The pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) is a critically endangered wild suid historically widespread in the Himalyan foothills but now found only in Assam. It is the sole member of the genus porcula, the rarest of all swine species, and an important indicator of habitat health in the tall grass wetlands that it inhabits. In 1995 the Pygmy Hog Conservation Program (PHCP) was established through collaboration between Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, IUCN’s Pigs, Peccaries and Hippo Specialist Group, the Forest Department, Government of Assam, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Through the efforts of PHCP, pygmy hogs have been successfully bred in captivity, and over 100 individuals have been released into suitable habitat in parks and sanctuaries within Assam. Camera traps have been used to track outcomes of these releases, but the dense tall grasses amongst which the pygmy hog lives makes follow-up monitoring challenging. Recently, Drs. Chris Walzer (Wildlife Conservation Society) PK Walzer (CSN) and Endre Sòs (Budapest Zoo) travelled to Assam and partnered with PHCP colleagues Drs. Goutam Narayan and Parag Deka to perform surgical implantation of novel radio-telemetry transmitters in four pygmy hogs. The goal of these procedures is to enhance opportunity and efficacy of tracking these small and elusive animals after their release. These initial individuals will be tracked following their release in December 2017, and, based on the outcomes, more transmitters may be placed in future release candidates. A few days ago we received a text message from Parag to let us know that two individuals have been successfully released into Orang NP. Tracking is going well and as expected. This effort represents a rewarding cross-pollination of ideas and experience and will hopefully enhance post-release assessment for this important conservation program. PK & Chris December 2017 Kulan leaping from crate at the release site in Altyn Data Photo: FZS-Daniel Rosengren Just back from my first trip to Kazakhstan. On 24th October 2017, the first group of nine kulan (Asiatic wild ass) was released into an acclimatization enclosure on the edge of the Altyn Dala protected area in central Kazakhstan. The animals had been transported 1200 km by helicopter from Altyn Emel National Park in the southeast of the country. They will be released in early spring. This is the first step in a multi-year project that aims to restore the full range of large herbivores to this unique area of steppe habitat. I was able to support this project with my veterinary medical expertise in the capture and transport of wild equids. A real novelty and quite the thrill was flying 2400 km across Kazakhstan in 200-300 metres altitude in a 50 year old Russian-built Mi26 helicopter Read more here Mi-26 helicopter loading kulan in Altyn Emel NP Photo: FZS-Daniel Rosengren A kulan in anaesthesia being prepared for transport and collaring Photo: FZS-Daniel Rosengren
Over 200 Takhis are roaming in the Gobi B SPA! For the first time since the beginning of reintroduction 1992, more than 200 Takhis are roaming the steppe of the Gobi B SPA. In this time the population has developped successfully and has started to explore new areas. But it also had to survive two hard winters in which Dzud took the life of many animals. Read the entire story of the reintroduction project in the 25 year anniversary publication
Friederike Pohlin, Kristin Brabender, Gerhard Fluch, Gabrielle Stalder, Thierry Petit and Chris Walzer
Background: Ecosystems with seasonal fluctuations in climate and food availability present physiological challenges to resident mammals and may cause “stress.” The two predominant physiological responses to stressors are (1) the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and (2) the modulation of the autonomic nervous system. To date, the primary indicator for “stress” in wildlife- and zoo animal research are glucocorticoid levels. By measuring the autonomic regulation of cardiac activity, particularly the vagal tone, heart rate variability (HRV) is presently emerging as a suitable indicator of “stress” in farm- and domestic animal research. Objective: The aim of this study was to use HRV, a novel method in wildlife research, to assess seasonal patterns of “stress” in a group of free-ranging Przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii). Methods: Six pregnant Przewalski's horses from one harem within the Hortobágy National Park in Hungary were subjected to the study. We used a dedicated telemetry system consisting of a subcutaneously implanted transmitter and a receiver and storage unit in a collar to record HRV, heart rate (HR), subcutaneous body temperature, and activity throughout a one-year study period—climate data was also collected. We defined “stress” as a decrease in parasympathetic nervous system tone and calculated RMSSD (root mean square of successive differences) as a measure of HRV. Linear mixed effects models with random intercept per individual were used for statistical analysis. Results: HRV and HR varied considerably throughout the year. Similar to temperate ruminants and hibernating mammals, Przewalski's horses experienced lower HR and HRV during winter, when resources are limited indicating decreased metabolic rates coupled with “stress.” In spring, we observed a drop of HRV along with a peak in HR indicating an increase of allostatic load that is most likely associated with increased energy demands during pregnancy and/or seasonal routines such as the adjustment of the gastrointestinal system to better quality diet. Conclusion: Measuring telemetric HRV is a proven method to study undisturbed reactions of wild animals to their changing environment over the long term. Przewalski's horses experience a loss of complexity in cardiovascular dynamics over the winter and particularly during spring, indicating seasonal “stress.” Read more Ecological connectivity is needed on land, under water and in the air to safeguard biodiversity for future generations. The video "Life needs connectivity.Three love stories" is part of a series of 3 videos made by our good friend Georg Misch and his team at Mischief Films (http://www.mischief-films.com/mischief) for the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (Germany ) in partnership with ALPARC, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna (Chris + PK) and Blue! Ecological connectivity is needed on land, under water and in the air to safeguard biodiversity for future generations. The video "Life needs connectivity.Three love stories" is part of a series of 3 videos made by our good friend Georg Misch and his team at Mischief Films (http://www.mischief-films.com/mischief) for the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (Germany ) in partnership with ALPARC, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna (Chris + PK) and Blue! Ecological connectivity is needed on land, under water and in the air to safeguard biodiversity for future generations. The video "Life needs connectivity.Three love stories" is part of a series of 3 videos made by our good friend Georg Misch and his team at Mischief Films (http://www.mischief-films.com/mischief) for the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (Germany ) in partnership with ALPARC, University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna (Chris + PK) and Blue! Within the framework of the Alpine Convention the German Ministry of environment (BMUB) has been providing support, together with France, towards the creation of ecological connectivity in the Alps since 2003. This is a central goal of the Nature Protection and Landscape Conservation Protocol of the Alpine Convention. The Ministry has supported project work of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas - ALPARC, the platform Ecological Connectivity, relevant EU projects in the Alpine Space, and the development of expert tools and methods within the Ministry´s research agenda. ALPARC has been an important partner in all these activities. As a result of all these activities, extensive technical, political and strategic foundations have been developed for the implementation of the Nature Conservation and Landscape Management Protocol, in particular for the realization of ecological networks in accordance with Article 12 of this Protocol. These results are also transferred to other mountain regions (eg Carpathian Mountains) beyond the Alpine area. The ecological network in the Alps makes a significant contribution to the global network of protected areas of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). During the past year Chris and PK worked together with Guido Plassmann and Yann Kohler from ALPARC, Marianne Badura from BLUE! and numerous invited authors to produce the book Alpine Nature 2030 Creating [ecological] connectivity for generations to come. The book was presented at the Alpine Convention conference in September 2016. On request the book is also available in printed form at no charge (10.000 copies were printed!) CW ,I am no film critic, and I find the idea of recommending films to those I don’t know daunting. So, as a non-film critic, I simply offer this suggestion: see ‘Tomorrow’ today—or soon.
‘Tomorrow’ ( https://www.demain-lefilm.com/en/film ) is a charming and uplifting documentary offered by a group of French film makers. The premise is a promising one: Perhaps we can find real life stories to counterbalance or even contradict the daily deluge of doom and gloom regarding climate change, financial Armageddon and our ugly inexorable skulk toward planetary annihilation. Don’t get me wrong, I can absolutely understand why scientists, computer modelers and other very smart people feel daunted and dismayed when they look at the current state of the earth’s affairs. There is plenty of reason to feel deep despair and a sense of individual helplessness. Numbers and figures, news stories and personal experiences certainly suggest that there is big change afoot, and it isn’t pretty. There is sometimes temptation to abandon all hope and just accept that the world as we know it will melt, sink, or simply devolve into a science-fiction set overrun by rodents and roaches. It is difficult to find a foothold for optimism or action. What is enchanting and engaging about this film is that it approaches the issues of climate change, political transparency, and the increasingly dichotomous and disproportionate distribution of wealth on a personal level,l and it seeks to showcase everyday people working locally to institute change and offer opportunities for others around them. There are material steps that individuals can take in their lives that have the potential for global ramifications. The film highlights people who have applied the catchy ‘think globally act locally’ slogan to their lives and communities, sometimes with exceptional effect. The sound track is whimsical and up-tempo (https://www.demain-lefilm.com/en/original-soundtrack) lending a youthful and optimistic vibe. There is also a website with practical recommendations for action at both the individual and collective levels. ( https://www.demain-lefilm.com/en/solutions ). While the film provides no magic bullets, it does offer an injection of hope and inspiration. It highlights some concrete personal efforts and presents examples of effective implementation on individual and community scales. There is a ‘Tomorrow’ that could be brighter than today. pk A paper by Mario Baldi et al. in the framework of his PhD
Baylisascaris procyonis (Ascaridoidea: Ascarididae) parasites are facultatively heteroxenous nematodes that are widely distributed in the United States and Canada, where prevalence rates reach 70%–90%. They colonize the small intestine of their final host, the northern raccoon (Procyon lotor), whose feces can contain up to 25 × 103 eggs/g. Under ideal environmental conditions (100% humidity and 24°C), eggs become infective in soil (1,2). When ingested by other mammalian hosts, third-stage larvae can produce pathologic changes called larva migrans, which can lead to chronic neurologic disorders and even death (1,3). B. procyonisparasite infection of humans occurs by the fecal–oral route (ingestion of eggs in contaminated food) (1). Small children are particularly vulnerable through accidental geophagia. Public health concerns arise where raccoon and human populations overlap. Read paper |
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June 2019
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