Collaboration for conservation: assessing countrywide carnivore occupancy dynamics from sparse data

Aim: Assessing the distribution and persistence of species across their range is a crucial component of wildlife conservation. It demands data at adequate spatial scales and over extended periods of time, which may only be obtained through collaborative efforts, and the development of methods that integrate heterogeneous datasets. We aimed to combine existing data on large carnivores to evaluate population dynamics and improve knowledge on their distribution nationwide. Location: Botswana. Methods: Between 2010 and 2016, we collated data on African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyaena and lion gathered with different survey methods by independent researchers across Botswana. We used a multi-species, multi-method dynamic occupancy model to analyse factors influencing occupancy, persistence and colonization, while accounting for imperfect detection. Lastly, we used the gained knowledge to predict the probability of occurrence of each species countrywide. Results: Wildlife areas and communal rangelands had similar occupancy probabilities for most species. Large carnivore occupancy was low in commercial farming areas and where livestock density was high, except for brown hyaena. Lion occupancy was negatively associated with human density; lion and spotted hyaena occupancy was high where rainfall was high, while the opposite applied to brown hyaena. Lion and leopard occupancy remained constant countrywide over the study period. African wild dog and cheetah occupancy declined over time in the south and north, respectively, whereas both hyaena species expanded their ranges. Countrywide predictions identified the highest occupancy for leopards and lowest for the two hyaena species. Main Conclusions: We highlight the necessity of data sharing and propose a generalizable analytical method that addresses the challenges of heterogeneous data common in ecology. Our approach, which enables a comprehensive multi-species assessment at large spatial and temporal scales, supports the development of data-driven conservation guidelines and the implementation of evidence-based management strategies nationally and internationally

Home-range size and movement patterns of Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus in southern Africa

Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus populations have declined dramatically in recent years, but we know little about their ecology. We radio-tagged four vultures in northern Botswana to gather data on animal movement and home-range patterns. Hooded Vultures were primarily sedentary at night. Hooded Vultures moved similar distances and speeds during the wet and dry season, and travelled over similar home ranges as measured using minimum convex polygons (MCP), but used much smaller core areas during the dry (breeding) season. We found significant differences in mean distances and speeds moved among different birds, and when comparing day to night, but not between the wet (non-breeding) and dry (breeding) season or by year. All of the variables we tested, including individual vulture differences, season, year and number of fixes, significantly influenced 95% MCP and kernel density estimate (KDE) home-range sizes. Hooded Vultures used significantly smaller KDE home-range sizes during the dry (breeding season) than in the wet (non-breeding) season. Hooded Vultures travelled smaller daily distances over smaller home ranges than most other vulture species for which data exist.Keywords: Botswana, kernel density estimate, minimum convex polygon, rapto

A call for global action for rare diseases in Africa

The 11th International Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs (ICORD), South Africa, included the Africa-Rare initiative launch and facilitated multi-stakeholder engagement in the challenges facing, and opportunities for, Africans living with rare diseases. The following ICORD Global Call to Action, developed in collaboration with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium, synthesizes the outcomes of the deliberations and emphasizes the international collaborative efforts required to address the global effects of rare diseases on public health

Collaboration for conservation : assessing countrywide carnivore occupancy dynamics from sparse data

AIM : Assessing the distribution and persistence of species across their range is a crucial component of wildlife conservation. It demands data at adequate spatial scales and over extended periods of time, which may only be obtained through collaborative efforts, and the development of methods that integrate heterogeneous datasets. We aimed to combine existing data on large carnivores to evaluate population dynamics and improve knowledge on their distribution nationwide. LOCATION : Botswana. METHODS : Between 2010 and 2016, we collated data on African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyaena and lion gathered with different survey methods by independent researchers across Botswana. We used a multi-species, multi-method dynamic occupancy model to analyse factors influencing occupancy, persistence and colonization, while accounting for imperfect detection. Lastly, we used the gained knowledge to predict the probability of occurrence of each species countrywide. RESULTS : Wildlife areas and communal rangelands had similar occupancy probabilities for most species. Large carnivore occupancy was low in commercial farming areas and where livestock density was high, except for brown hyaena. Lion occupancy was negatively associated with human density; lion and spotted hyaena occupancy was high where rainfall was high, while the opposite applied to brown hyaena. Lion and leopard occupancy remained constant countrywide over the study period. African wild dog and cheetah occupancy declined over time in the south and north, respectively, whereas both hyaena species expanded their ranges. Countrywide predictions identified the highest occupancy for leopards and lowest for the two hyaena species. MAIN CONCLUSIONS : We highlight the necessity of data sharing and propose a generalizable analytical method that addresses the challenges of heterogeneous data common in ecology. Our approach, which enables a comprehensive multi-species assessment at large spatial and temporal scales, supports the development of data-driven conservation guidelines and the implementation of evidence-based management strategies nationally and internationally.http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ddihj2022Centre for Wildlife ManagementMammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations

Migration of ungulates (hooved mammals) is a fundamental ecological process that promotes abundant herds, whose effects cascade up and down terrestrial food webs. Migratory ungulates provide the prey base that maintains large carnivore and scavenger populations and underpins terrestrial biodiversity (fig. S1). When ungulates move in large aggregations, their hooves, feces, and urine create conditions that facilitate distinct biotic communities. The migrations of ungulates have sustained humans for thousands of years, forming tight cultural links among Indigenous people and local communities. Yet ungulate migrations are disappearing at an alarming rate (1). Efforts by wildlife managers and conservationists are thwarted by a singular challenge: Most ungulate migrations have never been mapped in sufficient detail to guide effective conservation. Without a strategic and collaborative effort, many of the world's great migrations will continue to be truncated, severed, or lost in the coming decades. Fortunately, a combination of animal tracking datasets, historical records, and local and Indigenous knowledge can form the basis for a global atlas of migrations, designed to support conservation action and policy at local, national, and international levels