Tag: wildlife conservation

Research reveals strong community willingness to protect declining wildlife in southern Ethiopia

The investigation, which was carried out through household surveys, focus group discussions, and field observations, revealed that local wildlife populations are under critical strain.

A new study published in the open-access journal BioRisk has highlighted a powerful wave of local support for wildlife conservation in the Hamer District of South Omo, Ethiopia, despite severe environmental pressures.

Researchers from the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, the Gullele Botanic Garden, and the University of Szczecin investigated the primary factors driving habitat degradation and evaluated whether communities are prepared to support future conservation strategies.

The investigation, which was carried out through household surveys, focus group discussions, and field observations, revealed that local wildlife populations are under critical strain. An overwhelming majority of the surveyed residents, precisely 82.3 per cent, reported a noticeable decline in wild animal numbers within their vicinity.

Map of Ethiopia showing the current study area (the Hamer District). Image credit: Zelalem Temesgen et al.

Participants identified deforestation and overgrazing as the most significant hazards to local biodiversity, with 63.5 per cent selecting forest clearing as the primary threat and 50.0 per cent identifying livestock overgrazing as the secondary threat. These human-induced activities are exacerbated by recurrent droughts and changing climate patterns, forcing pastoralist communities to venture deeper into natural habitats to seek fodder and water for their livestock.

Human induced fire in the Hamer District observed during the field visit. Image credit: Zelalem Temesgen et al.

Despite facing these daily challenges for survival, the local community demonstrated a remarkable commitment to environmental stewardship. The researchers found that 90.6 per cent of the respondents expressed an explicit willingness to participate actively in future wildlife conservation initiatives.

Focus group discussions held in Hamer District during the study. Image credit: Zelalem Temesgen et al.

Further, 96.9 per cent of those interviewed acknowledged that the responsibility to safeguard local species rests directly with the community itself, while 99 per cent stated that intervention programmes are an urgent necessity. Statistical modelling demonstrated that factors such as the specific locality, gender, marital status, and length of residence significantly influence an individual’s openness to conservation efforts.

Wildlife population status in the Hamer District as reported by survey respondents (%). Image credit: Zelalem Temesgen et al.

The study notes that local inhabitants traditionally interact with wildlife for various purposes, including utilising certain species for food, traditional remedies, or cultural decorations. However, these practices, combined with habitat loss, have pushed several animals to the brink, leaving the local presence of iconic species such as giraffes and ostriches highly uncertain.

To foster sustainable coexistence between humans and wild animals, the authors recommend implementing managed livestock husbandry practices and constructing dedicated water ponds to alleviate resource competition during dry spells.

They also advocate for the promotion of ecotourism, community-led management initiatives, and stricter enforcement of wildlife protection laws to curb illegal hunting and habitat destruction in the region.

Original source:

Temesgen Z, Biru Y, Gibru A (2026) Anthropogenic threats and challenges of wildlife conservation in Hamer District, South Omo, Ethiopia. BioRisk 24: 69-84. https://doi.org/10.3897/biorisk.24.175449

For more articles on biodiversity and ecosystem risk assessment, follow BioRisk on Facebook and Bluesky.

When Traded Frogs Are Not What They Seem: Hidden Identities Behind The Amphibian Trade

A new study published in Nature Conservation reveals that threatened amphibian species are being sold under incorrect names in online amphibian trade marketplaces.

Guest blog post by Xiaoli Zhang

When we first began this work, our original aim was to study the evolutionary history and divergence time of the genus Hoplobatrachus using genetic data. The traded specimens we collected were intended to support this phylogenetic analysis, not to investigate the legality of the amphibian trade. However, during samples verification, we found that some frogs sold as Quasipaa were genetically Hoplobatrachus, highlighting mismatch between trade labels and actual species identity.

This discovery led us to take a closer look at species identification in amphibian trade. Like many researchers in wildlife biology, we initially assumed that most trade labels were generally reliable, even if not perfect. What we found turned out to be more complicated and the results have been published in the open-access journal Nature Conservation.

A simple verification revealed unexpected results

Left: Quasipaa spinosa, right: Hoplobatrachus chinensis
Left: Quasipaa spinosa, right: Hoplobatrachus chinensis, photos by Amaël Borzée, via iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/), licensed under CC BY-NC.

Our study focused on frogs traded under the name Hoplobatrachus chinensis, a species commonly recorded in commercial markets. To verify their identity, we used genetic tools and the results were clear: specimens labelled as Chinese edible frogs (Hoplobatrachus chinensis) were in fact Chinese spiny frogs (Quasipaa spinosa), a different species entirely and one that is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. At first glance, this might appear to be a minor taxonomic issue. However, it raises an important question: how reliable is species identification in wildlife trade once animals enter real-world commercial systems?

Why do these mistakes happen?

One of the main challenges in amphibian trade is that many species are very similar in appearance. Even for experienced handlers, distinguishing between certain species based on morphology alone can be extremely difficult. In most trade contexts, identification is based solely on external characteristics, without genetic confirmation. This creates room for both unintentional misidentification and potential substitution errors. Once specimens move through multiple steps in complex supply chains, their original identity may become increasingly uncertain.

Is this an isolated case?

Based on our findings, we suspect this is not an isolated issue. Instead, our results likely represent only the “tip of the iceberg.” Amphibians are traded in large numbers, often through complex and poorly traceable supply chains. In such systems, even small identification errors can accumulate and go unnoticed. Because genetic verification is rarely applied in routine monitoring, similar cases may be more widespread than currently documented.

Why does it matter?

Quasipaa spinosa 
Four Quasipaa spinosa purchased online under the false visual of Hoplobatrachus chinensis, a farmed species. Panels correspond to individual specimens that were bought. Credit to Zhang et al., 2026

At first, species misidentification may seem like a technical detail. However, it has direct consequences for conservation and wildlife trade regulation. If traded individuals are incorrectly identified, trade data may not accurately reflect which species are being exploited. This can lead to biased assessments of population pressure and potentially mask risks for threatened species. In other words, what is recorded in trade databases may not always match biological reality.

What can be done?

One of the key implications of our study is the importance of incorporating molecular tools into wildlife trade monitoring. DNA-based identification provides a reliable way to confirm species identity, particularly in cases where morphology alone is insufficient. While it may not be feasible to genetically test every traded individual, targeted or random sampling could significantly improve the accuracy and transparency of trade data.

A broader perspective

Beyond amphibians, our findings highlight a more general issue in wildlife trade: hidden uncertainty in species identification can quietly distort our understanding of biodiversity exploitation. Improving traceability and verification is therefore not just a technical improvement, but an essential step toward more effective conservation decision-making.

Original source:

Zhang, X., Borzée, A., Gill, S., & Othman, S. N. (2026). Hidden or inadvertent illegal amphibian trade? Genetic analyses reveal Quasipaa spinosa misidentified as Hoplobatrachus chinensis in the trade. Nature Conservation, 63, 247-257. DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.63.183849

Hidden in the Headlines: New Study Uses Local News to Assess Wildlife Poaching in Romania

Researchers from the University of Bucharest analysed over 1,100 media reports from 2007 to 2024 to uncover the patterns of wildlife crime.

Graceful, brown-eyed, and a staple of local folklore, the roe deer is one of Romania’s most iconic forest dwellers. But behind the serene image of these animals lies a hidden crisis: a new study reveals the roe deer is the most frequently poached mammal in the country, a finding made possible by turning to an unlikely source of scientific data: the local news.

Because Romania lacks a centralised official database for monitoring illegal hunting and fishing, researchers from the University of Bucharest analysed over 1,100 media reports from 2007 to 2024 to uncover the patterns of wildlife crime. The study, published in the journal Nature Conservation, found that ungulates and aquatic species are the primary targets of poachers, often driven by the lucrative trade in meat and animal products.

Taxa reported in mass media articles addressing poaching events from 2007 to 2024 in Romania. Photo credit: Neagu et al.

“We initially planned to map the scale of poaching in Romania using the data you would expect authorities to keep, things like police files, court records, and hunting inspectorate reports.”

“What we ran into was a gap no one really talks about, since there is no centralised database for poaching in this country. That forced us to rethink the question. Where were these stories actually being told? The answer was the press.”

Lead researcher Andra Claudia Neagu, a doctoral student at the University of Bucharest

The research identifies the roe deer as the most reported victim of illegal hunting, appearing in over 22 per cent of analysed articles, followed closely by the wild boar at 16 per cent. Fish and aquatic species also face high risks, making up nearly 34 per cent of poaching reports, with the highest concentration of incidents occurring in Tulcea County, home to the ecologically rich Danube Delta.

Bear caught in a snare in Covasna County. Photo credit: Silviu Chiriac (National Agency for Environment and Protected Areas, Vrancea County Environmental Directorate).

“A poaching incident in a forest outside a small village rarely makes it into a national statistic, but it often ends up in a local news brief.”

“On their own, these are footnotes. Put enough of them together and patterns emerge: where, which species, which season, which methods. What official records cannot capture, the local press often does.”

The Research Team

The study also highlighted a darker side of human-wildlife conflict: protected species like the brown bear and grey wolf are frequently targeted when they venture too close to human settlements. Researchers found that the poaching of these large carnivores is often fueled by a low tolerance among local communities and a lack of social acceptance.

Bear caught in a snare in Vrancea County. Photo credit: Silviu Chiriac.

Understanding the “why” behind these crimes is critical for reform. Neagu’s team found that poaching ranges from trophy hunting for status to subsistence fishing by families with few legal ways to earn a living.

“It changes almost everything, because there is no single ‘poacher’.”

“Trophy poaching needs stronger enforcement and real consequences. Subsistence poaching needs alternatives that break the dependence on an illegal catch. And casual poaching needs education far more than punishment. Treating these three as the same problem is one of the reasons anti-poaching policies so often fail.”

The Research Team

As technology advances, the team sees both new threats and new opportunities. While poachers use increasingly sophisticated trapping and online sales channels, researchers believe artificial intelligence could be a game-changer for conservation by scanning public platforms for evidence of illegal activities.

“Poachers adapt just as fast as we do. Some of the cases that made it into our dataset only came to light because someone online spotted an image, perhaps a trophy photo, and reported it. A tool trained to scan public platforms for exactly that kind of content could flag dozens more cases that slip through today.”

The Research Team
An improvised trap, often used by poachers (snares). Photo credit: Silviu Chiriac.

Ultimately, the study suggests that the most powerful tool for change is a shift in community mindset. Hotspots identified in the research, such as Tulcea for fishing and Bacau for ungulates, requires more public engagement.

“The biggest barrier to tackling it in Romania isn’t missing technology or weak laws. It is a quiet social tolerance.”

“If we had to pick one thing, it would be breaking the silence around poaching. If you care about wildlife, share what you know with the people around you. The more normal it becomes to treat poaching as a real problem, the less cover it has, and that is where real change starts.”

The Research Team

Research on the study, titled “Wildlife at risk: A media-based analysis of wildlife poaching in Romania,” was led by Andra Claudia Neagu, Steluta Manolache, and Laurentiu Rozylowicz. The work was supported by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS-UEFISCDI, project number PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-1119 (Harmonia).

Original source:

Neagu AC, Manolache S, Rozylowicz L (2026) Wildlife at risk: A media-based analysis of wildlife poaching in Romania. Nature Conservation 63: 275-298. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.63.185993

Follow Nature Conservation on Bluesky and Facebook for more interesting articles on conservation ecology.

Major highway in India threatens reptiles and amphibians

“Is it the road that crosses the habitat, or does the habitat cross the road?” ask scientists before agreeing that the wrong road at the wrong place is bound to cause various perils for the local wildlife, habitats and ecosystems.

“Is it the road that crosses the habitat, or does the habitat cross the road?” ask scientists at Gauhati University (Assam, India) before agreeing that the wrong road at the wrong place is bound to cause various perils for the local wildlife, habitats and ecosystems. Furthermore, some of those effects may take longer than others to identify and confirm.

This is how the research team of doctoral research fellow Somoyita Sur, Dr Prasanta Kumar Saikia and Dr Malabika Kakati Saikia decided to study roadkill along a 64-kilometre-long stretch of one of the major highways in India: the National Highway 715. 

What makes the location a particularly intriguing choice is that it is where the highway passess between the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Assam and the North Karbi Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary, thus tempting animals to move to and from the floodplains of Kaziranga and the hilly terrain of the Sanctuary to escape the annual floods or – on a daily basis – in search for food and mating partners.

In the beginning, they looked into various groups, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, before realising that the death toll amongst frogs, toads, snakes and lizards was indeed tremendous, yet overlooked. Their findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed scholarly journal Nature Conservation.

“To our surprise, the death toll within that 64-kilometre stretch of the highway was indeed dramatic. We estimated that it has been over 6000 animals that have fallen under the wheels of motor vehicles within a single year. Prior to our study, similar research had focused on big charismatic species like the tiger, elephant and rhino, so when we took into account also the smaller animals: frogs, toads, snakes and lizards, the count went through the roof. Thus, we decided to make smaller species the focus of our work,”

comments Sur.

In conclusion, the scientists agree that roads and highways cannot be abandoned or prevented from construction and expansion, as they are crucial in connecting people and transporting goods and necessities. 

“Yet, we can definitely put some effort into designing and constructing them in a scientifically sound, eco-friendly and sustainable manner, so that they don’t become the bane for our ecosystems,”

the team concludes.

***

Research article:

Sur S, Saikia PK, Saikia MK (2022) Speed thrills but kills: A case study on seasonal variation in roadkill mortality on National highway 715 (new) in Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape, Assam, India. In: Santos S, Grilo C, Shilling F, Bhardwaj M, Papp CR (Eds) Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions. Nature Conservation 47: 87-104. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.47.73036

***

Follow Nature Conservation on Twitter and Facebook.

Citizen science data crucial to understand wildlife roadkill

In a first for science, researchers set out to analyze over 10 years of roadkill records in Flanders, Belgium, using data provided by citizen scientists.

The road is a dangerous place for animals: they can easily get run over, which can seriously affect wildlife diversity and populations in the long term. There is also a human economic cost and possible injury or even death in these accidents, while crashing into heavier animals or trying to avoid them on the road.

Making roads safer for both animals and people starts with a simple first step: understanding when, where, and how many animals get run over. This knowledge can help protect specific species, for example by using warning signs, preventing access to the roads for animals, creating overpasses and underpasses, or closing roads. Wildlife roadkill data can also help monitor other trends, such as population dynamics, species distribution, and animal behavior.

Thanks to citizen science platforms, obtaining this kind of data is no longer a task reserved for scientists. There are now dozens of free, easy-to-use online systems, where anyone can record wildlife collision accidents or roadkill, contributing to a fuller picture that might later be used to inform policy measures.

One such project is the Flemish Animals under wheels, where users can register the roadkill they saw, adding date, time and geolocation online or by using the apps. The data is stored in the online biodiversity database Waarnemingen.be, the Flemish version of the international platform Observation.org. 

Between 2008 and 2020, the project collected almost 90,000 roadkill records from Flanders, Belgium, registered by over 4,000 citizen scientists. Roadkill recording is just a small part of their nature recording activities – the multi-purpose platform which also allows the registration of living organisms. This is probably why the volunteers have remained engaged with the project for over 6 years now.

In a first for science, researchers from Natuurpunt Studie, the scientific institute linked to the largest Nature NGO in Flanders, with support from the Department of Environmental and Spatial Development, set out to analyze over 10 years of roadkill records in the region, using data provided by citizen scientists. In their study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Conservation, they focused on 17 key species of mammals and their fate on the roads of Flanders. 

The researchers analyzed data on 145,000 km of transects monitored, which resulted in records of 1,726 mammal and 2,041 bird victims. However, the majority of the data – over 60,000 bird and mammal roadkill records – were collected opportunistically, where opportunistic data sampling favors larger or more “enigmatic” species. Hedgehogs, red foxes and red squirrels were the most frequently registered mammal roadkill victims.  

In the last decade, roadkill incidents in Flanders have diminished, the study found, even though search effort increased. This might be the result of effective road collision mitigation, such as fencing, crossing structures, or animal detection systems. On the other hand, it could be a sign of declining populations among those animals that are most prone to being killed by vehicles. More research is needed to understand the exact reason. Over the last 11 years, roadkill records of the European polecat showed a significant relative decrease, while seven species, including the roe deer and wild boar, show a relative increase in recorded incidents.

There seems to be a clear influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on roadkill patterns for some species. Restrictions in movement that followed likely led simultaneously to fewer casualties and a decrease in the search effort. 

The number of new observations submitted to Waarnemingen.be continues to increase year after year, with data for 2021 pointing to about 9 million. Even so, the scientists warn that those recorded observations “are only the tip of the iceberg.”

 “Citizen scientists are a very valuable asset in investigating wildlife roadkill. Without your contributions, roadkill in Flanders would be a black box,”

the researchers conclude.

***

Research paper:

Swinnen KRR, Jacobs A, Claus K, Ruyts S, Vercayie D, Lambrechts J, Herremans M (2022) ‘Animals under wheels’: Wildlife roadkill data collection by citizen scientists as a part of their nature recording activities. In: Santos S, Grilo C, Shilling F, Bhardwaj M, Papp CR (Eds) Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions. Nature Conservation 47: 121-153. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.47.72970

***

The research article is part of the Special Issue: “Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions“, which collates 15 research papers reporting on studies presented at the IENE2020 conference.

***

Follow Nature Conservation on Twitter and Facebook.

Safe distance: How to make sure our outdoor activities don’t harm wildlife

Spending time outdoors is good for a person’s body and soul, but how good is it for the wildlife around us?

Outdoor recreation has become a popular activity, especially in the midst of a pandemic, where access to indoor activities might be limited. Long known to have negative behavioural and physiological effects on wildlife, outdoor recreation is one of the biggest threats to protected areas. Human disturbance to animal habitats can lower their survival and reproduction rates, and ultimately shrink populations or eradicate them from areas where they would otherwise thrive. Still, park planners and natural resource managers often can’t find clear recommendations on how to limit these impacts.

Human recreation and wildlife often overlap. Here an American black bear and hikers use the same trail hours apart in Sonoma County, California, USA. Image by the Wildlife Conservation Society

A new scholarly article in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Nature Conservation from researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society looked at nearly 40 years of research on recreation impacts on wildlife to try to find the point where recreation starts to impact the wildlife around us. Knowing when and to what extent a species is being disturbed can ultimately allow for more informed and effective management decisions and increase the chances of its successful conservation.

The researchers found that the impact or uncomfortable distance to humans, vehicles or trails for shorebirds and songbirds was as short as 100 meters or even less, whereas for hawks and eagles it was greater than 400 meters. For mammals, it varied even more widely, with an impact threshold of 50 meters for medium-sized rodents. Large ungulates – like elk – would rather have to stay 500 to 1,000 meters away from people.

While human disturbance thresholds can vary widely, large buffer zones around human activities and controlled visitation limits should always be considered during planning and maintenance of parks and protected areas. Based on their findings, the authors recommend that human activities should be considered to be impacting wildlife at least 250 metres away. Further, they call for future research to explicitly identify points where recreation begins or ends to impact wildlife.

Original source:

Dertien JS, Larson CL, Reed SE (2021) Recreation effects on wildlife: a review of potential quantitative thresholds. Nature Conservation 44: 51-68. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.44.63270

Wildlife trade threats: The importance of genetic data in saving an endangered species

In a new study, published in the scientific journal Nature Conservation, a research team analyses the genetic diversity of the endangered Four-eyed turtle, a species that has fallen victim to the growing wildlife trade in Vietnam. Having identified several distinct lineages in field-collected and local trade samples, the scientists warn that confiscated animals must not be released back into the wild before they have their origin traced back to the locality they have been captured.

In Southeast Asia, wildlife trade is running rampant, and Vietnam plays a key role in combating wildlife trafficking.

Since the country opened its market to China in the late 1980s, a huge amount of wildlife and its products has been transported across the border every year. Species have also been exported to other Asian countries, Europe and the USA. Furthermore, in recent years, Vietnam has also supported the transit of pangolin scales and other wildlife products from across Asia and even as far as Africa all the way to China and other destinations.

Additionally, in line with the expanding wealthy middle class, consumption of wildlife and its products has risen dramatically in Vietnam. As a consequence, the country takes on all three major roles in the international wildlife trade: export, transit and consumption.

Four-eyed turtle captured in Pu Mat National Park, central Vietnam
Credit: Asian Turtle Program
License: CC-BY 4.0

Freshwater turtles and tortoises make up a large part of the international trade between Vietnam and China and the domestic trade within Vietnam. Meanwhile, due to the increasing use of social networks, wildlife trade is shifting to online-based platforms, thereby further facilitating access to threatened species. Consequently, the Vietnamese pond turtle and the Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, for example, are already on the brink of extinction. Despite the repeated recent survey efforts of conservation biologists, no viable populations of their species have been found.

One of the effective approaches to the conservation of the most endangered species is to have confiscated animals released back into the wild, following the necessary treatment and quarantine, or transferring them to conservation breeding programmes. However, in either of the cases, it is necessary to know about the origin of the animals, because the release of individuals at sites they are not naturally adapted to, or at localities inhabited by populations of incompatible genetic makeup can have negative effects both on the gene pool and ecosystem health.

In the present research article, published in the peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal Nature Conservation, turtle conservationist and molecular biologist Dr. Minh D. Le of Vietnam National University (Hanoi) and the American Museum of Natural History (New York), in collaboration with the Cologne Zoo (Germany) and the Asian Turtle Program – Indo-Myanmar Conservation (Hanoi), the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (Hanoi) and Hanoi Procuratorate University (Hanoi), studies the geographic distribution of genetic diversity of the endangered Four-eyed turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata). The species, whose common name relates to the four eye-resembling spots, located on the back of its head, has traditionally been neglected by scientific and conservation efforts.

Having analysed field-collected and local trade samples along with confiscated animals, the researchers concluded that there is a significant number of genetically distinct lineages distributed in Vietnam and China, and that local trade samples could provide key data for resolving the genetic patterns of the species. They remind that Four-eyed turtles are getting more and more difficult to find in the wild.

Two four-eyed turtles captured in Pu Mat National Park, central Vietnam
Credit: Asian Turtle Program
License: CC-BY 4.0

On the other hand, the study highlights that confiscated animals are of various origin and, therefore, must not be released arbitrarily where they have been seized. Instead, the researchers recommend that captive programmes establish regular genetic screenings to determine the origin of confiscated turtles, so that the risk of crossing different lineages is eliminated. Such genetic screenings are of crucial importance to solve the current issues with biodiversity conservation in the country and the region.

Like other developing countries, Vietnam does not have any specific guidelines on how to release confiscated animals back into the wild yet. This and other similar studies emphasise the role of the government in the implementation of stricter laws and regulation,”

said Dr. Minh D. Le, lead author of the study.

This research once more underscores the IUCN’s One Plan Approach, which aims to develop integrative strategies to combine in situ and ex situ measures with expert groups, for the purposes of species conservation,

added Dr. Thomas Ziegler of the Cologne Zoo.

The research was funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the Partnership for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER), the United States Agency for International Development, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and IDEAWILD.

Trapping four-eyed turtles in Pu Mat National Park, central Vietnam
Credit: Asian Turtle Program
License: CC-BY 4.0

Original source:

Le MD, McCormack TEM, Hoang HV, Duong HT, Nguyen TQ, Ziegler T, Nguyen HD, Ngo HT (2020) Threats from wildlife trade: The importance of genetic data in safeguarding the endangered Four-eyed Turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata). Nature Conservation 41: 91-111. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.41.54661

Contact: 

Dr Minh Duc Le, Vietnam National University
Email: le.duc.minh@hus.edu.vn

Australia’s wish list of exotic pets

In a new study, published in the peer-reviewed open-access scholarly journal Neobiota, scientists estimated the desire of Australians to own non-native and/or illegal alien pets and the major trends in this practice. In addition, the team suggests ways to improve biosecurity awareness in the country.

Juvenile green iguanas for sale at Repticon Trading Convention 2018 in Palm Springs, Florida
Photo by Adam Toomes

Unsustainable trade of species is a major pathway for the introduction of invasive alien species at distant localities and at higher frequencies. It is also a major driver of over-exploitation of wild native populations. In a new study, published in the peer-reviewed open-access scholarly journal Neobiota, scientists estimated the desire of Australians to own non-native and/or illegal alien pets and the major trends in this practice. In addition, the team suggests ways to improve biosecurity awareness in the country.

Over the last two decades, Australia has been experiencing an increased amount of non-native incursions from species prominent in the international pet trade, such as rose-ringed parakeets, corn snakes and red-eared sliders. On many occasions, these animals are smuggled into the country only to escape or be released in the wild.

In general, the Australian regulations on international pet trade are highly stringent, in order to minimise biosecurity and conservation risks. Some highly-desirable species represent an ongoing conservation threat and biosecurity risk via the pet-release invasion pathway. However, lack of consistent surveillance of alien pets held, legally or otherwise, in Australia remains the main challenge. While there are species which are not allowed to be imported, they are legal for domestic trade within the country. Pet keepers have the capacity to legally or illegally acquire desired pets if they are not accessible through importation, and the number of such traders is unquantified.

Since keeping most of the alien pets in Australia is either illegal or not properly regulated, it is really difficult to quantify and assess the public demand for alien wildlife.

A juvenile ball python for sale at Repticon Trading Convention 2018 in Palm Springs, Florida
Photo by Adam Toomes

“We obtained records of anonymous public enquiries to the Australian Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment relating to the legality of importation of various alien taxa. We aimed to investigate whether species desired in Australia were biased towards being threatened by extinction, as indicated by broader research on pet demand or towards being invasive species elsewhere, which would indicate trade-related biosecurity risks”,

shares the lead author Mr. Adam Toomes from the University of Adelaide.

According to the research team’s analysis, pets desired by Australians are significantly biased towards threatened species, invasive species and species prominent in the U.S. pet trade.

“This novel finding is of great concern for biosecurity agencies because it suggests that a filtering process is occurring where illegally smuggled animals may already be “pre-selected” to have the characteristics that are correlated with invasive species,”

warns Mr. Adam Toomes.

However, the bias towards species already traded within the U.S. suggests that there is potential to use this as a means of predicting future Australian desire, as well as the acquisition of pets driven by desire. Future research from the Invasion Science & Wildlife Ecology Group at The University of Adelaide will investigate whether Australian seizures of illegal pets can be predicted using U.S. trade data.

###

Original source:

Toomes A, Stringham OC, Mitchell L, Ross JV, Cassey P (2020) Australia’s wish list of exotic pets: biosecurity and conservation implications of desired alien and illegal pet species. NeoBiota 60: 43-59. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.60.51431

###

Follow Neobiota journal on Twitter and Facebook.

Illegal trade with terrestrial vertebrates in markets and households of Laos

Extensive surveys on wildlife markets and households in the Khammouane Province of Laos showed overlaps between the most traded species at wildlife markets and those of highest conservation importance.

It’s not a surprise to anyone that numerous vertebrate species are being sold at different wildlife markets, but at the moment there is still no comprehensive understanding of how much people are involved in those actions in Laos (Lao PDR), nor what the impact on local wildlife populations really is.

East Asian bullfrogs with broken legs at a market in Laos
Photo by Dr Thomas Ziegler

The majority of Laotians live in rural areas and their income largely depends on wildlife. Since wildlife products are used as one of the major food sources, numerous species of terrestrial vertebrates are currently being offered at local markets.

Across the tropical regions, mammals and birds have been vanishing, with recent models estimating up to 83% decline by 2050. Furthermore, wild-caught reptiles have been reported from Southeast Asian wildlife markets for over 20 years, with Laos occupying the position of a very popular source.

Due to the large number of native endemic species, Lao PDR should assume the responsibility to introduce conservation measures to keep control over the predicted population declines. At the moment, the regulations on wildlife use and trade in Laos are mostly based on the Lao Wildlife and Aquatic Law, which, however, largely disregards international statuses of the species and other biological factors.

Slow loris (left), bats (top right) and squirrels (bottom right) offered at a food market in Laos
Photo by C.L. Ebert

Stricter and reinforced legislation is needed in the fields related to wildlife trade and consumption, since such practices are not only causing biodiversity loss, but also suggested to pose a great threat of wildlife-associated emergence of zoonotic parasites and pathogens to humans. As an immediate example, the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is primarily considered to be a consequence of human consumption of wild animals.

An international group of students and scientists, led by Professor Dr. Thomas Ziegler at the University of Cologne and the Cologne Zoo (Germany), has conducted a number of extensive surveys on wildlife markets (66 observational surveys at 15 trade hubs) and households (63 households at 14 sites) in the Khammouane Province of Laos. The key question of the survey was: “Which species are traded and to what extent?” The results of the study are published in the open-access journal Nature Conservation.

The surveys showed overlaps between the most traded species at wildlife markets and those of highest conservation importance.

As for the households, approximately 90% of the surveyed respondents confirmed the use of wildlife. For the majority of the population, wildlife harvesting was found to be important for their livelihood and trapping activities were mostly aimed at self-consumption / subsistence. The reason for this could be explained by the prices of domesticated meat, which can be three times as higher as those of wildlife products.

A Buffy fish owl and a Chinese water dragon offered at a food market in Laos
Photos by K. Kasper and T. Ziegler

The demand for the species on the wildlife market remained the same over time, according to the opinions of 84,1% of respondents, while the availability of wild meats was reported to have decreased, due to increasing price.

“We recommend local authorities to assess the markets within the province capital Thakhek in particular, as they showed the highest quantity of wild meats. The markets at Namdik and Ban Kok turned out to be very active trade hubs for wildlife as well, regardless of the vertebrate group. The loss of certain species may cause a cascade of unforeseeable effects in the ecosystems. Therefore, the biodiversity of tropical Southeast Asian countries like Lao PDR must be protected,”

shares Dr. Thomas Ziegler.

To help the local population to avoid the crisis related to the change of activity and growing unemployment, scientists propose to introduce new activities in the region.

“Eco-tourism presents a great opportunity to combine conservation efforts and an alternative source of income. Former hunters with excellent knowledge of the forest and wildlife habitats can serve as professional wildlife tour guides or their involvement in the Village Forest Protection Group could help to protect natural resources in Laos”,

suggests Dr. Thomas Ziegler.

###

Original source:

Kasper K, Schweikhard J, Lehmann M, Ebert CL, Erbe P, Wayakone S, Nguyen TQ, Le MD, Ziegler T (2020) The extent of the illegal trade with terrestrial vertebrates in markets and households in Khammouane Province, Lao PDR. Nature Conservation 41: 25-45. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.41.51888