Effective wildlife monitoring generates valuable information, but it needs to be cost-effective because conservation funding is scarce. Passive acoustic monitoring facilitates monitoring and occupancy estimates of cryptic species, but is rarely used for terrestrial mammals vocalizing in ultrasound (> 20 kHz). Here, we compared the recording quality of two autonomous recording units: Open Acoustic's AudioMoth and the Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter Mini Bat 2. In June 2024, we conducted an experiment in north-east Thailand, playing modulated ultrasonic sounds in three forest environments. We conducted 108 trials at varying distances during the day and night. We measured the average decibels for each trial and found that the AudioMoth consistently provided equivalent dB readings of ultrasound on spectrograms and detected ultrasonic tones from further away than the Song Meter Mini Bat 2. These data indicate that the AudioMoth could be a cost-effective option for detecting modulated ultrasound at distances of up to 32 m. Cost often limits deployment of monitors, and the ability to maximize efforts while minimizing cost is essential for improved species monitoring.
Human-wildlife conflicts are a growing global issue for wildlife, especially for large carnivores. The leopard Panthera pardus is generally solitary, shy and cryptic; however, human-leopard conflicts occur, including attacks on people. Attacks are generally rare throughout the majority of the species' range, although in India they have been relatively high and are increasing. A high number of leopard attacks have been reported in the Kashmir region of India since 2000. These have been associated with the loss, fragmentation and degradation of leopard habitat as well as the scarcity of wild prey. We document leopard attacks in the Kashmir region during 2006-2023, examine causes for recent trends and discuss the challenge of coexistence. A total of 424 leopard attacks were reported, of which 312 (73.6%) resulted in injury and 112 (26.4%) in the death of the victim. The attacks were predominantly during February and September, and least during December and April. The peak number of attacks occurred during 10.00-10.59. The majority of the victims were 0-19 or 30-49 years old. Attacks by leopards were rarer than attacks by Asiatic black bears Ursus thibetanus in the same region during the same time period. However, a higher per cent of leopard attacks resulted in deaths. The number of attacks has been declining since 2009, with the exception of 2013. The reason for the decline is likely the removal of problem leopards, and the proactive measures of the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department and NGOs in the region.
As protected areas increasingly compete with other land uses, their ability to generate economic value through tourism has become central to both public acceptance and long-term sustainability. However, the effects of tourism on wildlife remain understudied, particularly in African protected areas. Mole National Park, Ghana’s largest protected area, is critical for both biodiversity conservation and ecotourism. With plans to expand tourism into its less-visited areas, we assessed the impacts of tourism on medium- to large-sized mammals using multiple metrics. Camera traps were deployed across zones with low, medium and high tourism use, recording 24 mammal species over 6,050 trap-days. Although overall species richness and abundance were similar across zones, certain species showed higher relative abundance in high-use areas (e.g. kob Kobus kob, African buffalo Syncerus caffer) and others were more abundant in low-use areas (e.g. western hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus major, African savannah elephant Loxodonta africana). The most consistent effect of higher tourism levels was a shift in daily activity patterns towards more nocturnal behaviour, probably in response to human presence. Olive baboons Papio anubis and common warthogs Phacochoerus africanus, however, maintained peak activity around midday. Juvenile presence was highest in low-tourism zones, suggesting possible reproductive sensitivity to disturbance. These behavioural and demographic responses may have longer-term consequences for population dynamics. Our findings raise concerns about the expansion of tourism into currently undisturbed areas, as wildlife is already responding to existing pressure. We recommend designating no-access zones as wildlife breeding areas, implementing buffer zones based on species activity and educating tourists on responsible wildlife viewing. Finally, we highlight the need for broader research on tourism impacts across conservation landscapes in Africa.
The global ornamental fish trade presents significant challenges to the conservation of biodiversity. In this study we explore patterns in the freshwater ornamental fish market in Hong Kong, one of the largest wildlife trading hubs. We conducted weekly surveys over a 3-month period in Hong Kong's primary aquarium shop district to document species diversity, conservation status, native origin and market value. A total of 540 freshwater fish species of 73 families were recorded. We found that species occurrence in the market was largely price-driven, and minimum retail price was the strongest predictor of how frequently we encountered a species in our surveys. We assessed each species' placement along the market occurrence-price gradient and found that potentially undescribed species dominated the expensive/rare end of the market, where the anthropogenic All & eacute;e effect (in which novelty/rarity exacerbates exploitation because of increased demand) may be influential. Alarmingly, 86 (16%) of the species in the market were potentially undescribed, and 38% of species in the market were either not evaluated or categorized as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List at the time of our surveys. The significant proportion of unassessed and potentially undescribed species is of concern because of the potential for unsustainable exploitation prior to consideration of appropriate regulatory frameworks. Although our data suggest that cheaper, common species dominate the trade, the substantial presence of little-known species is of conservation concern, underscoring the need for more extensive monitoring.
