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1
Twardek, William M., Kathryn S. Peiman, Austin J. Gallagher, and Steven J. Cooke. "Fido, Fluffy, and wildlife conservation: The environmental consequences of domesticated animals." Environmental Reviews 25, no. 4 (December 2017): 381–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/er-2016-0111.
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Humans have created a strong relationship with cats and dogs by domesticating them. Whether owned by a human or living feral, modern domestic cats and dogs interact extensively with people and the environment. The negative interactions between these domesticated animals and wildlife have been discussed in several reviews, but few reports have provided an overview of both the positive and negative impacts these domesticated animals have on wildlife conservation. Here, we describe the diverse issues associated with domestic cats and dogs and wildlife including predation, competition, pathogen transmission, hybridization, behavioural modification, harvest of wild animals for pet food, and creation of human–wildlife conflict. We then discuss their role in supporting conservation efforts (e.g., use in species identification and tracking, biological control), and shaping our social values towards animals and appreciation for nature. Finally, we suggest necessary steps to harmonize our relationship with cats and dogs and the conservation of wildlife. For owned animals, there is potential for pet owners to support conservation efforts through a ‘pet tax’ adopted by veterinary clinics and pet stores to be used for wildlife conservation. Moreover, information regarding the impacts of these animals on wildlife and potential solutions (e.g., voluntarily keeping cats and dogs inside or use of “pet curfews”, use of bells to alert wildlife to cats) should be made available to owners who are most likely to have an influence on the behaviour of their companion animal.
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Lymbery, Alan. "Are pet cats bad for wildlife?" Pacific Conservation Biology 16, no. 3 (2010): 155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc100155.
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Pet cats receive bad press from conservationists. This is partly because there is an obvious link between pet cats and feral cats, and predation by feral cats is widely regarded as a key threatening process for endangered species of small vertebrates in Australia. There is also a perception, however, that pet cats are directly responsible for declines in wildlife populations, particularly around urban areas. As a consequence, many local government authorities have introduced regulations aimed at controlling cats, ranging from night-time curfews and confinement to complete prohibition of cat ownership. Greenaway (2010) discusses the approaches taken by local and state governments to control pet cats throughout Australia.
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Greenwell, Claire N., Michael C. Calver, and Neil R. Loneragan. "Cat Gets Its Tern: A Case Study of Predation on a Threatened Coastal Seabird." Animals 9, no. 7 (July 16, 2019): 445. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9070445.
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Domestic cats have a cosmopolitan distribution, commonly residing in urban, suburban and peri-urban environments that are also critical for biodiversity conservation. This study describes the impact of a desexed, free-roaming cat on the behavior of a threatened coastal seabird, the Australian Fairy Tern, Sternula nereis nereis, in Mandurah, south-western Australia. Wildlife cameras and direct observations of cat incursions into the tern colony at night, decapitated carcasses of adult terns, dead, injured or missing tern chicks, and cat tracks and scats around the colony provided strong evidence of cat predation, which led to an initial change in nesting behavior and, ultimately, colony abandonment and the reproductive failure of 111 nests. The death of six breeding terns from the population was a considerable loss for this threatened species and had the potential to limit population growth. This study highlights the significant negative impacts of free-roaming cats on wildlife and the need for monitoring and controlling cats at sites managed for species conservation. It also provides strong evidence against the practice of trap-neuter-release programs and demonstrates that desexed cats can continue to negatively impact wildlife post-release directly through predation, but also indirectly through fundamental changes in prey behavior and a reduction in parental care.
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Lynn, William S., Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, and Kristin L. Stewart. "Outdoor Cats: An Introduction." Society & Animals 30, no. 7 (November 23, 2022): 693–702. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685306-bja10111.
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Abstract A moral panic over cats has gripped portions of the conservation community, with claims that outdoor house cats (felis catus) are wrecking havoc on biodiversity and public health akin to a zombie apocalypse. This is a mistake, a result of poor scientific reasoning and selective attention to data, or worse, pure demagoguery. The situation is more nuanced. Outdoor cats can cause significant harm to wildlife in specific ecological contexts, even when there is no evidence they do so across the board. And like all mammals, cats can be vectors of disease, even when they pose no threat to public health overall. Careful attention to the complex questions of ethics, science, and politics is required to understand how people, outdoor cats, and nature interact, and how we ought to thrive together. This special issue brings together a diverse set of articles from different points of view to address these issues.
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C. Calver, M., and S. R. Thomas. "Effectiveness of the Liberator? in reducing predation on wildlife by domestic cats." Pacific Conservation Biology 16, no. 4 (2010): 244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc110244.
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We evaluated the effectiveness of the commercial collar-worn product the Liberator? in reducing the number of vertebrates pet cats bring home. Fifteen cats identified by their owners as hunters bringing home at least one prey animal per fortnight were included in the study, which was carried out in Perth, Western Australia over six weeks in November/December 2006 (southern hemisphere late spring/early summer). Each cat spent three weeks wearing a Liberator? and three weeks without it and the number of prey brought home by the cat during each period was recorded by its owner. Participating cats caught 91 prey (37 birds, 44 mammals and 10 herpetofauna). The Southern Brown Bandicoot was the only prey species of conservation concern. Liberators? made no statistically significant difference in the number of cats catching prey, but did reduce the overall number of prey caught. Cats wearing Liberators? caught only 38% of all birds, 40% of all herpetofauna and 30% of all mammals captured during the study. Despite this positive result several product failures occurred, so owners wishing to reduce predation by their cats will need to decide whether the Liberator? is a cost-effective option.
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Plaza, Pablo I., Karina L. Speziale, Lucia B. Zamora‐Nasca, and Sergio A. Lambertucci. "Dogs and Cats Put Wildlife at Risk." Journal of Wildlife Management 83, no. 4 (February 28, 2019): 767–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21637.
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Read, John L., Chris R. Dickman, Wayne S. J. Boardman, and Christopher A. Lepczyk. "Reply to Wolf et al.: Why Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Is Not an Ethical Solution for Stray Cat Management." Animals 10, no. 9 (August 28, 2020): 1525. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10091525.
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We critique the recent article by Wolf et al. (2019) that claims scientific merit for reducing the number of stray cats in Australia through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, and then we provide an inventory of biological, welfare, and economic reasons why TNR is less successful than adoption and euthanasia for managing unowned cats. Like Crawford et al. (2019) and multiple other comprehensive and unbiased Australian and international scientific reviews, we refute the idea that returning neutered unowned cats to stray populations has any valid role in responsible, ethical, affordable, and effective cat management, or in wildlife conservation. The main purported objective of TNR proponents along with animal welfare, human health, and wildlife advocacy stakeholders is to reduce the number of unhomed cats. We contend that cessation of provisioning unowned cats with food is the most effective approach to achieve this objective. We also present evidence from the Brisbane City Council that informed cat management policy, advocacy, and laws, backed up by responsible rehoming or prompt ethical euthanasia, are together effective at reducing the stray cat problem.
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Johnston, Michael, Guy McCaldin, and Andrew Rieker. "Assessing the availability of aerially delivered baits to feral cats through rainforest canopy using unmanned aircraft." Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems 4, no. 4 (December 1, 2016): 276–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/juvs-2016-0012.
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At least eight threatened wildlife species are at direct risk from predation by cats (Felis catus) on Christmas Island (Director of National Parks. 2014. Christmas Island biodiversity conservation plan. Canberra. Australia: Department of the Environment.). A range of strategies are now being used to manage cats across the island, including responsible ownership methods for domestic cats and lethal control tools to remove feral cats outside the township area. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were used to drop non-toxic baits through the rainforest canopy to assess whether aerial baiting could be undertaken successfully on the island. Ground crews located 88% of baits, indicating that sufficient baits would be accessible to feral cats if broad-scale aerial baiting was to be undertaken in the future.
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MacDonald, Edith, Taciano Milfont, and Michael Gavin. "What drives cat-owner behaviour? First steps towards limiting domestic-cat impacts on native wildlife." Wildlife Research 42, no. 3 (2015): 257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14164.
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Context Cats can have substantial negative impacts on native wildlife. To harness the collective conservation impact of owners keeping cats inside, advocacy campaigns need to be based on empirical evidence regarding potential drivers to change cat-owner behaviour. Aims We assessed the degree to which different socio-psychological factors (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control), past cat owner behaviour, demographics and group membership explained intentions of zoo visitors to bring cats inside. Methods A self-report questionnaire was distributed to zoo visitors based on the theory of planned behaviour. Visitors rated 24 belief statements and four behavioural-intention questions on a scale of one to seven. We adopted an information-theoretic approach to make inferences about the drivers of intention to bring cats inside. Key results Attitude and normative beliefs were strong predictors of intention. Specifically, attitudinal beliefs focussed on the benefits to the cat of being inside or the positive impact on the owner were correlated with intention. Bringing cats inside for the benefit of native species was weakly correlated with intention. We found an interaction between normative beliefs (injunctive and descriptive) and past behaviour. For respondents who were intermittently bringing their cat inside, veterinarians were a key injunctive normative influence. In contrast, respondents who kept their cat outside exclusively rated descriptive norms as influential on their own behaviour. Conclusions Our results indicated a way forward for future advocacy campaigns. To increase the frequency of visitors bringing cats inside, future research should look at campaigns using veterinarians to advocate messages that emphasise the benefits to the cat of being inside or the positive impact on the owner. To target visitors who keep their cat outside exclusively, a normative campaign highlighting the actions of others bringing their cats inside at night may prove successful. Implications Given the impacts cats have on wildlife, conservation campaigns need to properly design communication campaigns to have the best chance at altering cat-owner behaviour. Our results can help guide this process.
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Thaung, Ret, Vanessa Herranz Muñoz, Jeremy Holden, Daniel Willcox, and Nicholas J. Souter. "The Vulnerable fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus and other globally threatened species in Cambodia's coastal mangroves." Oryx 52, no. 4 (November 27, 2017): 636–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605317001491.
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AbstractThe Vulnerable fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus faces a perilous future in South-east Asia. It was last sighted in Cambodia in 2003. We deployed 16 camera traps at four sites in southern Cambodia during January–May 2015 to determine if the fishing cat was still present in the country. Eight photograph/video captures of fishing cats were recorded from the mangroves in Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary and one from Ream National Park, but there were no records from Botum Sakor National Park or Prey Nup. A number of other globally threatened species were also photographed in Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary: the Sunda pangolin Manis javanica, the hog deer Axis porcinus and the large-spotted civet Viverra megaspila. We learnt of the killing of an alleged fishing cat at the Sanctuary in July 2015 in retaliation for raiding fishing nets. Illegal hunting and capture of fishing cats for the wildlife trade were reported by local informants at all sites. We provide photographic and video evidence of the fishing cats and highlight the importance of Cambodia's mangroves for threatened species conservation.
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Wilson, Amy G., Christine Fehlner-Gardiner, Scott Wilson, Karra N. Pierce, Glenna F. McGregor, Catalina González, and Tanya M. J. Luszcz. "Assessing the extent and public health impact of bat predation by domestic animals using data from a rabies passive surveillance program." PLOS Global Public Health 2, no. 5 (May 11, 2022): e0000357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000357.
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Domestic animals can serve as consequential conveyors of zoonotic pathogens across wildlife-human interfaces. Still, there has been little study on how different domestic species and their behaviors influence the zoonotic risk to humans. In this study, we examined patterns of bat encounters with domestic animals that resulted in submission for testing at the rabies laboratories of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) during 2014–2020. Our goals were specifically to examine how the number of bats submitted and the number of rabies positive bats varied by the type of domestic animal exposure and whether domestic cats were indoor or free-roaming. The CFIA reported 6258 bat submissions for rabies testing, of which 41.5% and 8.7% had encounter histories with cats and dogs, respectively. A much smaller fraction of bat submissions (0.3%) had exposure to other domestic animals, and 49.5% had no domestic animal exposure. For the bat submissions related to cats, and where lifestyle was noted, 91.1% were associated with free-roaming cats and 8.9% with indoor cats. Model results indicated the probability of a rabies-positive bat was the highest with a history of dog association (20.2%), followed by bats with no animal exposure (16.7%), free-roaming cats (6.9%), cats with unspecified histories (6.0%) and the lowest probability associated with non-free-roaming (indoor) cats (3.8%). Although there was lower rabies prevalence in bats associated with cats compared to dogs, the 4.8 fold higher number of cat-bat interactions cumulatively leads to a greater overall rabies exposure risk to humans from any free-roaming outdoor cats. This study suggests that free-roaming owned cats may have an underappreciated role in cryptic rabies exposures in humans and as a significant predator of bats. Preventing free-roaming in cats is a cost-effective and underutilized public health recommendation for rabies prevention that also synergistically reduces the health burden of other feline-associated zoonotic diseases and promotes feline welfare and wildlife conservation.
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Trouwborst, Arie, and Han Somsen. "Domestic Cats (Felis catus) and European Nature Conservation Law—Applying the EU Birds and Habitats Directives to a Significant but Neglected Threat to Wildlife." Journal of Environmental Law 32, no. 3 (November 27, 2019): 391–415. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqz035.
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Abstract Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) impact biodiversity through predation, disturbance, competition, disease and hybridisation. Scientific knowledge regarding these impacts has recently increased. This article interprets the European Union (EU) Birds and Habitats Directives (Nature Directives) in light of this knowledge. The outcome indicates that various obligations in the Directives, particularly concerning Natura 2000 sites and the generic protection of birds and other species, have significant implications for the management of free-ranging domestic cats. Regarding (unowned) stray and feral cats, these must be removed or controlled when they pose a threat to protected species and/or sites. Regarding (owned) pet and farm cats, the Nature Directives require EU Member States to ensure that letting cats roam free outdoors is forbidden and effectively prevented. Current practice across the EU does not yet conform to these requirements. Whereas the article identifies and assesses various factors that may explain this compliance gap, legally valid justifications appear absent.
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McGregor, Hugh, John Read, Christopher N. Johnson, Sarah Legge, Brydie Hill, and Katherine Moseby. "Edge effects created by fenced conservation reserves benefit an invasive mesopredator." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 677. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19181.
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Abstract ContextFenced reserves from which invasive predators are removed are increasingly used as a conservation management tool, because they provide safe havens for susceptible threatened species, and create dense populations of native wildlife that could act as a source population for recolonising the surrounding landscape. However, the latter effect might also act as a food source, and promote high densities of invasive predators on the edges of such reserves. AimsOur study aimed to determine whether activity of the feral cat is greater around the edges of a fenced conservation reserve, Arid Recovery, in northern South Australia. This reserve has abundant native rodents that move through the fence into the surrounding landscape. MethodsWe investigated (1) whether feral cats were increasingly likely to be detected on track transects closer to the fence over time as populations of native rodents increased inside the reserve, (2) whether native rodents were more likely to be found in the stomachs of cats caught close to the reserve edge, and (3) whether individual cats selectively hunted on the reserve fence compared with two other similar fences, on the basis of GPS movement data. Key resultsWe found that (1) detection rates of feral cats on the edges of a fenced reserve increased through time as populations of native rodents increased inside the reserve, (2) native rodents were far more likely to be found in the stomach of cats collected at the reserve edge than in the stomachs of cats far from the reserve edge, and (3) GPS tracking of cat movements showed a selection for the reserve fence edge, but not for similar fences away from the reserve. ConclusionsInvasive predators such as feral cats are able to focus their movements and activity to where prey availability is greatest, including the edges of fenced conservation reserves. This limits the capacity of reserves to function as source areas from which animals can recolonise the surrounding landscape, and increases predation pressure on populations of other species living on the reserve edge. ImplicationsManagers of fenced conservation reserves should be aware that increased predator control may be critical for offsetting the elevated impacts of feral cats attracted to the reserve fence.
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Salinas-Ramos, Valeria B., Emiliano Mori, Luciano Bosso, Leonardo Ancillotto, and Danilo Russo. "Zoonotic Risk: One More Good Reason Why Cats Should Be Kept Away from Bats." Pathogens 10, no. 3 (March 5, 2021): 304. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10030304.
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Bats are often unfairly depicted as the direct culprit in the current COVID-19 pandemic, yet the real causes of this and other zoonotic spillover events should be sought in the human impact on the environment, including the spread of domestic animals. Here, we discuss bat predation by cats as a phenomenon bringing about zoonotic risks and illustrate cases of observed, suspected or hypothesized pathogen transmission from bats to cats, certainly or likely following predation episodes. In addition to well-known cases of bat rabies, we review other diseases that affect humans and might eventually reach them through cats that prey on bats. We also examine the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19, from domestic cats to bats, which, although unlikely, might generate a novel wildlife reservoir in these mammals, and identify research and management directions to achieve more effective risk assessment, mitigation or prevention. Overall, not only does bat killing by cats represent a potentially serious threat to biodiversity conservation, but it also bears zoonotic implications that can no longer be neglected.
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Mukherjee, Shomita, R. Nandini, P.V. Karunakaran, and Nayan Khanolkar. "Scientific contributions and learning experiences of citizen volunteers with a small cat project in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India." Journal of Threatened Taxa 13, no. 13 (November 26, 2021): 19930–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.7595.13.13.19930-19936.
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We conducted a project on small wild cats in Sanjay Gandhi National Park near Mumbai during 2017–2019 with the participation of 35 citizen volunteers. Volunteers underwent a training period after which they collected scat samples, placed camera traps and participated in data analysis. Volunteers answered a questionnaire to gauge the impact the program had in furthering their interests and knowledge. Nineteen participants responded to the feedback survey. Most indicated an increase in their knowledge of wildlife research, conservation issues and small wild cats. We discuss the value of research projects where citizens can actively participate and learn semi-technical skills.
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Best, Ian, and Kurtis Jai-Chyi Pei. "Factors influencing local attitudes towards the conservation of leopard cats Prionailurus bengalensis in rural Taiwan." Oryx 54, no. 6 (February 28, 2019): 866–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605318000984.
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AbstractUnderstanding the human dimension is critical for effective conservation management of species involved in human–carnivore conflict. There is also a need to recognize who among the local human population is supportive of wildlife conservation. We investigated how local people's attitudes and knowledge of the leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis are influenced by socio-demographic variables, encounter rates and the nature of encounters with the felid in Taiwan. During June–August 2014 we interviewed 150 residents in Miaoli County in northern Taiwan, where the leopard cat is known to occur. More than half of the participants indicated they were supportive of leopard cat conservation. The majority of those who expressed positive attitudes towards protection of the leopard cat belonged to younger, more educated socio-demographic groups. Negative attitudes towards leopard cat conservation were most prevalent among farmers, who also reported the highest incidence of negative experiences, mainly involving predation of poultry. We provide recommendations to mitigate human–felid conflict, including changes to animal husbandry practices. We also describe how conservation efforts for this species and wildlife in general in Taiwan could be improved, for example through incentive and awareness-raising programmes.
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van der Meer, Esther, Hans Dullemont, Ching-Hao Wang, Jun-Wei Zhang, Jun-Liang Lin, Kurtis Jai-Chyi Pei, and Yu-Ching Lai. "Fine-Scaled Selection of Resting and Hunting Habitat by Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) in a Rural Human-Dominated Landscape in Taiwan." Animals 13, no. 2 (January 8, 2023): 234. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani13020234.
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Wildlife is increasingly forced to live in close proximity to humans, resulting in human-wildlife conflict and anthropogenic mortality. Carnivores persisting in human-dominated landscapes respond to anthropogenic threats through fine-scaled spatial and temporal behavioral adjustments. Although crucial for conservation, quantitative information on these adjustments is scarce. Taiwan’s endangered leopard cat occurs in rural human-dominated landscapes with a high anthropogenic mortality risk. To survive, the nocturnal leopard cat needs suitable habitats for foraging and safe refuge for resting during daytime hours when human activity peaks. In this study, we tracked seven VHF-collared leopard cats. To determine habitat selection patterns, we compared land use at nighttime locations and daytime resting sites with random points and fine-scaled vegetation characteristics at daytime resting sites with random points. Leopard cats selected natural habitats for nighttime hunting and avoided manmade and, to a lesser extent, agricultural habitats or used them according to availability. For daytime resting, leopard cats selected natural habitats and, to a lesser extent semi-natural habitats, such as unused land and abandoned orchards. Resting sites were preferentially situated in natural habitats, with little visibility (<2 m), shrubs, reed and stones, away from areas with high levels of human activity. This suggests leopard cats use a proactive strategy to avoid human encounters, which was supported by the reduced temporal overlap with humans and domestic dogs on agricultural land. Resting sites were placed ca. 1 km apart, 12.9 ± 0.3 m (mean ± SE) from the patch’s edges, in patches with a size of 1.21 ± 0.04 ha (mean ± SE). Our results will assist in identifying and preserving suitable resting habitats to support leopard cat conservation.
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Demezas, K. Grace, and W. Douglas Robinson. "Characterizing the Influence of Domestic Cats on Birds with Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Data." Diversity 13, no. 7 (July 15, 2021): 322. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13070322.
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Depredation of birds by domestic cats is hypothesized to be one of many significant sources of mortality leading to global bird declines. Direct observations are relatively rarely documented compared with large numbers of birds hypothesized to be killed or wounded by cats. We analyzed data from two wildlife rehabilitation centers located in Salem and Grants Pass, Oregon USA, to understand which species were most likely to interact with a cat, and the species traits associated with cat interactions and habitats (urban vs. rural) of rescued birds. Interaction with a cat was the second-most commonly reported cause of admission, representing 12.3% of 6345 admissions. Half to two-thirds of birds were rescued from cats in urban settings and were usually species foraging on or near the ground. Most species were admitted to rehabilitation centers in direct proportion to their regional abundance. An exception was the absence of common species weighing less than 70 g, which we conclude is an effect of sampling bias. We conclude that cats most often interact with regionally common near-ground-dwelling bird species in both urban and rural habitats. Wildlife rehabilitation centers can provide valuable sources of data for cat-bird interactions but potential sources of uncertainty and bias in their data need to be considered carefully.
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Hostetler, Mark, Samantha M. Wisely, Steve Johnson, Elizabeth Pienaar, and Martin Main. "How Effective and Humane is Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) for Feral Cats?" EDIS 2020, no. 2 (March 27, 2020): 8. http://dx.doi.org/10.32473/edis-uw468-2020.
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As the number of feral cats continues to increase, land managers, public health officials, and private citizens are voicing concerns about how to address the nuisance and public health impacts, as well as animal welfare concerns, that feral cats create. Trap-neuter-release programs aimed at reducing feral cat populations without euthanasia are gaining popularity in the United States. But do they work? Authors Mark Hostetler, Samantha M. Wisely, Steve Johnson, Elizabeth F. Pienaar, and Martin Main discuss the pros and cons of trap-neuter-release programs in this 8-page fact sheet published by the UF/IFAS Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw468
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Grassman, Lon. "Saving tropical wild cats: advice for all wildlife field conservationists." Biodiversity 20, no. 1 (January 2, 2019): 56–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2019.1585290.
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Li, Yuhang, Yue Wan, Hua Shen, Scott R. Loss, Peter P. Marra, and Zhongqiu Li. "Estimates of wildlife killed by free-ranging cats in China." Biological Conservation 253 (January 2021): 108929. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108929.
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Fancourt, Bronwyn A., and Robert B. Jackson. "Regional seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in feral and stray cats (Felis catus) from Tasmania." Australian Journal of Zoology 62, no. 4 (2014): 272. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo14015.
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Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan protozoan parasite of felids that also has significant implications for the health of wildlife, livestock and humans worldwide. In Australia, feral, stray and domestic cats (Felis catus) are the most important definitive host of T. gondii as they are the only species that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts that provide a major source of infection for mammals and birds. In Tasmania, the rapid decline of the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) may allow an increase in feral cat abundance, thereby increasing the risk of T. gondii infection to a range of susceptible wildlife species. At present, there is scant information on the prevalence of T. gondii infection in feral cat populations across Tasmania. We tested feral cats from 13 regions across Tasmania for the presence of T. gondii–specific IgG antibodies using a modified agglutination test. Results were combined with serosurveys from three previous studies to enable a comparison of seroprevalence among 14 regions across Tasmania. We found that 84.2% (224 of 266) of cats tested positive for T. gondii IgG antibodies. This is among the highest rates of prevalence recorded from Australia, and significantly higher than for most other countries. Adult cats had higher seroprevalence than kittens but there was no difference between sexes. In Tasmania, seroprevalence was high in 12 of 14 regions (range: 79.3–100.0%), with only two regions (Tasman Island and Southern Tasmania) recording significantly lower seroprevalence (≤50%). This suggests a high risk of infection across Tasmania, and has significant implications for wildlife conservation should feral cat abundance increase with the ongoing declines in Tasmanian devils.
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Kikillus, K. Heidy, Geoff K. Chambers, Mark J. Farnworth, and Kelly M. Hare. "Research challenges and conservation implications for urban cat management in New Zealand." Pacific Conservation Biology 23, no. 1 (2017): 15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc16022.
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Over the past 20 years, conservation efforts in New Zealand have moved from being concentrated in rural and isolated island locations, where exotic mammalian predators are often controlled, to begin to bring native fauna back to major cities. However, human–wildlife conflicts arise when conservation occurs in close proximity to cities. These are particularly intense when companion animals are involved either as potential predators or prey of high-value conservation animals. Within New Zealand, this conflict is particularly fraught around domestic cats (Felis catus) in the urban environment. Cats in New Zealand are recognised as major introduced predators of native fauna, but they also prey on small introduced predatory mammals. This dynamic causes much conflict between people with different attitudes towards animals; however, as yet, few studies have explored the role(s), either negative or positive, of urban cats in New Zealand. Here, we review current knowledge on domestic cats in urban New Zealand, identify gaps in knowledge and make suggestions for future research, which includes further social science research, citizen science-based research programs, market research, investigation into cat-management legislation, and more in-depth studies of cat diseases and zoonoses. These data are vital for informing the public and improving the management of urban cat populations, including mitigating conservation impacts. Urban ecologists will need to be versatile in the way they design and conduct experiments, exploiting multiple disciplines to both ensure scientific robustness, but also community and government support for uptake of results into management and legislation.
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Pitman, Ross T., Julien Fattebert, Samual T. Williams, Kathryn S. Williams, Russell A. Hill, Luke T. B. Hunter, Hugh Robinson, et al. "Cats, connectivity and conservation: incorporating data sets and integrating scales for wildlife management." Journal of Applied Ecology 54, no. 6 (January 23, 2017): 1687–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12851.
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Wangyel, Sonam, Kumbu Dorji, Sonam Tobgay, and Norbu Yangdon. "First photographic evidence of the Asiatic Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhutan." Journal of Threatened Taxa 12, no. 2 (February 17, 2020): 15262–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.5089.12.2.15262-15266.
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The Asiatic Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii is among Asia’s least studied wild felids. We report the first photographic evidence of its presence in Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, eastern Bhutan, where it was recorded above 3,000m. The photographs show three distinct colour morphs, viz., golden, buff brown, and melanistic. The main threat to the species in the sanctuary appears to be habitat loss due to increasing developmental activities and land use change. Future studies are needed to determine the conservation status of Asiatic Golden Cats in Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Grossmann, Nárjara Veras, Anderson Silva De Sousa, Rebecca Martins Cardoso, and Estevam Guilherme Lux Hoppe. "Parasitological findings and antiparasitic treatment of captive Jaguarundis Herpailurus yagouaroundi (Carnivora: Felidae) in a conservation center in Brazil." Journal of Threatened Taxa 10, no. 7 (June 26, 2018): 11916. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.3394.10.7.11916-11919.
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Ex situ management of wildlife provides a possibility for species maintenance, research development and environmental education. But as captive facilities are usually much smaller than the area occupied by a species in the natural habitat, cleaning might be insufficient, domestic species such as cats might be in close proximity, and wild animals in captivity are inevitably stressed, animals kept in these facilities are more at risk of acquiring parasitic infections. Therefore, an appropriate prophylactic protocol and consequent anti-parasitic therapy of affected animals are fundamental for any wildlife conservation center. This report describes the procedures adopted in a conservation center for wild felines in which four adult Jaguarundis were diagnosed with severe infection with gastrointestinal parasites and flea infestation. Two animals died and based on the necropsy findings and fecal examinations, infections with Ancylostoma caninum and Toxocara cati were diagnosed, as well as severe infestations with Ctenocephalides felis felis fleas, all common parasites of domestic cats. We discuss the applied therapy and the adopted environmental management, along with the importance of regular health assessments and a preventive medicine program for this species in captivity.
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Dessalvi, Gabriele, Enrico Borgo, and Loris Galli. "The contribution to wildlife conservation of an Italian Recovery Centre." Nature Conservation 44 (May 10, 2021): 1–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.44.65528.
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Wildlife recovery centres are widespread worldwide and their goal is the rehabilitation of wildlife and the subsequent release of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild. The activity of the Genoese Wildlife Recovery Centre (CRAS) from 2015 to 2020 was analysed to assess its contribution to the conservation of biodiversity and to determine the main factors affecting the survival rate of the most abundant species. In particular, the analyses focused upon the cause, provenance and species of hospitalised animals, the seasonal distribution of recoveries and the outcomes of hospitalisation in the different species. In addition, an in-depth analysis of the anthropogenic causes was conducted, with a particular focus on attempts of predation by domestic animals, especially cats. Significantly, 96.8% of animals hospitalised came from Liguria, the region in north-western Italy where CRAS is located, with 44.8% coming from the most populated and urbanised areas of Genoa, indicating a positive correlation between population density and the number of recoveries. A total of 5881 wild animals belonging to 162 species were transferred to CRAS during the six years study period. The presence of summer migratory bird species and the high reproductive rates of most animals in summer resulted in a corresponding seasonal peak of treated animals. Birds represented 80.9% of entries; mammals accounted for 18.6% of hospitalisations; and about 0.5% of the entries were represented by reptiles and amphibians. Species protected by CITES and/or in IUCN Red List amounted to 8% of the total number of individuals. Consistent with results recorded elsewhere from Italy and other European countries, 53.9% of the specimens treated were released in nature; 4.7% were euthanised and 41.4% died. There was a significant difference between taxa in the frequency of individuals that were released, died or euthanised due to the intrinsic characteristics of species (more resistant or more adaptable to captivity than others) and/or to the types of debilitative occurrences common to each species (e.g. infections, wounds, traumas, fractures). A total of 14.2% of wildlife recovery was from injuries caused with certainty by people or domestic animals (human impact), with 54.3% of these hospitalised animals having been victims of predation attempts by domestic animals, mainly cats. The percentage of release in nature of animals hospitalised following human impact was significantly lower than overall cases (31.2% vs. 53.9%) due to the greater severity of the injuries. The percentage of animals released showed a further reduction to 27.1% amongst victims of predation attempts by pets. The work of Rehabilitation/Recovery Centres contributes to wildlife conservation. In particular, the CRAS in Genoa is a Centre with an increasing level of activity concerning the rehabilitation of species under CITES protection and/or included on the IUCN Red List. The contribution and experience of CRAS operators is critical for the success of ‘information campaigns’ aimed at limiting the number of stray dogs and cats because of their impact on wildlife. Therefore, the activity of a properly-managed CRAS can significantly contribute both directly and indirectly to wildlife conservation, resulting in important territorial safeguards for the protection of biodiversity.
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Hernandez, Sonia M., Kerrie Anne T. Loyd, Alexandra N. Newton, Benjamin L. Carswell, and Kyler J. Abernathy. "The use of point-of-view cameras (Kittycams) to quantify predation by colony cats (Felis catus) on wildlife." Wildlife Research 45, no. 4 (2018): 357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr17155.
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Context Domestic cats (Felis catus) are efficient and abundant non-native predators, recently labelled as primary contributors to global biodiversity loss. Aims Specific research goals included determining the proportion of hunters, estimating hunting efficiency, identifying primary prey and examining predictors of kill rate and efficacy. Methods We investigated hunting of wildlife by stray cats living in managed outdoor colonies on a barrier island in the southeastern USA, and monitored 29 stray cats seasonally in 2014 and 2015 using Kittycam video cameras. Key results In total, 24 cats exhibited hunting behaviour and 18 captured prey. The estimated average daily predation rate from these successful hunters was 6.15 kills per 24-h period. Hunting effectiveness (percentage of capture attempts that translate to a kill) was an average of 44%. The most common type of prey captured was invertebrate (primarily Orthopteran and Hemipteran insects), followed by amphibians and reptiles. Eighty-three percent of kills occurred between dusk and dawn. Conclusions Colony location (near undeveloped island habitat) was related to higher kill rates. Cat sex and nocturnal hunting activity were related to greater hunting efficiency. Implications These results address the significant gap in knowledge about stray cat hunting activities, and raise conservation concerns for some groups of organisms (reptiles and amphibians) that have not been widely identified as vulnerable to cat predation.
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Woinarski, J. C. Z., S. M. Legge, L. A. Woolley, R. Palmer, C. R. Dickman, J. Augusteyn, T. S. Doherty, et al. "Predation by introduced cats Felis catus on Australian frogs: compilation of species records and estimation of numbers killed." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 580. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19182.
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Abstract ContextWe recently estimated the numbers of reptiles, birds and mammals killed by cats (Felis catus) in Australia, with these assessments providing further evidence that cats have significant impacts on Australian wildlife. No previous studies have estimated the numbers of frogs killed by cats in Australia and there is limited comparable information from elsewhere in the world. AimsWe sought to (1) estimate the numbers of frogs killed by cats in Australia and (2) compile a list of Australian frog species known to be killed by cats. MethodsFor feral cats, we estimated the number of frogs killed from information on their frequency of occurrence in 53 cat dietary studies (that examined stomach contents), the mean number of frogs in dietary samples that contained frogs, and the numbers of cats in Australia. We collated comparable information for take of frogs by pet cats, but the information base was far sparser. Key resultsFrogs were far more likely to be reported in studies that sampled cat stomachs than cat scats. The mean frequency of occurrence of frogs in cat stomachs was 1.5%. The estimated annual per capita consumption by feral cats in Australia’s natural environments is 44 frogs, and, hence, the annual total take is estimated at 92 million frogs. The estimated annual per capita consumption by pet cats is 0.26 frogs, for a total annual kill of one million frogs by pet cats. Thirty native frog species (13% of the Australian frog fauna) are known to be killed by cats: this tally does not include any of the 51 threatened frog species, but this may simply be because no cat dietary studies have occurred within the small ranges typical of threatened frog species. ConclusionsThe present study indicated that cats in Australia kill nearly 100 million frogs annually, but further research is required to understand the conservation significance of such predation rates. ImplicationsThe present study completed a set of reviews of the impacts of cats on Australian terrestrial vertebrates. Cat predation on Australian frogs is substantial, but is likely to be markedly less than that on Australian reptiles, birds and mammals.
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Metsers, Elizabeth M., Philip J. Seddon, and Yolanda M. van Heezik. "Cat-exclusion zones in rural and urban-fringe landscapes: how large would they have to be?" Wildlife Research 37, no. 1 (2010): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr09070.
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Context. The process of urban sprawl brings the human population and their domestic cats (Felis catus) in close contact with wildlife in areas that were previously remote, including reserves and conservation areas created to protect populations of vulnerable or threatened species. Various mitigation measures have been proposed, including devices designed to hinder cat hunting ability, desexing to reduce wandering and nuisance behaviours, containment at night or at all times and regulations governing cat ownership. Such regulations may aim to reduce cat densities by limiting the number of cats per household, or they may define zones around sensitive conservation areas where cat ownership is prohibited. Aims. The present study sought to establish the necessary size of cat-exclusion zones in rural and urban-fringe landscapes where vulnerable prey species may also reside. Methods. With GPS collars, we tracked 38 domestic cats at three sites (one rural, two urban fringe) where small reserves contained threatened lizard species. Key results. Home ranges (95% kernel density estimates) were considerably larger for cats at the rural site (0.3–69 ha) than at urban-fringe sites (0.35–19 ha at Kaitorete Spit and 0.2–9 ha at Otago Peninsula), and were larger at night than day. Resource selection ratios indicated avoidance of open areas with little cover, such as cultivated areas (farmland), tussock grassland and duneland, whereas sources of cover such as trees and buildings were preferred. Maximum distances moved and large variability between individual cats suggest buffers in rural landscapes would need to be at least 2.4 km wide, whereas those in urban-fringe habitat could be half as large. Conclusions. Despite significant home-range size differences exhibited by cats living in rural v. urban-fringe habitats, exclusion zones would need to be wide to account for considerable inter-cat variation in movement behaviour. Implications. The size of an effective cat-exclusion zone should represent the specific landscape, amount of residential development and substantial variability between individual cats.
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Miritis, Vivianna, Anthony R. Rendall, Tim S. Doherty, Amy L. Coetsee, and Euan G. Ritchie. "Living with the enemy: a threatened prey species coexisting with feral cats on a fox-free island." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 633. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19202.
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Abstract ContextFeral domestic cats (Felis catus) have contributed to substantial loss of Australian wildlife, particularly small- and medium-sized terrestrial mammals. However, mitigating cat impacts remains challenging. Understanding the factors that facilitate coexistence between native prey and their alien predators could aid better pest management and conservation actions. AimsWe estimated feral cat density, examined the impact of habitat cover on long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus tridactylus), and assessed the spatial and temporal interactions between cats and potoroos in the ‘Bluegums’ area of French Island, south-eastern Australia. Materials and methodsWe operated 31 camera stations across Bluegums for 99 consecutive nights in each of winter 2018 and summer 2018/19. We used a spatially explicit capture–recapture model to estimate cat density, and two-species single-season occupancy models to assess spatial co-occurrence of cats and potoroos. We assessed the influence of vegetation cover and cat activity on potoroo activity by using a dynamic occupancy model. We also used image timestamps to describe and compare the temporal activities of the two species. Key resultsBluegums had a density of 0.77 cats per km2 across both seasons, although this is a conservative estimate because of the presence of unidentified cats. Cats and long-nosed potoroos were detected at 94% and 77% of camera stations, respectively. Long-nosed potoroo detectability was higher in denser vegetation and this pattern was stronger at sites with high cat activity. Cats and potoroos overlapped in their temporal activity, but their peak activity times differed. Conclusions Feral cat density at Bluegums, French Island, is higher than has been reported for mainland Australian sites, but generally lower than in other islands. Long-nosed potoroos were positively associated with cats, potentially indicating cats tracking potoroos as prey or other prey species that co-occur with potoroos. Temporal activity of each species differed, and potoroos sought more complex habitat, highlighting possible mechanisms potoroos may use to reduce their predation risk when co-occurring with cats. ImplicationsOur study highlighted how predator and prey spatial and temporal interactions, and habitat cover and complexity (ecological refuges), may influence the ability for native prey to coexist with invasive predators. We encourage more consideration and investigation of these factors, with the aim of facilitating more native species to persist with invasive predators or be reintroduced outside of predator-free sanctuaries, exclosures and island safe havens.
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Proulx, Gilbert. "Control of Urban Wildlife Predation by Cats Through Public Education." Environmental Conservation 15, no. 4 (1988): 358–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900029878.
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Recher, Harry F. "Wildlife Search and Rescue: A Guide for First Responders." Pacific Conservation Biology 18, no. 3 (2012): 219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc130219.
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WILDLIFE rescue has become part of Australian urban society. Injured and sick animals are common in all cities and their surrounding suburbs. The majority of these are common human commensals that have been dogs, cats, and cars, or have struck overhead wires or windows. Near coasts, it is common to find birds entangled in fishing line (with or without hooks) or fouled by other rubbish that is the jetsam of human society. Rescuing these animals, whether or not there is any conservation value or not, makes people feel good. Since the 1980s, organizations, such as Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) in New South Wales, have proliferated and process tens of thousands of distressed animals annually. WIRES, for example, processed 56 500 animals in 2009/10. Many of these were threatened fauna, with the WIRES’ web site stating they handle 130 species on average each month. Birds are the most common group processed. There are 2000 WIRES volunteers, all of whom have been required to undertake training in the handling of wild animals. Although oiled birds, whales entangled in shark nets or stranded on beaches are often in the headlines, rescuing them requires professional skills and logistical support outside the scope of “wildlife rescuers” and are
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Luo, Shu-Jin, Yue-Chen Liu, and Xiao Xu. "Tigers of the World: Genomics and Conservation." Annual Review of Animal Biosciences 7, no. 1 (February 15, 2019): 521–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-animal-020518-115106.
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Of all the big cats, or perhaps of all the endangered wildlife, the tiger may be both the most charismatic and most well-recognized flagship species in the world. The rapidly changing field of molecular genetics, particularly advances in genome sequencing technologies, has provided new tools to reconstruct what characterizes a tiger. Here we review how applications of molecular genomic tools have been used to depict the tiger's ancestral roots, phylogenetic hierarchy, demographic history, morphological diversity, and genetic patterns of diversification on both temporal and geographical scales. Tiger conservation, stabilization, and management are important areas that benefit from use of these genome resources for developing survival strategies for this charismatic megafauna both in situ and ex situ.
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Boulhosa, R. L. P., and F. C. C. Azevedo. "Perceptions of ranchers towards livestock predation by large felids in the Brazilian Pantanal." Wildlife Research 41, no. 4 (2014): 356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14040.
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Context Human–wildlife competition is a worldwide problem. In the Brazilian Pantanal, the competition is between livestock and large cats, such as the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the puma (Puma concolor). Only a few studies have been conducted in the region and have indicated low levels of cattle predation. In addition to the paucity of information on livestock predation levels, information on the local ranchers’ understanding of cattle predation is limited. Aims To investigate local people’s perceptions of large cats and husbandry practices in order to understand some of the causes and extent of jaguar–livestock interaction in the Brazilian Pantanal. Methods We present comprehensive surveys of the local people’s perceptions towards large cats using a 5-point Likert scale evaluated using non-parametric tests in order to reach a better understanding of the causes of jaguar–livestock interaction and its extent in the Brazilian Pantanal. Key results In general, total mortality rate due to cat predation was 2.7 ± 4.9% of total cattle holdings. However, jaguars were reported as a real menace to cattle and cattle predation by large cats was a real concern for ranch operations. The majority of ranchers who implemented cattle management accept the risk of losing cattle to predation by large cats, but only a minority of respondents reported that they would rather live without jaguars. Conclusions The majority of the ranches surveyed had limited husbandry practices and the intensity of cattle management did influence respondents’ perceptions of predation by large cats. Implications We suggest that the focus of conservation actions be on cattle management aimed at minimising other sources of income loss caused by poor husbandry practices.
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Taggart, Patrick L., Bronwyn A. Fancourt, David Peacock, Charles G. B. Caraguel, and Milton M. McAllister. "Variation in Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence: effects of site, sex, species and behaviour between insular and mainland macropods." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 540. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19041.
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Context Feral cats threaten wildlife conservation through a range of direct and indirect effects. However, most studies that have evaluated the impacts of feral cats on species of conservation significance have focussed on direct impacts such as predation; few studies have considered the indirect impacts of cat-borne disease. Toxoplasma gondii, a cat-borne parasite, causes both acute and latent disease in a range of wildlife species, and macropods are particularly susceptible. Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island and supports a high density of feral cats and high seroprevalence of T. gondii in multiple species, relative to the mainland. This suggests that Kangaroo Island has a high environmental contamination with the parasite and a high risk of infection for other species. Aims We aimed to describe T. gondii seroprevalence in culled and road-killed macropods, so as to assess the effects of island versus mainland location, sex, species and behaviour. Methods Macropod sera were tested for T. gondii IgG antibodies using a commercially available modified agglutination test. Key results The seroprevalence of T. gondii in culled western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) was significantly higher on the island (20%, 11/54 positive) than on the mainland (0%, 0/61 positive). There was no difference in T. gondii seroprevalence between culled and road-killed (21%, 21/102 positive) kangaroos from the island. The seroprevalence of T. gondii was significantly higher in female (32%, 12/38 positive) than in male (13%, 8/60 positive) kangaroos, but we observed no sex effect in tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii), and no effect of species. Conclusions The higher T. gondii seroprevalence in insular macropods supports previous reports of higher T. gondii exposure in other Kangaroo Island fauna. The lack of difference in T. gondii seroprevalence between culled and road-killed kangaroos suggests that T. gondii-positive animals are not more vulnerable to road mortality, in contrast to that suggested previously. Implications Our findings suggest greater potential adverse conservation impacts owing to toxoplasmosis on the island than on the mainland. In light of a recent study demonstrating higher cat abundance on the island than on the mainland, the higher observed T. gondii seroprevalence in insular macropods is likely to be a consequence of higher cat density.
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Taylor, Iain Rothie, Hem Sagar Baral, Prava Pandey, and Prativa Kaspal. "The conservation status of the Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus Bennett, 1833 (Carnivora: Felidae) In Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal." Journal of Threatened Taxa 8, no. 1 (January 26, 2016): 8323. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.2034.8.1.8323-8332.
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<p>The status of the Fishing Cat <em>Prionailurus viverrinus</em> in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal was assessed by camera trapping and pugmark searches from 2011 to 2014. The reserve is a highly dynamic and unstable snow-fed braided river system with many anabranches and islands. Evidence of Fishing Cats was found throughout most of the reserve. They were probably more abundant on the eastern side, among the islands of the main river channel, and in the adjacent buffer zone where there was a chain of fishponds and marsh areas fed by seepage from the main river channel. Evidence of Fishing Cats was found up to 6km north of the reserve on the Koshi River but not beyond this. The population is probably small and may be isolated but given the endangered status of the species, is significant. The main likely threats identified are wetland and riparian habitat deterioration caused by over exploitation and illegal grazing by villagers, overfishing of wetlands and rivers within the reserve, and direct persecution arising from perceived conflicts with fish farming and poultry husbandry. Required conservation actions are discussed.</p><div> </div>
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Davey, Gareth, and Xiang Zhao. "‘Feeding a cat that isn’t yours? Think again!’: an intervention protocol for reducing the feeding of free-roaming cats by residents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia." Pacific Conservation Biology 26, no. 4 (2020): 420. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc20007.
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Free-roaming cats negatively affect wildlife, human health, and society, and anthropogenic food sources partly maintain their populations. There is a dearth of theory-informed interventions to change people’s beliefs about feeding animals. Here, we outline a behavioural change intervention protocol to modify Malaysians’ key beliefs (i.e. the most influential beliefs) about feeding free-roaming cats. Our protocol serves as a novel, timely, and potentially valuable tool for addressing a significant conservation and societal issue. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is the theoretical framework of the intervention, underpinning its targets (i.e. behavioural beliefs, normative beliefs), content, delivery, and evaluation. The prescriptive intervention consists of one full-day workshop (duration=5h) with three sessions each attempting to alter one key belief using behavioural change strategies. A two-armed parallel-group prospective-cluster randomised controlled trial will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. The protocol can be easily delivered for the public and adapted for other types of locations, human–animal interactions, and contexts. It also complements animal management and policy change approaches.
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McDonald, Brandon W., Troi Perkins, Robert R. Dunn, Jennifer McDonald, Holly Cole, Robert S. Feranec, and Roland Kays. "High variability within pet foods prevents the identification of native species in pet cats’ diets using isotopic evaluation." PeerJ 8 (January 22, 2020): e8337. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8337.
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Domestic cats preying on wildlife is a frequent conservation concern but typical approaches for assessing impacts rely on owner reports of prey returned home, which can be biased by inaccurate reporting or by cats consuming prey instead of bringing it home. Isotopes offer an alternative way to quantify broad differences in animal diets. By obtaining samples of pet food from cat owners we predicted that we would have high power to identify cats feeding on wild birds or mammals, given that pet food is thought to have higher C isotope values, due to the pervasive use of corn and/or corn by-products as food ingredients, than native prey. We worked with citizen scientists to quantify the isotopes of 202 cat hair samples and 239 pet food samples from the US and UK. We also characterized the isotopes of 11 likely native prey species from the southeastern US and used mixing models to assess the diet of 47 cats from the same region. Variation in C and N isotope values for cat food was very high, even within the same brand/flavor, suggesting that pet food manufacturers use a wide range of ingredients, and that these may change over time. Cat food and cat hair from the UK had lower C values than the US, presumably reflecting differences in the amount of corn used in the food chains of the two countries. This high variation in pet food reduced our ability to classify cats as hunters of native prey, such that only 43% of the animals could be confidently assigned. If feral or free ranging cats were considered, this uncertainty would be even higher as pet food types would be unknown. Our results question the general assumption that anthropogenic foods always have high C isotope values, because of the high variability we documented within one product type (cat food) and between countries (US vs. UK), and emphasize the need to test a variety of standards before making conclusions from isotope ecology studies.
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Naing, Hla, Joanna Ross, Dawn Burnham, Saw Htun, and David W. Macdonald. "Population density estimates and conservation concern for clouded leopards Neofelis nebulosa, marbled cats Pardofelis marmorata and tigers Panthera tigris in Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Sagaing, Myanmar." Oryx 53, no. 4 (November 27, 2017): 654–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605317001260.
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AbstractThe clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa is a potent ambassador species for conservation, occurring from the Himalayan foothills eastwards to Indochina, between which Myanmar is a biogeographical land bridge. In Myanmar's Northern Forest Complex, the species co-occurs with the tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata, golden cat Catopuma temminckii and leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis. We deployed cameras within the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary over 2 consecutive years. In 2014–2015 we deployed 82 camera stations around the Nam Pa Gon stream (Catchment 1) for 7,365 trap days. In 2015–2016 we deployed 80 camera stations around the Nam E Zu stream (Catchment 2) for 7,192 trap days. In Catchment 1 we identified five tigers from 26 detections, five clouded leopards from 41 detections (68 photographs) and 11 marbled cats from 13 detections. Using Bayesian-based spatial capture–recapture we estimated the densities of tigers and clouded leopards to be 0.81 ± SD 0.40 and 0.60 ± SD 0.24 individuals per 100 km2, respectively. In Catchment 2 we identified two tigers from three detections, nine clouded leopards from 55 detections and 12 marbled cats from 37 detections. Densities of clouded leopards and marbled cats were 3.05 ± SD 1.03 and 8.80 ± SD 2.06 individuals per 100 km2, respectively. These differences suggest that human activities, in particular gold mining, are affecting felid populations, and these are a paramount concern in Htamanthi. We demonstrate the importance of Htamanthi within the Northern Forest Complex and highlight the Yawbawmee corridor as a candidate for protection.
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Cruz, Justine B., and Felipe Cruz. "Conservation of the Dark-rumped Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia of the Galápagos Islands, 1982–1991." Bird Conservation International 6, no. 1 (March 1996): 23–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900001283.
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SummaryEarly work on the Dark-rumped Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, identified colony sites and population status and alerted wildlife managers to an alarming decline in nesting numbers. Predation by introduced mammals, such as rats, cats, pigs and dogs, is the chief concern, followed by loss of nesting habitat to agricultural development. Programmes to reduce predation through poisoning and hunting, begun in 1983, increased the number of chicks fledged from the main breeding colony in eight out of nine years. Pre-breeding adults were lured by tape-recordings to ‘safe’ sites where they successfully raised chicks in artificial nests. Tape-luring offers hope for establishing new colonies on predator-free islands.
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Kinnear, J. E. "Mammal conservation and invasive species control in Australia: harnessing a potential extinction machine." Australian Mammalogy 40, no. 2 (2018): 131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am17022.
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The catastrophic declines and extinctions of a unique Gondwana-derived Australian mammalian fauna is a wildlife tragedy of epic proportions that remains to be played out. Four alien species in particular, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), feral cats (Felis catus) and cane toads (Rhinella marina) are recognised as ongoing threats, but protective control protocols consist of holding actions that currently require never-ending ecosystem subsidies (typically, culling and fencing). Recent revolutionary developments in cell biology and gene engineering – the CRISPR invention – has enabled the construction of gene drives that offer the prospect of controlling these species more efficiently indeed, even the possibility of extirpating these species from Australia. The conservation potential of these new technologies is described and recommendations are made.
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López-Jara, María José, Irene Sacristán, Ariel A. Farías, Francisca Maron-Perez, Francisca Acuña, Emilio Aguilar, Sebastián García, Patricio Contreras, Eduardo A. Silva-Rodríguez, and Constanza Napolitano. "Free-roaming domestic cats near conservation areas in Chile: Spatial movements, human care and risks for wildlife." Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 19, no. 3 (July 2021): 387–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pecon.2021.02.001.
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Angeoletto, Fabio. "Entrevista com Mark Fellowes: "We must learn to reduce our demands on the ecosphere, but I'm not sure that we're smart enough to do that" 26-29." Terr Plural 13, no. 3 (2019): 26–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.5212/terraplural.v.13i3.0002.
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Dr. Mark Fellowes studied Zoology at Imperial College London (1995) and moved to Imperial’s Silwood Park campus to complete a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology (1998), followed by a brief post-doctoral position at the NERC Centre for Population Biology. He joined the University of Reading as a lecturer in Zoology (2000). Dr. Fellowes’ group work on human-wildlife interactions (People and Wildlife Research Group), asking how the choices people make have unforeseen consequences for species. Current projects include work on red kites, urban greening, cats and conservation, leopard ecology and urban butterfly population dynamics, and how the presence of mutualists affects plant-herbivore-enemy interactions in an urban context. The work of Dr. Fellowes’ research group has featured widely in national and international print and broadcast media, won a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show, and he has published two science books aimed at the general public
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Kyaw, Pyae Phyoe, David W. Macdonald, Ugyen Penjor, Saw Htun, Hla Naing, Dawn Burnham, Żaneta Kaszta, and Samuel A. Cushman. "Investigating Carnivore Guild Structure: Spatial and Temporal Relationships amongst Threatened Felids in Myanmar." ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 10, no. 12 (November 30, 2021): 808. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10120808.
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The co-occurrence of felid species in Southeast Asia provides an unusual opportunity to investigate guild structure and the factors controlling it. Using camera-trap data, we quantified the space use, temporal activity, and multi-dimensional niche overlap of the tiger, clouded leopard, Asiatic golden cat, marbled cat, and leopard cat in the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Myanmar. We hypothesised that the spatio-temporal behaviour of smaller cats would reflect the avoidance of the larger cats, and similar-sized guild members would partition their niches in space or time to reduce resource competition. Our approach involved modelling single-species occupancy, pairwise spatial overlap using Bayesian inference, activity overlap with kernel density estimation, and multivariate analyses. The felid assembly appeared to be partitioned mainly on a spatial rather than temporal dimension, and no significant evidence of mesopredator release was observed. Nonetheless, the temporal association between the three mesopredators was inversely related to the similarity in their body sizes. The largest niche differences in the use of space and time occurred between the three smallest species. This study offers new insight into carnivore guild assembly and adds substantially to knowledge of five of the least known felids of conservation concern.
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Ghimire, Pramod. "Conservation of Tiger Panthera tigris in Nepal: a review of current efforts and challenges." Journal of Threatened Taxa 14, no. 9 (September 26, 2022): 21769–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.7011.14.9.21769-21775.
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The Tiger Panthera tigris is one of the most charismatic and well known Asian big cats. In the lowlands of Nepal, Tigers along with the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis and the Asiatic Elephant Elephas maximus serve as flagship species gathering global conservation attention. Current surveys estimate a population of 235 tigers in Nepal. Tigers in Nepal are strictly protected in five protected areas located in the lowlands and their adjoining forest areas which cover 7,668.20 km2. However, over the last century, tiger population and their distribution range drastically declined with the species heading towards extinction. The long-term survival of this charismatic species is challenging largely due to the loss and fragmentation of habitat, climate change, increasing human-wildlife interface and poaching for illegal trade of body parts. In response to this, the Government of Nepal along with conservation agencies and local communities have proceeded to execute various conservation initiatives both at national and international level. This paper tries to scrutinize the current status of tiger population, conservation efforts, and existing challenges to conserve tiger species in Nepal.
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Baral, Kedar, Achyut Aryal, Craig Morley, Ripu Mardhan Kunwar, Shivish Bhandari, Hari Prasad Sharma, Khum Thapa Magar, Binaya Adhikari, and Ji Weihong. "Spatio–temporal pattern of human leopard conflict and mitigation strategy in Baitadi district, mid–hills of Nepal." Banko Janakari 32, no. 1 (May 31, 2022): 3–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/banko.v32i1.45434.
Full textAbstract:
Human–wildlife conflict is increasing globally, particularly in the areas, where wildlife and humans coexist and share resources. Large mammalian predators such as common leopards not only kill livestock but they are also killing humans. Baitadi is among the top ranked districts in Nepal in terms of number of human common leopard conflict events in last 10 years. The fieldwork for this study was carried out between January and June 2020 in the villages of Bishalpur, Udayadev, Pancheshor and Aamchaura of Baitadi district. Field observation, questionnaire survey, key informant interview and literature review were used for the data collection. Our study found that common leopards killed 23 and injured eight people between 2011 and 2019 in the district. In retaliation, people killed 26 common leopards in the same period, which must have spelt disaster for these rare cats. Despite the increasing number of conflict events, the local people, in general, were found to have positive attitude towards wildlife conservation. Therefore, improved prey species management, awareness raising among the local people and detailed study on habitat assessment, population status of leopards and their prey species are the urgent needs for the mitigation of human common leopard conflict in the district.
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Algar, David, Stefanie Hilmer, Don Nickels, and Audrey Nickels. "Successful domestic cat neutering: first step towards eradicating cats on Christmas Island for wildlife protection." Ecological Management & Restoration 12, no. 2 (July 24, 2011): 93–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2011.00594.x.
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Nijman, Vincent, Thais Morcatty, Jaima H. Smith, Sadek Atoussi, Chris R. Shepherd, Penthai Siriwat, K. Anne-Isola Nekaris, and Daniel Bergin. "Illegal wildlife trade – surveying open animal markets and online platforms to understand the poaching of wild cats." Biodiversity 20, no. 1 (January 2, 2019): 58–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2019.1568915.
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Morales-Rivas, Andrea, Francisco S. Álvarez, Xochilt Pocasangre-Orellana, Luis Girón, Gloria N. Guerra, Reynaldo Martínez, Juan Pablo Domínguez, Franz Leibl, and Christoph Heibl. "Big cats are still walking in El Salvador: first photographic records of Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) and an overview of historical records in the country." Check List 16, no. 3 (May 13, 2020): 563–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/16.3.563.
Full textAbstract:
The presence of Puma, Puma concolor, has been controversial in El Salvador due to the lack of published, verifiable data. We surveyed 119 sites in Montecristo National Park and 17 sites in the Río Sapo basin using wildlife cameras. We detected Pumas in both areas, representing the first photographic records for El Salvador. We call for a national Puma conservation strategy with research in basic ecology and migration corridors, regulation of hunting, management of livestock losses, and public acceptance programs. The Río Sapo basin should be granted formal protection.