Indicators of success for smart law enforcement in protected areas: A case study for Russian Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) reserves

Although considerable conservation resources have been committed to develop and use law enforcement monitoring and management tools such as SMART, measures of success are ill‐defined and, to date, few reports detail results post‐implementation. Here, we present 4 case studies from protected areas with Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in Russia, in which indicators of success were defined and evaluated at each. The ultimate goal was an increase in tiger numbers to 1 individual/100 km² at each site. We predicted that improvements in law enforcement effectiveness would be followed by increases in prey numbers and, subsequently, tiger numbers. We used short‐term and long‐term indicators of success, including: (i) patrol team effort and effectiveness; (ii) catch per unit effort indicators (to measure reductions in threats); and (iii) changes in target species numbers. In addition to implementing a monitoring system, we focused on improving law enforcement management using an adaptive management process. Over 4 years, we noted clear increases in patrol effort and a partial reduction in threats. Although we did not detect clear trends in ungulate numbers, tiger populations remained stable or increased, suggesting that poaching of tigers may be more limiting than prey depletion. Increased effectiveness is needed before a clear reduction in threats can be noted, and more time is needed before detecting responses in target populations. Nonetheless, delineation of concrete goals and indicators of success provide a means of evaluating progress and weaknesses. Such monitoring should be a central component of law enforcement strategies for protected areas.     

Using dogs for tiger conservation and research

This paper is a review of the history, development and efficacy of using dogs in wildlife studies and considers the use of dogs in the research and conservation of wild tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758). Using scat detection dogs, scent-matching dogs, law enforcement detection dogs and protection dogs are proven methods that can be effectively used on tigers. These methods all take advantage of the dog's extremely evolved sense of smell that allows them to detect animals or animal byproducts (often the focus of tiger studies). Dogs can be trained to communicate this information to their handlers.     

Saving wild tigers: A case study in biodiversity loss and challenges to be met for recovery beyond 2010

Wild tigers are being annihilated. Tiger range countries and their partners met at the 1st Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation in January 2010 to mandate the creation of the Global Tiger Recovery Program to double the number of tigers by 2022. Only 3200–3600 wild adult tigers remain, approximately half of the population estimated a decade ago. Tigers now live in only 13 countries, all of which are experiencing severe environmental challenges and degradation from the effects of human population growth, brisk economic expansion, rapid urbanization, massive infrastructure development and climate change. The overarching challenge of tiger conservation, and the conservation of biodiversity generally, is that there is insufficient demand for the survival of wild tigers living in natural landscapes. This allows the criminal activities of poaching wild tigers and their prey and trafficking in tiger derivatives to flourish and tiger landscapes to be diminished. The Global Tiger Recovery Program will support scaling up of practices already proven effective in one or more tiger range countries that need wider policy support, usually resources, and new transnational actions that enhance the effectiveness of individual country actions. The program is built on robust National Tiger Recovery Priorities that are grouped into themes: (i) strengthening policies that protect tigers; (ii) protecting tiger conservation landscapes; (iii) scientific management and monitoring; (iv) engaging communities; (v) cooperative management of international tiger landscapes; (vi) eliminating transnational illegal wildlife trade; (vii) persuading people to stop consuming tiger; (viii) enhancing professional capacity of policy-makers and practitioners; and (ix) developing sustainable, long-term financing mechanisms for tiger and biodiversity conservation.     

Securing a future for wild Indochinese tigers: Transforming tiger vacuums into tiger source sites

A century ago, tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) were so common in parts of Southeast Asia as to be considered pests, and governments sponsored their killing. Habitat loss and fragmentation, market-driven poaching and loss of prey have since led to the disappearance of Indochinese tigers from most their former range. Despite 15 years of dedicated tiger conservation funding, national estimates of Indochinese tiger subpopulations can at best only be roughly approximated. The future for the subspecies appears grim unless very focused efforts can be applied to stabilize and recover subpopulations. On a regional scale, the 2 proposed subspecies Panthera tigris corbetti and P. tigris jacksoni are effectively managed as separate conservation units. Evaluating where to place conservation efforts should consider the vulnerability (likelihood of extinction) and irreplaceability (likelihood that an area contributes uniquely to regional conservation) of tiger subpopulations. Only 1 site in Thailand supporting <200 individuals (Huai Kha Khaeng–Thung Yai) is considered low vulnerability, and is irreplaceable. Five sites in Lao, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia are medium vulnerability and irreplaceable. Priorities at these 6 sites are to double tiger numbers within 10 years through protection and monitoring. Seven sites in Lao, Thailand and Myanmar are high vulnerability and irreplaceable, and might be recovered if government commitment to tigers, staff capacity and legal frameworks for tiger protection are established. Tigers are extremely vulnerable or even extinct in Cambodia's Eastern Plains and the site is irreplaceable for tigers because it represents the only large (>10 000 km²) block of dry forest habitat available in the region. A reintroduction program is the only option to recover tigers there.     

Human–tiger conflict: A review and call for comprehensive plans

Human-tiger (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) conflicts (HTC), manifested primarily as attacks on people and domestic animals, exacerbate at least 2 major threats to tigers: (i) conflicts often result in mortality or removal of tigers from the wild; and (ii) they result in negative attitudes towards tigers by local people, thereby reducing support for tiger conservation. Although HTC has decreased over the past century, it will likely increase if current and proposed conservation initiatives to double tiger populations are successful. Increased HTC could undermine successful conservation initiatives if proactive steps are not taken to reduce HTC. The present paper provides a review of the impacts of HTC and the measures taken to reduce it in ways that reduce negative impacts on both humans and tigers, and stresses the need for development and implementation of comprehensive plans to reduce HTC.     

Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae): A review of conservation status

The majority of wild Sumatran tigers are believed to live in 12 Tiger Conservation Landscapes covering approximately 88 000 km². However, the actual distribution of tigers across Sumatra has never been accurately mapped. Over the past 20 years, conservation efforts focused on the Sumatran tigers have increased, but the population continues to decline as a result of several key threats. To identify the status of the Sumatran tiger distribution across the island, an island-wide questionnaire survey comprised of 35 respondents from various backgrounds was conducted between May and June 2010. The survey found that Sumatran tigers are positively present in 27 habitat patches larger than 250 km² and possibly present in another 2. In addition, a review on major published studies on the Sumatran tiger was conducted to identify the current conservation status of the Sumatran tiger. Collectively, these studies have identified several key factors that have contributed to the decline of Sumatran tiger populations, including: forest habitat fragmentation and loss, direct killing of tigers and their prey, and the retaliatory killing of tigers due to conflict with villagers. The present paper provides management authorities and the international community with a recent assessment and a base map of the actual distribution of Sumatran tigers as well as a general overview on the current status and possible future conservation challenges of Sumatran tiger management.     

Review of research methodologies for tigers: Telemetry

Over the past half century, wildlife research has relied on technological advances to gain additional insight into the secretive lives of animals. This revolution started in the 1960s with the development of radio telemetry and continues today with the use of Global Positioning System (GPS)-based research techniques. In the present paper we review the history of radio telemetry from its origins with grizzly bears in Yellowstone to its early applications in tiger research and conservation in Asia. We address the different types of data that are available using radio telemetry as opposed to using other research techniques, such as behavioral observations, camera trapping, DNA analysis and scat analysis. In the late 1990s, the rapid development of GPS collar technology revolutionized wildlife research. This new technology has enabled researchers to dramatically improve their ability to gather data on animal movements and ecology. Despite the ecological and conservation benefits of radio telemetry, there have been few telemetry studies of tigers in the wild, and most have been on the Bengal or Amur subspecies. We close with an assessment of the current tiger conservation efforts using GPS technology and discuss how this new information can help to preserve tigers for future generations.     

Monitoring tigers with confidence

With only 5% of the world's wild tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) remaining since the last century, conservationists urgently need to know whether or not the management strategies currently being employed are effectively protecting these tigers. This knowledge is contingent on the ability to reliably monitor tiger populations, or subsets, over space and time. In the this paper, we focus on the 2 seminal methodologies (camera trap and occupancy surveys) that have enabled the monitoring of tiger populations with greater confidence. Specifically, we: (i) describe their statistical theory and application in the field; (ii) discuss issues associated with their survey designs and state variable modeling; and, (iii) discuss their future directions. These methods have had an unprecedented influence on increasing statistical rigor within tiger surveys and, also, surveys of other carnivore species. Nevertheless, only 2 published camera trap studies have gone beyond single baseline assessments and actually monitored population trends. For low density tiger populations (e.g. <1 adult tiger/100 km²) obtaining sufficient precision for state variable estimates from camera trapping remains a challenge because of insufficient detection probabilities and/or sample sizes. Occupancy surveys have overcome this problem by redefining the sampling unit (e.g. grid cells and not individual tigers). Current research is focusing on developing spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture models and estimating abundance indices from landscape-scale occupancy surveys, as well as the use of genetic information for identifying and monitoring tigers. The widespread application of these monitoring methods in the field now enables complementary studies on the impact of the different threats to tiger populations and their response to varying management intervention.     

Estimating abundance and density of Amur tigers along the Sino–Russian border

As an apex predator the Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) could play a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of forest ecosystems in Northeast Asia. Due to habitat loss and harvest over the past century, tigers rapidly declined in China and are now restricted to the Russian Far East and bordering habitat in nearby China. To facilitate restoration of the tiger in its historical range, reliable estimates of population size are essential to assess effectiveness of conservation interventions. Here we used camera trap data collected in Hunchun National Nature Reserve from April to June 2013 and 2014 to estimate tiger density and abundance using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) methods. A minimum of 8 individuals were detected in both sample periods and the documentation of marking behavior and reproduction suggests the presence of a resident population. Using Bayesian SECR modeling within the 11 400 km² state space, density estimates were 0.33 and 0.40 individuals/100 km² in 2013 and 2014, respectively, corresponding to an estimated abundance of 38 and 45 animals for this transboundary Sino–Russian population. In a maximum likelihood framework, we estimated densities of 0.30 and 0.24 individuals/100 km² corresponding to abundances of 34 and 27, in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These density estimates are comparable to other published estimates for resident Amur tiger populations in the Russian Far East. This study reveals promising signs of tiger recovery in Northeast China, and demonstrates the importance of connectivity between the Russian and Chinese populations for recovering tigers in Northeast China.     

浅谈野生虎生态学研究

虎在生态系统中处在食物链的顶端，是自然保护中的旗舰物种，具有重要的生态价值和科学价值。目前，虎的分布范围及数量已经明显减少，成为最受威胁的大型猫科动物之一。针对虎的这种濒危状况，虎的研究得到了极大关注，尤其是野生虎的生态学研究。本文综述了野生虎生态学的研究，从野生虎生态学的研究历史出发，作者认为野生虎的保护应该做到以下几点：减少人为干扰；保护好现有虎栖息地，对现有虎种群实行异质种群管理；建立新的保护区，扩大虎的栖息地；设法扩大虎猎物种群的数量。     

A comparison of food habits and prey preferences of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) at the southwest Primorskii Krai in Russia and Hunchun in China

A small, isolated Amur tiger population ranges across the southwest Primorskii Krai region in Russia and Hunchun region in China. Many individuals, with “dual nationality,” cross the border frequently. Formulating effective conservation strategies requires a clear understanding of tiger food requirements in both countries. While the diets of tigers ranging in Russia is clearly understood, little is known of the tigers' feeding habits in China.. We used scat analysis combined with data on the abundance of 4 prey species to examine Amur tiger diet and prey preferences in Hunchun. We examined 53 tiger scat samples from 2011 to 2016 and found that tigers preyed on 12 species (11 species in winter), 4 of which were domestic animals with 33.58% biomass contribution; this was the first record of Amur tigers eating lynx in this area. Tigers showed a strong preference for wild boar (Jacobs index: +0.849), which were also the most frequently consumed prey, and a strong avoidance of roe deer (Jacobs index: ?0.693). On the Russian side, domestic animals (just dog) were rarely found in tiger scat, and tigers did not show strong avoidance of roe deer, but of sika deer. We also found red deer footprints during winter surveys and that tigers ate red deer on the Chinese side, while there was no record of red deer feeding on the Russian side. Reducing or eliminating human disturbance, such as grazing, is essential to recovering tiger prey and habitat in this area and the Sino‐Russian joint ungulate annual survey is indispensable for prey estimates of this small, isolated Amur tiger population.     

Endoparasites of the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

There have been few reports on the diversity and prevalence of parasitic fauna of the endangered Siberian tiger, which inhabits the territory of the Russian Far East. The present review attempts to summarize the information about the parasitic fauna of wild Siberian tigers, which includes 15 helminths and 3 protozoan species. The most prevalent parasitic species was found to be Toxocara cati, followed by Toxascaris leonina. Another commonly recorded Platyhelminth species is Paragonimus westermani, which causes a lethal infection of the lung parenchyma in Siberian tigers. However, the information about infections by this fluke in the Siberian tigers is scarce, although P. westermani infections pose a serious health hazard to tiger populations. The nematodes Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Thominx aerophilus are found in Siberian tigers with an occurrence rate of 2.3% and 19%, respectively. The information on the parasitic infestations of captive populations of Siberian tigers is also presented along with the sources of infection and hazards for the wild tiger populations in their natural environment.     

济南动物园孟加拉虎和非洲狮行为节律与游客行为的关系

动物园是迁地保护的重要场所,研究动物行为与游客行为可以为动物和游客管理提供有价值的信息。本文分析了济南动物园孟加拉虎、非洲狮的日行为活动节律,以及其行为与游客行为之间的关系。结果显示:孟加拉虎的日行为中走动时间所占比例最大,占45. 47%;其次是睡眠,占43%,卧息占10. 88%,其他行为仅占0. 65%;非洲狮卧息时间所占比例最大,占62. 76%;其次是睡眠,占27. 82%,走动行为占7. 24%;其他行为仅占2. 18%。二者行为与游客召唤、拍照行为以及游客停留时间存在一定的相关关系。游客停留时间与孟加拉虎的活跃状态存在显著相关性;当其睡眠时,游客的召唤行为增加,游客的停留时间也随之增长。游客拍照行为与非洲狮卧息行为有一定相关性。因此动物园应增加环境丰富度,促进动物自然、多样的行为表达;加强游客教育,为游客创造更好的观赏体验,以提高动物园的综合效益。     

Noninvasive genetics provides insights into the population size and genetic diversity of an Amur tiger population in China

Understanding population size and genetic diversity is critical for effective conservation of endangered species. The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is the largest felid and a flagship species for wildlife conservation. Due to habitat loss and human activities, available habitat and population size are continuously shrinking. However, little is known about the true population size and genetic diversity of wild tiger populations in China. In this study, we collected 55 fecal samples and 1 hair sample to investigate the population size and genetic diversity of wild Amur tigers in Hunchun National Nature Reserve, Jilin Province, China. From the samples, we determined that 23 fecal samples and 1 hair sample were from 7 Amur tigers: 2 males, 4 females and 1 individual of unknown sex. Interestingly, 2 fecal samples that were presumed to be from tigers were from Amur leopards, highlighting the significant advantages of noninvasive genetics over traditional methods in studying rare and elusive animals. Analyses from this sample suggested that the genetic diversity of wild Amur tigers is much lower than that of Bengal tigers, consistent with previous findings. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of this Hunchun population in China was lower than that of the adjoining subpopulation in southwest Primorye Russia, likely due to sampling bias. Considering the small population size and relatively low genetic diversity, it is urgent to protect this endangered local subpopulation in China.     

Historic distribution and recent loss of tigers in China

Historical records can provide important evidence of changes in distributions of wildlife species. Here we discuss the distribution of the tiger (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) over the past 2000 years in China based on 2635 historical records. We also compare tiger distributions outlined in these records with ecosystem type maps. Throughout this time period, tigers maintained a broad distribution across 7 biomes (from forests to deserts). However, in recent decades the range has been significantly condensed. Today, only 2 populations remain, neither of which is independently viable. Tigers have completely disappeared from the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of central China, a region that was traditionally their most important biome in China. The continued presence of wild tigers in China is highly dependent on significant conservation measures.     

Applying molecular genetic tools to tiger conservation

The utility of molecular genetic approaches in conservation of endangered taxa is now commonly recognized. Over the past decade, conservation genetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA sequencing and microsatellite genotyping have provided powerful tools to resolve taxonomy uncertainty of tiger subspecies, to define conservation units, to reconstruct phylogeography and demographic history, to examine the genetic ancestry of extinct subspecies, to assess population genetic status non-invasively, and to verify genetic background of captive tigers worldwide. The genetic status of tiger subspecies and populations and implications for developing strategies for the survival of this charismatic species both in situ and ex situ are discussed.     

舒泰麻醉老虎之不良反应二例

舒泰是一种新型分离麻醉剂,曾在犬猫临床上使用多年,舒泰的诱导时间短,在经肌肉和静脉途径注射时,具有良好的局部耐受性。但是,在使用舒泰对1只雄性孟加拉虎和1只雌性东北虎进行麻醉的案例中,2只虎均在麻醉4 d后出现四肢僵硬,无法站立,大便糊状等症状。使用肌肉注射头孢塞肟钠、地塞米松、维生素和盐酸纳洛酮治疗,3～4 d后痊愈。我们曾用舒泰麻醉黑猩猩、赤猴、山魈、金钱豹、猎豹、非洲狮,均未出现不良反应。2只虎出现的不良反应目前原因不明。因此,使用舒泰进行麻醉时应注意以下事项：动物最好先禁食禁水12 h再麻醉;麻醉前10 min,可先肌肉注射阿托品以抑制唾液分泌;麻醉过程中和麻醉后,注意监测动物的体温、心跳和呼吸频率等体征;不要与乙酰丙嗪、氯丙嗪等吩噻嗪类药物和氯霉素合用。     

中国虎的起源和濒危过程的研究

依据中国虎化石的记录,研究了虎的起源,提出了虎是起源于中国黄河流域中部的新观点。认为中国华北地区的虎应是世界上虎的最古老的地理种群,并依据实地调查结果阐述了我国虎的濒危过程及致危原因。     

圈养华南虎血常规正常参考值的初步研究

以建立华南虎血液血常规指标的正常参考值范围为目的,选取国内各动物园和繁育基地饲养的健康华南虎采集血液样本作为研究对象,采用全自动(兽用)血常规分析仪的电阻抗法和射频技术测定血常规指标[白细胞(WBC)、红细胞(RBC)、血红蛋白(HGB)、血小板(PLT)等]。华南虎血液血常规指标的正常参考值范围(95%概率):WBC(5.45—18.92)10^9/L、RBC(5.95—10.21)10^12/L、HGB(102—187)g/L、PLT(24—621)10^9/L等,不同性别间华南虎血常规各项指标差异不显著(P>0.05),与其他虎亚种相关血常规指标存在差异。华南虎血常规指标正常参考值范围不同于其他虎亚种,建立华南虎血常规指标正常值对华南虎的饲养管理、疾病诊治预防和保育繁殖研究工作很有必要。     

圈养东北虎的医疗管理训练

2005—2011年,持续对北京动物园的3只圈养东北虎进行了医疗管理训练,相继完成串笼、体尺体重测量、后肢力量增强、肌肉注射、尾部采血、尿液收集、口腔及牙齿检查、修剪前爪等训练项目。通过训练,减少了日常饲养管理中动物对环境改变和人类干扰的应激反应;以往需要麻醉动物才能进行的肌肉注射、采血、口腔及牙齿检查和修爪等操作,现在可以引导动物在放松状态下主动完成,去除了麻醉对动物造成的伤害。圈养野生动物医疗管理训练不同于驯兽表演,是提高动物福利的有效手段。