Prosecution records reveal pangolin trading networks in China, 2014–2019

In a precautionary response to the current coronavirus(COVID-19)pandemic,China’s Ministries permanently banned eating and trading in terrestrial wild(non-livestock)animals on 24 February 2020,and extensively updated the list of Fauna under Special State Protection(LFSSP)in 2020 and 2021,in which pangolins(Manidae spp.)were upgraded to the highest protection level.Examining 509 pangolin prosecution records from China Judgements online prior to these changes(01/01/14–31/12/19),we identified that Guangdong,Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces were hotspots for trade in whole pangolins and their scales.

Friend or foe? Using eye-tracking technology to investigate the visual discrimination ability of giant pandas

The role that visual discriminative ability plays among giant pandas in social communication and individual discrimination has received less attention than olfactory and auditory modalities.Here,we used an eye-tracker technology to investigate pupil fixation patterns for 8 captive male giant pandas Ailuropoda melanoleuca.We paired images(N=26)of conspecifics against:1)sympatric predators(gray wolves and tigers),and non-threatening sympatric species(golden pheasant,golden snub-nosed monkey,takin,and red panda),2)conspecifics with atypical fur colora-tion(albino and brown),and 3)zookeepers/non-zookeepers wearing either work uniform or plain clothing.For each session,we tracked the pan-da's pupil movements and measured pupil first fixation point(FFP),fixation latency,total fixation count(TFC),and duration(TFD)of attention to each image.Overall,pandas exhibited similar attention(FFPs and TFCs)to images of predators and non-threatening sympatric species.Images of golden pheasant,snub-nosed monkey,and tiger received less attention(TFD)than images of conspecifics,whereas images of takin and red panda received more attention,suggesting a greater alertness to habitat or food competitors than to potential predators.Pandas'TFCs were greater for images of black-white conspecifics than for albino or brown phenotypes,implying that familiar color elicited more interest.Pandas reacted differently to images of men versus women.For images of women only,pandas gave more attention(TFC)to familiar combinations(uniformed zookeepers and plain-clothed non-zookeepers),consistent with the familiarity hypothesis.That pandas can use visual perception to discriminate intra-specifically and inter-specifically,including details of human appearance,has applications for panda conservation and captive husbandry.

Need of a paradigm shift to conserve endangered species in China’s national park system

CHINAS EVOLVING NATIONAL PARK DESIGNATIONS AND SINGLE LARGE PROTECTED AREA OR SEVERAL SMALL PROTECTED AREAS(SLOSS)DEBATE As of 2021,the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimated that there are over 6,000 national parks(NPs)in more than 100 countries,most of which are strongly focused on endangered species.1 Over the past 6 years,China has invested US$20million in developing the Giant Panda National Park(GPNP)and a furtherUS$16million in establishing theNortheast China Tiger and Leopard National Park(NCTLNP).

Push and pull factors driving movement in a social mammal: context dependent behavioral plasticity at the landscape scale

Understanding how key parameters(e.g.,density,range-size,and configuration)can affect animal movement remains a major goal of population ecology.This is particularly important for wildlife disease hosts,such as the European badger Meles meles,a reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis.Here we show how movements of 463 individuals among 223 inferred group territories across 755 km2 in Ireland were affected by sex,age,past-movement history,group composition,and group size index from 2009 to 2012.Females exhibited a greater probability of moving into groups with a male-biased composition,but male movements into groups were not associated with group composition.Male badgers were,however,more likely to make visits into territories than females.Animals that had immigrated into a territory previously were more likely to emigrate in the future.Animals exhibiting such"itinerant"movement patterns were more likely to belong to younger age classes.Inter-territorial movement propensity was negatively associated with group size,indicating that larger groups were more stable and less attractive(or permeable)to immigrants.Across the landscape,there was substantial variation in inferred territory-size and movement dynamics,which was related to group size.This represents behavioral plasticity previously only reported at the scale of the species’biogeographical range.Our results highlight how a"one-size-fits-all"explanation of badger movement is likely to fail under varying ecological contexts and scales,with implications for bovine tuberculosis management.