Procjena opasnosti pri radu specijalista za zaštitu zdravlja divljih životinja u Indiji.

A study to assess the levels of various threats and awareness among wildlife health professionals was carried out using a self administered questionnaire that focused on personal health details, the extent of exposure to various hazards, safety measures practiced and awareness level. Fifty four (46.9%) veterinarians responded to the questionnaire. The study suggests that animal related injuries (bites, wounds, scratches, fractures) were the major hazard (41%). Other health related problems and illness among professionals were backache (29.6%), hypertension (21.2%), lumbar spondylitis and anxiety (15.6% each), allergies/wheezing (11%), diabetes (10.5%), cervical spondylitis (9.4%), enteric disorders (8.9%), hypotension (5.9%), hypercholesterolemia (4.5%) and dermatitis (2.3%). Though 69% of the respondents handled hazardous chemicals during wildlife practice, none reported any mishap. Response to the presence of zoonotic diseases revealed a low level (3.7%) among the wildlife health professionals. The study revealed that despite near optimal awareness of various hazards, preventive measures are minimally practiced. It may be concluded that wildlife health professionals are exposed to a variety of hazardous situations during wildlife practice and need to remain diligent to ensure their own continued good health and that of the staff working under their supervision.Provedeno je istraživanje s ciljem procjene stupnja različitih opasnosti i osviještenosti o tim opasnostima u specijalista za zaštitu zdravlja divljih životinja. Pripremljen je upitnik s pitanjima usmjerenima na podatke o osobnom zdravlju, opsegu izloženosti različitim opasnostima, primijenjenim mjerama zaštite i stupnju osviještenosti o opasnostima. Na upitnik su odgovorila 54 (46,9%) veterinara. Istraživanje je pokazalo da je glavna opasnost (41%) ozljeda do koje dolazi u radu sa životinjama (ugrizi, rane, ogrebotine, lomovi). Drugi poremećaji zdravlja odnosili su se na bol u leđima (29,6%), povišeni krvni tlak (21,2%), lumbalni spondilitis i anksioznost (svaki po 15,6%), alergije i otežano disanje (11%), šećernu bolest (10,5%), cervikalni spondilitis (9,4%), probavne poremećaje (8,9%), sniženi krvni tlak (5,9%), povišeni kolesterol (4,5%) i upala kože (2,3%). Iako se 69% ispitanika služilo opasnim kemikalijama tijekom rada s divljim životinjama, nije bilo odgovora o nesretnim slučajevima vezanima uz to. Odgovori o potvrđenim zoonozama bili su rijetki (3,7%). Istraživanje je pokazalo da se usprkos gotovo optimalnoj osviještenosti o različitim opasnostima, preventivne mjere malo primijenjuju. Može se zaključiti da su stručnjaci koji nadziru zdravlje divljih životinja izloženi različitim opasnostima tijekom obavljanja prakse i zbog toga trebaju ustrajati u održavanju svojeg zdravlja te dobrog zdravlja osoblja koje radi pod njihovim nadzorom

Novotvorina na vjeđi bijelog tigra (Panthera tigris) - prikaz slučaja.

An 18-year-old captive white tiger (Panthera tigris) was evaluated for a progressive growth on the lower eyelid that showed ulceration and mucoid to purulent discharge. The growth was surgically excised and histopathological examination revealed a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The growth however showed recurrence at 28 days after excision. Further management was done employing 2 stage chemotherapy using cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg) with different regimens. The blood profile, food intake and general health of the animal showed improvement after first course of chemotherapy though it was not evident after second chemotherapy. The animal survived for three months following second course of chemotherapy. Post mortem findings revealed metastasis in lungs, liver and lymph nodes. The present case is an attempt to document squamous cell carcinoma in a white tiger.Bijeli tigar (Panthera tigris) držan u zatočeništvu, u dobi od 18 godina, pretražen je zbog progresivne izrasline na lijevoj vjeđi na kojoj je ujedno zapažena ulceracija i sluzavi do gnojni iscjedak. Izraslina je bila kirurški uklonjena, a patohistološkom pretragom dijagnosticiran je karcinom skvamoznih stanica. Izraslina je recidivirala 28 dana nakon odstranjivanja. Daljnje liječenje sastojalo se od dvije kure kemoterapije ciklofosfamidom (50 mg/kg) s različitim protokolom. Krvna slika, uzimanje hrane i opće zdravstveno stanje životinje poboljšalo se nakon prvog postupka kemoterapije. Poboljšanje nije bilo primijećeno nakon druge kure kemoterapije. Životinja je živjela još tri mjeseca nakon druge kure kemoterapije. Post mortem su bile dokazane metastaze u plućima, jetri i limfnim čvorovima

Novotvorina na vjeđi bijelog tigra (Panthera tigris) - prikaz slučaja.

An 18-year-old captive white tiger (Panthera tigris) was evaluated for a progressive growth on the lower eyelid that showed ulceration and mucoid to purulent discharge. The growth was surgically excised and histopathological examination revealed a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The growth however showed recurrence at 28 days after excision. Further management was done employing 2 stage chemotherapy using cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg) with different regimens. The blood profile, food intake and general health of the animal showed improvement after first course of chemotherapy though it was not evident after second chemotherapy. The animal survived for three months following second course of chemotherapy. Post mortem findings revealed metastasis in lungs, liver and lymph nodes. The present case is an attempt to document squamous cell carcinoma in a white tiger.Bijeli tigar (Panthera tigris) držan u zatočeništvu, u dobi od 18 godina, pretražen je zbog progresivne izrasline na lijevoj vjeđi na kojoj je ujedno zapažena ulceracija i sluzavi do gnojni iscjedak. Izraslina je bila kirurški uklonjena, a patohistološkom pretragom dijagnosticiran je karcinom skvamoznih stanica. Izraslina je recidivirala 28 dana nakon odstranjivanja. Daljnje liječenje sastojalo se od dvije kure kemoterapije ciklofosfamidom (50 mg/kg) s različitim protokolom. Krvna slika, uzimanje hrane i opće zdravstveno stanje životinje poboljšalo se nakon prvog postupka kemoterapije. Poboljšanje nije bilo primijećeno nakon druge kure kemoterapije. Životinja je živjela još tri mjeseca nakon druge kure kemoterapije. Post mortem su bile dokazane metastaze u plućima, jetri i limfnim čvorovima

Genetic evidence of differential dispersal pattern in the Asiatic wild dog: Comparing two populations with different pack sizes

IntroductionDispersal is a multi-causal, crucial life-history event in shaping the genetic and behavioral structure of mammals. We assessed the dispersal pattern of dholes aka Asiatic wild dog (Cuon alpinus), a social monogamous mammal at two tiger reserves of Maharashtra with different degrees of pack size and competition with tigers i.e. Tadoba-Andhari (TATR, smaller pack size, higher tiger density) and Nawegaon-Nagzira (NNTR, larger pack size, lower tiger density).MethodsWe used the microsatellite data of 174 individual genotypes (98 males and 67 females) to assess the dispersal pattern of dholes from two populations with varying pack size, tiger density, and landscape connectivity using gene flow as a proxy. We compared the population structure, pairwise F statistics, assignment index, and relatedness across a spatial scale.Results and discussionOverall, the results suggested a difference in sex-bias dispersal pattern for the two sub-populations, exhibiting significant results for female-biased dispersal in the TATR population with a smaller pack size and higher tiger density. Our study highlights the variability in sex-biased dispersal patterns in two different populations which could be the consequence of different variables such as pack size, tiger density, and geographical scale. The study warrants further quantitative investigation including several factors such as individual behavior, pack composition, pack size, tiger density, etc. In the present Anthropocene era, determining the sex bias in dispersal patterns for a short-range, pack-living carnivore will help in devising an effective conservation management plan for their long-term survival

Capacity building for wildlife health professionals: the Wildlife Health Bridge

The Wildlife Health Bridge was established in 2009 with the aim of improving the expertise and knowledge base of wildlife health professionals in biodiverse low- and middle-income countries. The Wildlife Health Bridge centres around partnerships among educational institutions: the Zoological Society of London, the Royal Veterinary College, the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the University of Melbourne Veterinary School. The Wildlife Health Bridge provides quality education in wildlife health, ecosystem health, and wildlife biology, facilitates the interchange of students between collaborating countries for research studies and provides a global graduate network of wildlife health professionals. In addition to established Masters’ level wildlife health training programmes run by the partner organisations, the Wildlife Health Bridge has developed a collaborative field-based course, Interventions in Wild Animal Health, provided annually in India since 2016, which has trained 138 veterinarians to date, enhancing local and international capacity in managing emerging wildlife health issues and building global professional linkages. The Wildlife Health Bridge’s Wild Animal Alumni network facilitates networking and exchange between Wildlife Health Bridge institutions and graduates, with over 701 members from 67 countries, half of which are biodiverse low- and middle-income countries. Collaboration between educational institutions has enabled new ideas and ongoing developments in the delivery of materials and learning outcomes. The Wildlife Health Bridge is building global capacity in trained wildlife health professionals, through educational programmes and a synergised network, with the aim of impacting conservation practice to benefit human, domestic animal and wildlife health

Predicting the impact of climate change on range and genetic diversity patterns of the endangered endemic Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) in the western Ghats, India

[Context] Climate change is considered an important factor affecting the distribution and genetic diversity of species. While many studies have described the influence of climate change on population structure at various scales, little is known about the genetic consequences of a changing climate on endemic species.[Objectives] To assess possible changes in the distribution and genetic structure of the endangered Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), which is endemic to the Western Ghats in India, under climate change and human disturbances.[Methods] We integrated tahr occurrence and nuclear DNA data with environmental geo-datasets to project the response of tahr populations to future climate change with respect to its distribution, genetic diversity and population structure. We screened the environmental variables using MaxEnt to identify a manageable set of predictors to be used in an ensemble approach, based on ten species distribution modelling techniques, to quantify the current tahr distribution. We then projected the distribution and genetic structure under two climate change scenarios.[Results] We found that suitable habitat for tahr (9,605 km2) is determined predominantly by a combination of climatic, human disturbance and topographic factors that result in a highly fragmented habitat throughout its distribution range in the Western Ghats. Under the severe high emissions RCP8.5 scenario tahr populations may lose more than half of their available habitat (55.5%) by 2070. Application of spatial Bayesian clustering suggests that their current genetic structure comprise four genetic clusters, with three of them reflecting a clear geographic structure. However, under climate change, two of these clusters may be lost, and in the future a homogenization of the genetic background of the remaining populations may arise due to prevalence of one gene pool cluster in the remaining populations.[Conclusions] Our interdisciplinary approach that combines niche modelling and genetic data identified the climate refugia (i.e., the remaining stable habitats that overlap with the current suitable areas), where the tahr populations would be restricted to small, isolated and fragmented areas. Essential factors to avert local extinctions of vulnerable tahr populations are a reduction of human disturbances, dispersal of tahr between fragmented populations, and the availability of corridors.This research was supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, and by a German Research Foundation (DFG) fellowship awarded to RK (project number 273837911).Peer reviewe

Tigers of Sundarbans in India: Is the Population a Separate Conservation Unit?

The Sundarbans tiger inhabits a unique mangrove habitat and are morphologically distinct from the recognized tiger subspecies in terms of skull morphometrics and body size. Thus, there is an urgent need to assess their ecological and genetic distinctiveness and determine if Sundarbans tigers should be defined and managed as separate conservation unit. We utilized nine microsatellites and 3 kb from four mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes to estimate genetic variability, population structure, demographic parameters and visualize historic and contemporary connectivity among tiger populations from Sundarbans and mainland India. We also evaluated the traits that determine exchangeability or adaptive differences among tiger populations. Data from both markers suggest that Sundarbans tiger is not a separate tiger subspecies and should be regarded as Bengal tiger (P. t. tigris) subspecies. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the mtDNA data revealed reciprocal monophyly. Genetic differentiation was found stronger for mtDNA than nuclear DNA. Microsatellite markers indicated low genetic variation in Sundarbans tigers (He= 0.58) as compared to other mainland populations, such as northern and Peninsular (Hebetween 0.67- 0.70). Molecular data supports migration between mainland and Sundarbans populations until very recent times. We attribute this reduction in gene flow to accelerated fragmentation and habitat alteration in the landscape over the past few centuries. Demographic analyses suggest that Sundarbans tigers have diverged recently from peninsular tiger population within last 2000 years. Sundarbans tigers are the most divergent group of Bengal tigers, and ecologically non-exchangeable with other tiger populations, and thus should be managed as a separate "evolutionarily significant unit" (ESU) following the adaptive evolutionary conservation (AEC) concept.Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun (India)