news - January 2025
The paradox of balancing conservation efforts for Himalayan wolves and snow leopards (commentary) [mongabay - January 15, 2025]
Mountain lions are an important species in Nevada — they deserve better protections [OpEd by Dana Kilroy in Reno Gazette Journal - January 22, 2025]
The Indigenous Range of the Tiger (Panthera tigris) [Diversity and Distribution, A journal of conservation biogeography - January 18, 2025]
Commentary by Naresh Kusi , published in Mongabay
"The Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco) and snow leopard (Panthera uncia) are apex predators in alpine ecosystems. By controlling the numbers of meso-predators and herbivores, these top predators can have cascading effects on plant and animal species at different trophic levels. Their predation activities create intricate trophic interactions that help stabilize food webs and promote a balanced ecosystem. These predators support nutrient cycling by helping scavengers through carrion provisioning and dispersing essential nutrients across the ecosystem. Furthermore, these carnivores attract global tourism, providing local communities with valuable ecotourism opportunities.
“Both snow leopards and wolves are crucial to the Himalayan ecosystem, but conservation has overwhelmingly favored snow leopards. This disparity in attention and resources amplifies the challenges faced by wolves, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to conserve both species effectively,"
Photo Credit: from Mongabay commentary.
The Indigenous Range of the Tiger (Panthera tigris) [Diversity and Distribution, A journal of conservation biogeography - January 18, 2025]
Mountain lions are an important species in Nevada — they deserve better protections [OpEd by Dana Kilroy in Reno Gazette Journal - January 22, 2025]
The Indigenous Range of the Tiger (Panthera tigris) [Diversity and Distribution, A journal of conservation biogeography - January 18, 2025]
ABSTRACT (partial)
Aim
Indigenous range maps are fundamental documents in biogeography, phylogeny and conservation. We define the indigenous range of a species as ecoregions (or parts of ecoregions) where the species was likely found before humans became a major factor shaping the species' distribution, beginning at a time when the geographical alignment of the continents and the prevailing climate are (or at least were) roughly consistent with current conditions. We developed a structured, generally applicable method to map a species' indigenous range and applied this process to the tiger (Panthera tigris).
Location
Terrestrial Asia.
Results
We found the tiger once occupied a likely indigenous resident range of approximately 11.5 million km2, crossing 116 ecoregions. We also mapped an additional c. 11.7 million km2 of exploratory range and 1.2 million km2 of possible resident range. Collectively these areas overlap with 36 modern countries. Significant human disruption of the species' habitat seems to have begun over 6000 years ago in some areas, but in other regions has yet to materialise. In few arid ecoregions, human activities appear to have modestly increased habitat availability in the past, yet overall tigers have lost between 90% and 95% of their indigenous range over the last 8500 years.
Photo Credit: public domain image from Adobe Stock
Why Wolves Still Matter for Northeastern Forests [The Rewilding Institute - January 22, 2025]
Mountain lions are an important species in Nevada — they deserve better protections [OpEd by Dana Kilroy in Reno Gazette Journal - January 22, 2025]
Mountain lions are an important species in Nevada — they deserve better protections [OpEd by Dana Kilroy in Reno Gazette Journal - January 22, 2025]
Blog Summary by The Rewilding Institute
"State environmental agencies across the Northeast insist that wolves are extirpated, or gone from the landscape. Yet every once in a while, a wolf turns up in the region, usually because a coyote hunter shot it. These unfortunate events point to the possibility that wolves are returning to the Northeast, as well as the new reality—borne out by recent genetic studies—that wolf-coyote mixes are evolving. Nadia Steinzor, Northeast Carnivore Advocate for the Rewilding Institute, discusses these issues and the implications for policy and ecology on From the Forest, a podcast of the Catskill Forest Association in New York State."
Photo Credit: screenshot from The Rewilding Institute blog.
Mountain lions are an important species in Nevada — they deserve better protections [OpEd by Dana Kilroy in Reno Gazette Journal - January 22, 2025]
Mountain lions are an important species in Nevada — they deserve better protections [OpEd by Dana Kilroy in Reno Gazette Journal - January 22, 2025]
Mountain lions are an important species in Nevada — they deserve better protections [OpEd by Dana Kilroy in Reno Gazette Journal - January 22, 2025]
First Four Paragraphs of Op Ed by Dana Kilroy
"Nevada is home to one of the richest and most diverse groups of wildlife in the United States. From bald eagles and sidewinders, and from wild mustangs to mountain lions, we are lucky to have 900 different species of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles living in our habitats.
"As part of their publicly stated mission, Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) commits 'To protect, conserve, manage and restore wildlife and its habitat for the aesthetic, scientific, educational, recreational, and economic benefits to citizens of Nevada and the United States, and to promote the safety of persons using vessels on the waters of Nevada.'
"It sounds noble.
"And yet, some species, especially mountain lions, are maimed or killed because of NDOW’s refusal to amend trapping regulations to match public sentiment, best management practices, and the policies of other states."
Photo Credit: Marilyn Newton, RGJ File, from Op Ed.
"My first reaction was disbelief": spotted hyena seen in Egypt for first time in 5,000 years [discover wildlife - January 22, 2025]
"My first reaction was disbelief": spotted hyena seen in Egypt for first time in 5,000 years [discover wildlife - January 22, 2025]
"My first reaction was disbelief": spotted hyena seen in Egypt for first time in 5,000 years [discover wildlife - January 22, 2025]
Sub-Title and First Four Paragraphs of Article
"The hunter-scavenger was seen 500km north of its known range – scientists are trying to figure out what it was doing there.
"A spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) has been recorded in south-eastern Egypt, marking the first documented sighting of the species in the region for thousands of years.
"The discovery is remarkable because it occurred around 500km north of the hyena’s known range in neighbouring Sudan.
"The lone hyena was tracked and killed in late February 2024, roughly 30km from the Sudanese border, after it had predated two goats belonging to local herders in Wadi Yahmib in the Elba Protected Area, according to a new study published in the journal Mammalia.
"My first reaction was disbelief until I checked the photos and videos of the remains,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Adbullah Nagy from Al-Azhar University in Egypt. “Seeing the evidence, I was completely taken aback. It was beyond anything we had expected to find in Egypt.”
Photo Credit: Screenshot from article, a Getty Images photo
Jaguars and Artificial Intelligence: A New Era. Can Technology Save These Majestic Cats? [Tumirador news - January 26, 2025]
"My first reaction was disbelief": spotted hyena seen in Egypt for first time in 5,000 years [discover wildlife - January 22, 2025]
"My first reaction was disbelief": spotted hyena seen in Egypt for first time in 5,000 years [discover wildlife - January 22, 2025]
First Five Paragraphs of Article
In an unprecedented blend of wildlife conservation and cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is stepping up to help protect jaguars, the elusive yet majestic big cats of the Americas. Jaguars, now listed as near-threatened due to habitat loss and illegal poaching, may find an unlikely ally in AI-driven surveillance and tracking technologies.
The new system involves deploying advanced camera traps equipped with AI algorithms that can distinguish jaguars from other animals. This technology not only allows for more accurate population estimations but also provides real-time data to researchers and conservationists. By predicting jaguar movements and identifying potential threats, AI can significantly enhance existing conservation efforts.
Moreover, machine learning tools are now being developed to analyze these movements and predict potential human-jaguar conflicts, such as preying on livestock. This predictive capability could transform how we manage these conflicts, minimizing retaliatory killings and encouraging coexistence between humans and jaguars.
In the future, AI might also support habitat restoration. By mapping deforestation and its impact on jaguar habitats, AI can inform strategic decision-making to prioritize reforestation projects effectively.
As we look to the future, this fusion of technology and conservation offers hope for jaguars and other species struggling to survive in a rapidly changing world. Embracing these technologies might just be the key to ensuring these magnificent cats continue to roam the wild for generations to come.
Photo Credit: from article
Large African carnivores research explores effects of prey depletion on populations [Phys.org - January 28, 2025]
"My first reaction was disbelief": spotted hyena seen in Egypt for first time in 5,000 years [discover wildlife - January 22, 2025]
Large African carnivores research explores effects of prey depletion on populations [Phys.org - January 28, 2025]
First Three Paragraphs of Article
Two recently published studies by a Montana State University ecologist reveal new findings about the relationship between population dynamics of two species of large African carnivores and the availability of their prey.
"The studies are related in a lot of ways," said Scott Creel, lead author of a paper about the effects of prey depletion on endangered African wild dogs that was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and co-lead author of another paper about the effects of poaching controls on African lion demographics that was featured on the cover of the Jan. 11 issue of Conservation Science and Practice.
"The common denominator is that across sub-Saharan Africa, populations of animals like wildebeest and impala are declining pretty dramatically almost everywhere as a consequence of habitat loss and bushmeat poaching," Creel said. "The densities of those animals, which are prey for species like African wild dogs and lions, are a tiny fraction of what they would have been 40 or 50 years ago."
Photo Credit: from article