scholarly journals Maternal human habituation enhances sons’ risk of human-caused mortality in a large carnivore, brown bears

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michito Shimozuru ◽  
Yuri Shirane ◽  
Masami Yamanaka ◽  
Masanao Nakanishi ◽  
Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka ◽  
...  

Abstract Human habituation of large carnivores is becoming a serious problem that generates human–wildlife conflict, which often results in the removal of animals as nuisances. Although never tested, human habituation potentially reduces the fitness of adult females by reducing their offspring’s survival as well as their own, due to an increased likelihood of human-caused mortality. Here, we tested this hypothesis in brown bears inhabiting Shiretoko National Park, Japan. We estimated the frequency of human-caused mortality of independent young (aged 1–4 years) born to mothers living in areas with different maternal levels of human habituation and different proximities to areas of human activity. The overall mortality rate was higher in males than in females, and in females living near a town than those in a remote area of park. Surprisingly, more than 70% of males born to highly habituated mothers living around a remote wildlife protection area were killed by humans; this proportion is greater than that for males born to less-habituated mothers living in almost the same area. The current study clarified that interactions among maternal human habituation, birthplace (proximity to town), age, and sex determine the likelihood of human-caused mortality of brown bears at an early stage of life.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
U.M. Bhatt ◽  
B. Habib ◽  
H.K. Sarma ◽  
S.L. Lyngdoh

AbstractSpecies interaction plays a vital role in structuring communities by stimulating behavioral responses in temporal niche affecting the sympatric associations and prey-predator relationships. We studied relative abundance indices (RAI) and activity patterns of each species, temporal overlap between sympatric species, and effects of moon cycle on predator-prey relationships, through camera-trapping in tropical semi-evergreen forests of Manas National Park. A total of 35 species were photo-captured with 16214 independent records over 7337 trap nights. Overall, relatively high number of photographs was obtained for large herbivores (11 species, n=13669), and low number of photographs were recorded for large carnivores (five species, n=657). Activity periods were classified into four categories: diurnal (day-time), nocturnal (night-time), crepuscular (twilight), and cathemeral (day and night time) of which 52% records were found in diurnal period followed by 37% in nocturnal phase whereas only 11% photographs during twilight. Small carnivores were strictly nocturnal (leopard cat and civets) or diurnal (yellow-throated marten and mongooses); whereas large carnivores were cathemeral (tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and Asiatic black bear). Analysis of activity patterns throughout the 24-h cycle revealed a high degree of temporal overlap (>60%) among most of the sympatric species; however, differences in the activity peaks were found between most of the species pairs. Moon phase was classified according to the percentage of visible moon surface as new (0-25%), waxing (25-50%), waning (50-75%) and full moon (75-100%). Moon phase did not have any correlation with activity of large carnivore and large prey. The large carnivore followed the feed and starve pattern of cyclic activity. The activity of small carnivore was influenced negatively by moonlight (partial correlation r = −0.221, p<0.01). The result suggests that large carnivores were active non-differentially across moon phases; however, small carnivores showed significantly high activity in darker nights. These patterns indicate that small predators may differ their activity temporally as an anti-predator strategy or otherwise to increase their foraging efficiency.


2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vukan Lavadinović ◽  
Zoran Popović ◽  
Zoran Ristić ◽  
Dejan Beuković

AbstractLavadinović V., Popović Z., Ristić Z., Beuković D.: Threats and international tools for sustainable brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) management. Ekologia (Bratislava), Vol. 32, No. 4, p. 345-351, 2013.Negative relation between humans and large carnivores with unprofitable management caused a decrease in abundance of the latter within their natural habitat. Main reasons for negative attitudes of humans towards large carnivores are damages, fear and unfamiliarity with their characteristics. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a European autochthonous large carnivore. Although it is not threatened at the global level, its abundance in Europe is limited to several populations. Protection has an important role in brown bear conservation, since they face different threats, mainly by negative human activities. Conservation of the brown bear is complicated due to its habitats overlapping with the human environment and also because brown bears require large territories. In order to protect brown bears more efficiently, it is important to identify the threats and to conduct the species protection by international recommendations and agreements. In this paper, we analysed brown bear distribution in Europe, abundance limitation factors and international conservation instruments.


Oryx ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Kyana N. Pike ◽  
Stephen Blake ◽  
Freddy Cabrera ◽  
Iain J. Gordon ◽  
Lin Schwarzkopf

Abstract As agricultural areas expand, interactions between wild animals and farmland are increasing. Understanding the nature of such interactions is vital to inform the management of human–wildlife coexistence. We investigated patterns of space use of two Critically Endangered Galapagos tortoise species, Chelonoidis porteri and Chelonoidis donfaustoi, on privately owned and agricultural land (hereafter farms) on Santa Cruz Island, where a human–wildlife conflict is emerging. We used GPS data from 45 tortoises tracked for up to 9 years, and data on farm characteristics, to identify factors that influence tortoise movement and habitat use in the agricultural zone. Sixty-nine per cent of tagged tortoises used the agricultural zone, where they remained for a mean of 150 days before returning to the national park. Large male tortoises were more likely to use farms for longer periods than female and smaller individuals. Tortoises were philopatric (mean overlap of farmland visits = 88.7 ± SE 2.9%), on average visiting four farms and occupying a mean seasonal range of 2.9 ± SE 0.3 ha. We discuss the characteristics of farm use by tortoises, and its implications for tortoise conservation and coexistence with people.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1735
Author(s):  
Marcello Franchini ◽  
Mirco Corazzin ◽  
Stefano Bovolenta ◽  
Stefano Filacorda

Conflicts between large carnivores and human activities undermine both the maintenance of livestock practices as well as the conservation of carnivores across Europe. Because large carnivore management is driven by a common EU policy, the purpose of this research was to assess stakeholders’ perception towards bears and wolves at an EU level. We conducted a systematic search and subsequent analysis of 40 peer-reviewed studies collected from 1990 to September 2020 within Member States of the EU. Rural inhabitants and hunters exhibited the most negative attitude compared to urban inhabitants and conservationists, whose attitude was more positive. We showed that direct experience with predators as a consequence of ongoing re-colonization may have affected the degree of acceptance of certain categories and that the long-term coexistence between humans and carnivores does not necessarily imply increased tolerance. To encourage coexistence, we recommend monitoring changes in attitudes over time relative to carnivore population dynamics.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 776-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mark Elbroch ◽  
Heiko U. Wittmer

Large carnivores perform keystone ecological functions through direct predation, or indirectly, through food subsidies to scavengers or trophic cascades driven by their influence on the distributions of their prey. Pumas ( Puma concolor ) are an elusive, cryptic species difficult to study and little is known about their inter-trophic-level interactions in natural communities. Using new GPS technology, we discovered that pumas in Patagonia provided 232 ± 31 kg of edible meat/month/100 km 2 to near-threatened Andean condors ( Vultur gryphus ) and other members of a diverse scavenger community. This is up to 3.1 times the contributions by wolves ( Canis lupus ) to communities in Yellowstone National Park, USA, and highlights the keystone role large, solitary felids play in natural systems. These findings are more pertinent than ever, for managers increasingly advocate controlling pumas and other large felids to bolster prey populations and mitigate concerns over human and livestock safety, without a full understanding of the potential ecological consequences of their actions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 940-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Moreno-Ramírez ◽  
T Ojeda-Vila ◽  
J Ríos-Martín ◽  
A Nieto-García ◽  
L Ferrándiz

2015 ◽  
Vol 187 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Alexander ◽  
Pengju Chen ◽  
Peter Damerell ◽  
Wang Youkui ◽  
Joelene Hughes ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ujjwal Kumar ◽  
Neha Awasthi ◽  
Qamar Qureshi ◽  
Yadvendradev Jhala

Abstract Most large carnivore populations are declining across their global range except in some well managed protected areas (PA’s). Investments for conserving charismatic apex carnivores are often justified due to their umbrella effect on biodiversity. We evaluate population trends of two large sympatric carnivores, the tiger and leopard through spatially-explicit-capture-recapture models from camera trap data in Kanha PA, India, from 2011 to 2016. Our results show that the overall density (100 km−2) of tigers ranged between 4.82 ± 0.33 to 5.21 ± 0.55SE and of leopards between 6.63 ± 0.71 to 8.64 ± 0.75SE, with no detectable trends at the PA scale. When evaluated at the catchment scale, Banjar catchment that had higher prey density and higher conservation investments, recorded significant growth of both carnivores. While Halon catchment, that had lower prey and conservation investments, populations of both carnivores remained stable. Sex ratio of both carnivores was female biased. As is typical with large carnivores, movement parameter sigma (an index for range size), was larger for males than for females. However, sigma was surprisingly similar for the same genders in both carnivores. At home-range scale, leopards achieved high densities and positive growth rates in areas that had low, medium or declining tiger density. Our results suggest that umbrella-species conservation value of tigers is likely to be compromised at very high densities and therefore should not be artificially inflated through targeted management.


The Auk ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy M. Jackson ◽  
Sievert Rohwer ◽  
Robin L. Winnegrad

Abstract We tested the status-signaling hypothesis in two groups of same-age and same-sex Harris' Sparrows (Zonotrichia querula). Unlike flocks of mixed age and sex composition, badge size did not correlate with social status in these groups; thus, status signaling does not appear to occur within age-and-sex classes of Harris' Sparrows. Other predictions of the status-signaling hypothesis we tested were that (1) fighting ability and social status should be correlated, and (2) fighting ability and badge size should be correlated. We used a multivariate assessment of body size as an indicator of fighting ability and found no support for either prediction in the flock of adult females. In the flock of adult males, large birds were more dominant (Prediction 1) but fighting ability and badge size were not correlated (contra Prediction 2).


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