808 Briefly ASIA & OCEANIA
Poaching of Critically Endangered songbirds in Indonesia A new study highlights the emerging trade in grey-backed mynas Acridotheres tricolor sold online as so-called Baluran locals, in- dicating ongoing poaching in Indonesia’s Baluran National Park. Located in East Java, the Park is the most important strong- hold for the grey-backed myna, with popu- lation estimates ranging from a few dozen birds to 140–220 individuals. During April 2020–March 2021, the study’s authors re- corded a minimum of 19 individuals offered for sale on Indonesian social media plat- forms. These trade records were collected opportunistically and may only represent a proportion of actual trade volumes during the time period. Considering the dire con- servation status of Baluran’s grey-backed mynas, any trade in wild-caught individuals should be treated seriously and countered immediately. This study was part of the Monitor Songbird Lab, a research cooper- ation involving the EAZA Silent Forest Group and Monitor Conservation Research Society. Source: Monitor Conservation Research Society (2021)
mcrsociety.org/2021/06/28/ online-trade-records-of-grey-backed-myna- acridotheres-tricolor-indicate-poaching- practices-in-baluran-national-park- indonesia
Implementation of the One Plan Approach to safeguard Critically Endangered Philippine crocodile The Philippine crocodile Crocodylus mindorensis is among the rarest and most threatened crocodiles. To restore wild popu- lations, a first repatriation from the Euro- pean Studbook, established by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria in 2012, was performed in December 2020. The two Philippine crocodiles hatched in Cologne Zoo, Germany, in
2015.As theyweregeneti- callypurebredandgrewupwiththeirmother and thus were well socialized, they were per- fectly suited for repatriation and were pre- pared for release in a semi-wild facility. The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with Crocodylus Porosus Philippines Inc., plan further repatriations. This is a promising example of the One Plan Approach, which is supported by the IUCN and aims at developing integrative strategies to combine in situ and ex situmeasures with groups of experts for species conservation. Source: WAZA Magazine (2021)
waza.org/ wp-content/uploads/2021/04/WAZA- magazine-2021-01.pdf
Critically Endangered saiga antelope makes comeback The population of a rare type of antelope has morethandoubledsince2019,inaremarkable turnaround of
fortunes.According to the first aerial survey in 2 years, the number of saiga in their Kazakhstan heartland has risen from 334,000 to 842,000. There were fears the ani- mal was on the brink of extinction following a mass die-off in 2015. But after a series of conservation measures, including a govern- ment crackdown on poaching, and local and international conservation work, numbers have started to bounce back. That, together with the natural resilience of the species, gives hope for its future. Fauna & Flora International has been involved in efforts to protect theUstyurtpopulationby establishing a new anti-poaching ranger team and using satellite collaring to monitor saiga move- ments. The new census was the best evidence yet that decades of conservation efforts to protect the saigawere paying off. Source: BBC (2021)
bbc.com/news/science- environment-57688320
Fourteen threatened amphibian species found in Silent Valley, Kerala In July 2021, the first detailed survey of her- petofauna in the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, India, found 40 species of amphib- ians and 30 species of reptiles.With this, the total known reptile and amphibian fauna of Silent Valley has become 55 species each. Wayanad bush frog, leaping frogs, cricket frogs, Malabar vine snake and common house gecko were among the commonly ob- servedspecies.Animportantobservationwas the reduced presence of torrent frogs of the genus Micrixalus. Even in parts of Kerala such as Wayanad, their numbers seem to have reduced following the floods in 2018 and 2019. Of the species recorded in the survey, 14 amphibian species, including the Ponmudibushfrog, are categorizedas threat- ened on the IUCNRed List. The purple frog, whichhas potential tobe the state amphibian of Kerala, was recorded from many parts of the Silent Valley. These animals can act as biological indicators that shed light onto the changing climate and environment. Source: Times of India (2021) timesofindia.
indiatimes.com/articleshow/
84931031.cms
New DNA study provides critical information on rainforest lizards Rough-nosed hornedlizardsCeratophora as- pera are small lizards endemic to Sri Lankan rainforests. They are particularly well suited to examine the consequences of rainforest habitat destruction, climate change and the pet trade, as they are found throughout the
lowland rainforests of south-western Sri Lanka. By analysing certain types of muta- tions inthe genomeof these lizards, research- ers were able to determine how geography and historical events affect the distribution of the remaining wild populations of the species. The team acquired DNA by a catch-and-release approach: they captured wild lizards and took tissue samples from the tips of their tails before releasing them back to the wild. The results from the DNA analysis found rough-nosed horned lizards are separated by distance into four forest groups: Southern Lowlands, Sabaragamuwa Hills, Central Highlands and Kithulgala. With the Sri Lankan government pledging to restore rainforest habitats, the findings of this study can help inform guidelines for forest landscape restoration. Sources: Biotropica (2021)
doi.org/10.1111/ btp.12970 & ScienceDaily (2021)
sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/
210802160707.htm
Conifer may hold the key to ka ¯po¯ ¯ka
recovery Once the third most common bird in New Zealand, the kākāpō has seen its numbers re- duced to less than
150.For a time, this large, flightless parrot was thought to be extinct. Serious effort has been put forth to try and re- cover this species fromthe brinkof extinction. Kākāpō breeding efforts are conspicuously tied to the phenology of certain trees, particu- larly the endemic rimu Dacrydium cupressi- num. This evergreen tree is one of the most important food sources for breeding kākāpō. It is a common observation that kākāpō only tend to breed when trees like the rimu experi- ence
reproductivebooms.Thefruitsandseeds they produce are an important component of the diets of not only female kākāpō,but also their developing chicks. If these fruits really are the trigger needed to bring female kākāpō into good shape for breeding and raising chicks, this may make breeding kākāpō in captivitymuch easier. Source: In Defense of Plants (2021)
indefenseofplants.com/blog/2018/11/1/how- a-tropical-conifer-may-hold-the-key-to- kkp-recovery
All internet addresses were up to date at the time of writing. The Briefly section in this issue was written and compiled by Emma Muench, Julia Hochbach and Martin Fisher, with additional contributions from David Brugiere, Simon Bruslund, Roman Lyach, Annkathrin Sharp, Ben Yoxon, Sam Zeveloff and Thomas Ziegler. Contributions from au- thoritative published sources (including web- sites) are always welcome. Please send contri- butions by e-mail to
oryx@fauna-flora.org.
Oryx, 2021, 55(6), 803–808 © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605321001356
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