Effect of human–elephant conflict on local attitudes toward the conservation of wild Asian elephants in Myanmar

The study of attitudes toward wild elephants and human–elephant conflict (HEC) is vital to understanding what attitudes are held by local people and how to incorporate them into wild elephant conservation. This study investigated the interlinkages between the HEC experience and local people’s attitudes toward the conservation of wild elephants and which exploratory factors influence these attitudes. We used a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) framework to highlight the interlinkages between HEC and people’s attitudes. The basic BBN model indicated that HEC was central in determining the attitudes of local people. Although people generally hold positive attitudes toward elephants, people support having elephants in the country but not in their own regions. Conservation willingness was not obvious due to the lack of deliberate assistance from the government to the affected communities. We suggest implementing education programs to promote local awareness of conflict mitigation techniques. Bayesian belief network(BBN); conservation; elephas maximus; human–elephant conflict (HEC); wildlifepublishedVersio

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Human–Wildlife Conflicts in the Kenya Greater Tsavo Ecosystem

Biodiversity conservation in developing countries is faced with many and mounting challenges, including increasing human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). In Africa and other developing countries, increasing HWCs, particularly those adjacent to protected areas, can adversely affect local stakeholder perceptions and support for conservation. We analyzed HWC reports for multiple wildlife species compiled \u3e23 years (1995–2017) from the Greater Tsavo Ecosystem (GTE) in Kenya to determine HWC trends. The GTE is the largest protected area in Kenya, covering 22,681 km2. Overall, 39,022 HWC incidents were reported in 6 GTE regions (i.e., Taveta, Mutomo, Kibwezi, Rombo, Galana, Bachuma). The 5 wildlife species most often implicated in HWC incidents were the African elephant (Loxodonta africana, 61.6%, n = 24,032), nonhuman primates (11.5%, n = 4,480), buffalo (Syncerus caffer, 6.2%, n = 2,432 ), African lion (Panthera leo, 4.2%, n = 1,645), and the hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius, 3.8%, n = 1,497). The HWC reports also revealed spatial distinctions across the 6 GTE regions. More human–elephant conflicts (HECs; 43.3%, n = 10,427) were reported in the Taveta region than other regions. The Mutomo region was the epicenter of primate, snake, and python (Python spp.) conflicts. More large carnivore depredations on livestock were reported in the Taveta, Rombo, and Mutomo regions. Lions, spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), and leopards (P. pardus) were implicated in more livestock depredations than other carnivores. The number of HWCs reported varied by year and season and were related to similar variations in the availability, quality, and distribution of food and water governed by rainfall fluctuations. Reported HECs were positively and linearly related to human, elephant, and livestock population densities. The Kenya Wildlife Service responded to \u3e90% of the reported HWCs. In general, the number of HWCs and trends reported were higher in the regions that also exhibited the highest human population growth rates and densities. Sustainable biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes is contingent upon communities deriving meaningful benefits from wildlife conservation. Far-sighted measures and different conservation approaches are required to mitigate HWCs in communities neighboring protected areas

Human–elephant coexistence challenges in Myanmar: An analysis of fatal elephant attacks on humans and elephant mortality

Understanding the underlying causes behind human–elephant conflict (HEC)-driven mortality of humans and elephants will help improve both parties’ wellbeing. The objective of this study was to examine the temporal and spatial mortality patterns of humans and elephants and the influence of local attitudes, conflict factors and habitat factors on elephant poaching. We used the Myanmar Forest Department data from 2001 to 2020 for humans and 2011 to 2020 for elephants together with explanatory data on human attitudes, habitat, and conflict factors. Approximately seven persons were killed annually in elephant attacks, with a bias towards men. The annual mortality of elephants during the study period was on average 16 individuals, and most elephants were killed by humans. There was a significant relationship between the number of killed humans and human-killed elephants around HEC villages. Villages with more property damage exhibited a higher rate of human mortality, which also correlated with negative feelings of local people towards elephants. Elephant poaching was higher in villages with less suitable habitat available for elephant use. Human encroachment is an important cause of HEC, leading to human loss and forming the main threat to the survival of wild elephants. We suggest local involvement to ensure good governance in conflict resolution and mitigation strategies and to strengthen law enforcement. Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) Human–elephant conflict (HEC) Attack Mortality PoachingpublishedVersio

The importance of bushmeat in household income as a function of distance from protected areas in the western Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania

Bushmeat hunting is widespread in villages adjacent to protected areas in Western Serengeti. However, little information is available about the role of bushmeat income in the household economy as a function of distance from the protected area boundary, preventing the formulation of informed policy for regulating this illegal trade. This study was conducted in three villages in Western Serengeti at distances of 3 (closest), 27 (intermediate) and 58km (furthest) from the boundary of Serengeti National Park to assess the contribution of bushmeat to household income. The sample consists of 246 households of which 96 hunted or traded bushmeat, identified using snowball sampling through the aid of local informers. The average income earned from bushmeat was significantly higher for bushmeat traders than hunters. The contribution of bushmeat to household income was significantly higher in Robanda the village closest to the protected area boundary compared to Rwamkoma and Kowak, the more distant villages. A Heckman sample-selection model reveals that household participation in hunting and trading bushmeat was negatively associated with distance to the protected area boundary and with the household head being female. Household reliance on bushmeat income was negatively associated with age and gender of the household head and distance to the protected area boundary. Hence, efforts to reduce involvement in hunting, and trading bushmeat should target male-headed households close to the protected area boundary

PENGEMBANGAN PROGRAM PEMBELAJARAN KETERAMPILAN OTOMOTIF PADA SISWA TUNAGRAHITA KELAS XII DI SKhN 02 LEBAK

Pembelajaran keterampilan otomotif pada siswa tunagrahita tingkat SMAKh telah dilaksanakan dengan baik di SKh Negeri 02 Lebak, akan tetapi masih terdapat beberapa hal yang perlu dikembangkan. Program pembelajaran yang selama ini digunakan diadopsi dari kurikulum yang belum disesuaikan dengan kemampuan siswa. Sehingga berbagai kesulitan dialami oleh siswa tunagrahita dalam mengikuti pelaksanaan pembelajaran dan kompetensi yang dicapai tidak optimal. Untuk itu penulis melakukan ekplorasi dan analisis terhadap pelaksanaan pembelajaran keterampilan otomotif pada siwa kelas XII di SKhN 02 Lebak. Kemudian merumuskan dan melaksanakan program pembelajaran keterampilan otomotif pada siswa tunagrahita di SKhN 02 Lebak. Diharapkan dapat membantu guru dalam pelaksanaan pembelajaran keterampilan otomotif pada siswa tunagrahita kelas XII di SKhN 02 Lebak dan kompetensi yang dicapai siswa lebih optimal. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah researchand development, dengan dua tahapan penelitian. Tahap pertama perumusan program dan tahap kedua pelaksanaan program. Hasil implementasi program yang telah dilaksanakan menunjukan bahwa program tersebut dapat bermanfaat dan berguna bagi guru dan siswa tunagrahita kelas XII di SKhN 02 Lebak. Adapun manfaat bagi guru antara lain: program ini dapat digunaan sebagai acuan dalam proses pembelajaran; program ini dapat membantu guru dalam perencanaan, pelaksanaan, dan evaluasi pembelajaran; dan program ini dapat membantu guru dalam merencanakan tindak lanjut setelah pelaksanaan pembelajaran. Sedangkan dari sisi siswa, setelahmengikuti pelaksanaan program keterampilan otomotif inisiswa memperoleh bekal keterampilan dalam: mencuci motor, tambal ban, dan mengganti ban sepeda motor. Hasil penelitian ini diharapkan dapat menjadi acuan dan bahan pertimbangan bagi guru dalam memberikan pembelajaran keterampilan otomotif pada siswa tunagrahita. --- Automotive skills learning process on students with mental disability has been implemented well at SKhN 02 Lebak but there are several issues that needs to be developed. Learning program that has been utilized, adopted from the curriculum that has not been adjusted to students’ capacity. Hence, there are some difficulties, which students with mental disability have to face in conducting the learning process and the targeted competency is cannot be reached optimally. For this reason, the writer conducted exploration and analysis towards the implementation of automotive skill learning process on twelfth grader students with mental disability at SKhN 02 Lebak. The writer formulated and conducted automotive skill learning process on twelfth grader students with mental disability at SKhN 02 Lebak. It is expected that this research can help the teachers in implementing automotive skill learning process on twelfth grader students with mental disability at SKhN 02 Lebak and the students’ competency can be reached optimally. The method used on this research is research and development with two steps of research. The first step is program formulation and the second step is the implementation of the research. The result of program implementation that has been conducted has proven useful and helpful for students with mental disability at SKhN 02 Lebak. The advantage of this program for the teachers is helping them to plan, implement, and evaluate the learning process. For the students, this program helps them to achieve the skill in washing the motorbike, patch tires (tambal ban), change motorbike’s tire. The result of this research is expected to be a benchmark and consideration for the teachers in giving automotive skill learning process on students with mental disability

Triiodothyronine (T3) levels fluctuate in response to ambient temperature rather than nutritional status in a wild tropical ungulate

Animals can employ a range of physiological mechanisms in response to unpredictable changes within their environment, such as changes in food availability and human disturbances. For example, impala exhibit higher faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) levels—indicative of physiological stress—in response to low food quality and higher human disturbance. In this study, we measured faecal triiodothyronine (T3) metabolite (FTM) levels in 446 wild impala from 2016 to 2018 to test the hypothesis that environmental and human disturbances would affect their physiological status. We also validated a faecal thyroid hormone assay. T3 levels mainly regulate metabolic rate and drive thermoregulation—increasing with colder temperatures. We predicted that individuals would have lower FTM levels, indicative of poor physiological status, (i) when food quality was poor, (ii) when ambient temperature (Ta) was high, (iii) in areas of high human disturbance (due to food competition with livestock) and (iv) when FGM levels were high. Interestingly, we found that Ta was the most important predictor of FTM—FTM levels decreased by 70% from lowest to highest Ta—and food quality and human disturbance only influenced FTM levels when Ta was accounted for. FTM levels also tended to increase with increasing FGM levels, opposite our predictions. Our results suggest that food quality and availabilitymay only partially influence FTM levels and that fluctuations in Ta are a significant driver of FTM levels in a wild tropical ungulate. Given that thyroid hormones are primarily responsible for regulating metabolic rate, they may be better indicators of how wild animals metabolically and energetically respond to environmental factors and only indicate poor nutritional status in extreme cases. glucocorticoid, impala, Serengeti, stress, thyroid hormones, validationpublishedVersio

Ancient origin and maternal inheritance of blue cuckoo eggs

Maternal inheritance via the female-specific W chromosome was long ago proposed as a potential solution to the evolutionary enigma of co-existing host-specific races (or 'gentes') in avian brood parasites. Here we report the first unambiguous evidence for maternal inheritance of egg colouration in the brood-parasitic common cuckoo Cuculus canorus. Females laying blue eggs belong to an ancient (∼2.6 Myr) maternal lineage, as evidenced by both mitochondrial and W-linked DNA, but are indistinguishable at nuclear DNA from other common cuckoos. Hence, cuckoo host races with blue eggs are distinguished only by maternally inherited components of the genome, which maintain host-specific adaptation despite interbreeding among males and females reared by different hosts. A mitochondrial phylogeny suggests that blue eggs originated in Asia and then expanded westwards as female cuckoos laying blue eggs interbred with the existing European population, introducing an adaptive trait that expanded the range of potential hosts

Small mammal responses to moose supplementary winter feeding

This is an open access article. You can find it by following this link: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10344-014-0816-1Supplementary feeding of wild large herbivores is a widespread practice in North America and Europe. The presence of feeding stations may have ecological consequences through changes to animal distributions, patterns of herbivory and a net nutrient input into the ecosystem. In Fennoscandia, supplementary feeding of moose in winter (Alces alces) is increasing. Although it has been shown to affect bird communities, its effects on small mammal communities were unknown. Here, we studied the effects of moose supplementary feeding stations on plants and on abundance, reproduction, and biomass of small mammals in years with low and high vole abundance. We sampled small mammals with snap traps and conducted surveys of the field layer vegetation, at varying distances from moose supplemental feeding stations. Due to the vegetation changes induced by feeding stations, abundance of common shrews (Sorex araneus) and Microtus voles were positively affected by long-term moose winter feeding, while bank voles (Myodes glareolus) were not affected. Moose feeding stations did not affect reproduction, individual body mass, or the total biomass of small mammals. Moose winter-feeding stations have impacts on nontarget species, providing islands of preferred grass and forb habitat for Microtus spp. and common shrews, allowing them to penetrate into a matrix of less preferred forest habitat

Within-year nest reuse in open-nesting, solitary breeding passerines

During fieldwork at Lake Sic (46°57’N, 23°54’E), Romania, in the summer of 2003, we observed a strange incident of nest reuse in the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus. After first laying a complete clutch of five eggs and then ejecting an experimentally added parasite egg together with two of its own eggs, a new clutch was initiated in the same nest. In Tana (70°16’N, 28°19’E), Norway, in June 2003, we observed a similar incident in the Brambling Fringilla montifringilla. In a nest that was completely depredated when 3-4 eggs had been laid, a new clutch was initiated 8-9 days later. This is as far as we know the first time nest reuse has been documented in Great Reed Warblers and Bramblings