Local communities living on the borders of protected areas can be key drivers of environmental de... more Local communities living on the borders of protected areas can be key drivers of environmental degradation. Community‐based conservation initiatives seek to use sustainable activities as a strategy for mitigating these degradative behaviors while improving livelihoods but must be scalable to the site and sustainable over time. Teacher training, as a means of information transfer to the broader community, is one technique for implementing long‐term sustainable behavior programs. To be effective, sustainability practices must reach beyond behavior change in teachers to influence students and the broader community in which they work. UNITE for the Environment (UNITE) is a community‐based environmental sustainability program located along the border of Kibale National Park in Uganda, a site of high biodiversity, particularly for primates. UNITE focuses on conducting teacher trainings with 12 schools within 5 km of the park. We conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the transfer of UNITE's sustainability practices to the broader community. Families of teachers and students from schools that UNITE worked with, as well as control schools, were surveyed to assess their use of sustainable activities promoted by UNITE. Sustainable activities included specific agricultural practices, composting, bee‐keeping and fuel‐efficient stoves, while controlling for possible confounding variables between households including socioeconomic, spatial, and demographic variables. Results revealed that UNITE households, in comparison with control group households, showed greater use of sustainable practices for 12 of 13 behaviors tested. Wealth was the most influential of socioeconomic factors, with wealthier individuals more likely to implement sustainable activities. UNITE participants had greater value of the environment and belief in their ability to affect the environment than members of the control group. This study demonstrates the ability of teacher training programs to influence sustainable behavior, even while controlling for socioeconomic factors, suggesting that other programs should consider this approach to community‐based conservation.
Vulture species worldwide play a key role in ecosystems as obligate scavengers, and several popul... more Vulture species worldwide play a key role in ecosystems as obligate scavengers, and several populations have had precipitous declines. Research on vulture health is critical to conservation efforts including free-living vultures and captive breeding programs, but is limited to date. In this systematic review, we determined the reported causes of free-living vulture species morbidity and mortality worldwide. The most commonly reported cause of mortality was from toxins (60%), especially lead and pesticides, followed by traumatic injury (49%), including collisions with urban infrastructure and gunshot. Neglected areas of research in free-living vulture health include infectious diseases (16%), endocrine and nutritional disorders (6%), and neoplasia (< 1%). Almost half of the studies included in the review were conducted in either Spain or the USA, with a paucity of studies conducted in South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The highest number of studies was on Griffon ( Gyps fulvus ) (24%) and Egyptian vultures ( Neophron percnopterus ) (19%), while half of all vulture species had five or fewer studies. Future investigations on free-living vulture health should focus on neglected areas of research, such as infectious diseases, and areas with gaps in the current literature, such as South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and under-studied vulture species.
key_to_all_trials.csv gives metadata for each force plate recording (which individual, its mass, ... more key_to_all_trials.csv gives metadata for each force plate recording (which individual, its mass, initial velocity, etc.). The 39 other files are each recordings from an individual force plate trial, truncated from left hind footfall to left hind footfall (one stride cycle)
These files contain three data files, an R Markdown file consisting of all the analysis code need... more These files contain three data files, an R Markdown file consisting of all the analysis code needed to recreate the data analysis and figures in this manuscript, and an HTML file that is the final run of the R Markdown file with all the analysis and figures present. These data are for counts of avian and non-avian scavengers on wildebeest carcasses following mass drownings in the Mara River, Kenya.
Table S1. Overview of measurements for each subject at each time point. Data are presented on ave... more Table S1. Overview of measurements for each subject at each time point. Data are presented on average temperatures, sex, age, body mass, TBW, FFM, body fat and water turnover.
1. Dietary studies in birds of prey involve direct observation and examination of food remains at... more 1. Dietary studies in birds of prey involve direct observation and examination of food remains at resting and nesting sites. Although these methods accurately identify diet in raptors, they are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and associated with biases from the feeding ecology of raptors like Gyps vultures. Our study set out to estimate diet composition in Gyps vultures informed by stable isotopes that provide a good representation of assimilated diet from local systems. 2. We hypothesized that differences in Gyps vulture diet composition is a function of sampling location, and that these vultures move between Serengeti National Park and Selous Game Reserve protected areas to forage. We also, theorised that grazing ungulates are the principal items in Gyps vulture diet. 3. Through combined linear and Bayesian modelling, diet-derived from 13C in Gyps vultures consisted of grazing herbivores across sites, with those in Serengeti National Park consuming higher proportions of grazi...
While recent work has assessed how environmental and managerial changes influence elephant welfar... more While recent work has assessed how environmental and managerial changes influence elephant welfare across multiple zoos, few studies have addressed the effects of management changes within a single institution. In this paper, we examine how management changes related to social structure and diet affect the behavior of a group of zoo elephants over a 23-month period while also considering underlying factors, such as time of day, hormonal cycle, and individual differences. We recorded individual behaviors using 2-min scan samples during 60-min sessions. We analyzed behavioral changes across several study variables using generalized linear mixed models. We found that increasing browse can improve opportunities for foraging throughout the day but may not be sufficient to reduce repetitive behaviors. We observed that increasing group size and integration of bulls with cows can lead to increased social interaction in African elephants. Our results highlight the importance of using multiple management alterations to address elephant welfare, and considering environmental factors, when making management decisions.
Interspecific social information transfer can play a key role in many aspects of animal ecology f... more Interspecific social information transfer can play a key role in many aspects of animal ecology from foraging to habitat selection to predator avoidance. Within scavenging communities, avian scavengers often act as producers and mammalian scavengers act as scroungers, but we predict that species-specific cueing will allow for mammalian scavengers to utilize particular avian scavenger species using preferred food sources similar to their own preferences. We use empirical and theoretic approaches to assess interactions between mammalian and avian scavengers in one of the most diverse scavenging guilds in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Using a spatially explicit model and data from experimental carcasses, we found evidence that mammals benefit from local enhancement provided by vultures and that mammalian-avian following patterns are consistent with the idea that species-specific cueing is occurring. Results suggest that ongoing population declines in avian scavengers may have sig...
Categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius is... more Categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius is under considerable pressure from habitat degradation and hunting. Although human–hippopotamus conflict is known to increase retaliatory killing and culling of hippopotamuses, the issue has been little examined. Using interviews I investigated various spatial, ecological and agricultural factors that influence the vulnerability of farms to crop raiding by hippopotamuses in three villages to the south-east of Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. There was a positive correlation between these crop-raiding events and a farm’s proximity to the river and to hippopotamus access points (places where hippopotamuses leave and enter the river). Results from this study provide insights for management and conservation of hippopotamuses, including a need to identify key habitat areas to mitigate future conflict.
Abstract We used GSM-GPS transmitters to study mortality in three species of vultures in Masai Ma... more Abstract We used GSM-GPS transmitters to study mortality in three species of vultures in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. GSM-GPS transmitters were a cost-effective alternative to traditional satellite telemetry. In combination with data from a wing-tagging study, GSM-GPS units provided evidence of high mortality in African vultures, particularly White-backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) and Lappet-faced Vultures (Torgos tracheliotos). Four of seventy-eight wing-tagged vultures were reported dead in a 6-yr period following attachment, whereas 4 of 17 GSM-GPS-tagged vultures were confirmed dead within a year of attachment, based on collection of dead bird or unit, indicating annual mortality of up to 33% for some species in East Africa. Poisoning was confirmed as the cause of death in four of these cases and was suspected in the majority of deaths recorded. EVALUACIÓN DE LA MORTALIDAD DE LOS BUITRES AFRICANOS USANDO MARCAS EN LAS ALAS Y TRANSMISORES GSM-GPS Empleamos transmisores GSM-GPS para estudiar la mortalidad en tres especies de buitres en la Reserva Nacional Masai Mara, Kenia. Los transmisores GSM-GPS fueron una alternativa eficiente en términos de costo con relación a la telemetría satelital tradicional. En combinación con datos provenientes de un estudio de marcado en las alas, las unidades GSM-GPS brindaron evidencia sobre una alta mortalidad en los buitres africanos, particularmente en Gyps africanus y Torgos tracheliotos. Cuatro de los 78 buitres marcados en las alas fueron reportados como muertos en un período de seis años luego de la marcación, mientras que cuatro de los 17 buitres marcados con GSM-GPS fueron verificados como muertos dentro del año de marcado, basados en la colecta de aves muertas o de unidades de transmisión, indicando una mortalidad anual de hasta 33% para algunas especies en el este de África. El envenenamiento fue confirmado como la causa de muerte en cuatro de estos casos y fue la sospecha en la mayoría de las muertes registradas.
Vulture population declines have been noted in West and Southern Africa, but have not been assess... more Vulture population declines have been noted in West and Southern Africa, but have not been assessed in East Africa. Roadside transects conducted in 1976 and 1988 were compared with surveys done from 20032005 in and around Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. ...
African elephants, the largest land animal, face particular physiological challenges in captivity... more African elephants, the largest land animal, face particular physiological challenges in captivity and the wild. Captive elephants can become over- or under-conditioned with inadequate exercise and diet management. Few studies have quantified body composition or water turnover in elephants, and none to date have examined longitudinal responses to changes in diet or air temperature. Using the stable isotope deuterium oxide ( 2 H 2 O), we investigated changes in body mass, estimated fat-free mass (FFM, including fat-free gut content) and body fat in response to a multi-year intervention that reduced dietary energy density for adult African elephants housed at the North Carolina Zoo. We also examined the relationship between air temperature and water turnover. Deuterium dilution and depletion rates were assayed via blood samples and used to calculate body composition and water turnover in two male and three female African elephants at six intervals over a 3-year period. Within the first...
Local communities living on the borders of protected areas can be key drivers of environmental de... more Local communities living on the borders of protected areas can be key drivers of environmental degradation. Community‐based conservation initiatives seek to use sustainable activities as a strategy for mitigating these degradative behaviors while improving livelihoods but must be scalable to the site and sustainable over time. Teacher training, as a means of information transfer to the broader community, is one technique for implementing long‐term sustainable behavior programs. To be effective, sustainability practices must reach beyond behavior change in teachers to influence students and the broader community in which they work. UNITE for the Environment (UNITE) is a community‐based environmental sustainability program located along the border of Kibale National Park in Uganda, a site of high biodiversity, particularly for primates. UNITE focuses on conducting teacher trainings with 12 schools within 5 km of the park. We conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the transfer of UNITE's sustainability practices to the broader community. Families of teachers and students from schools that UNITE worked with, as well as control schools, were surveyed to assess their use of sustainable activities promoted by UNITE. Sustainable activities included specific agricultural practices, composting, bee‐keeping and fuel‐efficient stoves, while controlling for possible confounding variables between households including socioeconomic, spatial, and demographic variables. Results revealed that UNITE households, in comparison with control group households, showed greater use of sustainable practices for 12 of 13 behaviors tested. Wealth was the most influential of socioeconomic factors, with wealthier individuals more likely to implement sustainable activities. UNITE participants had greater value of the environment and belief in their ability to affect the environment than members of the control group. This study demonstrates the ability of teacher training programs to influence sustainable behavior, even while controlling for socioeconomic factors, suggesting that other programs should consider this approach to community‐based conservation.
Vulture species worldwide play a key role in ecosystems as obligate scavengers, and several popul... more Vulture species worldwide play a key role in ecosystems as obligate scavengers, and several populations have had precipitous declines. Research on vulture health is critical to conservation efforts including free-living vultures and captive breeding programs, but is limited to date. In this systematic review, we determined the reported causes of free-living vulture species morbidity and mortality worldwide. The most commonly reported cause of mortality was from toxins (60%), especially lead and pesticides, followed by traumatic injury (49%), including collisions with urban infrastructure and gunshot. Neglected areas of research in free-living vulture health include infectious diseases (16%), endocrine and nutritional disorders (6%), and neoplasia (< 1%). Almost half of the studies included in the review were conducted in either Spain or the USA, with a paucity of studies conducted in South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The highest number of studies was on Griffon ( Gyps fulvus ) (24%) and Egyptian vultures ( Neophron percnopterus ) (19%), while half of all vulture species had five or fewer studies. Future investigations on free-living vulture health should focus on neglected areas of research, such as infectious diseases, and areas with gaps in the current literature, such as South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and under-studied vulture species.
key_to_all_trials.csv gives metadata for each force plate recording (which individual, its mass, ... more key_to_all_trials.csv gives metadata for each force plate recording (which individual, its mass, initial velocity, etc.). The 39 other files are each recordings from an individual force plate trial, truncated from left hind footfall to left hind footfall (one stride cycle)
These files contain three data files, an R Markdown file consisting of all the analysis code need... more These files contain three data files, an R Markdown file consisting of all the analysis code needed to recreate the data analysis and figures in this manuscript, and an HTML file that is the final run of the R Markdown file with all the analysis and figures present. These data are for counts of avian and non-avian scavengers on wildebeest carcasses following mass drownings in the Mara River, Kenya.
Table S1. Overview of measurements for each subject at each time point. Data are presented on ave... more Table S1. Overview of measurements for each subject at each time point. Data are presented on average temperatures, sex, age, body mass, TBW, FFM, body fat and water turnover.
1. Dietary studies in birds of prey involve direct observation and examination of food remains at... more 1. Dietary studies in birds of prey involve direct observation and examination of food remains at resting and nesting sites. Although these methods accurately identify diet in raptors, they are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and associated with biases from the feeding ecology of raptors like Gyps vultures. Our study set out to estimate diet composition in Gyps vultures informed by stable isotopes that provide a good representation of assimilated diet from local systems. 2. We hypothesized that differences in Gyps vulture diet composition is a function of sampling location, and that these vultures move between Serengeti National Park and Selous Game Reserve protected areas to forage. We also, theorised that grazing ungulates are the principal items in Gyps vulture diet. 3. Through combined linear and Bayesian modelling, diet-derived from 13C in Gyps vultures consisted of grazing herbivores across sites, with those in Serengeti National Park consuming higher proportions of grazi...
While recent work has assessed how environmental and managerial changes influence elephant welfar... more While recent work has assessed how environmental and managerial changes influence elephant welfare across multiple zoos, few studies have addressed the effects of management changes within a single institution. In this paper, we examine how management changes related to social structure and diet affect the behavior of a group of zoo elephants over a 23-month period while also considering underlying factors, such as time of day, hormonal cycle, and individual differences. We recorded individual behaviors using 2-min scan samples during 60-min sessions. We analyzed behavioral changes across several study variables using generalized linear mixed models. We found that increasing browse can improve opportunities for foraging throughout the day but may not be sufficient to reduce repetitive behaviors. We observed that increasing group size and integration of bulls with cows can lead to increased social interaction in African elephants. Our results highlight the importance of using multiple management alterations to address elephant welfare, and considering environmental factors, when making management decisions.
Interspecific social information transfer can play a key role in many aspects of animal ecology f... more Interspecific social information transfer can play a key role in many aspects of animal ecology from foraging to habitat selection to predator avoidance. Within scavenging communities, avian scavengers often act as producers and mammalian scavengers act as scroungers, but we predict that species-specific cueing will allow for mammalian scavengers to utilize particular avian scavenger species using preferred food sources similar to their own preferences. We use empirical and theoretic approaches to assess interactions between mammalian and avian scavengers in one of the most diverse scavenging guilds in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Using a spatially explicit model and data from experimental carcasses, we found evidence that mammals benefit from local enhancement provided by vultures and that mammalian-avian following patterns are consistent with the idea that species-specific cueing is occurring. Results suggest that ongoing population declines in avian scavengers may have sig...
Categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius is... more Categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius is under considerable pressure from habitat degradation and hunting. Although human–hippopotamus conflict is known to increase retaliatory killing and culling of hippopotamuses, the issue has been little examined. Using interviews I investigated various spatial, ecological and agricultural factors that influence the vulnerability of farms to crop raiding by hippopotamuses in three villages to the south-east of Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. There was a positive correlation between these crop-raiding events and a farm’s proximity to the river and to hippopotamus access points (places where hippopotamuses leave and enter the river). Results from this study provide insights for management and conservation of hippopotamuses, including a need to identify key habitat areas to mitigate future conflict.
Abstract We used GSM-GPS transmitters to study mortality in three species of vultures in Masai Ma... more Abstract We used GSM-GPS transmitters to study mortality in three species of vultures in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. GSM-GPS transmitters were a cost-effective alternative to traditional satellite telemetry. In combination with data from a wing-tagging study, GSM-GPS units provided evidence of high mortality in African vultures, particularly White-backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) and Lappet-faced Vultures (Torgos tracheliotos). Four of seventy-eight wing-tagged vultures were reported dead in a 6-yr period following attachment, whereas 4 of 17 GSM-GPS-tagged vultures were confirmed dead within a year of attachment, based on collection of dead bird or unit, indicating annual mortality of up to 33% for some species in East Africa. Poisoning was confirmed as the cause of death in four of these cases and was suspected in the majority of deaths recorded. EVALUACIÓN DE LA MORTALIDAD DE LOS BUITRES AFRICANOS USANDO MARCAS EN LAS ALAS Y TRANSMISORES GSM-GPS Empleamos transmisores GSM-GPS para estudiar la mortalidad en tres especies de buitres en la Reserva Nacional Masai Mara, Kenia. Los transmisores GSM-GPS fueron una alternativa eficiente en términos de costo con relación a la telemetría satelital tradicional. En combinación con datos provenientes de un estudio de marcado en las alas, las unidades GSM-GPS brindaron evidencia sobre una alta mortalidad en los buitres africanos, particularmente en Gyps africanus y Torgos tracheliotos. Cuatro de los 78 buitres marcados en las alas fueron reportados como muertos en un período de seis años luego de la marcación, mientras que cuatro de los 17 buitres marcados con GSM-GPS fueron verificados como muertos dentro del año de marcado, basados en la colecta de aves muertas o de unidades de transmisión, indicando una mortalidad anual de hasta 33% para algunas especies en el este de África. El envenenamiento fue confirmado como la causa de muerte en cuatro de estos casos y fue la sospecha en la mayoría de las muertes registradas.
Vulture population declines have been noted in West and Southern Africa, but have not been assess... more Vulture population declines have been noted in West and Southern Africa, but have not been assessed in East Africa. Roadside transects conducted in 1976 and 1988 were compared with surveys done from 20032005 in and around Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. ...
African elephants, the largest land animal, face particular physiological challenges in captivity... more African elephants, the largest land animal, face particular physiological challenges in captivity and the wild. Captive elephants can become over- or under-conditioned with inadequate exercise and diet management. Few studies have quantified body composition or water turnover in elephants, and none to date have examined longitudinal responses to changes in diet or air temperature. Using the stable isotope deuterium oxide ( 2 H 2 O), we investigated changes in body mass, estimated fat-free mass (FFM, including fat-free gut content) and body fat in response to a multi-year intervention that reduced dietary energy density for adult African elephants housed at the North Carolina Zoo. We also examined the relationship between air temperature and water turnover. Deuterium dilution and depletion rates were assayed via blood samples and used to calculate body composition and water turnover in two male and three female African elephants at six intervals over a 3-year period. Within the first...
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