February 2018

CARNIVORE CONNECTION

2 / C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N

We launched Project Neofelis, the first and only integrative in-situ conservation program dedicated to the protection of clouded leopards and the habitats they depend on!

In the years ahead, we hope to be on the front lines of conservation in every clouded leopard range country. And maybe bring them back to areas where they’ve disappeared!

We discovered a new population of the endangered fishing cat in southeast Asia!

The only species of cat entirely dependent on healthy wetlands and mangroves, fishing cats are one of our high priority cat species for conservation across their range. Stay tuned to learn more about our prior work with fishing cats in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and our new Nepal Fishing Cat Initiative.

We led the update and revisions to the IUCN Red List for carnivores in Paraguay, which resulted in the local designation of jaguars as “Critically Endangered”, and the bush dog and giant otter as “Endangered”!

This will hopefully put a greater international spotlight on these species in the southern cone of South America where they occur at the southern limit of their distribution.

Get to know S.P.E.C.I.E.S.!In 2018, we will begin each issue with some past achievements and insights from our projects!

This month, travel with us toCameroon, Kenya, and Alaska!

Featured News 4

Poached and Trafficked: Saving Cameroon’s African golden cats and pangolins Updates from the Field 6

Foxlights as a Deterrent to Human- Carnivore Conflict:Do they work?Species Spotlight 8

The Alexander Archipelago Wolf

Keeping up with SPECIES 11

C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N / 3

February

Carnivore Corner 10

4 / C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N

Poached and Trafficked: Saving Cameroon’s African golden cats and pangolins

Cameroon’s Dja faunal reserve is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. It is home to a spectacular array of species, with over 100 species of mammals found here. But overhunting, lack of adequate protection and conservation awareness place this important biodiversity hotspot in danger. S.P.E.C.I.E.S. is launching a project to reduce the poaching and trade of the African golden cat and three pangolin species, two of the species most at risk in the Dja reserve.

The African golden cat (Caracal aurata) is subject to superstition by tribal peoples in southern Cameroon. Pygmy tribes carry golden cat tails with them on hunts as a lucky token,

A pangolinImage: David Brossard

and their skin is used in circumcision rituals. Hunting for the golden cat is banned across 12 of its range countries, with Cameroon being an exception.

Pangolins have recently come to be the unfortunate face of the illegal wildlife trade. They are the most trafficked animals in the world and around one million are thought to have been poached over the past decade across their range. With Asian pangolin species rapidly declining, those in Africa are targeted more and more. Pangolins are also hunted for local and regional markets as bushmeat and for use in traditional medicine practices.

There are three pangolin species in

Cameroon

C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N / 5

Cameroon FEATURE STORY:Poached and Trafficked

Central Africa; the white-bellied tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis), black-bellied tree pangolin (Manis tetradactyla) and the giant ground pangolin (Manis gigantean). All species are considered vulnerable to extinction and their distribution and population sizes are unknown.

In addition to these already severe threats, both African golden cats and pangolins face pressure from loss and fragmentation of their natural habitat due to expanding agriculture and logging.

“In Cameroon, conservation is generally not viewed as a good thing by many people,” Eric Nana, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. Cameroon project coordinator, explains. People who live and depend upon the forest, either for food or income, often see little or no value in conservation. There are also ingrained perceptions that the forests are abundant with life, and that animals will always be plentiful. “They say their forefathers hunted, their fathers hunted and the game is still there. Therefore they see no need to stop hunting and see any attempt to stop them from hunting as a way of keeping them in poverty.”

Changing local perceptions is a key part of the project, according to Nana. He has gained over ten years of experience working with different NGOs and has worked closely with local communities to tackle issues such as poaching. It was the realisation that ecosystems play an essential role to sustaining

conservation. This interconnectedness is often overlooked in economic and social development, he says, which causes severe problems like environmental degradation and unsustainable and illegal hunting. “Ecosystem service values are often not considered when the costs and benefits of different development options are weighed up.”

The project therefore aims to provide information on African golden cat and pangolin distributions and population sizes, but also to work closely with local communities and authorities to ensure better protection. Nana says that by developing alternative sources of income among local communities, and raising awareness of the harm of overhunting, the species can be better protected.

In five communities around the Dja reserve, training on cane rat farming, snail farming and poultry farming will be provided. These all provide important sources of protein from animals that are already abundant in the area.

In addition, the project will build uponthe capacities of local forest guards by using cutting-edge and integrative

“By developing alternative sources of income among local communities, and raising awareness of the harm of overhunting, the species can be better protected”

technologies such as SMART, CyberTracker, QGIS, and GPS marking and tracking, photo GPS marking, and radio-communication devices, to enhance protection of southern Cameroon’s forests.

“Through this project, we expect to establish the first regional baseline data of the threats, distribution and conservation status of the target species for Cameroon,” Nana explains. By connecting with and building bridges between local communities, authorities and other conservation NGOs, a bottom-up approach to conservation will be taken.Taking these elements together

(awareness raising, income-generating activities, enforcement capacity-building and understanding the bushmeat trade), will ensure that the harms of overhunting are made clear to local residents, while offering alternatives to lessen a dependency on bushmeat hunting.

African golden cats are elusive in the wild and most images of them are taken by camera-traps.

African pangolin species are poached from the wild for bushmeat and to feed Asian markets. Large seizures, such as this one where thousands of dead pangolins were found, are becoming commonplace.

6 / C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N

Alysa Hansen, a graduate student at Antioch University New England, has been undertaking a study in northern Samburu Kenya, with funding and equipment provided by S.P.E.C.I.E.S., to answer an important question; do visual deterrent systems actually work on medium to large-sized carnivores?

The Foxlight is a well-known animal deterrent, developed in Australia and now used around the world. To study whether or not Foxlights were effective, Hansen and a team from Action for Cheetahs in Kenya set up camera traps, Foxlights and repellent tape (which reflect light, move with the wind and make crinkling noises to disturb wildlife) around 15 homesteads in Meibae Community Conservancy.

The 15 homes were divided into a control with no deterrent, those with Foxlights, and those with a combination of Foxlights and repellent tape. They hoped to find which combination of deterrents worked best at night, as studies by Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (the NGO with which Alysa worked) had already shown that the large proportion of livestock kills occurred at night.

Human – wildlife conflict is a big problem in northern Kenya, Hansen says, as local people’s lives depend upon their livestock. These people mostly do not want to kill the animals, but there are those in communities who will target carnivores, and not only in retaliation for livestock killings.

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

Leopard prints near a homestead.IImage: Alysa Hansen/ACK/SPECIES

A spotted hyena caught by a camera-trap Image: Alysa Hansen/ACK/SPECIES

Foxlights as a Deterrent to Human-Carnivore Conflict: Do they work?

Interviews with fifty-four community members reported a total of 710 conflicts with predators in the past year, during which 664 livestock were killed and 46 were injured. Spotted hyena and cheetahs were deemed to be the main culprits behind the attacks by community members.

Local community members explained during focus groups that drought and disease kill more livestock than predators, and they also believe that a portion of their livestock is meant for the carnivores anyway. It’s when too many animals are taken that a problem arises and locals become less tolerant of the predators.

Hansen says that local wildlife officials and conservationists alike are trying to instill the idea “that the solution to problems with any animal, whether that is an elephant or a carnivore, isn’t to kill the animal.” The area where she conducted her research used to have a resident lion population, but it was chased out years ago. Now whenever a lion enters the area, it is usually tracked and chased out of the area; people are wary.

C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N / 7

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

Local people do have their own conflict mitigation methods. People employ guard dogs which alert people to the presence of a predator. Livestock are also kept enclosed in fences of thorny bush, but over time this begins to break down and gaps can appear, allowing an opportunity for predators to sneak in.

Hansen also found that nearly all of respondents to her interviews said they would sell some of their livestock to buy a deterrent system. In a place where people’s lives are tied to their livestock this is no small statement, and makes it essential to understand whether these deterrents work or not.

That’s where technology like the Foxlight comes in, if it reduces the conflict. By decreasing the frequency of livestock kills, a balance can be struck between the local carnivores and pastoralists.

Bizarrely however, Hansen found that the deterrent actually seemed to attract some predators. “There’s probably two or three homesteads where, it seems to me, there are way more predators visiting,” Hansen said. Amongst the carnivores, spotted hyenas appeared to be the most intrigued, or at least undeterred, by the lights and tape.

But other factors can come into play.

Aerial view of a homestead. In the middle of is a corral or boma that contains livestock at night.. Image: Alysa Hansen/ACK/SPECIES

Hansen explains that local people believe some of the homesteads in the study area sit directly in a wildlife corridor, where a large density of species can be found. According to local people there are some hills in the area where spotted hyenas and leopards have dens, perhaps also accounting for the high density of carnivores.

There is no certainty that the area falls into a wildlife corridor, but if true it impacts the findings of the study dramatically, Hansen says.

As does the typical behavior of communities, she continues. Among the community members, many toss the bones of slaughtered livestock outside of their fences. Rubbish piles full of rotting food scraps and spoiled milk may not sound particularly appetizing, but to a hungry roaming carnivore like a hyena or a jackal, it’s a paradise.

“One thing we told people in this study is please don’t change anything you do. If you slaughter a goat and throw the bones right outside the fence, please don’t change that,” Hansen says, and explains that due to cultural reasons, it was not something that could be controlled. During the study there was a traditional wedding at one of the homesteads where numerous livestock were slaughtered and afterwards many predators came to visit.

Hansen concludes that whether the Foxlight is an effective deterrent is a bit up in the air.

“I had a wonderful experience conducting research in Kenya. Both Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) and the local community in Meibae Conservancy were very welcoming and were generally excited about the research that was being done,” she says. “There were challenges of course- things never go exactly how you picture, but that’s all part of the learning process. My project would not have been successful without the expertise of ACK’s local field officers and my research assistant.”

She hopes to do more fieldwork in the future while continuing to learn more about human-wildlife conflict. “Now that we have a decent understanding of livestock depredation and its effects on local communities and carnivore populations, we need to focus on

practical solutions and/or mitigation and understand that what works in one area, may not necessarily work in another.”

A leopard captured at a homestead with solar Foxlights and Nite Guard Repellent Tape. Image: Alysa Hansen/ACK/SPECIES

8 / C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N

The Alexander Archipelago WolfThe Alexander Archipelago wolf (Canis lupus ligoni), also known as the Island Wolf, is one of the rarest wolf subspecies in the world. Endemic to southeastern Alaska, it has been isolated from other North American wolves for millennia, and is both morphologically and genetically distinct. It is smaller and darker than other wolves, and it comprises a significant portion of grey wolf (C. lupus) genetic diversity in North America.

The Alexander Archipelago wolf is also behaviorally and ecologically distinct from other wolf populations. For instance, this subspecies is unique in its habit of feeding nearly entirely on a single species, the Sitka black-tailed deer. Both the Alexander Archipelago wolf and the deer depend on old-growth forests for survival. In particular, the Tongass National Forest, the nation’s largest national forest, is crucial habitat for the wolf and the Sitka black-tailed deer. It is home to some of the largest remaining stands of old-growth, temperate rainforest in the world, as well as other endemic species like the Prince of Wales Island flying

squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons) and a distinct lineage of Mustela ermine that depend on these old-growth stands.

However, recent increases in logging pose a major threat to the Tongass National Forest and the wildlife within. Reduction of old-growth forest diminishes crucial winter habitat for the Sitka black-tailed deer, leading to declines of the wolf’s most important prey. The impact of the timber projects, combined with the past 60 years of logging, is increasing the deer’s susceptibility to predation, hunting, and weather. Furthermore, high density of logging roads provides increased human access, which is directly related to high wolf mortality and the illegal take of wolves.

In particular, the 2014 Big Thorne timber sale by the U.S. Forest Service has paved the way for the largest logging operation in the Tongass Forest in 20 years.

This project allows for over 148 million board feet of timber to be logged from 8,500 acres of old-growth forest. Furthermore, in July 2017, the USFS put forth a proposal for the POW LLA Project that would consist of an additional 200 million board feet of logging of old-growth forest on Prince of Wales Island.

Sitka black-tailed deer. Image: Steve Hillebrand

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N / 9

The population of the Alexander Archipelago wolf residing on Prince of Wales Island is particularly threatened. Making up potentially 30% of the wolves in southeast Alaska, these wolves are both geographically and genetically isolated from other populations, and constitute one of the most at-risk populations of the subspecies. Since the mid-1990s, the population of Alexander Archipelago wolves on Prince of Wales Island has declined from about 250-350 down to an estimated 89 individuals. This population is therefore of crucial conservation interest.

Despite these risks, the Alexander Archipelago wolf and the Prince of Wales Island population have been repeatedly denied endangered or threatened status under the Endangered Species Act since 1993. As a result, populations of the subspecies have substantially declined since the mid-1990s under the continued pressure of logging, unsustainable harvesting, and increased human access via roads. And despite a recent lawsuit, the courts have upheld the U.S. Forest Service’s Big Thorne timber sale, putting at risk not just the wolf, but the numerous other endemic and unique species that reside in southeastern Alaska. We must act now to save the Alexander Archipelago wolf and its vanishing habitat.

Want to learn more about endangered wolves? Check out the recent report by our partner, the Endangered Species Coalition, on how politics drowned out the science on 10 endangered species.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Canine distemper confirmed in Far Eastern leopard, world’s most endangered big cat

Jan. 17 2018Science Daily

A new study published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases reveals the first documented case of canine distemper virus (CDV) in the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis). CDV infects a wide range of carnivore species, including other big cats like lions and tigers.

Smallest wild cat in the Americas faces big problems - but hope exists

Jan. 24 2018Niki Rust

Mongabay

The güiña (Leopardus guigna) is the smallest species of wild cat in the Americas, and is declining due to illegal killing and habitat loss, particularly agricultural land subdivision. However, with new landscape spatial plans may help save this vulnerable cat.

10 / C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N

Trump administration is taking steps to remove a threatened lynx from the

endangered-species listJan. 11 2018Darryl Fears

The Washington Post

The Trump administration plans to remove the Canada lynx from the endangered-species list, ignoring a 2016 assessment that found that the lynx will soon die out from parts of it range unless it is federally protected.

Carnivore Corner News Curated from the Carnivore World

Help save the Canada lynx! Sign the petition to keep it protected.

Image: David Zalubowski/AP

Image: Jerry Laker

Image: Vladimir Wrangel/Fotolia

CARNIVORE CORNER

C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N / 11

ZACC - Zoos &Aquariums Committing to Conservation

Jacksonville, FL Partner Liason Justin Birkhoff and Program

Director Stefanie Siller proudly represented

SPECIES at the ZACC conference in

Jacksonville. We hosted a table and

presented on two of our main projects: the

Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project, and

Project Neofelis. SPECIES had a great time

meeting zoo and aquarium conservationists

from across the globe!

Keeping up with S.P.E.C.I.E.S.

Safari West Presents!March 3, 2018 6:00-7:30 pm

On March 3, SPECIES founder and director

Anthony Giordano will be joining Safari West

for their Conservation Dinner Series. His talk,

“Clouded in Mystery: Introducing the enigmatic

clouded leopard”, will present our work with

clouded leopards. Book your seat here!

Our Activities

Upcoming Events

The Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project

Project Rationale

The Gran Chaco previously covered over one million km2 of South America. This area is one of the most diverse ecoregions in the world. It is also linked tightly with Paraguay; it makes up two-thirds of Paraguay, and the Paraguayan Chaco is about 1/3 of the total Chaco. Many animal and plant species are unique to the Chaco, and depend on this ecoregion. However, this region has been racked by deforestation, losing over 3000 km2 a year, and is one of the most rapidly disappearing areas in the world.

The jaguar is one of the species that relies on the Chaco. Since the 1900s, jaguars have disappeared from over half their historic range. S.P.E.C.I.E.S. is dedicated to conserving jaguars in locations that receive less attention. Little is known about the status and ecology in the Gran Chaco, despite its importance as one of the largest and most important Jaguar Conservation Units outside of the Amazon Basin. The CJCP is focused on relieving the 3 main issues concerning jaguars in the Chaco: deforestation, human-jaguar conflict, and lack of knowledge and information about jaguars in the region.

• Completed the first scientific investigation of jaguars in the Paraguayan Chaco, and one of the geographically largest scientific studies of jaguars in the Gran Chaco biome• Developed an extensive network of stakeholders• Assisted with the first multi-regional Chaco Jaguar Workshop in Bolivia in 2011• Contributed to the National Action Plan for Jaguars in Paraguay• Launched a new conflict mitigation/ connectivity maintenance program• Hosted the first ever capacity-building workshops for Paraguay’s conservation professionals• Hosted the first ever human-predator educational and conflict-mitigation workshops targeting rural stakeholders in the Paraguayan Chaco• Provided field opportunities for >36 students

In-situ conservationBy focusing on the jaguar and its survival in the Gran Chaco, we can also help other species and preserve biodiversity in the same habitat

EducationLocal and urban education is vital to developing interest in the environment and conservation.

Capacity buildingWe aim to help students get experience in the field and with other organizations invested in conservation projects.

• To mitigate human-jaguar conflict, reduce depredation, & explore alternative land use and ranching practices• To foster mentoring of emerging and existing conservation professionals, students, & grassroots conservation programs• To map the distribution and status of jaguars across the Gran Chaco and Paraguay• To research the impact of habitat conversion and conflict with humans on jaguar ecology and population dynamics • To identify targeted solutions and measures for reducing livestock depredation and addressing stakeholder needs and concerns• To implement a region-wide conservation and landscape connectivity strategy across the Gran Chaco and Pantanal• To build a regional genetic reference library for jaguars• To engage the public on jaguar conservation issues, promote public education of jaguar conservation needs, and raise awareness

Anthony Giordano, Stefanie Siller, Justin Birkhoff

Long-term Goals

Main Aims

Accomplishments

Background

Project Neofelis

The world’s megafauna is often the subject of many mainstream conservation efforts. Charismatic species such as tigers, rhinos, pandas, and elephants, some of the planet’s most endangered or rapidly declining species, consistently receive the greatest portion of the public’s attention. That the most charismatic species continue to hold sway over how limited conservation financial resources are allocated has been a recurring concern expressed by a growing number of conservation professionals.

Clouded leopards have been similarly overshadowed by Asian megafauna. Unlike leopards in southeast Asia, their local and regional population status from broad parts of their range is still relatively little known. While clouded leopards have fallen through the cracks of mainstream conservation efforts, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. argues that it is precisely the unique ecological and behavioral adaptations of clouded leopards, their evolutionary relationships to other felids, and their distinctive appearance, that make them the ideal “flagship” species.

Our work in Taiwan showed the importance of the now extinct Formosan clouded leopard to the local Lukai and Paiwan

people, as seen in their art and ceremony

Reasons for Conservation

To collate & synthesize camera-trap “bycatch” data to inform short-term surveys and research, and long-range conservation planning efforts.

To establish collaborative clouded leopard field conservation and outreach projects, or population surveys, in every range country and/or geographically significant region.

To develop a grant & mentoring program in support of range country nationals to lead pilot surveys for clouded leopards in new areas.

To use the “umbrella” from our increased focus on clouded leopards to co-emphasize and promote awareness of smaller, more endangered, felid species occupying the same habitats and regions.

To promote the use of palm oil-free products, and work with commercial good retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to eliminate palm oil form the supply chain.

Where are the clouded leopards? Both species of clouded leopards are not particularly common wherever they occur, even in protected areas.

4 out of 10 countries with the world’s highest deforestation rates are clouded leopard range countries. Rapid deforestation continues to be one of the biggest threats to the long-term viability & connectivity of clouded leopard populations. For areas with ongoing and/or historical deforestation, it is unknown if many local clouded leopard populations persist or how they are connected to one another.

3 out of 10 countries producing the most palm oil are clouded leopard range countries. Most areas in these countries now covered by palm oil was formerly habitat for clouded leopards.

Many countries experiencing the heaviest illegal poaching & wildlife trafficking are clouded leopard range countries. Hunting of clouded leopard prey species is widespread in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Clouded leopards are also the victims of international trade in their parts, as well as traditional use of pelts.

Ecological competition in a large carnivore community must be considered when planning and identifying clouded leopard ‘refuges’. The effect of ecological competition among clouded leopards, tigers, leopards, dholes, etc., is poorly understood, and may vary considerably.

There are between 12-15 tiger research, conservation, and conservation efforts for every effort targeting clouded leopards. One of the biggest “threats” to clouded leopard conservation is an almost complete lack of baseline information, including a lack of data, on the population status and ecology of both species.

“Clouded what? Is that like a snow leopard?” There is complete lack of awareness as to what a clouded leopard even is among the public at-large. This may be the larger underlying problem or context in which all the most pressing threats occur.

Long-term Goals

By conducting interviews, we can better determine how local people feel about

clouded leopard conservation

Anthony Giordano, Stefanie Siller, Justin Birkhoff

CONNECT WITH US!

12 / C A R N I V O R E CO N N E C T I O N

“To ensure the viability, diversity, and integrity of the world’s threatened, endangered, and declining native carnivore populations and communities, mitigate threats to their future survival, and restore their part to the healthy functioning of the

planet’s ecosystems”