Conservation news


Introduced Mona monkey is a key threat to the Critically Endangered Príncipe thrush


The Príncipe thrush Turdus xanthorhynchus is endemic to the small island of Príncipe, Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, Central Africa. It is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of its small and declining population and its tiny range, restricted to the southern forests of Príncipe Natural Park. It has been presumed to be highly susceptible to habitat loss, hunting and predation from introduced mammals such as the mona monkey Cercopithecus mona, African civet Civettictis civetta,black rat Rattus rattus,and feral cats and dogs. However, there has previously been only anecdotal evi-


dence of the threat posed by introduced mammals (a 2018–2020 camera-trap survey led by Fauna & Flora International and Fundação Príncipe, funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, found all known introduced species across the thrush’s range). Fundação Príncipe is now studying the impact of introduced mam- mals in more detail, supported by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Camera-trap monitoring of artificial thrush nests baited


with quail eggs revealed 23 of 55 nests (42%) were predated within 6 days. Mona monkeys were responsible for 10 (18%) of these events; the other predators could not be identified. On 6 May 2021, an active thrush nest (the fifth ever found) was recorded on the slopes of Pico Príncipe, at 2.9mheight within the trunk of a Pseudagrostistachys africana tree. The nest was monitored with a camera trap during 19 May–7 July. Images show adult thrushes occupying the nest until 6 July. Mona monkeys inspected the nest on five separate occasions. We were, however, unable to confirm the pres- ence of eggs or chicks and therefore we could not determine whether there had been a predation event.


The artificial nest experiment and the visitations to


the first Príncipe thrush nest to be monitored are com- pelling evidence that breeding activity of this Critically Endangered bird is being disrupted by mona monkeys. Eradication of the mona monkey is unrealistic given its wide distribution on Príncipe, and would be unpopular as it is a valued game species on the island. Working with local hunters to lower the density of this monkey could be a more feasible solution. To prevent the extinction of Príncipe’s main flagship species, we need to prioritize the study of the distribution of introduced mammals and their impacts, and development of a participatory mitiga- tion strategy that engages all key stakeholders.


PATRÍCIA GUEDES ( orcid.org/0000-0002-9176-3796) Fundação Príncipe, Santo António, São Tomé and Príncipe, & Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal


YODINEY DOS SANTOS ( orcid.org/0000-0002-6158-8667) Fundação Príncipe, Santo António, São Tomé and Príncipe


RICARDO FAUSTINO DE LIMA ( orcid.org/0000-0002-0184- 3945) Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, and Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal


TANIA L.F. BIRD ( orcid.org/0000-0002-5795-1750) Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge, UK E-mail taniabird@gmail.com


This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence CC BY 4.0.


The European LIFE+ northern bald ibis reintroduction project


The non-native mona monkey visiting an active Príncipe thrush nest. Photo: Fundação Principe.


Commencing in 2014, a European LIFE+ project aimed to establish migratory northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita colonies in central Europe, with a common wintering area in southern Tuscany, Italy (see waldrapp.eu for details). The project was preceded by a 13-year study of the ecology and behaviour of the species, and development of translo- cation methodology (Fritz et al., 2017, International Zoo Yearbook, 51, 107–123). By the end of 2020 the population comprised 158 wild individuals in four breeding colonies. The growth rate became positive in the Kuchl colony (Salzburg, Austria) in 2018 and in the Burghausen colony (Bavaria, Germany) in 2019. Colonies in Baden-Württemberg (Germany), and Carinthia (Austria) are still being established. The main translocation method is human-led migration. A group of up to 32 zoo-born chicks per season are raised


Oryx, 2021, 55(6), 809–817 © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S003060532100123X


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