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Leigh KA, Hofweber LN, Sloggett BK, Inman VL, Pettit LJ, Sriram A, Haering R. Outcomes for an arboreal folivore after rehabilitation and implications for management. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6542. [PMID: 37085564 PMCID: PMC10121558 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33535-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife rehabilitation is a critical part of animal welfare that contributes to species conservation. Despite the resources that go into rehabilitation, how animals fare after release from care is unknown. This is particularly true for cryptic arboreal species where specialist diets in care and low detectability in the wild present challenges for both care and post-release monitoring. We evaluated post-release outcomes for koalas and assessed if koalas were fed appropriately while in care. We monitored 36 koalas that had experienced one of three categories of medical intervention (none, minor, major) during rehabilitation. We examined the drivers of (i) koala survival and (ii) movements post-release, and (iii) evaluated variation between the species of browse fed in care versus browse selected by koalas in-situ. Overall, the post release survival rate of koalas was 58.5%, with only koalas that received medical intervention experiencing mortality. A critical threshold for mortality occurred at two weeks post-release and mortality was related to the measurable indicators of low body condition and poor climbing ability at time of release. In the month following their release, animals translocated furthest from their capture point moved the furthest. There was poor overlap between the tree species that koalas were fed in care and those they utilized post-release. We provide recommendations to address critical gaps in rehabilitation practices, as well as priorities for monitoring animals post-release to improve outcomes for arboreal folivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie A Leigh
- Science for Wildlife Ltd, PO Box 5, Mount Victoria, NSW, 2786, Australia.
| | - Lacey N Hofweber
- Science for Wildlife Ltd, PO Box 5, Mount Victoria, NSW, 2786, Australia
| | - Brienna K Sloggett
- Science for Wildlife Ltd, PO Box 5, Mount Victoria, NSW, 2786, Australia
| | - Victoria L Inman
- Science for Wildlife Ltd, PO Box 5, Mount Victoria, NSW, 2786, Australia
| | - Lachlan J Pettit
- Science for Wildlife Ltd, PO Box 5, Mount Victoria, NSW, 2786, Australia
| | - Aditi Sriram
- Department of Planning and Environment, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Locked Bag 5022, Parramatta, NSW, 2124, Australia
| | - Ron Haering
- Department of Planning and Environment, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Locked Bag 5022, Parramatta, NSW, 2124, Australia
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Nuijten RJM, Katzner TE, Allen AM, Bijleveld AI, Boorsma T, Börger L, Cagnacci F, Hart T, Henley MA, Herren RM, Kok EMA, Maree B, Nebe B, Shohami D, Vogel SM, Walker P, Heitkönig IMA, Milner‐Gulland EJ. Priorities for translating goodwill between movement ecologists and conservation practitioners into effective collaboration. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rascha J. M. Nuijten
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Biology University of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho USA
| | - Andrew M. Allen
- Department of Animal Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Allert I. Bijleveld
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Den Burg The Netherlands
| | - Tjalle Boorsma
- Asociación Civil Armonía Santa Cruz de la Sierra Bolivia
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Animal Ecology Unit, Research and Innovation Centre Fondazione Edmund Mach San Michele all'Adige Italy
| | - Tom Hart
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Michelle A. Henley
- Applied Behavioural Ecology and Environmental Research Unit University of South Africa Pretoria South Africa
- Elephants Alive Limpopo South Africa
| | | | - Eva M. A. Kok
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Den Burg The Netherlands
| | | | | | - David Shohami
- Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Faculty of Science The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
| | - Susanne Marieke Vogel
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | | | - Ignas M. A. Heitkönig
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - E. J. Milner‐Gulland
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Biology University of Oxford Oxford United Kingdom
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Saunders D, Nguyen H, Cowen S, Magrath M, Marsh K, Bell S, Bobruk J. Radio-tracking wildlife with drones: a viewshed analysis quantifying survey coverage across diverse landscapes. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/wr21033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Sherman J, Unwin S, Travis DA, Oram F, Wich SA, Jaya RL, Voigt M, Santika T, Massingham E, Seaman DJI, Meijaard E, Ancrenaz M. Disease Risk and Conservation Implications of Orangutan Translocations. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:749547. [PMID: 34869722 PMCID: PMC8633116 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.749547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Critically Endangered orangutans are translocated in several situations: reintroduced into historic range where no wild populations exist, released to reinforce existing wild populations, and wild-to-wild translocated to remove individuals from potentially risky situations. Translocated orangutans exposed to human diseases, including Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), pose risks to wild and previously released conspecifics. Wildlife disease risk experts recommended halting great ape translocations during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize risk of disease transmission to wild populations. We collected data on orangutan releases and associated disease risk management in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and developed a problem description for orangutan disease and conservation risks. We identified that at least 15 rehabilitated ex-captive and 27 wild captured orangutans were released during the study period. Identified disease risks included several wild-to-wild translocated orangutans in direct contact or proximity to humans without protective equipment, and formerly captive rehabilitated orangutans that have had long periods of contact and potential exposure to human diseases. While translocation practitioners typically employ mitigation measures to decrease disease transmission likelihood, these measures cannot eliminate all risk, and are not consistently applied. COVID-19 and other diseases of human origin can be transmitted to orangutans, which could have catastrophic impacts on wild orangutans, other susceptible fauna, and humans should disease transmission occur. We recommend stakeholders conduct a Disease Risk Analysis for orangutan translocation, and improve pathogen surveillance and mitigation measures to decrease the likelihood of potential outbreaks. We also suggest refocusing conservation efforts on alternatives to wild-to-wild translocation including mitigating human-orangutan interactions, enforcing laws and protecting orangutan habitats to conserve orangutans in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steve Unwin
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic A Travis
- One Health Division, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Felicity Oram
- Pongo Alliance-Kinabatangan, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Serge A Wich
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Maria Voigt
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Truly Santika
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Massingham
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Dave J I Seaman
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Erik Meijaard
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Borneo Futures, Bandar Seri Begawan, Darussalam, Brunei
| | - Marc Ancrenaz
- Pongo Alliance-Kinabatangan, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.,Borneo Futures, Bandar Seri Begawan, Darussalam, Brunei.,HUTAN, Sandakan, Malaysia
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Use of Interactive Technology in Captive Great Ape Management. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg2020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The conservation status of great apes (chimpanzees Pan troglodytes, gorillas Gorilla sp., orangutans Pongo sp., and bonobos Pan paniscus) is grave and zoological institutions are vital for maintaining numbers of these species and educating the public about their importance. Technology provides tools that can assist zoos in meeting these objectives. However, the extant research on technology use in zoos is potentially constrained by small sample sizes and there is no framework detailing the methodologies necessary for the successful incorporation of technology into great ape management. Therefore, this study aimed to determine current technology use in the management of captive great apes and whether technology-directed behaviour differs between ape genera. Primary carers of great apes in zoos were surveyed using a 43-question, online questionnaire. The purpose of integrating interactive technology into captive ape management was primarily for enrichment (53% of respondents), followed by research (20% of respondents). However, only 25% of respondents had apes directly engaged with technology. There were no differences in technology-directed behaviours between ape genera. By identifying differences in practice, this research marks the initial stage in developing a best practice framework for using technology.
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Diversity of parasites in two captive chimpanzee populations in southern Gabon. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 91:104807. [PMID: 33737228 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Captive chimpanzees living in confined environments like sanctuaries or primatology centers are frequently affected by gastrointestinal parasites. Some of these are likely to be transmitted to humans and may seriously affect public health. However little information is currently available on the gastrointestinal parasites of primates living in such environments. Here, we characterize the diversity and prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in two populations of captive chimpanzees living in south-eastern Gabon. Our study reveals that at least nine parasite species infect the chimpanzees with high prevalence, including several helminths (Ascaris spp., Enterobius spp., Strongyloides spp., Trichuris spp., Hymenolepis spp., Mammomonogamus spp), three protozoa (Balantioides spp., Entamoeba spp. and Troglodytella spp) and several unidentified parasites. All the parasite taxa we identified had previously been identified in other primates, including humans. Age, sex and site type may influence infection rates and/or parasite diversity found in a particular host.
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