Wildlife Conservation Society Research Articles

Group compositional changes impact the social and feeding behaviors of captive hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas).

The formation and modification of social groups in captivity are delicate management tasks. The ability for personnel to anticipate changes in group dynamics following compositional changes can increase the likelihood of successful management with minimized injury or social instability. Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas) have a distinctive multi-level social system comprising of one-male units (OMUs) that can make it difficult to apply knowledge from other primates' multi-female/multi-male social structure to changes imposed onto captive hamadryas baboon groups. We conducted an observational study of the behavioral impacts following the introduction of two females into the group of hamadryas baboons at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Prospect Park Zoo in NY to test hypotheses about the relationships between changes in group composition and social and feeding behavior. Generalized linear mixed models demonstrated that social interactions significantly increased following the compositional changes, even in groups that only experienced member removals. The increase in affiliative social behavior observed suggests that during times of social stress or uncertainty, hamadryas baboons may employ social behavior as a tension-reducing mechanism to negotiate relationships as opposed to using aggression to engage in competitions for ranks and resources. The observed response to compositional changes implies that hamadryas baboons may respond with less aggression than do other Old World monkey species and that levels of affiliative behavior may be a more accurate metric for evaluating introduction success in hamadryas baboons.

RETROSPECTIVE INVESTIGATION OF CATARACT MANAGEMENT IN AVIAN SPECIES IN A ZOOLOGIC COLLECTION.

A review of avian cataracts at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo between 1992 and 2011 was conducted. Ninety cataracts in 54 birds from 42 species were identified. Cataracts were found primarily during examination for ocular abnormalities (29/54, 53.7%) or opportunistically (13/54, 24.1%) and were most commonly diagnosed as mature (22/90, 24.4%). Systemic medical conditions diagnosed in these birds included West Nile virus (4/54, 7.4%), head trauma (3/54, 5.6%), plumbism and Salmonella Pullorum (1/54, 1.9%), Marek's disease (1/54, 1.9%), leukocytosis (1/54, 1.9%), and hyperglycemia (1/54, 1.9%). Cataracts were progressive in seven birds of four species. Unilateral enucleation was performed in 2/54 (3.7%) birds, and 12/54 (22.2%) underwent cataract removal (phacoemulsification in 16 eyes and standard extracapsular cataract extraction in 2 eyes). Concurrent ocular abnormalities, such as corneal scarring and lens-induced uveitis, were seen in 2/18 (11.1%) eyes preoperatively in the group undergoing cataract removal, 2/2 (100%) eyes preoperatively in the group undergoing enucleation, and 33/70 (47.1%) of eyes that did not undergo surgery. For birds undergoing cataract removal, complications included successfully treated cardiorespiratory arrest intraoperatively (1/12, 8.3%) as well as postanesthetic complications of acute respiratory distress and tracheal stricture (2/12, 16.7%). The most common postoperative ocular abnormalities included posterior capsular opacity (4/18 eyes, 22.2%) and corneal scarring (2/18 eyes, 11.1%). Lens cortical regrowth and marked posterior lens capsular opacity occurred in one eye of one bird after phacoemulsification, necessitating a second ocular surgery. A successful outcome, as determined by improved postoperative visual acuity, was seen in 10/12 (83.3%) birds undergoing cataract removal, and 5/12 (41.7%) of these birds were alive >3 yr after surgery. The results of this review will aid clinicians in identifying common stages of cataracts, determining eligibility for cataract surgery, and managing postoperative complications in avian patients.

Testing the effectiveness of surrogate species for conservation planning in the Greater Virunga Landscape, Africa

Given the limited funds available, spatial prioritisation is necessary to help decide when and where to undertake conservation. One method for setting local scale priorities for conservation action is the landscape species approach which aims to identify priorities based on the needs of a small number of wide ranging species with large environmental impacts. Despite being used for the past decade by conservation organisations such as Wildlife Conservation Society, the effectiveness of the approach for representing a more comprehensive range of biodiversity has never been evaluated. Here we compare conservation priorities identified using a suite of landscape species (n=13) against those using many alternative sets of threatened or endemic species (n=7–88) to assess the applicability and suitability of the landscape species approach in a biologically diverse landscape (Greater Virunga Landscape, Uganda, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa). We defined the minimum area needed to conserve each species on the basis of the species’ range size. We found that prioritising for landscape species adequately conserves only 31 (35%) species, whereas prioritising for an equal number of endemic species, threatened species, or randomly sampled species adequately conserves 74%, 69% and 42% of species, respectively. We also found that prioritising for one taxonomic group (birds or plants) alone resulted in better surrogacy performance than the Landscape Species. These results question the underlying assumption of the landscape species approach, that managing threats to Landscape Species will also manage threats to all other species, as it is applied in the Greater Virunga Landscape.

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Wild Fauna Conservation in Nigeria

This paper is on the trend and pattern of wild fauna conservation in Nigeria. The trend reveals the successes that have been achieved as well as the challenges that have emerged over the years. Large scale degradation of wild animal natural habitats coupled with continuous overhunting and poaching have resulted in more species becoming endangered in recent times in Nigeria according to recent surveys by WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society, Nigeria). The National Parks Service being the highest conservation agency in the country becomes the major fortress for conserving these endangered species, alongside collaborative efforts from non-governmental conservation agencies like NCF (Nigerian Conservation Foundation) and others. This review paper became necessary to re-emphasise the need for more awareness on the risks involved if the unabated exploitation of our wild fauna resources continues. The paper concludes by offering suggestions on how the conservation agenda can continue in the country through existing Parks and Zoos development, through ecotourism with more media awareness, basic wildlife education in schools, improved research and a better enforcement of existing wild animals’ protection laws.

Uropygial gland squamous cell carcinoma in chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguins at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Park Zoo.

Uropygial, or preen, glands are found in a variety of avian species including penguins. These glands have a multitude of functions and can develop a variety of conditions including impaction, rupture, adenitis, squamous metaplasia, and neoplasia of various types, with squamous cell carcinoma the most commonly reported. A case series of uropygial gland squamous cell carcinoma in five penguins at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Park Zoo is described. Most birds were aged (>10 yr) with a history of chronic, recurrent uropygial gland problems including impaction, rupture, abscess formation, or a combination of conditions. Before and after neoplasia diagnosis, these cases were managed conservatively, and palliative care was provided. Because many of these cases were preceded by chronic inflammation, it is possible this inflammation predisposed the uropygial gland to neoplastic transformation, and more aggressive treatment early in the disease process may therefore be warranted.

Enhancing conservation science capacity in India: first decade of the Master's programme in wildlife biology and conservation

India is a mega biodiverse country but, with a human population of 1.2 billion and aspirations for further economic growth, conservation of this biodiversity faces huge challenges. A decade ago, identifying the need for strong academic programmes to train conservation professionals, the Wildlife Conservation Society collaborated with the National Centre for Biological Sciences of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research to initiate a Master's degree programme in wildlife biology and conservation, comprising cutting-edge course modules taught by practising scientists and conservationists, followed by a dissertation. The programme trains a cohort of 15 students every 2 years, and the fifth cohort graduated in September 2014. In all, 74 budding conservationists have graduated in the programme's first decade. Their field research has spanned multiple species and ecosystems in 20 Indian states, and alumni of the course now form the core of many academic and conservation institutions. The alumni have engaged in practical conservation initiatives, driving both policy and practice in India by setting high standards of research and science-based conservation. The sixth cohort of 15 students began their training in July 2014.

Caring for Xate, caring for Xateros: NGO monitoring, livelihoods, and plant-human relations in Uaxactún, Guatemala

In Uaxactún, a community forest concession inside Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve, three species of xate palm, a non-timber forest product, are at the heart of quickly evolving webs of knowledge, identity, institutional alliances, and livelihoods. Xate palms are simultaneously the "daily beans" for the majority of Uaxactún residents, the object of intense study and regulation, a commodity marketable to international floral markets, a marker of local identity, and a ubiquitous part of the forest landscape. Now, as the result of a series of projects instituted by the conservation NGO, the Wildlife Conservation Society and other institutions, xate in Uaxactún is being transformed from a "natural", exploited part of the landscape to something to actively cuidar, or care for. NGO-driven dynamics of monitoring, study, and other external knowledge-making about the village are central to these ongoing shifts in xate-human relations, and to broader changes in local senses of place and identity. "Care" describes both material and affective relations, including practices and values that strive for a more liveable world without assuming an ultimate goal or a best solution. NGO projects that foster relations of care between villagers and xate palms are also a form of caring for villagers themselves, working as they do towards sustainable shared human/non-human futures. At the same time, however, these projects are "necessary but not sufficient" – caught in the problematic local scale, and failing to address deeper structural problems that keep Uaxactún residents dependent on precarious sources of income.Keywords: Guatemala, Maya Biosphere Reserve, NTFPs, NGOs, environmental knowledge, care

Marine Spatial Planning 2.0: genes and satellites to conserve seascape dynamics

MARTIN MENDEZ*, FRANCINE KERSHAW, STEPHEN PALUMBI, MALIN PINSKY, CARLETON RAY, HOWARD ROSENBAUM and AJIT SUBRAMANIAM Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, CA, USA Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, NY, USA

NGOs Enhance State Wildlife Agencies’ Capacity to Meet Public Trust Doctrine Obligations

State wildlife agencies (SWAs) manage natural resources for the benefit of the common good. However, effective management in today’s complex world requires institutional capacity that can address specific challenges. Nongovernmental organizations can enhance SWAs’ ability to manage wildlife as a public resource for which competing demands exist. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) led a participatory process to identify a suite of landscape species representative of habitats and human-caused threats in the Adirondack Park of northern New York. This effort benefitted the management of resources under the public trust doctrine. WCS brought additional capacity, specifically personnel, resources, programming, and credibility with partners, to conservation initiatives focused on boreal birds, moose, and black bears over a 15-year period in the Adirondack Park, NY. This investment resulted in several long-term projects that enhanced the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s ability to provide improved management and multiple benefits from these resources to the public.

The Role of Civil Society in Recalibrating Conservation Science Incentives

The Role of Civil Society in Recalibrating Conservation Science Incentives

Augury and the Ambassadors from the Near Edge of Tomorrow

Augury and the Ambassadors from the Near Edge of Tomorrow

COMPARISON OF ORAL AND INTRAMUSCULAR RECOMBINANT CANINE DISTEMPER VACCINATION IN AFRICAN WILD DOGS (LYCAON PICTUS)

A series of three doses of recombinant canary-pox-vectored canine distemper virus vaccine was administered at 1-mo intervals, orally (n = 8) or intramuscularly (n = 13), to 21 previously unvaccinated juvenile African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo. Titers were measured by serum neutralization at each vaccination and at intervals over a period of 3.5-21.5 mo after the initial vaccination. All postvaccination titers were negative for orally vaccinated animals at all sampling time points. Of the animals that received intramuscular vaccinations, 100% had presumed protective titers by the end of the course of vaccination, but only 50% of those sampled at 6.5 mo postvaccination had positive titers. None of the three animals sampled at 21.5 mo postvaccination had positive titers.

Adaptive Comanagement of a Marine Protected Area Network in Fiji

Adaptive management of natural resources is an iterative process of decision making whereby management strategies are progressively changed or adjusted in response to new information. Despite an increasing focus on the need for adaptive conservation strategies, there remain few applied examples. We describe the 9-year process of adaptive comanagement of a marine protected area network in Kubulau District, Fiji. In 2011, a review of protected area boundaries and management rules was motivated by the need to enhance management effectiveness and the desire to improve resilience to climate change. Through a series of consultations, with the Wildlife Conservation Society providing scientific input to community decision making, the network of marine protected areas was reconfigured so as to maximize resilience and compliance. Factors identified as contributing to this outcome include well-defined resource-access rights; community respect for a flexible system of customary governance; long-term commitment and presence of comanagement partners; supportive policy environment for comanagement; synthesis of traditional management approaches with systematic monitoring; and district-wide coordination, which provided a broader spatial context for adaptive-management decision making.

Tissue Concentrations of Enrofloxacin and Its Metabolite Ciprofloxacin after a Single Topical Dose in the Coqui Frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui)

Tissue concentrations of the fluoroquinolone antimicrobial enrofloxacin and its active metabolite ciprofloxacin were determined over a 24 h period after a single topical application in the coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui). Twelve frogs, scheduled for euthanasia unrelated to the study (due to exposure to a potentially lethal ranavirus), were randomly divided into four groups of three animals. Three groups received one dose of enrofloxacin topically (10 mg/kg), and the remaining group served as an untreated control. One group was euthanized and tissues (liver, kidneys) were collected at each of the following time points: 0 (control), 6, 12, and 24 h posttreatment. Tissues were pooled within each group, and concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Enrofloxacin tissue concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 0.44 μg/g, whereas ciprofloxacin concentrations ranged from 0.42 to 0.81 μg/g. Wildlife Conservation Society amphibian microbiology records from 2000 to 2010 were reviewed, and bacterial isolates and minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined. This study demonstrates that enrofloxacin is absorbed systemically after topical administration to coqui frogs, converts to ciprofloxacin, and results in measurable tissue concentrations for at least 24 h.

EFFICACY OF TREATMENT AND LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OFBATRACHOCHYTRIUM DENDROBATIDISPCR-POSITIVE ANURANS FOLLOWING ITRACONAZOLE BATH TREATMENT

All anuran specimens in the Wildlife Conservation Society's collections testing positive for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) were treated with itraconazole and then studied after treatment to assess the long-term effects of itraconazole and the drug's effectiveness in eliminating Bd carriers. Twenty-four individuals and eight colonies of 11 different species (75 total specimens) tested positive for Bd via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on multicollection survey. All positive individuals and colonies were treated with a 0.01% itraconazole bath solution and retested for Bd via one of two PCR methodologies within 14 days of treatment completion, and all were negative for Bd. A total of 64 animals received secondary follow-up PCR testing at the time of death, 6-8 mo, or 12-15 mo post-treatment. Fourteen animals (14/64, 21.9%) were PCR positive for Bd on second follow-up. The highest percentage positive at second recheck were green-and-black poison dart frogs (Dendrobates auratus; 5/5 specimens, 100%), followed by red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas; 4/11, 36.4%), grey tree frogs (Hyla versicolor; 1/3, 33.3%), and green tree frogs (Hyla cinera; 3/11, 27.3%). Re-testing by PCR performed on 26/28 individuals that died during the study indicated 11/26 (42.3%) were positive (all via DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded skin sections). However, there was no histologic evidence of chytridiomycosis in any of 27/28 individuals. The small number of deceased animals and effects of postmortem autolysis limited the ability to determine statistical trends in the pathology data, but none of the necropsied specimens showed evidence of itraconazole toxicity. Problems with itraconazole may be species dependent, and this report expands the list of species that can tolerate treatment. Although itraconazole is effective for clearance of most individuals infected with Bd, results of the study suggest that repeat itraconazole treatment and follow-up diagnostics may be required to ensure that subclinical infections are eliminated in amphibian collections.

Two new specimens for the Bolivian endemic titi monkeys, <i>Callicebus olallae</i> and <i>Callicebus modestus</i>

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CONOCIMIENTO, USO Y VALORACIÓN DE LA FLORA VASCULAR DE TIERRA DEL FUEGO: EL EJEMPLO DE KARUKINKA

Biodiversity conservation requires knowledge and valuation of the preserved entity. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is leading a conservation program in southern Tierra del Fuego, in the private park Karukinka that expects to preserve globally important ecosystems for the benefit of the present and future, local and global community. The overall objective of this research is to know the current and potential use of plants contained in Karukinka, to determine the degree of knowledge among local people on this flora and their uses, as well as the level of valuation of the latter. Therefore, we expect to contribute to the valuation of the biota of the area, making suggestions for future environmental education programs, possible to be implemented by WCS. This work has evaluated the potential use for vascular plants of Karukinka through an exhaustive checking of botanical, ethnobotanical and others kinds of literature. Current use was estimated using specific surveys on the population of the area of Porvenir and Punta Arenas. The polls were conducted in two strata of the Magallanes region population: schoolchildren and professionals. These surveys dealt with the knowledge about vascular plants of Tierra del Fuego, its uses, and their valuation. They were analyzed combining qualitative and quantitative methods with general descriptive statistics. The survey results confirm the initial hypothesis of the existence of a large gap of knowledge about flora of Tierra del Fuego, especially alarming in the case of schoolchildren and adults of Porvenir.

Connectivity Restoration in Large Landscapes: Modeling Landscape Condition and Ecological Flows

©2012 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Connectivity Restoration in Large Landscapes: Modeling Landscape Condition and Ecological Flows Robert F. Baldwin (school of Forest, agricultural and Environmental sciences, clemson University, baldwi6@clemson .edu), sarah E. Reed (north america Program, Wildlife conservation society, sarah.Reed@colostate.edu), Brad H. McRae (The nature conservancy, seattle, Wa, bmcrae@ tnc.org), David M. Theobald (Department of Fish, Wildlife, and conservation Biology, colorado state University, David.Theobald@colostate.edu), and Ronald W. sutherland (Wildlands network, ron@wildlandsnetwork.org)