Counter-poaching patrols are a primary tool for protecting wildlife in threatened landscapes, yet detection rates of active poaching incursions are typically low and patrol planning frameworks that have been operationalised and performance-assessed remain rare. We describe a structured search framework applied over a decade of counter-poaching operations in the Kenyir Core Area, Malaysia, 1,200 km² of mountainous tropical forest critical to Malayan tiger recovery. Drawing on search theory and actor-based crime scripting, we developed a network of prioritised patrol routes based on poacher terrain use, termed Operational Patrol Space (OPS). This was combined with a vigilance metric that tracks time elapsed since each route was last patrolled. This two-stage framework guides rangers first to detect initial sign of an active incursion using OPS patrol routes, then to fix the precise location of the active poaching team using targeted search lines within a reduced search region. Following implementation, active incursion detection rates increased from 16% to 50% and success pinpointing the active camp location rose from 20% to 56%, with patrol team numbers held constant. We discuss transferability to other protected area contexts and provide sufficient methodological detail for the framework to be replicated and adapted by other teams.
IntroductionUnderstanding the psychological determinants of pro-environmental behavior is critical in addressing the escalating climate crisis. Despite increasing recognition of an important predictor of environmentally responsible actions, the role and interaction of eco-emotions remain insufficiently examined. This gap is particularly evident in non-Western contexts such as India.MethodsThis study aimed to examine the influence of environmental identity on pro-environmental behavior, with particular attention to the role of eco-emotions within this relationship. The study further examines the mediating roles of eco-anxiety and eco-hope, and the moderating effect of eco- hope on the identity–anxiety–behavior pathway. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting data from 395 adults across India (ages 18–60, Indian residents, fluent in English, no diagnosed mental illnesses) via convenience sampling using online questionnaires. Measures included the Environmental Identity Scale by Clayton, Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale by Hogg, Climate Change Hope Scale by Li and Monroe, and Pro-Environmental Behaviour Scale by Markle. Regression, mediation, and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS PROCESS.ResultsResults indicated that environmental identity significantly predicted pro-environmental behavior, with eco-anxiety partially mediating this association. Eco-hope did not independently mediate pro- environmental behavior and did not moderate the indirect effect of identity through eco-anxiety.DiscussionThese findings suggest that interventions promoting environmental identity should simultaneously cultivate constructive concern and realistic hope, optimizing engagement in sustainable behaviors. The study contributes to the understanding of identity–emotion–behavior dynamics in environmental psychology and underscores culturally contextualized strategies to foster climate action.
Southern Africa holds an irreplaceable stock of locally adapted livestock breeds that persist mainly within smallholder and communal production systems. These breeds are losing genetic ground because of uncontrolled crossbreeding, disrupted land tenure, climate driven destocking, and decades of livestock policy that rewarded commercial output over the conservation of indigenous breeds. This structured narrative review, which incorporates systematic elements in its search and screening but does not follow the full protocol of a systematic or scoping review, examines how indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) may function as a conservation mechanism for animal genetic resources (AnGR) across the region, drawing on 62 peer-reviewed and grey-literature sources published between 1995 and 2026 and retained in the final thematic synthesis. Findings synthesized across six thematic domains suggest that IKS-associated practices are linked to several dimensions of in situ conservation, although the underlying evidence is predominantly cross-sectional, observational, and ethnographic, and does not permit strong causal inference. Phenotype-based selection criteria appear, in the studies reviewed, to be associated with the persistence of some adaptive traits, though the genetic mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unconfirmed. Communal institutions such as livestock loaning (mafisa) and rotational bull-sharing are reported, mainly on ethnographic grounds, to regulate gene flow and limit inbreeding in the absence of any pedigree recording system. Customary taboos, socio-cultural governance structures, and oversight by elder councils are documented as helping to anchor indigenous genotypes within community gene pools across generations. Molecular studies of populations managed under IKS report heterozygosity, allelic richness, and between-breed differentiation that are consistent with, though not proof of effective community-level genetic management; the available evidence indicates an association between IKS-informed management and conservation-relevant genetic patterns rather than a demonstrated causal relationship. Significant gaps remain, particularly the limited genomic validation of IKS selection claims, the systematic under-documentation of women’s knowledge in small-stock management, and the near-total absence of longitudinal research linking IKS practice to genetic outcomes over time; closing these gaps is identified as the priority for establishing whether the associations described here reflect genuine conservation mechanisms. The review closes with policy-relevant recommendations for further evaluating, and where warranted embedding, IKS within national AnGR strategies and SADC livestock frameworks.
IntroductionSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) contains highly diverse aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems but remains underrepresented in biodiversity research. Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a non-invasive approach for biodiversity assessment, yet its application across SSA has not been comprehensively synthesized.MethodsA systematic review following PRISMA 2020 was conducted using Google Scholar and Scopus for studies published from January 2018 to April 2026. Eligible peer-reviewed English-language studies used eDNA or DNA metabarcoding to assess aquatic or terrestrial biodiversity in SSA. Data were extracted on geographic distribution, ecosystems, target taxa, markers, sequencing platforms, sampling approaches, reference databases, and reported constraints.ResultsTwenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Aquatic ecosystems accounted for 88% of studies, while fish were the dominant target taxon (48%). Southern Africa had the largest geographic representation. The most frequently used marker was 12S rRNA (52%), and Illumina was the dominant sequencing platform (72%). Incomplete reference databases were reported as a major limitation in 68% of studies, while terrestrial and arthropod-focused applications were markedly underrepresented.DiscussioneDNA has demonstrated substantial potential for biodiversity monitoring in SSA, particularly in aquatic systems. However, incomplete reference libraries, methodological heterogeneity, logistical constraints, contamination risks, limited infrastructure, and capacity gaps constrain broader application. Future work should strengthen African reference databases, standardize methods, expand terrestrial and arthropod applications, and support SSA-led capacity development.
The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is classified as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. As apex predators, crocodiles play vital ecosystem clean-up roles. However, anthropogenic activities threaten its population in wetlands in Southern Africa. The species attracts significant interest from humans within the Traditional Water Knowledge (TWK) domain. This Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided review assessed the uses of crocodiles, inclusion levels, and barriers and benefits of integrating TWK in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries’ wildlife and water policies for crocodile conservation. TWK poses an existential threat to crocodile conservation through intergenerational negative perceptions bordering on myths and ethnozoological medicinal use incorporating its eyes, tail, head, scales, gall bladder, belly skins, liver, and bile duct secretions. Anthropogenic-driven destruction of nesting sites abetted by poor monitoring of wetland habitats by wildlife authorities causes declines in populations and shifts in distribution. Crocodile ranching is effective to sustain populations of crocodiles though its reliance on wild egg collection for enhancing production negates its overall contribution to conservation. TWK is poorly conceptualized and covered in wildlife and water conservation policies in SADC. Integrating geospatial techniques and citizen science in TWK provides a holistic framework to conserve crocodile populations in Southern Africa.
