Whole carcass diets: a role for fibre in gastrointestinal health of cheetahs?

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that altered podocyte slit protein nephrin distribution is associated with disturbed polarity protein expressions in podocytes from preeclampsia (PE). We examined expressions and distributions of nephrin, podoplanin, polarity protein partitioning defective-3 (PARD-3), and PARD-6 in podocytes from PE. Podocyte cell line (AB 8/13 cells) was used as control. Podocytes were found in all severe PE cases. In contrast, no podocyte was found in the samples from normal pregnancies and mild PE. Compared to control cells, nephrin, PARD-3 and PARD-6 expressions were reduced or lost in podocytes from severe PE. Podoplanin was expressed in podocyte surface membrane on control cells but reduced in podocytes from PE. These findings indicate that loss of slit protein nephrin and polarity protein PARD-3 and PARD-6 on foot processes could explain for podocyte detachment from glomerular basement membrane and lead to podocyte shedding in PE. © The Author(s) 2011.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Ecosystem services and disservices associated with vultures : A systematic review and evidence assessment

Nature's contribution to people (i.e. ecosystem services) is becoming integral to conservation science and policy, yet our knowledge is restricted to only a few services and taxa. Vultures (family: Accipitridae and Cathartidae), most of which are threatened with extinction, have been touted for delivering regulation and maintenance services via their capacity to rapidly consume organic matter. As such, their appellation as "nature's clean-up crew" has become very popular. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the supporting evidence for such appellation was absent from the published literature. We performed a systematic review and evidence assessment to quantify the global contribution of vultures towards over 20 ecosystem services and disservices. Our analysis determined a critical imbalance in the scope and focus of published research. In contrast to the birds' popularised image as cleaners of the environment, we found only weak evidence to support any regulation and maintenance services for vultures. Moreover, studies on regulation and maintenance disservices were prominent. The only ecosystem services supported by strong evidence were cultural, although even these were evidenced by a limited number of studies. Finally, we unveil major knowledge gaps in the ecosystem service and disservice literature on a taxonomic and spatial scale related to vultures. Our analysis highlights the urgent need to quantify the net contribution of vultures to people.Peer reviewe

Recruitment and satisfaction of commercial livestock farmers participating in a livestock guarding dog programme

Livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) are used to prevent livestock depredation and used in a number of conservation programmes as a human-wildlife coexistence tool. Although the livestock protection outcomes of LGD use are well studied, relatively little is known about the motivations or perceptions of the farmers involved. This mixed-methods study investigated recruitment and satisfaction in 108 South African commercial livestock farmers participating in an LGD programme. A semi-structured interview schedule and existing dataset were used to collect both qualitative data (analysed according to the principles of thematic analysis) and quantitative data (summarised using descriptive statistics). Word-of-mouth was the predominant source of programme awareness (n = 69), with direct recruitment by programme managers reducing proportionally over time, indicating programme self-perpetuation. Satisfaction was ‘high’ for most farmers (n = 90) and trust between farmers and programme managers was important in recruitment, motivation and satisfaction, along with perceived reductions in livestock losses. Concern for wildlife only motivated 21 farmers. LGD behavioural problems were reported by 49 farmers, but 95 would still use an LGD again. These novel findings demonstrate the importance of inter-stakeholder dialogue for obtaining crucial knowledge for LGD program development. Where non-conservation-related motivators predominate for key stakeholders, greater emphasis on these other factors during programme recruitment, advocacy and/or evaluation may improve stakeholder engagement and retention

DIGESTIVE AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAPPET-FACED VULTURES (TORGOS TRACHELIOTOS) AND GRIFFON VULTURES (GYPS FULVUS) EX SITU

Appropriate diets for ex situ wildlife are essential for animal health and welfare and yet ex situ facilities are often constrained by feed ingredient availability when attempting to replicate natural diets. In obligate carnivores such as vultures, digestive strategies are likely to have evolved alongside feeding behaviors, which may differ between even sympatric species. To begin to understand the digestive strategies of two Old World vulture species (lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotos, n = 3, and griffon vulture Gyps fulvus, n = 4) of similar body size but divergent feeding habits, their feeding and digestion strategies on a diet of whole rats were compared. The food intake, color of excreta, excreta consistency, and carbon and nitrogen excretion were measured. Mean retention time of the digesta was analyzed using titanium dioxide as an inert marker in a diet of chicken carcass. Lappet-faced vultures consumed significantly greater quantities of food than griffon vultures and were less selective. Lappet-faced vultures primarily produced brown excreta while griffon vultures primarily produced green excreta, with much higher carbon and nitrogen concentrations. The consistency of excreta and the mean retention time did not differ between the species but may have been too variable to detect differences. A strong positive correlation was found between food intake per metabolic weight and the proportion of brown excreta, and both were negatively correlated with green excreta, as well as excreta concentrations of nitrogen and carbon. These findings align with their reported feeding ecology, with lappet-faced vultures showing adaptations to less-digestible carcass material compared with griffon vultures. Despite their similar size and overlapping natural habitat, these results suggest a need for differentiated feed provisioning for these species when under human care

Stakeholder Perceptions of Success in Human-Carnivore Coexistence Interventions

Human-carnivore coexistence (HCC) on agricultural lands affects wildlife and human communities around the world, whereby a lack of HCC is a central concern for conservation and farmer livelihoods alike. For intervention strategies aimed at facilitating HCC to achieve their desired goals it is essential to understand how interventions and their success are perceived by different stakeholders. Using a grounded theory approach, interviews (n=31) were conducted with key stakeholders (commercial livestock farmers, conservationists and protected area managers) involved in HCC scenarios in Limpopo, South Africa. Interviews explored perceptions of successful intervention strategies (aimed at increasing HCC), factors that contribute to perceptions of strategy effectiveness and whether coexistence was a concept that stakeholders considered achievable. The use of grounded theory emphasised the individual nature and previously unexplored facets to HCC experiences. The majority of stakeholders based their measures of success on changes in livestock loss. Concern has been raised over the subjectivity and reliance on recall that this measure involves, potentially reducing its reliability as an indicator of functional effectiveness. However, it was relied on heavily by users of HCC interventions in our study and is therefore likely influential in subsequent behaviour and decision-making regarding the intervention. Nonetheless, perceptions of success were not just shaped by livestock loss but influenced by various social, cultural, economic and political factors emphasising the challenges of defining and achieving HCC goals. Perceptions of coexistence varied; some stakeholders considered farmer-carnivore coexistence to be impossible, but most indicated it was feasible with certain caveats. An important element of inter-stakeholder misunderstanding became apparent, especially regarding the respective perceptions of coexistence and responsibility for its achievement. Without fully understanding these perceptions and their underpinning factors, interventions may be restricted in their capacity to meet the expectations of all interested parties. The study highlights the need to understand and explore the perceptions of all stakeholders when implementing intervention strategies in order to properly define and evaluate the achievement of HCC goals

Conservation Education Impacts of Animal Ambassadors in Zoos

To mitigate the effects of anthropogenic environmental impacts, conservation education (CE) aims to increase public awareness of biodiversity and encourage the uptake of pro-environmental behaviours (PEB). One way of achieving this goal is the use of controlled animal interactions with animal ambassadors to promote CE goals. This study aimed to determine how differing experiences with ambassador Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) affected visitors’ knowledge of conservation actions (CA) and their likelihood to perform PEBs in a UK zoo. A quasi-experimental repeated measures questionnaire was used to investigate this aim. Visit types were categorised as (a) ‘penguin parade’, (b) ‘animal encounter’, (c) ‘exhibit viewing’ and (d) a ‘control’ groups. A Kruskal–Wallis test was used to determine if responses to rating scale items related to PEBs differed according to experience. No significant (p > 0.05) differences were detectable between groups. Qualitative data provided in open ended questions relating to CAs were coded into themes and the percentage of responses were calculated for each theme. Whilst the ‘exhibit viewing’ group mentioned sustainable fish significantly more (p = 0.017) than the ‘control’ group, no significant difference was found for any other pair-wise comparison (p > 0.05 in all cases). Overall, this study highlights that zoo visitors gained specific conservation-based knowledge and had higher behavioural intentions towards PEBs than they previously had. However, no evidence was found to suggest that animal encounters improved CE outcomes. To ensure best practice is followed and CE outcomes are considered equally alongside ambassador animal welfare concerns, further research is recommended

Nutrient composition of various meat products.

<p>¹ National Research Council [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0120903#pone.0120903.ref036" target="_blank">36</a>]</p><p>² Webb et al [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0120903#pone.0120903.ref037" target="_blank">37</a>]</p><p>³ Badiani et al [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0120903#pone.0120903.ref038" target="_blank">38</a>]</p><p>Nutrient composition of various meat products.</p

Faecal consistency within the past 4 weeks prior to completion of the survey reported for captive cheetahs, categorised according to diet type fed.

<p>Data included faecal consistency that was reported in the survey as “often” and/or “always” (values are not mutually exclusive).</p