646 Briefly AFRICA
Coastal areas important for seabirds feeding in pelagic environments Seabird tracking data gathered from the Tinhosa Grande islet (São Tomé and Príncipe), which hosts the most significant seabird colony in the Gulf of Guinea, is pro- viding insights on linkages between near- shore coastal habitats andmarinemegafauna feeding in the deep open ocean. Researchers fitted 33 adult brown boobies Sula leucogaster with GPS loggers, recording 127 foraging trips in early 2020 and showing that the birds forage preferentially over the open ocean. This, combined with an analysis of 11 regurgitations, identified that brown boobies feed largely on juvenile fish that live in pelagic environments but rely on coastal habitats as adults. The research, a collaborative effort between Fundação Príncipe, Fauna & Flora International, Lisbon University and
ISPA−InstitutoUniversitário,waspublished in May 2021 and highlights that brown boo- bies can indirectly benefit fromcoastal mar- ine protected areas, even if these do not directly overlap with seabird foraging areas. Source: Marine Biology (2021)
doi.org/10. 1007/s00227-021-03904-0
Great apes predicted to lose c. 90% of homelands in Africa Great apes are predicted to lose a devastating 90% of their homelands in Africa in coming decades, according to a new study. All goril- las, chimpanzees and bonobos are already Endangered or Critically Endangered. And the combination of climate crisis, destruc- tion of wild areas for minerals, timber and food, and human population growth is on track to decimate their ranges by 2050. Half of the projected lost territory will be in national parks and other protected areas. Some new areas will become climatically suitable for the apes, but the researchers doubt they will be able to migrate into these regions in time. The estimated range loss is significant, but current ranges in cen- tral and western Africa are already much smaller than in the past. The researchers analysed two scenarios: one where action is taken to curb the climate crisis, habitat loss and human population growth, and one where little is done. The researchers found relatively little difference in the projected range losses, with 85%loss in 2050 in the first scenario and 94% in the second. Sources: Diversity and Distributions (2021)
doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13358 & The Guardian (2021)
theguardian.com/environment/2021/ jun/07/great-apes-predicted-to-lose-90- of-homelands-in-africa-study-finds
Invasive species costing Africa USD 3.66 trillion a year Invasive species introduced by human activ- ity are costingAfrican agriculture someUSD 3.66 trillion per year, c. 1.5 times the com- bined gross domestic product of all African countries. Non-native species of plants, in- sects or worms can have catastrophic effects on farming, reducing yields of staple crops across the continent. Now researchers have sought to estimate the annual economic im- pact caused by invasive species on African agriculture. The team studied literature on species that were not native to the continent and had caused crop losses, to assess the ef- fect on yield,management and the cost of re- search. In addition, they surveyed more than 1,000 stakeholders about the financial impli- cations of invasive species. The team found that the average cost of invasive alien species to the agricultural sector inAfrica’s 54 coun- tries was USD 74.3 billion each year, but this varied considerably between countries. The total economic losses by invasive alien spe- cies exceeded the GDP of 27 out of 49 coun- tries included in the study. Sources: CABI Agriculture and Bioscience (2021)
doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00038-7 &
Phys.org (2021)
phys.org/news/2021- 05-invasive-species-africa-tn-year.html
Cross-border efforts to save Critically Endangered tortoise ACritically Endangered tortoise suffering rapid decline has been thrown a lifeline by a collaborative conservation effort in North Africa. Human development and agriculture have caused numbers of the Egyptian tortoise Testudo kleinmanni to dwindle as its habitat disappears in all but a few locations along the Mediterranean coast in western Egypt and eastern Libya. The precarious political and economic conditions in the wake of the Libyan revolution also helped drive smug- gling for the pet trade in Egypt, where the tortoises are seen as symbols of luck and lon- gevity and are sold for considerable amounts. BirdLife International supported two civil so- ciety organizations in Egypt (Al Hayat orga- nization) and Libya (Hemaya Company) in a transboundary effort to conduct population surveys, identify key threats to the tortoises’ survival, and assess their ecological require- ments. The organizations have also worked with local communities to raise awareness, and with the Libyan Ministry of Environme- nt to save 250 smuggled tortoises in 2021.Fu- ture work of the partnership will develop a joint action plan for the species’ conservation. Source: BirdLife International (2021)
birdlife.org/africa/news/libyan-and- egyptian-conservationists-work-across- border-save-critically-endangered
South Africa plans to end controversial captive lion industry South Africa has taken steps to end its lucra- tive lion breeding industry, which supplies cubs for tourism, lions for trophy hunts and bones for use in traditional medicine. In an announcement inMay 2021, the government acknowledged that the captive lion breeding industry does not contribute to conservation and is damaging South Africa’s conservation and tourism
reputation.The government will stop issuing permits to breed, keep, hunt, or interact with captive lions and is revoking current breeding permits. There has been increasing public opposition to the industry, which is seen by many as inhumane and wasteful. Concerns about possible links be- tween legal and illegal trade in lion bones, and greater understanding of the diseases that animals can pass to humans, have also influenced the decision. It is estimated that there are6,000–12,000captive lions in private facilities throughout the country, compared to only 2,000 wild lions. The decision to end captive lion breeding has been largely welcomed by conservationists, but some are concerned about the possibility that bans could increase illegal trade. The government also accepted expert recommendations that South Africa no longer press to reopen the rhinoceros horn and ivory trades. Source: National Geographic (2021)
nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2021/05/ south-africa-plans-to-end-controversial- captive-lion-industry
Controversy around elephant culling in Zimbabwe The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Asso- ciation has objected to the decision by the government to control the country’s ele- phant population by culling. Zimbabwe has Africa’s second largest elephant population after Botswana, with c. 83,000 animals, which is 66%more than its optimum capacity of 50,000. The increase in the population of elephants has resulted in habitat destruc- tion, changes in vegetation structure and a rise in human–wildlife conflicts. But the As- sociation said culling might result in long- lasting negative effects on elephants. Research has shown that culling of elephants affects the social structure of those left behind, potentially for
decades.The complexsocial function of herds is a crucial aspect of ele- phant biology and population integrity. The environmental lawyers said there were other conservative methods that could be used to control elephants and also generate income, and suggested increased hunting quotas or exporting elephants to other countries. Source: Newsday (2021)
newsday.co.zw/2021/ 07/zela-denounces-elephant-culling
Oryx, 2021, 55(5), 643–648 © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605321000958
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164
