Wildlife Department Research Articles

Using banding data to estimate primary feather molt and hatch chronology of white‐winged doves in Texas

AbstractBanding data are commonly used to estimate vital rates for migratory game bird management. We used white‐winged dove (Zenaida asiatica) banding data to estimate molt and hatch chronology in Texas. We used Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's long‐term, state‐wide banding data (71,675 banded individuals) from 1 June to 15 August 2007–2016 to investigate primary feather molt and hatching in white‐winged doves in Texas. We estimated primary feather molt and used individual recapture data to determine reliability of models predicting primary feather molt rates. For hatching, we used primary feather molt scores of captured hatch‐year doves to backdate to an estimated hatch date. Our modeling predicted mean after‐hatch‐year primary feather molt rate of 13.21 ± 0.93 days. We predicted 95% of adult white‐winged doves began molting between 7 April to 8 July and completed molt between 17 August to 17 November. Across all years, white‐winged doves hatched as early as 6 January and as late as 27 July, with 95% of all hatching occurring between 22 March and 18 June and peaking on 4 May. Primary feather molt initiation peaked 16 days after the peak of hatching, suggesting that white‐winged doves delay the onset of primary molt until reproductive activity slows. Secondary data collected during banding operations on migratory game birds may be used to understand additional life processes without the requirement to initiate additional survey efforts.

Comparison of triploid and diploid rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fine-scale movement, migration and catchability in lowland lakes of western Washington

Fisheries managers stock triploid (i.e., infertile, artificially produced) rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in North American lakes to support sport fisheries while minimizing the risk of genetic introgression between hatchery and wild trout. In Washington State, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) allocates approximately US $3 million annually to stock hatchery-origin rainbow trout in > 600 lakes, yet only about 10% of them are triploids. Many lakes in Washington State drain into waters that support wild anadromous steelhead O. mykiss that are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. As a result, there is a strong interest in understanding the costs and benefits associated with stocking sterile, triploid rainbow trout as an alternative to traditional diploids. The objectives of this study were to compare triploid and diploid rainbow trout in terms of: (1) contribution to the sport fishery catch, (2) fine-scale movements within the study lakes, (3) rate of emigration from the lake, and (4) natural mortality. Our results demonstrated that triploid and diploid trout had similar day-night distribution patterns, but triploid trout exhibited a lower emigration rate from the lake and lower catch rates in some lakes. Overall, triploid rainbow trout represent a viable alternative to stocking of diploids, especially in lakes draining to rivers, because they are sterile, have comparable home ranges, and less often migrate.

Spatio-temporal patterns of human-carnivore conflict and mitigation in Pakistan

Human-carnivore conflict is a noteworthy rural livelihood issue as livestock of local communities living around protected areas are depredated by wild carnivores, which are the persecuted by local communities, in response. The current study aimed at investigating the patterns, perception, economic losses, and mitigation of human wildlife conflict in Pakistan through meta-analysis of published literature and using the questionnaire survey method. We retrieved data from the published and unpublished sources, and from records of provincial wildlife departments. In addition, we also collected empirical data from different households falling in the range of targeted carnivore species and filled 331 semi-structured questionaries. Based on the activities and home range of the predator species, conflict density maps for each predator species were developed. Our analysis revealed that five major carnivore species are involved in the human-wildlife conflict, namely Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos), common leopard (Panthera pardus), grey wolf (Canis lupus) and snow leopard (Panthera uncia). About 7214 livestock heads were reportedly lost during past two decades because of these five carnivore species. The domestic goat depredation was maximum (51.08 %, n = 3685), followed by sheep (27.09 %, n = 1954), cow (11.37 %, n = 820), buffalo (2.34 %, n = 169), dogs (2.05 %, n = 148), poultry (0.87 %, n = 63), donkey (4.28 %, n = 348), and horse (0.37 %, n = 27), causing a total financial loss of USD 1.87 million. Maximum livestock depredation occurred in summer season (50.79 %), at night (59.92 %) time and outside the village (51.22 %). Majority of the people showed negative attitude towards the predators, and they did not know about the conservation status and the authorities to report for conservation of the predator species. Most of the respondents were unaware about the possible management of the predator species for the co-existence of human and wildlife in the same landscape. However, majority of respondents (38.3 %) thought that livestock depredation by carnivore species can be controlled through payment of insurance compensation to the person who lost its livestock during carnivore attacks, followed by restoration of natural habitat (20.1 %), translocation of predator (16 %), and improved husbandry practices like predator proof corals (8 %). The study concludes that buffer zones of the protected areas are the hotspots for human- wildlife conflict and to avoid such conflict in future, special mitigation measures should be adapted, and regulations should be developed to minimize the niche overlap of the livestock and wildlife prey species, thereby to avoid any competition for food resources.

BANGLADESH WILDLIFE: A CALL TO ARREST ITS DECLINATION THROUGH REMEDIAL POLICIES AND MANAGEMENT

Bangladesh, located between latitudes 20°34' to 26°38' north and longitudes 88°01' to 92°41' east, is the most densely populated country in the world with 1,252 people per one square kilometre; this is almost three times as dense as its neighbour, India (Ritchie, 2020), other than the island countries like Singapore, and others. So, Bangladesh is not likely to have a large array of wildlife, including both megafauna and macrofauna, and flora. However, because of its very zoo-geographic location in the Indo-Malayan realm of the Oriental Region (Cox, 2001), Bangladesh supports at least three major terrestrial habitats and similar number of aquatic environments. These have allowed the country to have astounding number of wildlife and plants, e.g., about 125 species of Mammals, 718 species of Birds, 2500 species of arthropods and 5700 species of vascular plants. However, it is not satisfied status because already lost few charismatic megafaunas such as, all three species of Asian rhinoceroses, water buffalo, swamp deer, two species of peafowls, swamp partridge, Bhadi Hans (white-winged duck, Khan, 1983a, 1983b, 2003), marsh crocodile, etc. Existing study posits that the country has already lost about 10% of its mammals, 3% birds and 4% of reptile species and an unknown number of amphibians, fishes, and invertebrates as well as plants. Another 14% of animal species are endangered (Khan, 2012). The same may very well be true for the plants.Currently the Forest Department, which has its own forestry policy from as early as 1979, has failed to develop such a policy for wildlife although it is trying to manage the wildlife of the country from the inception of Bangladesh in 1971.The department lacks in right workforce trained in wildlife with proper degree in relevant subjects. A few people that work there does not see progressions in their service carrier.The wildlife conservation policy followed round the world does not conform to the forestry policy of Bangladesh.So, Bangladesh must have a concrete wildlife and its sustainable management policy to conserve the wildlife wealth through creating a proper wildlife department to implement such a policy and save the wildlife from further killing or loss of wildlife through managerial failures or mismanagement.

SiulMalaya: an annotated bird audio dataset of Malaysia lowland forest birds for passive acoustic monitoring

The laborious point count method of conducting bird surveys is still a common practice in Malaysia. An alternative method known as passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is deployed in many countries by placing sound recorders at surveying sites to collect bird sounds. Studies revealed that the number of bird densities counted by human observers was agreeable with those obtained using PAM. However, one of the most essential gaps in conducting PAM is the lack of expert-verified bird-call databases. Therefore, the aim of this study is to construct the first annotated Malaysia lowland forest bird sounds called SiulMalaya to be used as ground-truth datasets for PAM-related activities. The raw bird sounds dataset was downloaded from Macaulay Library using the eBird platform. Data pre-processing was done to produce annotated audio tracks that can be used as training datasets for bird classification. SiulMalaya dataset was further validated by two bird experts from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Malaysia. A bird identification experiment was carried out to assess and validate SiulMalaya dataset using a convolutional neural network (CNN) learning model. Even though the accuracy of bird identification is slightly above 50%, the annotated dataset is shown to be viable for PAM-related operations.

SiulMalaya: an annotated bird audio dataset of Malaysia lowland forest birds for passive acoustic monitoring

The laborious point count method of conducting bird surveys is still a common practice in Malaysia. An alternative method known as passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is deployed in many countries by placing sound recorders at surveying sites to collect bird sounds. Studies revealed that the number of bird densities counted by human observers was agreeable with those obtained using PAM. However, one of the most essential gaps in conducting PAM is the lack of expert-verified bird-call databases. Therefore, the aim of this study is to construct the first annotated Malaysia lowland forest bird sounds called SiulMalaya to be used as ground-truth datasets for PAM-related activities. The raw bird sounds dataset was downloaded from Macaulay Library using the eBird platform. Data pre-processing was done to produce annotated audio tracks that can be used as training datasets for bird classification. SiulMalaya dataset was further validated by two bird experts from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Malaysia. A bird identification experiment was carried out to assess and validate SiulMalaya dataset using a convolutional neural network (CNN) learning model. Even though the accuracy of bird identification is slightly above 50%, the annotated dataset is shown to be viable for PAM-related operations.

Survival and Growth in MultipleSize‐Classesof Hatchery Red Drum over Three Simulated Seasons

AbstractThe Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) Marine Stock Enhancement Program has introduced an average of 20 million fingerling Red DrumSciaenops ocellatusinto bays across Texas annually since 1983. Red Drum fingerlings are released during seasons outside of wild juvenile Red Drum recruitment, exposing them to conditions that they would not normally encounter as early stage juveniles in the wild. Furthermore, releases encompass a wide range of sizes outside of the target release size of 35 mm (20–60 mm), implying that survival and growth in the wild may vary with body size and body condition upon release. This study determined the impacts of season and initial release size on overall growth rate, body condition, and survival of Red Drum fingerlings by exposing two discrete size‐classes to a laboratory simulation of conditions expected to be encountered in the wild for 1 month after harvest from grow‐out ponds. Fish with an initial size of 35 mm TL or greater had higher overall survival over all three seasons of release than smaller fingerlings; however, final body condition (Fulton'sK) was not significant across size‐classes. Growth rates of both size‐classes were highest in summer, indicating that elevated temperatures can benefit fish within the full range of release sizes. Fitted multiple linear regression modeling also determined that water temperature and size‐class were significant indicators of estimated growth rate. In addition, growth rates in wild fish as estimated from TPWD fisheries‐independent samples were consistently lower than those in experimental fish of both size‐classes during all three simulated seasons. This research suggests that releasing larger‐sized (>35‐mm TL) Red Drum may significantly improve survival, especially during seasons with more variable temperature conditions at the beginning and end of the TPWD hatchery release season.

Encounter of Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) from the Low Elevated Area of District Battagram, Pakistan

Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is widely distributed in various countries of Asia including different areas of Pakistan such as District Mansehra, Swat, Kohistan, Battagram, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The present research was conducted in District Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan where new and abundant evidence of the Asiatic Black bear was reported. Data were collected during field reports, questionnaire-based surveys and oral interviews, and discussions with the local community from March 2022 to December 2022. The black bear was encountered by local peoples at a low elevated area (1259 m) of Jesol village (N 34o 41' 53" E 73o 03' 05") and was killed collectively (May 12, 2022). During such an encounter, a young man was also injured in conflict. Within one day, local people carried every part of the bear’s body and left the remaining skeleton. The wildlife department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took immediate action against the involved people. Similarly, the second black bear was also observed in the same village after one week but this time local people did not take any action against the black bear due to strict enforcement of wildlife law implemented by the wildlife department. On the other hand, questionnaire-based surveys and oral interviews were conducted in different areas of Battagram such as Baliga, Chail, and Shumlai about the black bear population. According to the perception of the local community, a quite good population of bears n=14 (6 males, 4 females, and 4 cubs) are present in the entire district. During the field survey, bear signs were also observed in Balija Mountain such as pug marks, track routing in snow, scat samples, and setting place. Bone samples collected from a killed black bear will be genetically identified for further genotypic study. The black bear population could be conserved by the strict implementation of rules and regulations by the government and conservation agencies. Awareness among the local community also plays an important in black bear conservation.

Integrating community science and agency‐collected monitoring data to expand monitoring capacity at large spatial scales

AbstractMonitoring species to better understand their status, ecology, and management needs is a major expense for agencies tasked with biodiversity conservation. Community science data have the potential to improve monitoring for minimal cost, given appropriate analytical frameworks. We describe a framework for integrating data from the eBird community science platform with agency‐collected monitoring data using a multistate occupancy model. Our model accounts for the structural differences across datasets and allows for estimation of both occupancy and breeding probabilities. The framework was applied to Common Loons (Gavia immer) in Washington State. A total of 766 sites had observation effort, of which 713 sites had only eBird effort, 26 sites had only Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) effort, and 27 sites had both. We predicted that the probability of occupancy was only 0.07 (95% Bayesian credible interval, BCI = 0.02–0.51) at the 2324 sites in our sampling frame, though the probability that Common Loons were breeding at occupied sites was 0.95 (95% BCI = 0.71–1.00). We found that probability of occupancy was positively related to waterbody size (probability of a positive effect = 0.88) and negatively related to an index of human influence (probability of a negative effect = 0.94). We found that probability of breeding at occupied sites was positively related to tree canopy cover (0.86), negatively related to elevation (0.99), and negatively related to barren, scrub/shrub, and herbaceous land cover (0.98). We found that state agency biologists were 16 times more likely to detect breeding Common Loons at a site than were eBird users (0.94, 95% BCI = 0.78–0.99 for agency biologists vs. 0.08, 95% BCI = 0.06–0.10 for eBird users). However, the amount of effort expended by eBird users meant that they confirmed Common Loons at 94 sites while agency biologists confirmed them at just 24 sites, although evidence of reproduction was only contributed by agency biologists. Our results provide a better understanding of the distribution of Common Loons in Washington, while further demonstrating that community science data can be a valuable complement to agency‐collected data, if appropriate frameworks are developed to integrate these data sources.

Implications of Metrics and Methodology for Juvenile Salmonid Monitoring in Western Oregon Streams

We attempted to determine whether electrofishing removal estimates or single-pass snorkeling was a more reliable method for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) monitoring of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (O. mykiss) abundance and occupancy trends. Based on 1997 to 2000 data, we assumed abundance estimates from the method that tracked more closely with parental abundance would better approximate true juvenile abundance. Parental abundance from spawning ground surveys and juvenile abundance metrics unique to each method were estimated from 2000 to 2004 and 2007 to 2008. Parental abundance did not explain the variation in juvenile abundance from either method (r2 < 0.22), invalidating our assumption, but results had relevance for snorkel surveys used in ODFW monitoring. For both species, correlations between density (fish m2 -1) and abundance (quantity, based on fish km-1) estimates from snorkeling were weak (r < 0.379), but correlations between abundance estimates from both methods were strong (r > 0.846), implying abundance was more appropriate than density for ODFW monitoring. Neither method could sample all habitats, and annually variable proportions of coho salmon (15 to 47%) and steelhead (0 to 24%) abundance estimates obtained by electrofishing were in pools too shallow to meet the ODFW depth criterion for snorkeling. This resulted in lowering the criterion to ≥ 20 cm in 2010. The lower criterion, relative to original, has not shown differences in trends, but 30% more pools have been sampled, resulting in 23% higher abundance estimates with 10% proportionately smaller confidence intervals. These changes improved ODFW monitoring and related management decisions.

Modeling current and future habitat suitability of an iconic bird to inform restoration planning in southeastern Louisiana, U.S.A.

Louisiana is facing a land loss crisis with 5,000 km2 lost since the 1930s, and another 10,000 km2 may disappear over the next 50 years. In response, the state developed a Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, which includes predictions for how wildlife species respond to futures with or without restoration action. However, the 2017 Master Plan did not include a bird species representative of brackish or freshwater wetland habitats. Our objective therefore was to evaluate the potential for the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to serve as an indicator of freshwater wetland health, and to develop a model to predict Bald Eagle responses to land cover change 20 and 50 years into the future, with or without restoration action. Using nest location data collected by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from the Barataria Basin, we modeled the relationship between Bald Eagle nest occurrence and land cover using boosted regression trees. Model performance was strong, explaining 54.4 ± 0.1% of the deviance in nest occurrence, and showed that Bald Eagle nests were more common in areas with greater fresh forested wetland, freshwater marsh, and flotant marsh land cover. Future suitability for nesting Bald Eagles was higher in 20 and 50 years with restoration action compared to without, although suitability in both years was lower than contemporary suitability, regardless of restoration action. Our model suggests that comprehensive restoration action is needed, including the implementation of Mississippi River diversions, to sustain high densities of nesting Bald Eagles in coastal Louisiana.

Effectiveness of Public–Private Efforts to Conserve Tricolored Blackbird Colonies on Agricultural Lands in the San Joaquin Valley, California

Since the early 1990s when much of the population of the Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) began nesting in fields of triticale grown for dairy silage in the San Joaquin Valley, many colonies have been destroyed inadvertently during harvest. After previous inconsistent efforts, in 2015 a Regional Conservation Partnership Program brought the dairy industry, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Audubon California, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other partners together in an effort to stem the losses. The program located colonies and compensated farmers for crop value lost when the harvest was delayed until after the blackbirds fledged and encouraged creation of alternative nesting habitat to attract nesting birds away from agricultural fields. Before 2015, data on the numbers of colonies in silage fields, and on the blackbirds’ productivity conserved and lost, are complete only for 2005–2009, when only 43% of colonies encompassing 60% of the monitored nestings avoided destruction. From 2015 to 2022, 93% of colonies representing 96% of nesting attempts were conserved, and the number of birds nesting in silage increased by as much as 100,000. The program’s success resulted from the adequacy of federal funding, protection provided by the species’ listing as endangered by the state of California, and effective communications and cooperation among the partners and within the dairy industry. Protection of colonies in silage fields since 2015 likely contributed to the substantial increase in the numbers of birds nesting in this habitat and perhaps to an increase in California’s Tricolored Blackbird population as a whole. Continued effort is needed to achieve the species’ recovery.

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Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus attacks in Kashmir Valley, India

Asiatic Black Bear attacks are reported rarely throughout the majority of their global range; however, this has not been the case in the Kashmir Valley where over the past 20–30 years attacks have been relatively common. There are several causes for the high number of attacks, though the foremost reason likely stems from the conversion of natural habitat to orchards and agricultural fields. Asiatic Black Bears actively crop raid orchards and agricultural areas putting them into close proximity to humans. The Jammu &amp; Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department has collected data on 2,357 Asiatic Black Bear attacks in the Kashmir Valley between 2000 and 2020. A total of 2,243 (95.2%) resulted in injury and 114 (4.8%) resulted in death. The majority of injuries were reported as minor (57.4%, n=1126), 42.4% (n=832) as grievous, and 1.2% (n=21) caused permanent disability. The highest proportion of attacks occurred from July through November, coinciding with the harvesting season, and the least occurred from December through March, coinciding with when most Asiatic Black Bears are hibernating. Victims of bear attacks were most often working in farms or orchards, and were mostly between the ages of 31–40 years old. Most attacks occurred in the morning hours when people first entered the orchards or agricultural fields to work. The frequency of attacks has declined since 2016, which could be attributed to retaliation killings, better management by the wildlife department, and the engagement of NGO’s with local people to create bear awareness and teach safety measures.

Multisectoral prioritization of zoonotic diseases in Haryana (India) using one health approach

Zoonotic diseases have huge livestock and public health burden worldwide, including India. Prioritizing zoonotic diseases is one of the important tasks under ‘One Health’ as it facilitates effective policy making, proper allocation of resources and promotion of multisectoral collaboration. Although some efforts have been made to prioritizing zoonotic diseases at national level in India, it is important to identify priority diseases in regional settings due to wide variation in climate and demography of different states. Therefore, the present study aims to prioritize zoonotic diseases for the state of Haryana (India). One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) tool was used in this study to prioritize zoonotic diseases. Based on literature review of the past 23 years (2000–2022) on prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of zoonotic diseases, twenty-three high-scoring zoonotic diseases in Haryana and neighboring states of India were initially shortlisted for prioritization. A three-day participatory workshop was conducted involving 17 experts representing the Health, Animal Husbandry and Wildlife departments of Haryana. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to rank the criteria, which were used to score the selected diseases using the decision tree analysis. The participants selected the following 7 criteria along with their relative weights to score the diseases: (1) Severity of disease in humans, (2) Severity of disease in animals, (3) Presence of disease in the region, (4) Transmission and outbreak potential, (5) Socio-economic impact, (6) Availability of interventions, and (7) Existing inter-sectoral collaboration for surveillance and reporting. The top scoring eight diseases selected as priority zoonotic diseases for Haryana were rabies, Japanese encephalitis, bovine tuberculosis, leptospirosis, avian influenza (H5N1), brucellosis, glanders and Influenza A (H1N1). Sensitivity analysis did not reveal any significant variation in prioritization results by varying criteria weights. This is the first systemic attempt to prioritize zoonotic diseases in the state and this will help in formulating effective monitoring, prevention, and control strategies for zoonotic diseases in the regional settings.

Machine Learning Models for Behavioural Diversity of Asian Elephants Prediction Using Satellite Collar Data

Analysis of animal movement data using statistical applications and machine learning has developed rapidly in line with the development and use of various tracking devices. Location and movement data at temporal and spatial scales are collected using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to estimate the location of animals. In contrast, installing a satellite collar can ensure continuous monitoring, as the received data will be sent directly to the electronic mailbox. Nevertheless, identifying an exact pattern of elephant activity from satellite collar data is still challenging. This study aimed to propose a machine learning model to predict the behavioural diversity of Asian elephants. The study involved four main phases, including two levels of model development, to produce initial and primary classification models. The phases were data collection and preparation, data labelling and initial classification model development, all data classification, and primary classification model development. The elephant behaviour data were collected from the satellite collars attached to five elephants, three males and two females, in forest reserves from 2018 to 2020 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Malaysia. The study’s outcome was a novel classification model that can predict the behaviour of the Asian elephant movement. The findings showed that the XGBoost method could produce the predictive model to classify Asian elephants’ behaviour with 100 percent accuracy. This study revealed the capability of machine learning to identify behaviour classes and decision-making in setting initiatives to preserve this species in the future.

Preface

5th International Conference on Tropical Resources and Sustainable Sciences (CTReSS 5.0) is an annual event organised by the Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and has garnered more than 500 participants since 2020. This year, FSB is honoured to coorganise CTReSS 5.0 with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN). CTReSS 5.0 and 5 Keynote and Plenary Speakers who shared their insights on the latest trends in biodiversity conservation, green medicine and geoscience.

Studies on parasitic prevalence in pet birds from Punjab, Pakistan.

During this one year study, blood and fecal samples of doves (Zenaida asiatica), ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), pigeons (Columba livia), partridges (Alectoris chukar), turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and goose (Chen caerulescens) were collected to assess the parasitic prevalence in these birds. The birds were kept at Avian Conservation and Research Center, Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore. All these avian species were kept in separate cages and their entire body was inspected on regularly basis to record external parasites. For internal parasites, 100 blood and 100 fecal samples for each species were analyzed. During present study, two species of ectoparasites i.e. fowl ticks (Args persicus) and mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) while 17 species of endoparasites; three from blood and 14 from fecal samples were identified. Prevalence of blood parasites was Plasmodium juxtanucleare 29.3%, Aegyptinella pullorum 15% and Leucoctoyzoon simond 13%. Parasitic species recorded from fecal samples included 6 species of nematodes viz. Syngamus trachea with parasitic prevalence of 50%, Capillaria anatis 40%, Capillaria annulata 37.5%, Heterakis gallinarum 28.3%, Ascardia galli 24% and Allodpa suctoria 2%. Similarly, two species of trematodes viz. Prosthogonimus ovatus having parasitic prevalence of 12.1% and Prosthogonimus macrorchis 9.1% were also recorded from fecal samples of the birds. Single cestode species Raillietina echinobothrida having parasitic prevalence of 27% and 3 protozoan species i.e. Eimeria maxima having prevalence 20.1%, Histomonas meleagridis 8% and Giardia lamblia 5.3% were recorded. In our recommendation, proper medication and sanitation of the bird's houses and cages is recommended to avoid parasites.

Evaluation of economic loss caused by Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) in agricultural land of district Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

The Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) is a vertebrate pest of agricultural lands and forest. The study was aimed to report the damage to local crops by the Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) in the Muzaffarabad District. A survey was conducted to identify the porcupine-affected areas and assess the crop damage to the local farmers in district Muzaffarabad Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from May 2017 to October 2017. Around 19 villages were surveyed, and a sum of 191 semi-structured questionnaires was distributed among farmers. Crop damage was found highest in village Dhanni where a porcupine destroyed 175 Kg/Kanal of the crops. Regarding the total magnitude of crop loss, village Danna and Koomi kot were the most affected areas. More than half (51.8%) of the respondents in the study area suffered the economic loss within the range of 101-200$, and (29.8%) of the people suffered losses in the range of 201-300$ annually. Among all crops, maize (Zea mays) was found to be the most damaged crop ranging between 1-300 Kg annually. In the study area, porcupine also inflicted a lot of damages to some important vegetables, including spinach (Spinacia oleracea), potato (Solanum tuberosum) and onion (Allium cepa). It was estimated that, on average, 511Kg of vegetables are destroyed by porcupine every year in the agricultural land of Muzaffarabad. It was concluded that the Indian crested porcupine has a devastating effect on agriculture which is an important source of income and food for the local community. Developing an effective pest control strategy with the help of the local government and the Wildlife department could help the farmers to overcome this problem.

Multi-Year Environmental Trends of Shrimp Black Gill (Hyalophysa lynni) Prevalence in Texas Gulf Coast Shrimp Populations

Shrimp Black Gill, caused by the apostome ciliate Hyalophysa lynni, is an emerging disease impacting penaeid shrimp populations along the southeast Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Changing annual environmental conditions may drive infection levels of this parasitic ciliate in these populations, which comprise one of the largest fisheries in the United States. Hyalophysa lynni is established on the Texas Gulf Coast, and prevalence of this parasite has a strong seasonal and spatial trend, likely linked with high temperature and a wide range of estuarine salinities. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department monitored shrimp black gill in 2 penaeid shrimp species, Litopenaeus setiferus and Farfantepenaeus aztecus in 2019, with the aim of observing trends in prevalence along spatial and temporal scales. Hyalophysa lynni was found in all 7 bay systems throughout the study period, and this study is a continuation of that monitoring effort, adding 2 years of data collection (2020 and 2021) to prior research. Throughout the entire sampling period (2019–2021) and coastwide, H. lynni was found in 66% of all shrimp samples collected, although prevalence varied annually. Boosted regression tree modeling indicated that low salinity, high temperature, and time of year (late spring through fall) had a significant relationship with H. lynni prevalence in shrimp along the Texas Gulf Coast. Shrimp Black Gill is likely to continue to be present in GOM shrimp populations, and annual precipitation events and increased water temperatures may amplify the population morbidity within any given year.