The Conservation Of Green Sea Turtles (Cheloniidae: Chelonia Mydas) At Setiu, Terengganu, Malaysia

This study conservation of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) at Setiu was studied by determining their distribution, nest characteristics, clutch size, nesting morphology of the nesting green turtles, false crawl attempts, successful nesting attempts and emergence hour. Hatchery management was also facilitated by measuring the successive hatching rate, duration of incubation, egg condition, hatchlings’ growth and hatchlings’ carapacial scutes variation. This study also assessed socio-demographic aspect on the trends of consuming turtle eggs. Secondary data on nesting ecology and behaviour were collected from 2007 to 2012. Data on successful hatching rate and days of incubation were collected from 2009 to 2012. Hatchlings’ growth and carapacial scute variation were determined in the year 2012. Survey forms were collected from the communities in Setiu to assess their level of awareness regarding green sea turtle conservation. Telaga Papan has significantly the highest distribution of green marine turtle nesting than the other five beaches (ANOVA, F 5, 42 = 8.87, p< 0.0001). The highest number of successful nesting attempts was in 2012 (mean = 28.71 ± 6.58). There was no correlation between size of the female turtles and the number of eggs (rs = 0.23, p = 0.14). The majority of the turtles landed between 1200h and 0159h (23%). There was a strong correlation between successful nesting attempts with false crawls (rs= 0.88, p= 0.02). Results show that there was a significant difference in successive hatching rate between the years (F3, 618 = 5.05, P = 0.002). There was no significant difference for successive hatching rates among the beaches over the four years (F4, 618= 1.06, P = 0.39)

Integrative Conservation Management Of Bornean Orang Utan (Pongo Pygmaeus) In Malaysia

Conservation management of orang utan in Malaysia is a very crucial issue since Bornean orang utan is categorized to Critically Endangered (CR) status by IUCN since 2016. This thesis encompassed four elements of conservation which are behavior of the orang utan, nesting ecology of the orang utan, the human-wildlife interaction and technology feasibility. The objectives of the thesis were firstly, to determine the difference between behavioral pattern, and space use based on absence and presence of visitors, and also visual direction during presence of visitors, by using focal sampling at SORC, SNR and Taiping Zoo. Secondly, this thesis aimed to determine the nesting site preference (nesting site, classes, position, tree species used for nesting, tree height, and DBH) by orang utans in SORC and SNR The variation of nest structure quantitatively (length, depth, width and temperature factor) in SORC and SNR are studied by utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) integrated with open-resource software

Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment

Conservation funding is currently limited; cost-effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID-19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly.Additional co-authors: Ekwoge Abwe, Tanvir Ahmed, Marc Ancrenaz, Raphali R. Andriantsimanarilafy, Andie Ang, Filippo Aureli, Louise Barrett, Jacinta C. Beehner, Marcela E. Benítez, Bruna M. Bezerra, Júlio César Bicca-Marques, Dominique Bikaba, Robert Bitariho, Christophe Boesch, Laura M. Bolt, Ramesh Boonratana, Thomas M. Butynski, Gustavo R. Canale, Susana Carvalho, Colin A. Chapman, Dilip Chetry, Susan M. Cheyne, Marina Cords, Fanny M. Cornejo, Liliana Cortés-Ortiz, Camille N. Z. Coudrat, Margaret C. Crofoot, Drew T. Cronin, Alvine Dadjo, S. Chrystelle Dakpogan, Emmanuel Danquah, Tim R. B. Davenport, Yvonne A. de Jong, Stella de la Torre, Andrea Dempsey, Judeline C. Dimalibot, Rainer Dolch, Giuseppe Donati, Alejandro Estrada, Rassina A. Farassi, Peter J. Fashing, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, Maria J. Ferreira da Silva, Julia Fischer, César F. Flores-Negrón, Barbara Fruth, Terence Fuh Neba, Lief Erikson Gamalo, Jörg U. Ganzhorn, Paul A. Garber, Smitha D. Gnanaolivu, Mary Katherine Gonder, Sery Ernest Gonedelé Bi, Benoit Goossens, Marcelo Gordo, Juan M. Guayasamin, Diana C. Guzmán-Caro, Andrew R. Halloran, Jessica A. Hartel, Eckhard W. Heymann, Russell A. Hill, Kimberley J. Hockings, Gottfried Hohmann, Naven Hon, Mariano G. Houngbédji, Michael A. Huffman, Rachel A. Ikemeh, Inaoyom Imong, Mitchell T. Irwin, Patrícia Izar, Leandro Jerusalinsky, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Beth A. Kaplin, Peter M. Kappeler, Stanislaus M. Kivai, Cheryl D. Knott, Intanon Kolasartsanee, Kathelijne Koops, Martin M. Kowalewski, Deo Kujirakwinja, Ajith Kumar, Quyet K. Le, Rebecca J. Lewis, Aung Ko Lin, Andrés Link, Luz I. Loría, Menladi M. Lormie, Edward E. Louis Jr., Ngwe Lwin, Suchinda Malaivijitnond, Lesley Marisa, Gráinne M. McCabe, W. Scott McGraw, Addisu Mekonnen, Pedro G. Méndez-Carvajal, Tânia Minhós, David M. Montgomery, Citlalli Morelos-Juárez, David Morgan, Amancio Motove Etingüe, Papa Ibnou Ndiaye, K. Anne-Isola Nekaris, Nga Nguyen, Vincent Nijman, Radar Nishuli, Marilyn A. Norconk, Luciana I. Oklander, Rahayu Oktaviani, Julia Ostner, Emily Otali, Susan E. Perry, Eduardo J. Pinel Ramos, Leila M. Porter, Jill D. Pruetz, Anne E. Pusey, Helder L. Queiroz, Mónica A. Ramírez, Guy Hermas Randriatahina, Hoby Rasoanaivo, Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Joelisoa Ratsirarson, Josia Razafindramanana, Onja H. Razafindratsima, Vernon Reynolds, Rizaldi Rizaldi, Martha M. Robbins, Melissa E. Rodríguez, Marleny Rosales-Meda, Crickette M. Sanz, Dipto Sarkar, Anne Savage, Amy L. Schreier, Oliver Schülke, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Juan Carlos Serio-Silva, Arif Setiawan, John Seyjagat, Felipe E. Silva, Elizabeth M. Sinclair, Rebecca L. Smith, Denise Spaan, Fiona A. Stewart, Shirley C. Strum, Martin Surbeck, Magdalena S. Svensson, Mauricio Talebi, Luc Roscelin Tédonzong, Bernardo Urbani, João Valsecchi, Natalie Vasey, Erin R. Vogel, Robert B. Wallace, Janette Wallis, Siân Waters, Roman M. Wittig, Richard W. Wrangham, Patricia C. Wright, Russell A. Mittermeie

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

Tropical field stations yield high conservation return on investment

Conservation funding is currently limited; cost-effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID-19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These ‘earth observatories’ provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly