Rhabdomyolyses is a clinical sign of capture myopathy in wild animals and may be linked to glycogen metabolism. To study potential mechanisms, 26 wild blesbok were chased for 15 min and immobilised, whereafter 12 of these blesbok were doused with ice-water (n = 14 chased only group; n = 12 chased + cooled group). An additional 12 blesbok served as resting (not chased) uncooled controls. Vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained after immobilisation for biochemical analyses. Biopsies obtained at initial capture, 3- and 16-days post exercise were analysed for glycogen content. Blesbok muscles contained predominantly myosin heavy chain (MHC) IIA (∼50 ± 9 %), followed by IIX (32 ± 10 %) and MHC I (18 ± 5 %), with no difference between groups. Citrate synthase (mean: 87 ± 48), 3-hydroxyacetyl co A dehydrogenase (47 ± 17), lactate dehydrogenase (1567 ± 654), phosphorylase (162 ± 94), phosphofructokinase (250 ± 123) and creatine kinase (12,455 ± 6372) activities (in μmol/min/g prot) were not different between groups. Similarly, superoxide dismutase (7.9 ± 7 U/mg prot), catalase (8.8 ± 5.8 mmol/min/g prot), and overall antioxidant capacity (ORAC: 23055 ± 18,460 μmol/g prot) were not different between groups. Glycogen content was reduced in both chased groups and not replenished by day 3. Glycogen supercompensation was observed on day 16 in both chased groups (∼33 % higher than resting control group). The results confirm that blesbok have high muscle metabolic capacities, and that glycogen resynthesis is slow, which could lead to metabolite deficiency during prolonged chase events (>15 min).

African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are frequently immobilised for veterinary interventions, disease screening and translocations. Concerns over user and animal safety, costs, and irregularities in opioid supply, have led to the development of alternative immobilisation protocols. This study compared immobilisation of 12 boma-habituated African buffalo with thiafentanil-azaperone (TA) vs. thiafentanil-medetomidine-azaperone (TMA) in a randomised crossover study. Each buffalo received a combination of thiafentanil (6-7 mg) + azaperone (40 mg) and thiafentanil (1 mg) + medetomidine (3-4 mg) + azaperone (40 mg) with a three-week washout period between immobilisations. Induction and recovery times were recorded, quality of induction and immobilisation were scored subjectively, and physiological variables were monitored. The TMA combination induced immobilisation with 1/7th of the TA thiafentanil dose and at a quarter of the cost. Induction times for the TA combination were significantly faster at 5.7 +/- 1.6 min and more reliable compared to the TMA combination at 10.95 +/- 3.9 min. Both combinations resulted in severe hypoxaemia, however hypoxaemia was overall more pronounced in the TMA (PaO2 44 +/- 14 mmHg) combination compared to the TA (PaO2 51 +/- 13,33 mmHg) combination and resulted mainly from decreased pulmonary oxygen exchange rather than hypoventilation; PaCO2 values were mostly within the normal expected physiological range. Supplementary oxygen and close monitoring of blood oxygenation is considered essential with either combination. Although the reduction in costs could be beneficial for the wildlife industry, longer induction times, and risks from severe hypoxaemia need to be taken into consideration when the TMA combination is used.

Wild animals are commonly captured for conservation, research, and wildlife management purposes. However, capture is associated with a high risk of morbidity or mortality. Capture-induced hyperthermia is a commonly encountered complication believed to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. Active cooling of hyperthermic animals by dousing with water is believed to treat capture-induced pathophysiological effects, but remains untested. This study aimed to determine the pathophysiological effects of capture, and whether cooling by dousing with cold water effectively reduces these effects in blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi). Thirty-eight blesbok were randomly allocated into three groups: a control group that was not chased (Ct, n=12), chased not cooled (CNC, n=14), and chased plus cooled group (C+C, n=12). The CNC and C+C groups were chased for 15 min prior to chemical immobilization on day 0. Animals in the C+C group were cooled with 10 L of cold water (4 C) for 10 min during immobilization. All animals were immobilized on days 0, 3, 16, and 30. During each immobilization, rectal and muscle temperatures were recorded, and arterial and venous blood samples collected. Blesbok in the CNC and C+C groups presented with capture-induced pathophysiological changes characterized by hyperthermia, hyperlactatemia, increased markers of liver, skeletal, and cardiac muscle damage, hypoxemia, and hypocapnia. Cooling effectively returned body temperatures to normothermic levels, but neither the magnitude nor the duration of the pathophysiological changes differed between the CNC and C+C groups. Therefore, at least in blesbok, capture-induced hyperthermia appears not to be the primary cause of the pathophysiological changes, but is more likely a clinical sign of the hypermetabolism resulting from capture-induced physical and psychological stress. Although cooling is still recommended to prevent the compounding cytotoxic effects of persistent hyperthermia, it is unlikely to prevent stress- and hypoxia-induced damage caused by the capture procedure.

Sustainability trajectories provide a means to consider social capacity to guide interactions between nature, in this case hurricanes, and society. In Providence, RI, USA port stakeholders viewed a visualization of the impacts of a historical hurricane intensity on a slightly shifted path that resulted in an estimated water level of 6.4 m above NAVD 88. Port businesses representatives observed projected water elevation with respect to specific business facilities. Results from surveys and interviews of 15 businesses show that meeting, training, planning, and data back-up were common proactive measures; many had back-up generators; but few had flood and wind proofed buildings, elevated properties, or electrical systems. In Providence, port businesses have taken initial actions along the trajectory but lack the port-wide coordination of effective stakeholder actions that marks a robust sustainability trajectory.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a transboundary animal disease that has a major impact on livestock production and trade. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that infects cloven-hoofed livestock and wildlife. The susceptibility of South African indigenous goats to FMDV Southern African Territories 1 (SAT1) was investigated after experimental challenge with a mixed SAT1 virus pool. In this study, we present the clinical manifestation of FMDV in five naive goats challenged via the intra-dermolingual route with 10(4.57) 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) FMDV virus pool containing SAT1 SAR/8/10, SAR/10/10 and SAR/21/10. The clinical responses of two vaccinated unchallenged goats maintained as in-contacts are also presented. Clinical scoring of FMDV infection and daily rectal temperatures were recorded and temperatures >= 40 degrees C were defined as fever. All five challenged goats developed fever within 48 h post challenge with a median fever duration of 5 days. The two unchallenged goats developed fever at 5 and 9 days post-contact with FMD lesions appearing at 4 and 8 days post-contact. Additional clinical signs observed included nasal discharge, ulcerative oral mucosal lesions of the lip and ulcerative interdigital cleft lesions. The pooled FMDV SAT1 infection caused mild clinical signs and natural transmission to reduced-dose vaccinated in-contact indigenous South African goats occurred.

The number of species that merit conservation interventions is increasing daily with ongoing habitat destruction, increased fragmentation and loss of population connectivity. Desertification and climate change reduce suitable conservation areas. Physiological stress is an inevitable part of the capture and translocation process of wild animals. Globally, capture myopathy—a malignant outcome of stress during capture operations—accounts for the highest number of deaths associated with wildlife translocation. These deaths may not only have considerable impacts on conservation efforts but also have direct and indirect financial implications. Such deaths usually are indicative of how well animal welfare was considered and addressed during a translocation exercise. Importantly, devastating consequences on the continued existence of threatened and endangered species succumbing to this known risk during capture and movement may result. Since first recorded in 1964 in Kenya, many cases of capture myopathy have been described, but the exact causes, pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment for this condition remain to be adequately studied and fully elucidated. Capture myopathy is a condition with marked morbidity and mortality that occur predominantly in wild animals around the globe. It arises from inflicted stress and physical exertion that would typically occur with prolonged or short intense pursuit, capture, restraint or transportation of wild animals. The condition carries a grave prognosis, and despite intensive extended and largely non-specific supportive treatment, the success rate is poor. Although not as common as in wildlife, domestic animals and humans are also affected by conditions with similar pathophysiology. This review aims to highlight the current state of knowledge related to the clinical and pathophysiological presentation, potential treatments, preventative measures and, importantly, the hypothetical causes and proposed pathomechanisms by comparing conditions found in domestic animals and humans. Future comparative strategies and research directions are proposed to help better understand the pathophysiology of capture myopathy.

Fission-fusion social societies allow animals to respond in a flexible manner to environmental changes by adapting the size and composition of a group. Although group members change frequently in these systems, associations with preferred partners may be found. In this study, we examined the grouping patterns of a population of 80 individual giraffes in a fenced South African game reserve over a 12-month period. Using social network analyses as a tool to evaluate observed associations, we subsequently analysed both sex- and season-related grouping patterns within the study population. Mixed sex groups represented 49% of all groups observed, and although overall group composition distribution did not differ significantly between seasons, the number of encountered single females decreased by 50%, whereas the number of multi-male groups increased by over 50% in winter. Overall average group size did not differ significantly between seasons, but significantly larger multi-female and multi-male groups were seen in winter. Within the social network, two distinct clusters were found in summer, with the population more divided in winter, with five distinct clusters emerging. The strongest ties (highest HWIGs) were found between adult females. Our study revealed that giraffes not only live in a highly flexible social fission-fusion system, but also show seasonal patterns of grouping.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus is economically one of the world's most important animal pathogens, which can be responsible for losses in livestock trade, as well as frequent and highly disruptive large-scale epidemics. The control of FMD in southern Africa typically includes vaccination of cattle with a trivalent or bivalent vaccine preparation. The objective of this study was to determine the level and duration of the antibody responses conferred by the current FMD vaccination programme in cattle at the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa. Two hundred and eighty-three cattle from four communal dip tanks were longitudinally sampled after vaccination using an inactivated trivalent FMD vaccine (South African Territories (SAT) 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3). Blood samples were collected fortnightly over four months and antibodies were measured using a liquid-phase blocking ELISA. Only 5%, 43%, and 16% of enrolled cattle had evidence of pre-existing antibody responses to the three SAT viruses at the beginning of the study (>= 1.6 log(10) titre for SAT 1-3 respectively), which was 7-42 months after the last vaccination campaign. However, 14 days after vaccination this proportion increased to between 66% and 93%, with SAT 2 having the highest proportion. Young animals (< 1 year old) tended to have higher predicted baseline antibody levels that peaked by 14 days. Positive serological responses were transient and by 56 days post-vaccination antibody levels begun to decline below the threshold of 1.6 log(10) titre. Predicted peak antibody levels only consistently reached 2.0 log(10) for SAT 2. Serological responses for SAT 2 tended to be longer, but in most cases the duration of antibody levels was short-lived. More research is necessary to determine the reasons for the limited duration of antibody responses, especially among younger cattle, in order to achieve more effective prophylactic vaccination.

Leopards Panthera pardus are classified in the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable, primarily due to habitat loss, natural prey base depletion and exploitation caused by various anthropogenic activities. Although protected areas are important for leopard conservation, the majority of suitable leopard habitat lies beyond protected area boundaries exposing individuals to different environmental, physiological and psychosocial stressors. This study aimed to examine the suitability of five different enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring adrenocortical function in the leopard based on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) analysis. After performing an adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test and investigating the stability of fGCM post-defaecation, faeces from free-ranging leopards in a peri-urban and a conservation area were collected to investigate the potential impact of habitat variability on glucocorticoid output. An EIA measuring fGCM with a 5α-3β-11β-diol structure performed best, demonstrating a ∼200%–330% increase in fGCM concentrations approximately 40 h post-ACTH administration. Concentrations of fGCM remained quite stable for up to six days post-defaecation and showed a maximum increase of 8% and a maximum decrease of 9%. Although not significantly different, overall median fGCM concentrations were 68% higher in individuals utilising the peri-urban area compared with leopards utilising the conservation area. The ranges of fGCM concentrations between sites, however, were similar. Individual median fGCM concentrations differed distinctly between free-ranging males and females, possibly linked to female reproductive status. The established method can now assist in addressing some of the issues facing local wildlife managers, conservationists and researchers tackling various aspects related to leopard conservation and management under different land-use practices.

Communal livestock farming areas adjoining the Greater Kruger National Park Area within South Africa are part of the Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) Protection Zone with Vaccination due to the proximity to wildlife reservoirs. FMD and its control affect the productivity of resource-poor farmers who often depend on livestock for their livelihoods. A cross-sectional study was performed with the objectives to evaluate the perceptions of farmers concerning FMD control, estimate the proportion of cattle with presumed protective antibody titres against FMD, as well as the proportion of herds with adequate herd immunity at the wildlife-livestock interface within Mpumalanga Province. One hundred and four farmers were interviewed with 73% (76/104) being cattle owners and the remainder hired cattle herders. The majority of respondents (79%, 82/104) reported a high level of satisfaction with the current animal health programmes in general. The educational level of the respondents varied by satisfaction level: the median (interquartile range; IQR) education level was standard 9 (2–12) for non-satisfied respondents, standard 3 (0–6) for little satisfied and standard 7 (2–11) for very satisfied respondents (P = 0.036). Animals are not always treated at FMD inspections points, but satisfied respondents were more likely to seek veterinary assistance (P = 0.001). The majority of respondents (92%, 96/104) identified the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) as a risk factor for FMD outbreaks. Liquid-phase blocking ELISA antibody titres ≥1.6log10 were used to indicate positive serology secondary to FMD vaccination. At the time of sampling and relative to this threshold, 23% (95% confidence interval (CI): 12%–34%) of the sampled cattle had positive serology to SAT-1, 41% (95%CI: 33%–48%) to SAT-2 and 29% (95%CI: 19%–39%) to SAT-3. The median (IQR) time between the previous vaccination and sampling was 189 (168–241) days. The sampled cattle had a longer inter-vaccination interval as scheduled by state veterinary services and antibody levels were low at the time of the study. The majority of respondents expressed high satisfaction with the currently applied FMD vaccination programme, which provides an opportunity for progressive adaption of animal health programmes within the study area.

In many mammal species, androgen levels in males are elevated during periods of mating activity, often to facilitate aggressive behavior between males over access to fertile females. However, this pattern might be less obvious in species with a rather low male-male aggression rate, or in those that are not strictly seasonal breeders. A complex social structure, as well as additional social and environmental factors, might add more to the complexity. Here, we applied a non-invasive method to monitor fecal androgen metabolite (fAM) levels in free-ranging giraffe bulls over a period of months to examine longitudinal patterns of androgen metabolite concentrations in relation to observed male sexual behavior in different age classes. Giraffes are non-seasonal breeders, living in a fission-fusion social system and males show a roaming strategy to search for fertile females. Our results show that season has an impact on fAM levels in free-ranging giraffes, with respective steroid concentrations being higher in summer. In the presence of females, fAM levels of bulls are significantly higher compared to when found in all-male groups, with old adult bulls showing the highest fAM levels. In contrast, young adult bulls have overall slightly higher fAM levels compared to old adult bulls when residing in all male groups. Sexual behavior increases fAM levels only in old adult bulls. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The objective of our study was identification and molecular characterization of piroplasms and rickettsias occurring in brown (Parahyaena brunnea) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) from various localities in Namibia and South Africa. Whole blood (n = 59) and skin (n = 3) specimens from brown (n = 15) and spotted hyaenas (n = 47) were screened for the presence of Babesia, Theileria, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species using the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization technique. PCR products of 52/62 (83.9%) of the specimens hybridized only with the Theileria/Babesia genus-specific probes and not with any of the species-specific probes, suggesting the presence of a novel species or variant of a species. No Ehrlichia and/or Anaplasma species DNA could be detected. A parasite 18S ribosomal RNA gene of brown (n = 3) and spotted hyaena (n = 6) specimens was subsequently amplified and cloned, and the recombinants were sequenced. Homologous sequence searches of databases indicated that the obtained sequences were most closely related to Babesia lengau, originally described from cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Observed sequence similarities were subsequently confirmed by phylogenetic analyses which showed that the obtained hyaena sequences formed a monophyletic group with B. lengau, B abesia conradae and sequences previously isolated from humans and wildlife in the western USA. Within the B. lengau clade, the obtained sequences and the published B. lengau sequences were grouped into six distinct groups, of which groups I to V represented novel B. lengau genotypes and/or gene variants. We suggest that these genotypes cannot be classified as new Babesia species, but rather as variants of B. lengau. This is the first report of occurrence of piroplasms in brown hyaenas.

One of the primary sources of perceived stress is the social environment of an animal and the interactions with conspecifics. An essential component of the response to a stressor is the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, which results amongst others in a temporal increase in circulating glucocorticoid (GC) levels. Giraffes occur in a highly flexible fission-fusion social system and group compositions can change on a daily basis, with bulls establishing an age-related dominance hierarchy and showing a roaming strategy in the search for fertile females. The aim of this study was to non-invasively monitor the influence of different group compositions (mixed sex groups vs. all-male groups) on GC concentrations in free ranging giraffe bulls of different age classes. We collected fecal samples from free-ranging giraffe bulls for 12months in a South African Private Game Reserve to examine age- and social context-related patterns of fecal GC metabolite (fGCM) concentrations. We found that fGCM levels in giraffe bulls are age-class dependent, as well asassociated with changes in the social environment. Independently of the social setting, bulls of the youngest age class exhibited the highest fGCM levels compared to bulls of the other two older age-classes, with differences most pronounced when the bulls are associated in all-male groups. In contrast, an almost reversed picture appears when looking at the fGCM levels of sexually active individuals in mixed sex groups, where highest levels were found for the bulls in the oldest age-class, and the lowest for the bulls in the youngest age-class. The study stresses the importance to taking factors such asage-related status and social settings into account, when interpreting fGCM levels in free ranging giraffes.

Feedbacks occur when advocates engage to clarify the implementation of a policy innovation such as the requirement that federal activities be consistent with objectives of state coastal management plans. Discrete policy feedbacks include advocacy, litigation, appeals of decisions as well as other activities inserted into policy implementation by interests or government agencies acting in their behalf. Feedback analysis is applied to the time after the passage of the 1972 U.S. Coastal Zone Management Act. Conflicts after passage of the law resulted in a negative feedback in the form of a Supreme Court decision in 1984 and a subsequent positive feedback through the 1990 revision of the law effectively reversing the Court decision. New insights documented here suggest that feedback switching, wherein old disputes are moved to new arenas, provides the greatest opportunity for overcoming negative feedbacks that could diminish or eliminate the policy innovation. Furthermore observing feedbacks through time and across multiple policy spaces as demonstrated here provides a robust interpretation of policy evolution from a new perspective. This analysis demonstrates how feedbacks convert a voluntary state program into one with authority over certain federal actions. These findings will be important for other areas of coastal policy and, more broadly, policy evolution in general.

For various reasons, Southern Africa may be considered the playground as well as the thinking tank for many theories and practices in the natural resources management field. History has contributed to reshape conservation practices through colonial times, and recent wars have led to the relocation of people from their homelands and the appropriation by people of previously protected areas due to socio-economic pressures. Contemporary practices stemming from sustainable development have not yielded the expected results in resolving critical socio-economic stresses that impact on environmental health. Furthermore, human health has deteriorated in remote rural areas due to the failures of governance systems and the perpetration of non-participatory models for natural resources management, especially conservation. This paper seeks to explore how two relatively new approaches, Disaster Risk Reduction and One Health, can together tap into the theoretical and practical gaps left by previous paradigms in order to instill a sustainable development approach that can benefit both people and natural resources in remote and poor rural areas.

Seventy-two adult cheetahs were evaluated for the degree of gastritis by endoscopic biopsy and for renal disease by serum creatinine. Cheetahs free of Grade 3 gastritis and renal disease were placed on Trial A; remaining cheetahs were placed on Trial B, which ran concurrently. All cheetahs were monitored for 4 years. Cheetahs exited Trial A and entered Trial B if they developed Grade 3 gastritis or renal disease. Cheetahs exited Trial B if they developed clinical gastritis or renal disease that required a dietary change or aggressive medical therapy or died owing to either disease. Cheetahs on Trial A were fed either a supplemented meat diet (N = 26) or commercial cat food (N = 22). Cheetahs on Trial B were fed either the same meat diet (N = 28) or a commercial dry cat food formulated for renal disease (N = 16). Cheetahs fed meat on Trial A had a daily hazard of developing Grade 3 gastritis 2.21 times higher (95% CI 0.95-5.15) than cheetahs fed commercial cat food. This hazard was not statistically significant (P = 0.07). Mean gastritis scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Cheetahs fed commercial cat food in both Trials had lower serum urea levels and higher creatinine levels than those fed meat. Evidence for the effect of diet in cheetahs with gastritis and/or renal disease (Trial B) was inconclusive. The number of cheetahs dying of gastritis or renal disease at the facility has dropped markedly since the study began. These results indicate that diet may play an important role in the incidence of Grade 3 gastritis and that dietary and/or therapeutic management of gastritis may reduce mortality owing to gastritis and renal disease in captive cheetahs.

For many of us, the coast represents warm summer days at a welcoming beach—swimming, sea birds, and sandcastles. Yet that ideal does not reflect the full reality. Instead, water pollution, beach erosion, habitat destruction, and other forces are currently threatening coastal areas all along the United States.