Hunting method was recorded for a total of 7725 wild boar harvested in Sweden during the hunting years 2009/10 to 2017/18. Still hunting was most common and accounted for 53.0% of the harvested animals, whereas drive hunts and hunting for protection of crops accounted for 22.4% and 19.7%, respectively. In still hunting, significantly fewer adult females were harvested compared with expected numbers

Mineral licks are essential to many species of mammals and birds in the Amazon rainforest, including the Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus). While sloths have been recorded at mineral licks, visitation of the two-toed sloth at mineral licks has not been described in detail. We used camera traps to observe sloth visitation at 53 mineral lick sites and generalized linear mixed-effects model

Passerines are elusive animals, and their capture generally requires considerable fieldwork. This study describes the capture and sampling of free-living birds from two of the most illegally trafficked Brazilian wild passerine species, namely the red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata) and green-winged saltator (Saltator similis). The study is part of the planning process for a rehabilitation and

Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. Natural transmission cycle of USUV involves mosquitoes and birds, so humans and other mammals are considered incidental hosts. In this study, USUV infection was diagnosed in all wild blackbirds, collected from July to September 2018 in a wildlife recovery center in the province of Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna

Conservation of migratory birds requires knowledge of breeding and nonbreeding ranges and the connections between them. European turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur) are Palearctic-African long-distance migrants with wintering areas in the Sub-Saharan belt that are classed as vulnerable due to strong population declines. However, detailed non-breeding locations of individuals from different migratory

To evaluate the nutritional status and the environmental exposure to toxic elements of the wild boar Sus scrofa L. (n = 20) from northwestern (NW) Russia, we determined the contents of the essential (Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, and Zn) and toxic (Cd and Pb) elements in the muscle, kidney, and liver. A second aim was to study the interactions between these elements and several antioxidants, namely, the

Canopy bridges are crossing structures specific to mitigate the impact of roads on arboreal animals. Long-term monitoring of such infrastructures together with the analysis of design preferences has never been done in South America. To avoid the roadkills of a threatened primate species, the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus), in Guareí, São Paulo, Brazil, we installed two designs of canopy

Although deciduous forests are usually associated with high levels of arthropod availability, bats seem to adjust their phenological requirements also as a response to other ecological and environmental conditions. In order to assess the potential influence of these conditions on bat activity phenological patterns, a peri-urban deciduous forest was selected as representative Mediterranean habitat,

Understanding the interspecific interactions (spatial and temporal) between predators and their prey species is important to understanding the prey preferences for conservation and management decisions. However, due to large predators’ wide-ranging, nocturnal, and cryptic behaviour, it is often difficult to assess their interactions with prey species. Therefore, we determined the spatial and temporal

The Persian Gulf is positioned in the heart of the Middle East as one of the most critical water bodies. Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) are distributed in nearshore waters and are therefore highly vulnerable to a variety of anthropogenic pressures. To our knowledge, there is a little information and data available about habitat use and abundance of this endangered species in Iranian

Fur trapping is an important source of mortality for wolverine (Gulo gulo) in northern Canada. However, few populations are monitored for harvest sustainability. An examination of harvest data can be useful to identify areas of concern and direct appropriate management interventions. We used 27 years of harvest data (1988–2014) to examine patterns of wolverine harvest in the Yukon (Canada), where trapping

Significant population growth of some European goose populations has led to initiatives to implement management at the flyway level. Understanding migration routes and spatiotemporal distribution is crucial for the successful and coordinated management of migratory species such as geese. In this study, we describe movements across the entire annual cycle in 76 Greylag geese (Anser anser) fitted with

Different bat species are known to differ in their detectability. Having available presence-absence data from 100 randomly stratified selected 1 km2 squares in the north of the Netherlands, collected during autumn 2009 and spring 2010 following Environmental Impact Assessment protocols, we calculated probabilities of occupancy and detection for ten bat species. Not only did we investigate their presence

Understanding the protein composition of the follicular fluid from brown brocket deer would aid the development of a medium for in vitro embryo production, which would in turn contribute toward programs for species preservation. Proteomic shotgun is a sensitive tool for analysis of complex protein mixtures. Thus, this study aimed to use shotgun technique to investigate the proteome of fluid from small/medium

The first-ever case of animal tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis is described in a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) found stranded on the coasts of Sicily, Southern Italy, in 2012. The carcass showed a typical TB granulomatous lesion in the intestine; microbiological culture on solid medium (Stonebrink) allowed to isolate colonies with the characteristic aspect of Mycobacterium

Nest predation is the most important cause of reproductive failure in ground-nesting passerines and can have significant consequences for populations. To understand how predation affects avian populations, it is important to determine the impact of individual predator species or groups and how their ecology can influence patterns of success. Using motion-activated trail cameras, we investigated the

Trichomonas gallinae is the causative protozoan parasite of avian trichomonosis, an infectious disease of wild bird species. Since an outbreak in the UK in 2005, avian trichomonosis has resulted in mass mortality events in greenfinch (Chloris chloris) and chaffinch (Fringillia coelebs) populations. Given its proximity to the UK, it is important to monitor the emergence of T. gallinae in Ireland. This

In Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP), in the South East of Senegal, we studied the current spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) population size, density and distribution and assessed human-large carnivores’ conflicts. We implemented 26 calling stations operations, installed 87 camera traps and obtained data from tourists, local guides and rangers. In addition, a questionnaire survey was carried out in 31

Abundance of wild species is generally used to prioritize and evaluate networks of protected areas (PAs). Waterbird abundance information, collected through the International Waterbird Census (IWC), is widely used to identify key sites for migratory waterbirds, which are listed in the Critical Site Network (CSN) database. We reviewed IWC information, as well as national and local surveys of breeding

Since 2008/2009, the population of free-ranging ring-necked pheasants was recorded to decrease all over Germany. Various Mycoplasma (M.) spp. are causing severe respiratory signs in captive game bird species. Furthermore, M. gallisepticum is responsible for massive die-offs in consequence to severe conjunctivitis in house finches in the USA. Therefore, the prevalence of mycoplasmas in free-ranging

Axis deer (Axis axis), an introduced invasive species of growing concern around the globe, have rapidly expanded through the southern cone countries in South America. Despite increasing culling efforts over 14 years, axis deer remained abundant at El Palmar National Park in north-eastern Argentina. We tested whether this continued abundance possibly reflected control failures as a result of adjacent

Animals’ mortality due to transportation infrastructure is a significant problem for some species. Scale of mortality in part depends on their behavior near railways and other transport routes. We studied the mortality and flight activity of bats in 7 double-track electrified (i.e., leading the catenary, a railway overhead electric line) railway sites in Poland. We aimed to measure the likelihood that

Illegal wildlife hunting is an anthropogenic threat to global fauna with a cascading detrimental effect on the ecosystems. India imposed a blanket ban on hunting of all indigenous species (except Schedule V species) in 1991 (Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 amended) yet, wildlife hunting continues in a clandestine nature. The study is aimed at addressing three key issues: (i) drivers of illegal hunting

This work presented a literature review on animal species and individual identification tools, as well as animal monitoring capabilities. We gathered the literature to cover different aspects of technologies that are widely in use for animal identification, from the traditional up to the latest methods. This study includes species and individual animal identification attributes namely body patterns

Mycoplasma spp. are important pathogens in poultry and cause high economic losses for poultry industry worldwide. In other bird species (e.g. white storks, birds of prey, and several waterfowl species), Mycoplasma spp. are regularly found in healthy individuals, hence, considered apathogenic or part of the microbiota of the upper respiratory tract. However, as Mycoplasma spp. are absent in healthy

Species reintroductions are growing in popularity, and example motivations include supporting species populations or the restoration of ecosystem function. Interactions between humans and the reintroduced species are likely to occur post-reintroduction. Coexistence between humans and wildlife is adaptive and dynamic, in part requiring management of conflicts between humans and wildlife, or of conflicts

The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is an understudied large carnivore with no known historic range map. Knowledge of the past and present extent of its easternmost distribution beyond 85° east longitude is dubious. Through a comprehensive review of historical evidence and contemporary records, we investigated striped hyena presence in Bengal, i.e., Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal in South

Wolves (Canis lupus), like most wild carnivores, are elusive and usually live at low density; this makes it challenging to monitor specific individuals through time. Non-invasive genetic sampling, when protracted over a long period and a sufficiently large geographic scale, has revealed an effective tool to follow individual patterns in a population. During a long-term project focused on the monitoring

During 2017, we studied knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards brown bears by extensive mountain sheep farmers in the Western Pyrenees, using a structured questionnaire, specifically, whether the scarce bear presence, or the administrative region, was influential. Livestock raising practices are mainly family properties and have suffered a strong decline in the last decades. Despite its low

For over 40 years, biopsy darting has been increasingly used to obtain DNA and other samples from cetaceans; however, its application to other species is more recent. We assessed the performance of helicopter-based biopsy darting of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) on the spring sea ice. Our aim was to provide an overview and evaluation of our protocols for others considering helicopter-based biopsy darting

Once exploited for fur, meat, and extracting the yellowish exudate called castoreum, the Eurasian beaver disappeared from Romania during the eighteenth century. After, the reintroductions carried out two decades ago are currently thriving in the Danube River basin. Using nine nSSR markers, we analysed samples from 98 individuals, and we found no genetic substructure, suggesting high dispersal and gene

Environmental pollution with antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria represents a significant ecological problem around the world. In this study, we wanted to identify multiple clinically important genotypes of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in one of the largest populations of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla–H. albicilla) nesting in the protected area of Danube floodplains. This is the

Mandibles of 2161 juvenile roe deer (8–10 months; 1176 females and 985 males) were studied to check for dental anomalies. The sample was legally shot during the annual harvest (1st January–15th March) of the hunting seasons 2013–2015 in the Arezzo province (Central Italy). The frequency of anomalies was 0.32% (n = 7), confirming that anomalies are uncommon in roe deer dentition. All individuals had

Over-exploitation of wildlife especially bushmeat trade is the second most important threat to animal biodiversity. This also applies to Northern Angola but data on bushmeat and hunting techniques for this region are rare. Therefore, we study the most common hunting techniques, frequently captured species, and their economic value, and discuss the local resource use in relation to Angolan law and urgent

Hunting of cervids is commonly regulated by quotas that are specific to sex and age groups. There is substantial cultural variation in how quotas are regulated. In Scandinavia, the entire quotas are often not shot making deer management potentially less predictable. However, the effect of quota size and demographic composition on harvest offtake by recreational hunters has, to a limited extent, been

Understanding how habitat, landscape context, and human disturbance influence local species-specific deer density provides evidence informing strategic management of increasing deer populations. Across an extensive (187 km2) heterogeneous forest-mosaic landscape in eastern England, spatially explicit density surface models of roe deer Capreolus capreolus and introduced muntjac Muntiacus reevesi were

Large carnivores are controversial species, and associated conflicts between stakeholders with opposing views on large carnivores are observed across the globe. Social trust, the public’s willingness to rely on those responsible for developing policies, has gained much attention regarding the acceptance of large carnivores and large carnivore management. However, trust in large carnivore science has

Prioritizing roads for mitigation can be a challenge in conservation. The comparison of fatality estimates is an important tool to assist in this process, but the sampling errors in these estimates should be considered. Spatial and temporal patterns of wildlife fatalities vary among different roads, and multispecies evaluations can be biased by the abundance of a dominant fatality species. We compared

Despite the suggestion from several meta-analyses that nest predation is not limiting songbird populations, responses to experimental removal of nest predators, such as corvids, have varied. The impact of nest predation by corvids on songbird populations is unclear. One potential explanation for this disparity is that susceptibility could vary according to the nesting biology of a species. To investigate

Knowledge of the origin and spatial distribution of migratory bird contingents is essential information for the study and conservation of their populations. In short-distance migratory birds, their propensity to migrate has reduced over the past decades: more individuals remain year-round on the breeding grounds, and those that migrate winter at closer distance. To inform the management of these migratory

The wildcat is typically found in low densities. Here, we estimated wildcat abundance in cattle pastures interspersed between forests in northern Iberian Peninsula, and their patterns of intra-annual and daily use. We censused wildcats three times daily (morning, afternoon, and night) from a car during 4 years in summer season. We also carried out four monthly tracks (two in the morning and two in

Understanding habitat use by remnant populations of imperiled species can inform conservation efforts. Arctic ground squirrels (AGS; Urocitellus parryii) occupy alpine and boreal forest habitats in southwestern Yukon, Canada, where populations have been monitored since the 1970s. While alpine populations have remained stable, those in the boreal forest collapsed in the late 1990s and have not recovered

Treponema paraluisleporidarum infects both rabbits (ecovar Cuniculus) and hares (ecovar Lepus). While the occurrence of the bacterium has previously been reported for European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) and domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus f. domestica), there are no data available that report infection in the European context. We tested a total of 1,995 serum samples and 287 genital swabs

Salt-lick use and behavior around salt licks of wild Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus) were studied using infrared sensor cameras in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Malaysia, to observe different aspects of the ecology and behavior of this otherwise very elusive mammal for which we know little. All tapirs recorded at the salt licks were adult-sized individuals, and they were observed at night. Water-drinking

Wildlife comebacks are often subject to public debate. Recurring controversies dominate the discussion, while the frequent use of stereotypes to describe concerned actors reinforces polarizations. This is not any different for the return of the wolf. In order to assist in the interpretation of the human dimensions of the wolf debate, we propose the use of the socio-cultural (SC) value concept. This

Floodplain forests provide a highly suitable environment for wild boar, especially because they offer a sufficient quantity of good-quality food across the seasons. Combined with year-round additional feeding and treatment, wild boar enjoy ideal living conditions in floodplain forests, which should have a positive effect on reproduction and, in turn, an increase in population. We expected the high

During 2020, a total of 64 wild boar carcasses were tested for Enterobacteriaceae count (EBC), Salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica in the abdominal region (i) within 5 h after hunting in the game collection point and (ii) before dressing and processing in the game-handling establishment (GHE) (49 carcasses—average time interval between (i) and (ii): 4.3 days). Because of COVID-19 restrictions, 15

Methods for estimating population densities of unmarked species using camera traps are still under development. One such method is called ‘random encounter model (REM)’ and, to our knowledge, has never been used to estimate densities of mountain-dwelling ungulates. In this study, we tested the REM method to estimate the density of Balkan chamois (Rupicapra r. balcanica) in a Mediterranean habitat,

Interventions to manage disease in wild animals are challenging, being characterised by sparse information on the distribution of infection and a limited ability to target infected individuals. In parts of Europe, the persistence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB caused by Mycobacterium bovis) in cattle is linked to reservoirs of infection in wild populations of European badgers (Meles meles). In this study

Estimating population size in space and time is essential for applied ecology and wildlife management purposes; however, making accurate and precise estimates at large scales is highly challenging. An example is the European badger (Meles meles), a widespread and abundant mammal in Ireland. Due to their role in the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis, the species has been culled in agriculturally dominant

Predator behaviour and population numbers can be determined by many factors such as prey availability, individual and habitat characteristics, and intraspecific or interspecific factors. Using satellite telemetry, we measured home range size in 3 individuals of Red Kites (Milvus milvus) in three consecutive winters to document the pattern of spatial responses to increasing availability of its dominant

The information on animal weight is often an essential component of wildlife management and research. However, it may be difficult to obtain direct scale weights from the free-ranging large animals when equipment needed to weigh the animals are inadequate or unavailable. In these cases, body weight can be estimated by morphometric equation. We investigated body mass and size (16 body parts) of reintroduced

As wolves in Europe are expanding in range, their impact on economic activities through predation on livestock is increasing. In this context, the effectiveness of damage compensation programs is being debated and requires adequate assessment. With this aim, we performed a survey of wolf depredation on livestock in Italy during the years 2010 − 2014, comparing regions of historical and more recent