The Relationship Between Religion and Attitudes Toward Large Carnivores in Northern India?

Evidence suggests that religion is an important driver of peoples’ attitudes toward nature, but the link between religion and carnivore conservation is poorly understood. We examined peoples’ attitudes in Buddhist (n = 83) and Muslim communities (n = 111) toward snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and wolves (Canis lupus) in Ladakh, India. We found that the effect of religion on attitudes was statistically nonsignificant, and was tempered by gender, education, and awareness of wildlife laws. Even though religion by itself was not an indication of an individual’s attitude toward large carnivores, the extent to which he/she practiced it (i.e., religiosity) had a positive correlation with pro-carnivore attitudes in the case of Buddhist but not Muslim communities. Our findings indicate that it may be useful to integrate locally relevant religious philosophies into conservation practice. However, the emphasis of conservation messaging should vary, stressing environmental stewardship in the case of Islam, and human–wildlife interdependence in the case of Buddhism.     

An Hour’s Change:Psychological Analysis in Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour

This paper gives a brief introduction of Kate Chopin and his famous work The Story of an Hour [1].By analyzing the psychological change of the protagonist Mrs. Mallard and her reactions to her husband'...     

A suspected case of Addison’s disease in cattle

A 4.75-year old Simmental cow was presented with symptoms of colic and ileus. The clinical signs and blood analysis resulted in the diagnosis of suspected primary hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease). Although Addison’s disease has been frequently described in other domestic mammals, to our knowledge, this disease has not previously been reported in cattle.     

A high-morbidity outbreak of Johne’s disease in game-ranched elk

Following an outbreak of Johne’s disease on an elk farm in northern Alberta, Canada, fecal culture, fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests were performed on individual animals. The magnitude of the outbreak is described and the challenges associated with poor test agreement, as well as herd management options, are discussed.     

Current Knowledge of Equine Water Treadmill Exercise: What Can We Learn From Human and Canine Studies?

Equine water treadmills (WTs) are increasingly being found in research and therapy centers and private competition yards. However, the programs incorporating WT exercise for training and rehabilitation of horses are mainly based on anecdotal evidence due to the lack of scientific evidence available. This review aims to evaluate what is currently known about WT exercise for horses drawing on what is known from human and canine investigations. Studies of WT exercise have demonstrated that water depth, temperature, and speed have a significant effect on physiological responses in humans. The physiological studies in horses show many similarities to human responses with much evidence demonstrating that WT exercise is an aerobic form of exercise which does not appear to induce improvement in aerobic capacity when used within training programs. Equine and canine studies have shown that water depth can have a significant effect on the biomechanical responses to WT exercise, but little is known about the effect of different speeds at the various water depths. Key areas we would recommend for future research are as follows: how combinations of water depth and speed alter equine biomechanics compared to overland exercise, determination of long-term benefits of WT exercise, and how to use WT for rehabilitation for horses with specific injury.     

Investigation of Marek’s disease virus from chickens in central Ethiopia

Marek’s disease (MD) is a lymphoproliferative and neuropathic disease of domestic chickens and less commonly, turkeys and quails, caused by a highly contagious, cell-associated, oncogenic herpesvirus. In Ethiopia, MD is believed to be introduced with importation of exotic and crossbred to improve the poultry production and has been reported to be a potential threat to the poultry sector both in backyard and commercial farming systems. This study was aimed at isolation and molecular analysis of MD virus isolates circulating in chicken population in the central part of Ethiopia where commercial farms are populated. From September 2013 to January 2014, clinical and post-mortem examination were conducted on diseased chickens suspected of MD virus infection. Representative spleen and feather follicle samples were collected following sterile procedure, and infectious virus isolation was performed using primary chicken fibroblast cell culture. Cell culture inoculated with suspension of pathological samples developed characteristic MD virus cytopathic effect of rounding of the cells and small plaques. Further analysis of the virus was conducted by conventional PCR amplifying the ICP4 gene fragment from eleven tissue samples using MD virus specific primers. PCR products were further sequenced and analyzed. Nucleotide sequence similarity search of the local isolates resulted a high degree of sequence similarity with Gallid Herpes virus type 2 strain (Marek’s disease virus type 1, JN034558). To our knowledge, the present study is the first report conducted on virus isolation and molecular characterization of MD virus isolates circulated in Ethiopia. Eleven ICP4-like gene fragment (318 bp) sequences generated in the present study were uploaded in the public database (KU842366–76). Further research on virus isolation, genetic characterization, and infection dynamics is recommended targeting chickens of all age groups reared in different agro-ecological zones under different production system.

     

Analysis of pastoralists’ perception on challenges and opportunities for sheep and goat production in Northern Kenya

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Small ruminants’ production contributes to livelihood of pastoral communities, but this faces myriad constraints. This study aimed at identifying...     

Studies of a naturally occurring sulfur-induced copper deficiency in Przewalski’s gazelles

The Przewalski’s gazelles in the Hudong area of the Qinghai Lake area in China were affected by an ailment characterized by pica, emaciation, dyskinesia, loss of appetite, and anemia. Concentrations of copper (Cu) in soil and forage from affected and unaffected areas were similar and within the normal range, but concentrations of sulfur (S) in soil and forage were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in affected than in unaffected areas. Concentrations of Cu in blood, hair, and liver from the affected Przewalski’s gazelles were significantly lower (P < 0.01) than those in healthy animals. Affected Przewalski’s gazelles showed a hypochromic microcytic anemia and a low level of ceruloplasmin. Oral administration of copper sulphate (CuSO₄) prevented and cured the disease. We conclude that the disorder of Przewalski’s gazelles was caused by secondary Cu deficiency, mainly due to high S content in forage.     

Reliability of the Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler’s soft song in male-male conflict

Background: Soft song is a low-amplitude song produced by many birds. Recent studies have confirmed that soft song is an aggressive signal. For example, the Brownish-flanked Bush Warblers Cettia fortipes use soft song in male-male conflicts, particularly prior to attacks. Although stable signaling systems require that signals be honest on average,models predict that cheating is an acceptable strategy for some individuals or in some contexts.Methods: This study aimed to test the reliability of soft song as an aggressive signal in the brownish-flanked bush warbler. We used mounted specimens accompanied by broadcast songs or soft songs to simulate a male attempting to invade an existing territory.Results: We found the mounted specimen that coupled playback of soft songs suffered more and quicker attacks from the territory owner and that the relationship between soft song and subsequent attack in the territory owner was far from perfect. We observed territory owners that both over-signaled(i.e., produced soft song but did not attack) and under-signaled(i.e., attacked without producing soft song). Under-signaling territory owners were relatively more commonly than were over-signaling territory owners, particularly in simulated intrusion that coupled playback of soft song with a mount specimen.Conclusions: We discuss the cost of producing soft song and the potential benefit of the unreliable use of soft song and propose a new hypothesis for under-signaling with soft song; i.e., under-signaling territory owners might benefit from taking the initiative in fights.     

Impact of Land Subdivision and Sedentarization on Wildlife in Kenya’s Southern Rangelands

Subdivision and sedentarization of pastoral communities is accelerating rapidly across the African rangelands, posing a severe threat to wildlife populations, but few studies have looked quantitatively at the ecological impact of sedentarization. Here we look at the impact of sedentarization on wildlife by comparing ecologically matched subdivided and unsubdivided Maasai pastoral lands (ranches) in semiarid southern Kenya. We found no significant difference in livestock densities on the two ranches but there was a significantly higher wildlife density on the unsubdivided ranch, in both dry and wet seasons. Nonetheless, the unsubdivided ranch still had a higher percentage of grass biomass and ground cover and lower grazing pressure than the subdivided ranch. Distribution of homesteads (bomas) was mostly random on the subdivided ranch, with little area unaffected by human settlement. On the contrary, the unsubdivided ranch had a highly clumped boma distribution pattern, resulting in much of the land being relatively far from permanent human settlement. We show that the regular distribution and permanence of settlements following subdivision and sedentarization greatly reduces wildlife populations both through direct displacement and a reduction of forage. Relative to mobile pastoralism on open rangelands, sedentarization leads to reduced seasonal movements of livestock, lowered grass biomass, and slower grass recovery after very dry periods. This study points to the need to maintain mobile, large-scale herd movements to avoid the heavy impact on grasslands associated with sedentarization of pastoral settlement and herds.     

Ecology of Wahlberg’s velvet gecko,Homopholis wahlbergii,in southern Africa

We examined 170 museum specimens of the southern African gekkonid lizard Homopholis wahlbergii, to quantify sexual dimorphism, male and female reproductive cycles and diet. The largest male and female we recorded were 116 and 119 mm snout–vent length (SVL) respectively. We compared SVL, tail length, head length, head width and eye diameter and found no evidence of sexual dimorphism in any of these characters. The smallest female with thickened muscular oviducts and follicles, indicating sexual maturity, was 59 mm SVL, but the smallest female we found with fully developed eggs was 85mmSVL. Virtually all females larger than 59 mm appeared to be in some stage of reproduction, suggesting that females reproduce every year once they reach sexual maturity. Egg size ranged from 17–19mm long. Egg size was not correlated with maternal SVL. We found adult females with ready-to-lay eggs during the warmer months of the year, but not during winter and spring. The smallest sexually mature male was 72 mm SVL. Virtually all males larger than this size displayed at least semi-turgid testes and most adult male testes were at least semi-turgid for much of the year. The only significant decrease in testicular activity was in mid-winter (June–August), thus, spermatogenesis is closely tied to female follicular development and ovulation. Velvet geckos are largely insectivorous (92%) and feed on a broad spectrum of prey. Their diet was dominated both numerically (34%) and volumetrically (22%) by beetles. Lepidoptera were the next most important prey category, suggesting that they exploit both terrestrial and flying invertebrates. They are unusual among lizards because they feed on millipedes. Males and females had very similar diets which may be explained by their lack of sexual dimorphism, although females tended to eat a greater volume of prey. Interestingly, less than half (37%) of the lizards examined contained prey items, suggesting that most individuals were not in positive energy balance. We also found evidence of prey size selection as a function of gape size, such that larger geckos took advantage of larger prey items.