmentation of wildlife habitat are two major factors that contribute to the spread of zoonotic diseases [3,4]. Although localized quarantines and lockdowns around the world appear to be having some minor positive effects on the environment, these short-term successes should not be glorified in view of the profound negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2020). We call for urgent action to regulate the trade of wildlife, expand protection for native ecosystems, and reduce consumer demand for wildlife parts and products to lower the risk and severity of future zoonotic diseasesPeer reviewe