Wildlife Management Research Articles

Developing a GIS-GPS Tracking System to Monitor Wildlife Behavior in Udawalawe National Park: Implications for Sustainable Tourism Development and Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife trips in Sri Lanka are highly sought-after by nature enthusiasts. Udawalawe National Park is a prominent tourist destination known for its diverse habitats and rich wildlife, including water birds and elephants. As the third-most visited park in the country and the sixth-largest animal sanctuary in Sri Lanka, Udawalawe is located at the intersection of the wet and dry zones, characterised by plains dominated by topography despite some hilly terrain. The primary motivation for many visitors to the park is wildlife observation, and understanding animal behaviour and habitats is crucial for responsible and sustainable tourism. Therefore, this study aimed to monitor wildlife behaviour in Udawalawe National Park to identify optimal viewing places. This study used a mixed-methods approach utilising primary and secondary data, including field observations and direct and indirect discussions. This study utilises Geographic Information System (GIS) and Geographic Positioning System (GPS) technologies to create tracks and identify wildlife viewing places that may not be officially designated. The findings revealed that the peak viewing hours occurred during the evening period and that animals tended to congregate near water bodies throughout all seasons and times of the day. About 44% of locations rich in water were identified, and field observations showed that most animals gathered in these water-rich areas, conveniently located near newly discovered tracks. The study also identified hidden and uncommon locations for observing wildlife behaviour, providing new opportunities for tourists to explore and enjoy the park. The results of this study can assist in managing the park's surrounding environment and tourist attractions and contribute to the sustainable management and promotion of wildlife tourism in Udawalawe National Park. The newly discovered tracks and viewing places can enhance the wildlife viewing experience for tourists while minimising negative impacts on the animals and their habitats. This research adds to the knowledge base of wildlife behaviour monitoring and management in protected areas. It can be a valuable resource for future studies and conservation efforts in Udawalawe National Park and other similar ecosystems.

Evaluation of multiple behavioral responses of sika deer to human hunting pressures

AbstractSeveral ungulate populations have become overabundant worldwide, resulting in ecological and social effects. Wildlife managers must establish effective population control programs to mitigate these negative influences. Hunting is a significant mortality factor for ungulates, which exhibit sensitive behavioral responses toward hunting activities. Wildlife managers need a comprehensive understanding of the ungulate responses to different hunting pressures across seasons. We developed a conceptual method to evaluate multiple behavioral responses to human hunting pressures and applied this to sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Hokkaido, Japan, during August and November in 2015. We measured flight behavior, spatial avoidance, and temporal activity shift during non‐hunting and hunting seasons in 4 regions with different hunting pressures. Although we did not observe a clear difference in flight initiation distance among study areas or seasons, sika deer showed significant spatial avoidance during the hunting season in areas with high hunting pressure. Furthermore, sika deer were more active at night in areas with higher hunting pressures, regardless of the season. Collectively, these results suggest that sika deer responded to hunting pressure by changing diel activity to nocturnal throughout the year and avoiding risky areas (i.e., around hunting roads) during hunting season, rather than by increasing flight distance when they encounter humans. Our method can be used for a more efficient population control program for wildlife managers, as it considers the spatiotemporal variations of flexible ungulate behaviors in response to hunting pressures.

Impact of Fear on Searching Efficiency of Prey: A Prey–Predator Model with Weak Allee Effect

Reduced population growth at low density has important implications for conservation, colonization success, and wildlife management. In this context, the Allee effect, i.e. the positive relationship between per capita growth rate and biomass of small population density, is a crucial biological phenomenon since it is directly related to population extinction. The present paper deals with a two-species interacting model with a predator–prey relationship, where the prey population experiences the mate-finding Allee effect caused by the predator. We assume that the searching efficiency of prey individuals decreases linearly with predator density due to predation fear and investigate how predation intensity affects predator–prey dynamics. Moreover, we consider the Monod–Haldane type functional response for predator–prey interactions, which shows group defense of prey against the predator. We provide detailed mathematical analyses, including the positivity and boundedness of solutions, all biologically feasible equilibria, and their local and global stabilities. From our detailed mathematical analyses, we observe that when the carrying capacity of prey is low, at most one interior equilibrium exists, and system dynamics is simple compared to the case with high carrying capacity in which multiple coexistence equilibria may exist. We discuss three codimension-one bifurcations mathematically, e.g. Hopf bifurcation, transcritical bifurcation, saddle-node bifurcation. We notice bistability in the system when there are two interior equilibria with high carrying capacity. However, a unique attractor exists when there is only a single interior equilibrium and both populations persist. We perform extensive numerical simulations by varying two parameters simultaneously and explore how the system dynamics become complex when carrying capacity is high compared to low carrying capacity. Moreover, we discuss other important biological phenomena, e.g. the paradox of enrichment, bubbling phenomenon, etc.

Does survey branding matter for human dimensions of natural resources research? A case study of university- and government-branded surveys

ABSTRACT Governmental natural resource entities often use surveys to gather information from the public about wildlife management and conservation policies. Response rate is a metric for understanding how many individuals participate in a survey. Higher response rates can reduce costs and sampling effort and improve the reliability and generalizability of survey findings. However, response rates may be negatively influenced by a distrust in government. Our study evaluated if response rates would differ based on the survey sponsor. We sent a survey to hunters in Georgia, USA that contained either university or governmental agency branding. Response rates did not differ among the two surveys and sentiment analysis of open-ended responses revealed that sentiments of respondents were similar between groups. Although these results suggest branding might not have major impacts on responses, further investigation is needed to determine the effect of sponsorship and other influential factors that both enhance and diminish response rates.

Site Index Models for Loblolly Pine Forests in the Southern United States Developed with Forest Inventory and Analysis Data

Abstract Accurate productivity estimates are essential to assess the overall sustainability of forest resources. Site index (SI) models for loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in plantation and natural forests of the southeastern United States were developed using the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database. We extracted short (~20 years), unbalanced panel data from the FIA database. Ten different nonlinear models derived from the base models using the algebraic difference approach (ADA) or the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) were fitted to the extracted data. The performance of the models was ranked based on a variety of fit and evaluation statistics. The results showed that all top three models were derived using the GADA approach. The best model for loblolly pine plantation and natural forest stands was derived from the Hossfeld model and the Chapman–Richards model, respectively. The best-fitted models for planted forests were also compared with previously developed models. This study demonstrated that base-age invariant and polymorphic SI models could be developed using short panel data extracted from FIA data. The SI models presented here can be used as a height growth model component in forest growth and yield model systems. Study Implications: Improved site index equations for assessing the site quality of loblolly pine plantation and natural stands are now available to stakeholders at the policy, management, and operational levels. Activities such as forest management, restoration, and wildlife management, which require site quality data, will benefit from the new models. Furthermore, the approach of deriving panel data based on Forest Inventory and Analysis data offers information on developing and updating models for other species. Finally, the approach of this study, to use permanent plot measurement data in developing growth and yield models, is cost-effective and time-efficient.

Mitigating Human Impacts on Wild Animal Welfare.

Human activities negatively impact the welfare of wild vertebrates in many different contexts globally, and countless individual animals are affected. Growing concern for wild animal welfare, especially in relation to conservation, is evident. While research on wild animal welfare lags behind that focused on captive animals, minimising human-induced harm to wild animals is a key principle. This study examines examples of negative anthropogenic impacts on wild animal welfare, how these may be mitigated and what further research is required, including examples from wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife tourism and wildlife trade. Further, it discusses the relationship between animal welfare and biodiversity conservation, and synergies that may be achieved between these. Ultimately, it is discussed how the welfare of wild animals may be balanced with other priorities to ensure that welfare is afforded due consideration in interactions between people and wildlife.

A framework for assessing variations in ecological networks to support wildlife conservation and management

Habitat fragmentation poses a considerable threat to global biodiversity loss, making the study of landscape connectivity and ecological networks essential in an ever-changing environment. Of particular importance is the assessment of network dynamics, as it can provide invaluable specific insights for conservation and management strategies. This research proposes a framework to assess variations in ecological networks and identify conservation priorities. In this framework, we applied multi-methods to collect species occurrence and create resistance surfaces based on habitat suitability from the MaxEnt model. By using diverse approaches such as the least-cost model, circuit model, and centrality mapper, we identified ecological corridors between core areas and determined their centrality. Furthermore, we employed multi-level metrics to measure changes within ecological networks. Additionally, we introduced two indices to evaluate human disturbance faced by core habitats. We proposed a novel method that considers core habitats’ centrality and human disturbance to identify conservation priorities. Specifically, using the Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) as a case species, we examined the variations in ecological network and human disturbance across 2000–2020 in Western Yunnan, China. Our study revealed overall improvement with local losses in the availability and connectivity of black bear habitats in Western Yunnan from 2000 to 2020. However, the core habitats have been facing an escalating human disturbance. Our approach provides a framework for assessing dynamic ecological networks that can be applied to diverse species, landscapes, and scenarios. Furthermore, this approach helps guide conservation and management to promote human-wildlife coexistence in a changing environment.

Locating Kadu in Adivasi portrayals of protected forest areas in Southern India

Globally, Indigenous Peoples are the stewards of a large portion of the global land base, and their interactions and associations with the land have shaped and sustained it for centuries. Yet conservation studies and land management practices still struggle to understand or use Indigenous interpretations of the natural world. In many cases, this perpetuates a colonial sensibility across land use policies, which also dangerously misrepresents Indigenous relationships with that land. This paper focuses on Kattunayakans, a hunter-forager Adivasi (Indigenous) community living within the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, India. Our focus is how they characterize kadu (‘forest’ in Kattunayakan language), both what it is constituted of and what it means from an Adivasi point of view. Using open-ended interviews, transect walks, and spatial mapping we find that for Kattunayakans, the forest is seen as an entity with agency; and a body of discrete biocultural landscape units classified as: a convergence of good places and God people; and a realm of spaces populated by kinfolk with fluid human-and-nonhuman identities that do not follow any physical boundaries of protected areas. This understanding of what a protected area forest is and is comprised of is neither adequately represented and discussed in the history of India's protected areas nor addressed in forest and wildlife management policies and approaches. This is highly consequential for Adivasi communities such as Kattunayakans, who do not have written or material evidence of their productive and historical relationship to forest land. We argue, as well, that when engaged appropriately, Adivasi portrayals of the kadu can bolster equity in land management and strengthen collaborative governance that more broadly advances human rights alongside the goals of biodiversity conservation.

Bat activity is related to habitat structure and time since prescribed fire in managed pine barrens in New England.

Several insectivorous bat species are found in New England, yet research on them is still scarce. Current research shows the ecological importance of bats due to their control of insect populations, but they are endangered by habitat loss and White Nose Syndrome, among other threats. Pine barrens are an uncommon ecosystem found in New England that supports other rare taxa and could be important for these bat species. With hand-held audio recorders, we surveyed for bats in Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area in Massachusetts and Concord Pine Barrens in New Hampshire in June 2022. Our study objectives were to (1) describe the most common bat species and (2) compare bat activity across different habitat types at two managed pine barrens in New England. In particular, we examined bat activity related to habitat type (scrub oak, mature pitch pine, treated pitch pine, hardwood forest), habitat structure (i.e., canopy closure), time since prescribed fire, and path width. We analyzed our data through generalized linear modeling and logistic regression. Overall, we were able to measure the presence of five out of the nine total species found in the area, including the endangered Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat). We recorded 293 bat calls, with the majority of calls from big brown bats (71%). We found significant differences (p<0.05) in bat activity in relation to time since prescribed fire and habitat structure. The index of bat activity was greatest in pitch pine and hardwood forests and lowest in scrub oak and treated pitch pine habitats. With preliminary data, we also found that silver-haired bat presence was influenced by habitat type, with more detections at survey points in hardwood forests. These findings demonstrate the importance of pine barrens as an ecosystem that supports bats in New England. According to the activity of bats in our study, closed canopy and mature pitch pine habitats may be prioritized in conservation efforts at managed barrens for bat species. Further research is recommended to better understand the relationship between prescribed fires, which are common in managed barrens, and bat activity.

National legislative adoption of international wildlife law after treaty ratification

Since the 1970s, the world has witnessed a proliferation of international treaties championing the protection of wildlife. The effectiveness of those treaties, which together comprise international wildlife law (IWL), depends on their national implementation by individual states rather than on their number. National implementation of IWL ranges from legislative action, to resource allocation, to individual behavioural change. Inadequate IWL implementation can facilitate and even lead to wildlife crime. Therefore, examining how countries operationalise their commitments derived from IWL is important to understand the efficacy (or lack thereof) of wildlife treaties. The main goal of this article is to investigate the dynamics by which nations internalise international wildlife commitments into state law, by using Norway as a case study. The article thus explores the social dynamics that shaped the domestic legal action that Norway undertook after its ratification of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention). The study is based on historical data documenting Norway’s legislative processes derived from the conventions and historical records of the country’s environmental conflicts. It applies Chambliss’s sociology of law perspective on conflict to interpret the material. While many globalisation scholars hold that globalisation stripped states of legislative sovereignty, this article argues that Norway’s wildlife policy is mostly dependent on clashes between national forces, rather than Norway conceding legislative powers to the international community. In other words, the tension between economic growth and ecosystem conservation determines how Norway implements IWL commitments. This article contributes to the literature on environmental regime effectiveness and the domestic impact of treaties.

Oxidative Status and Histological Evaluation of Wild Boars' Tissues Positive for Zearalenone Contamination in the Campania Region, Southern Italy.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced by fungi belonging to the genera Fusarium spp. and commonly found in feed and food. It is frequently related to reproductive disorders in farm animals and, occasionally, to hyperestrogenic syndromes in humans. Nowadays, knowledge about ZEN effects on wild boars (Sus scrofa) is extremely scarce, despite the fact that they represent one of the most hunted game species in Italy. The aim of this study was to investigate how ZEN affects the liver, kidney, and muscle oxidative status and morphology of wild boars hunted in various locations throughout the province of Avellino, Campania Region, Southern Italy, during the 2021-2022 hunting season. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, were assessed by colorimetric assays; tissue morphology was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's stains. Our data showed that ZEN contamination might result in oxidative stress (OS) and some histopathological alterations in wild boars' livers and kidneys rather than in muscles, emphasizing the importance of developing a wildlife monitoring and management strategy for dealing not only with the problem of ZEN but the surveillance of mycotoxins in general.

The Impact of Climate Change on Animal Health and Disease Patterns

Purpose: The aim of the study is to examine the impact of climate change on animal health and disease patterns&#x0D; Methodology: This study adopted a desktop methodology. This study used secondary data from which include review of existing literature from already published studies and reports that was easily accessed through online journals and libraries&#x0D; Findings: The study revealed that climate change has had a significant impact on animal health and disease patterns, with various negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystems. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns influence the distribution and abundance of disease vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks and alter their geographic ranges. This can result in the spread of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus to new areas. Additionally, climate change enhance the replication and survival rates of pathogens, potentially leading to more frequent and severe disease outbreaks.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was anchored on One Health theory and Stressor-response theory. The study recommends Incorporation of climate change considerations into wildlife conservation and management strategies. This involves protecting and restoring habitats, creating wildlife corridors to facilitate species movement, and implementing adaptive management practices that consider the potential impacts of climate change on disease dynamics. Conservation efforts should prioritize the preservation of genetic diversity and the enhancement of resilience in animal populations.

Whole genome assessment of a declining game bird reveals cryptic genetic structure and insights for population management.

Population genomics applied to game species conservation can help delineate management units, ensure appropriate harvest levels and identify populations needing genetic rescue to safeguard their adaptive potential. The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is rapidly declining in much of the eastern USA due to a combination of forest maturation and habitat fragmentation. More recently, mortality from West Nile Virus may have affected connectivity of local populations; however, genetic approaches have never explicitly investigated this issue. In this study, we sequenced 54 individual low-coverage (~5X) grouse genomes to characterize population structure, assess migration rates across the landscape to detect potential barriers to gene flow and identify genomic regions with high differentiation. We identified two genomic clusters with no clear geographic correlation, with large blocks of genomic differentiation associated with chromosomes 4 and 20, likely due to chromosomal inversions. After excluding these putative inversions from the data set, we found weak but nonsignificant signals of population subdivision. Estimated gene flow revealed reduced rates of migration in areas with extensive habitat fragmentation and increased genetic connectivity in areas with less habitat fragmentation. Our findings provide a benchmark for wildlife managers to compare and scale the genetic diversity and structure of ruffed grouse populations in Pennsylvania and across the eastern USA, and we also reveal structural variation in the grouse genome that requires further study to understand its possible effects on individual fitness and population distribution.

Towards Improved Data Flows for the Management of Invasive Alien Species and Wildlife: A LIFE RIPARIAS use case

Invasive alien species (IAS) are recognised as a major threat to biodiversity. To prevent the introduction and spread of IAS, the European Union Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 imposes an obligation on Member States to both develop management strategies for IAS of Union Concern and report on those interventions. For this, we need to collect and combine management data and streamline management actions. This is still a major challenge: the landscape of IAS management is diverse and includes different authorities, managers, businesses and non-governmental organizations. Some organizations have developed their own specific software applications for recording management actions. For other organizations, such a software system is lacking. Their management data are scattered, not harmonized, and often not openly available. For EU reporting, a workflow is needed to centralize all information about the applied management method, management effort, cost, effectiveness and impact of the performed actions on other biota or the environment. At this moment, such a workflow is lacking in Belgium. One of the aims of the LIFE RIPARIAS project is to set up a workflow for harmonizing IAS management data in Belgium. Based on the input from the IAS management community in Belgium, we were able to: draft a community-driven data model and exchange format called manIAS (MANagement of Invasive Alien Species, Reyserhove et al. 2022), and identify the minimal requirements a software application should have for being successfully used in the field (Hillaert et al. 2022). draft a community-driven data model and exchange format called manIAS (MANagement of Invasive Alien Species, Reyserhove et al. 2022), and identify the minimal requirements a software application should have for being successfully used in the field (Hillaert et al. 2022). In this presentation, we will explore both outputs, the lessons learned and the way forward. With our work, we aim to facilitate coordination and transfer of information between the different actors involved in IAS and wildlife management, not only on a Belgian scale, but also within an international context.

Ecological non-equilibrium and biological conservation

How to establish efficient conservation actions and policies for the long-term persistence of ecological systems remains a challenge. Conservation biology was born as a discipline of crisis, targeting the recovery of altered ecosystems under the paradigms of equilibrium and ecological stability. However, we argue that the concepts of ecological equilibrium and balance still hinder wildlife managers from optimizing proper decision-making and correctly prioritizing conservation actions. This is still the case, despite the prevailing paradigm has recently shifted to a more realistic view of non-equilibrium dynamics in ecosystems, even in the absence of anthropogenic impacts. The challenge for managers and policymakers is now even greater. First, because non-equilibrium is the basis for the Darwinian adaptive response of ecosystems, and hence maintaining variance, rather than decreasing it, should be the target of conservation. Secondly, ecosystems show non-linear responses (e.g. transients and critical transitions), which hamper diagnosis and prediction. Even though we are unable to suggest solutions to this conundrum, we warn here about potential biases when conserving non-equilibrium ecosystems. We suggest that insights from island ecology and medical science may be helpful when dealing with non-equilibrium in applied conservation. Incorporating the advances of the discipline of complex systems into the conceptual framework of management and policymaking may also contribute to improving the prioritization of actions, especially regarding some agents of global change. Finally, we advocate for the strengthening of the feedback between ecologists (both theoretical and empirical) and conservation practitioners to improve our knowledge on how ecosystems respond to perturbations.

Developing One Health capacity and networks through virtual training

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Virtual Learning Centers (VLCs) deliver online tutored courses with the aim of developing field capacity to integrate wildlife and ecosystem elements to approach One Health challenges. These courses also aim to create networks of professionals under the One Health umbrella. These courses cater to professionals from a variety of organizations and with a wide range of expertise, including animal health, public health, wildlife and natural resource management. The courses combine self-directed interactive modules with virtual workshops focusing on problem-based learning case studies (PBLs). Additionally, participants are encouraged to participate in an online asynchronous discussion forum. Each course is delivered for multiple countries within a FAO region and is tailored to cover specific One Health topic areas. Once the topic area is defined, subject matter experts and the regional VLC build the training activities by developing course-specific PBLs and selecting up to five self-directed modules that introduce concepts related to those PBLs from the course catalog of training materials. The development of the training materials and the delivery of each course involves a multidisciplinary team of professionals from different countries and backgrounds. The course was piloted for the Pacific Islands in 2021 and then run for other regions such as Southern Africa and Eastern Africa. In the future, this training activity could also be delivered in a blended format, combining virtual learning with face-to-face workshops.

Kill rates on native ungulates by Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico

AbstractMexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) reintroduction began in 1998 in Arizona, USA, with 11 individuals initially; wolves from this population dispersed into New Mexico, USA, the following year. Numbers of wolves have steadily increased (≥241 individuals in Dec 2022) and the size of the recovery area has expanded in both states. Understanding kill rates is fundamental to the recovery and management of Mexican wolves to properly maintain a healthy and sustainable population of wolves and their prey species. We used global positioning system (GPS) cluster analysis to locate kill sites and estimate kill rates on native ungulate prey taken in the recovery area by 10 Mexican wolf groups during winter (15 Feb–15 Mar) and 8 wolf groups during summer (15 Jun–15 Jul) in 2015–2017. Elk (Cervus canadensis) composed 94% of the native ungulates documented at Mexican wolf kill sites (n = 139); the remaining 6% were mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus; n = 9). Two‐thirds of all wolf‐killed native ungulates were elk calves. We estimated kill rates as ungulate biomass killed/wolf/day. From combined results for all years, we estimated that each Mexican wolf killed on average 9.0 ± 5.4 kg (±95% CI) of ungulate biomass per day during winter and 7.8 ± 6.2 kg during the summer. Our estimates of kill rates could be overestimated if Mexican wolves obtained a substantial amount of their biomass from scavenging, particularly during 4 months of hunting seasons (Sep–Dec) not captured in winter and summer. Using data from the first 2 years of the study (2015, 2016), we developed a logistic regression model to predict probability of an elk kill occurring at a GPS cluster as a function of hours spent by a collared wolf at that GPS cluster and size of the wolf group. Applying this model to the final year of the study (2017) resulted in similar numbers of predicted (n = 16.1 and 27.2 in winter and summer, respectively) and observed numbers (n = 15 and 26) of elk kills. Additionally, the demographic composition of the 2017 elk kills closely matched that of the previous 2 years. The results of this study indicate similar predation patterns of Mexican wolves to those of wolves in northern locations and can help wildlife managers plan for potential effects from a larger population of wolves across a broad area in Arizona and New Mexico.

A Bioeconomic Model of Non-profit and For-profit National Parks Integrating Locals in Biodiversity Conservation

To achieve the conservation goals of national parks, involving locals in park operations provides a win/win approach for local development and wildlife management. However, while some bioeconomic studies examine the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation projects that employ locals, most ignore the direct involvement of local workers in national park operations. Moreover, the existing literature tends to assume that national parks are for-profit organizations, whereas they are generally non-profit entities. In this study, we develop a bioeconomic model to investigate the extent to which involving locals in tourism in a national park managed under two different styles of management (i.e., non-profit and for-profit agencies) influences wildlife conservation. We find certain conditions under which involving locals in national park operations can conserve wildlife. Under these conditions, if wildlife conservation does not reduce agricultural productivity, non-profit agencies raise the utility of locals and promote wildlife conservation more than for-profit agencies. Otherwise, non-profit agencies do not necessarily increase the utility of locals or improve conservation compared with for-profit agencies. In addition, we compare the equilibria under both types of agencies and show that they do not generally achieve the social optimum.

Knowledge of Nigeria Wildlife Conservation Laws Among Staff of Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria

One of the key resources in effective management of National Parks is the knowledge base of the park staff. There is however little or no documented information about park official’s knowledge of the laws they uphold in Nigeria. This study assessed the knowledge base of Nigeria wildlife laws among park officials in Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP), Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to administer structured questionnaire to 45 staff in the Head Office at Serti (HOS) and 140 staff in Main Park at Gashaka Gumti. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Majority (97.8%) had heard about wildlife laws and 136 (97.1%) understood the contents of the law. Majority 139(99.2%) knew the decree responsible for the establishment of national parks; however, a few could not distinctively identify the activities that constitute offences under this law. Majoriy (118 out of 185) rarely read the law in the park but by practice understood what constitutes offences in the park except for a few. For effective park management, proper orientation, education, training and re-training on the wildlife laws should be organized for the park officials at regular intervals.

Abundance and population growth estimates for bare-nosed wombats.

Wildlife managers often rely on population estimates, but estimates can be challenging to obtain for geographically widespread species. Spotlight surveys provide abundance data for many species and, when conducted over wide spatial scales, have potential to provide population estimates of geographically widespread species. The bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus) has a broad geographical range and is subject to spotlight surveys. We used 19 years (2002-2020) of annual spotlight surveys to provide the first estimates of population abundance for two of the three extant bare-nosed wombat subspecies: V. u. ursinus on Flinders Island; and V. u. tasmaniensis on the Tasmanian mainland. Using distance sampling methods, we estimated annual rates of change and 2020 population sizes for both subspecies. Tasmanian mainland surveys included habitat data, which allowed us to also look for evidence of habitat associations for V. u. tasmaniensis. The average wombat density estimate was higher on Flinders Island (0.42 ha-1, 95% CI = 0.25-0.79) than on the Tasmanian mainland (0.11 ha-1, CI = 0.07-0.19) and both wombat subspecies increased over the 19-year survey period with an estimated annual growth rate of 2.90% (CI = -1.7 to 7.3) on Flinders Island and 1.20% (CI = -1.1 to 2.9) on mainland Tasmania. Habitat associations for V. u. tasmaniensis were weak, possibly owing to survey design; however, we detected regional variation in density for this subspecies. We estimated the population size of V. u. ursinus to be 71,826 (CI = 43,913-136,761) on Flinders Island, which when combined with a previously published estimate of 2599 (CI = 2254-2858) from Maria Island, where the subspecies was introduced, provides a total population estimate. We also estimated 840,665 (CI = 531,104-1,201,547) V. u. tasmaniensis on mainland Tasmania. These estimates may be conservative, owing to individual heterogeneity in when wombats emerge from burrows. Although these two subspecies are not currently threatened, our population estimates provide an important reference when assessing their population status in the future, and demonstrate how spotlight surveys can be valuable to inform management of geographically widespread species.