Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza A virus infection associated with respiratory signs in sloth bears (Melursus ursinus)

In 2009, a pandemic influenza A virus (pH1N1) spread globally in humans and infected a broad range of captive animals with close human contact. In February 2014, a pH1N1 virus was isolated from a sloth bear with respiratory signs at a US zoo, demonstrating that recurring epidemics present an ongoing threat to animals, including threatened species. This is the first report of pH1N1 infection in sloth bears. To understand the sloth bear virus within the global context of pH1N1, phylogenetic trees were inferred including full‐length sequences from available non‐human, non‐swine hosts, representing four families in the order Carnivora and one order of birds. A combination of phylogenetic and epidemiological evidence strongly suggests the sloth bear was infected with a human‐origin pH1N1 virus, supporting the implementation of biosecurity measures to protect human and animal health.     

棕熊精子体外获能及异种穿卵的超微结构研究

对棕熊精子体外获能前后和异种穿卵的超微结构观察表明,棕熊精子全长77μm,由头、颈和尾3部分组成.头部长7.3μm,宽2.5μm,主要由核、顶体及顶体后区组成;颈部由中心粒和9条纵行分节的节往组成;尾部全长68.2μm,其中中段长13.2μm,线粒体为65～68旋,主段中央为“9 2”的微管结构,其外方被9条致密纤维和纤维鞘包裹.精子获能前群集成簇,运动缓慢;获能后精子呈超激活运动.获能的精子质膜膨胀,顶体外膜囊泡化,引起顶体反应,质膜并未参加囊泡化.顶体反应完成后,仅有顶体内膜包在精子核膜的外面.棕熊精子与仓鼠的卵相互作用,多以赤道段和顶体后区附着于卵膜.     

QuEChERS-超高效液相色谱-质谱联用法测定熊胆粉中9种苯二氮䓬类药物残留量

建立了超高效液相色谱-质谱联用法(UPLC-MS/MS)快速测定中药材熊胆粉中9种苯二氮?类药物残留的方法。样品以乙腈为提取溶剂,经萃取盐包除杂提取,采用分散式固相萃取管 (EMR-Lipid dSPE) 净化,ACQUITY BEH C18色谱柱(1.7 μm,2.1×100 mm)分离,多反应监测模式(MRM)采集数据,外标法定量。在优化的条件下,虽9种药物存在不同程度的基质效应,但不影响检测结果的准确性。方法学考察结果显示,9种苯二氮?类药物在对应的浓度范围内线性关系良好,决定系数(R²)≥0.9961,方法检出限(LOD,S/N =3)在0.06～0.71 μg/kg范围内,定量限(LOQ,S/N =10)在0.20～2.60 μg/kg范围内,3个加标水平的平均回收率在69.1%～108.0%范围内,日内RSD为1.8%～9.0%,日间RSD为2.6%～9.3%。该方法前处理操作简便、重现性好,准确度高,为熊胆粉中苯二氮?类药物残留的风险监控提供了一种有效的检测技术。     

圈养条件下北极熊的饲养繁殖

对大连森林动物园圈养条件下北极熊的饲养管理、发情交配、繁殖及幼仔人工育幼等方面进行了研究与分析,为北极熊在动物园的饲养与繁殖,尤其在人工育幼方面取得了大量的基础数据,希望对北极熊的圈养繁殖起到一定的推动作用。     

Using the Spectacled Bear as a Conservation Tool in the Condor Bioreserve,Ecuador

Abstract

Conservation organizations in the Condor Bioreserve (CBR) in northern Ecuador use the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) as a surrogate species to focus conservation efforts. However, the utility of single-species management has been questioned in recent scientific literature, making it appropriate to review the spectacled bear's efficacy as a conservation tool. The spectacled bear does not enjoy unqualified public support in CBR and surroundings, suggesting that it may not be appropriate as a flagship species. It may be more effective as a keystone species; its diet and migratory habits suggest that it may have a significant impact on plant community structure through fruit dispersal. However, more research is needed in this arena before drawing any conclusions. The spectacled bear is perhaps most appropriate as an umbrella species because of its large home range, which encompasses at least two ecosystem types: páramo and montane forest. Traditionally, the concept of the umbrella species has stressed minimum area requirements, but the spectacled bear may be a more effective umbrella species if its dispersal requirements and seasonal migration patterns are also addressed. Eco-Ciencia, an Ecuadorian research organization, recently constructed a habitat model for spectacled bear. They are uniquely positioned to address issues of habitat connectivity both within and between the protected areas of CBR. In doing so, they could influence future zoning decisions in and around CBR, an area that is experiencing rapid population growth. This could improve conservation efforts for spectacled bear and other species.     

Environmental Education in the Condor Bioreserve

Abstract

Effective conservation rests on an educated population. This chapter describes the status of environmental education programs in the Condor Bioreserve (CBR), Ecuador and makes recommendations for expansion of educational efforts. The major programs that are currently in place include the community park guard system, the Andean Bear Project, and workshops and networks established by the US Department of Interior and The Nature Conservancy. Most environmental education in the CBR is focused on community participation in natural resource management, and there is a relatively small amount of attention devoted to programs for teachers and children. Major recommendations include defining common goals, increasing environmental education efforts in schools, offering teacher training, developing monitoring and assessment protocols, and expanding educational efforts outside of the CBR. The paper links recommendations for improvements in environmental education in the CBR to lessons learned through research and education programs elsewhere in the world.     

Grizzly bear response to human development and activities in the Bow River Watershed, Alberta, Canada

Few studies have reported the effects of multiple human activities on grizzly bears, Ursus arctos. We document the degree of grizzly bear response to various human developments as a function of multiple interacting variables based on observed median distances to roads, trails and development features in a landscape where human presence is widespread. Female grizzly bears remained further than males from paved roads regardless of habitat quality or time of day. Males were found closer to paved roads when within or adjacent to high quality habitat and during the period of least human activity. The combination of traffic volume and highway configuration, however, overrides a bear’s attraction to high quality habitats for high-speed, high-volume, highways. Avoidance of busy transportation corridors was strongest in the adult segment of the population. Bears were found closer to trails during the human inactive period when within high quality habitat and further from trails when distant to high quality habitat. Our data indicated an inverse relationship between the sexes in response to vehicles and traffic noise compared to the response to human settlement and encountering people. Female bears were found further away than males in relation to vehicles and traffic noise, yet found closer than males to human settlement and places where people may be encountered. Those males that were more willing to exploit high quality habitat near roads, did so at night and where hiding cover was present. Adult females were the most risk-averse cohort, choosing to avoid humans instead of seeking out high quality habitats. Adult female grizzly bears were influenced most by human activities and development. Management agencies must maintain access to high quality habitat, especially for adult females, and create new opportunities to support the reproductive potential of the population.     

Dynamics of public attitudes toward bears and the role of bear hunting in Croatia

Successful carnivore conservation depends on public attitudes and acceptance levels of carnivores, and these are likely to change as circumstances change. Attitude studies repeated in time that can demonstrate such change are rare. Our study surveyed Croatian rural inhabitants in 2002 and in 2008 and analyzed their responses to detect a change in attitudes toward brown bears (Ursus arctos) over time. Important developments occurring in Croatia at the time of our research included a more centralized and more clearly defined bear management strategy, and an increase in the bear population. We constructed models to explain respondent’s value orientations, their level of perceived threat and their acceptance capacity for bears. Findings show that while value orientations and the overall level of perceived threat did not change over time, bear acceptance capacity was reduced. This suggests that the increase in the bear population and perhaps the more centralized bear management reduced respondents’ willingness to accept a larger bear population. We conclude that continuous public involvement in bear management is essential in order to maintain a feeling of control over the bear among the local population. Furthermore we argue that hunting is an important form of public involvement in the region, serving to reinforce existence and bequest values of the bear and increase its public acceptance.     

Efficacy of road removal for restoring wildlife habitat: Black bear in the Northern Rocky Mountains, USA

Forest roads reduce habitat quality for wildlife, in part by increasing susceptibility to hunting and poaching. Road removal is an increasingly common strategy for restoring habitat; however, little is known about responses of wildlife to road removal versus other methods of road closure. We assessed effects of different types of road closure (gated, barriered, and recontoured) on black bear (Ursus americanus) frequency and habitat on 18 open and closed road pairs in the western USA. Over 4 years, 44 bears were photographed during 3545 camera-trap days. Bear frequency was significantly higher (2.4 versus 0.6/100 days, respectively) and human frequency was significantly lower (2.4 versus 361.6/100 days, respectively) on closed than on open roads. Additionally, abundance of fall foods was higher (23.9% and 12.8%, respectively) and line-of-sight (a measure of habitat security) shorter (54.9 versus 69.4 m, respectively) on closed compared to open roads. Bears were detected on closed but not on open roads during daytime, suggesting avoidance of humans. Among-road-treatment differences included significantly higher frequency of bears on recontoured than on gated or barriered roads (4.6, 1.6, and 0.5/100 days, respectively), and significantly higher cover of fall bear foods on recontoured than on gated or barriered roads (39.3%, 12.1% and 16.4%, respectively). Frequency of bears was negatively correlated with frequency of humans and line-of-sight distance and positively correlated with abundance of fall foods and hiding cover. Results suggest that while all types of road closure benefit sensitive wildlife, removal by recontour may be the most effective strategy for restoring habitat.     

An evaluation of field and non-invasive genetic methods to estimate brown bear (Ursus arctos) population size

Estimates of population size and density are essential for successful management and conservation of any species. Although there are a variety of methods available for estimating abundance and density of populations, most studies rely on only one estimator and very few studies have compared and critically evaluated the adequacy and the cost of these methods. We used the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in south-central Sweden to compare the performance of three different methods of estimating population size, including methods based on conventional field data as well as on non-invasive genetic data. The method based on observations of females with cubs underestimated the true population size, as the estimates were below the number of unique genotypes determined from faecal data inside the study area. The best traditional method was based on observations of bears from a helicopter. The genetic method using the closed population MARK estimator, as recommended in a previous study, seemed to perform the best. We conclude that approximately 223 (188-282) bears were present in our 7328 km² study area during 2001 and 2002 and suggest that this hunted brown bear population has been relatively stable for about ten years. The non-invasive genetic method was less expensive than the most reliable traditional field method (a CMR method based on observations of bears from a helicopter), and preferable from an ethical point of view. We recommend that future studies using non-invasive genetic methods based on collected faecal samples should aim at collecting 2.5-3 times the number of faecal samples as the “assumed” number of animals.