Will The Lion Sleep Tonight?

Already extinct in the wild... Layla (front) and Jabir, the pair
of Atlas lions at Howletts (August 2015)

The Last Roar

Milo the Atlas lion at Port Lympne Reserve-
a very special cat indeed (July 2014)

If there was one sound during my time at The Aspinall Foundation that I found I was lucky to hear, it was the mighty roars of the lions that echoed around the parks. These lions are not the "ordinary" African lions, They're Barbary, or Atlas, lions, formerly found in North Africa. They are much larger than African lions, and have impressive dark manes.

They are already extinct in the wild, and there are very few in zoos around the world. 

Now immediate efforts must be taken to ensure that the remaining lions do not end up the same way.

The King Needs Help!

Asiatic lions, found only in India, are considered to be Endangered (IUCN, 2015). However, thankfully, their numbers are reasonably stable.

African lions, in sub-Saharan Africa, are Vulnerable and declining in numbers- at a very rapid pace. (IUCN, 2015) 

Spike, an African lion at Whipsnade Zoo (October 2013)

Most notably, lions have decreased by 89% since 1993 in Nigeria, leaving just 32 individuals in this country. Kenya and Tanzania have also suffered losses of 40% and 66% respectively (Fair, 2015). As the human population continues to expand, human-lion conflicts become more evident. Habitat loss through burning, tree felling and urbanization is a real problem. The loss of prey is also a major factor; this is partly down to habitat loss, but mainly down to poaching and the bushmeat trade (IUCN, 2015). As their natural prey declines, lions may turn to livestock, resulting in shootings and poisonings, either in self defense or for the protection of livestock.

(Nearly) Sleeping lions, Layla (front) and
Jabir (July 2014)

However, there are just a few southern African countries (namely, South Africa, Zimbabwe,  and Namibia) that have seen a rise in the number of lions, and they've all done it differently. Fair's article (2015) discusses how South Africa has fenced their lions from the human population. This has apparently led to a decrease in the lion-human conflict; fencing the reserves therefore appears to have served both the locals and the lions well. If we are to protect an apex predator, then the concerns of local people must also be addressed. Additionally, it appears to be economically viable. The article points out that fenced reserves could cost $500 per square kilometre (whereas unfenced would cost four times as much). Furthermore, the fenced reserves could protect 80% of the potential lion population density (compared to just 50% in unfenced populations).

Nonetheless, this is not a black-and-white issue. Namibia does not fence lions due to its low human population, meaning there is comparatively little human-lion conflict. Zimbabwe's lion population has soared since the 1990's. This is not due to a highly controversial trophy hunting economical model in the Bubye Valley Conservancy (I am absolutely not condoning trophy hunting at all for the record).

As it always is with apex predator conservation, it is far from simple. Do we really want to see lions fenced and semi-wild? Do we want to save them through controversial trophy hunting?

It raises some very difficult questions, but we absolutely cannot let them end up like the Atlas lions.

Bless you, Layla! (August 2014)

References

Fair, J. (2015) Is It Time To Stand Up For All Of Africa's Lions? BBC Wildlife, October, pp.52-54

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2015) Panthera leo ssp. persica Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15952/0 Date accessed: 28th November 2015; Panthera leo Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15951/0 Date accessed: 28th November 2015

Cinderella Species Matter Too!

The Critically Endangered Philippine Crocodile at Paignton Zoo (May 2015).
There are only 250 left in the wild, but they're not likely to be a poster
child for conservation!

Mirembe, the youngest member of the African elephant
herd at Howletts Wild Animal Park (14 months in this
photo, August 2015). Her herd, the largest in the UK,
is one of the most popular draws to the park, along with the
world famous gorilla collection.

What Is A Cinderella Species?

What comes to your mind when you hear the term "endangered species"? 

Do you think of the scimitar horned oryx, painted dog, humphead wrasse, Cuban crocodile, porbeagle, eastern bongo, Golden mantella frog, American burying beetle, or even a plant?

Or is the first thing that springs to your mind something along the lines of a tiger? African elephant? Gorilla? Whale? Panda? Orang-utan? Sea turtle? Snow leopard? 

A lot of attention and money is spent on the latter species, the charismatic fauna that normally are the first few animals that pop up on a quick "endangered species" Google Images search. They are the species that we see when we turn the television on and see a WWF adoption advert, and they are the species who we, as a society, are most likely to dig deep into our pockets for. The WWF, one of the world's largest conservation bodies, had an income of £46.43 million in 2009, 46% of which came from individual donations and memberships (n.d.). The organisation uses the aforementioned charismatic megafauna to bring in donations, and uses the giant panda as its logo.

However, what about the Cinderella species? These are the species not seen as being as charismatic. These are the "forgotten species" that are just as endangered (or if not, more so) as the charismatic megafauna such as pandas and tigers. Yet they do not get nearly so much publicity or attention, and therefore do not get so much money spent on their conservation.  

However, it by no means mean they're less important. In fact, it's the complete opposite. They deserve much better. 

Why Do They Matter?

Now let's also look at a specific Cinderella species, a special antelope species at Howletts Wild Animal Park (where I volunteered for the education department over the summer).

One of two Eastern Bongo calves at Howletts Wild Animal
Park (July 2015)

The Eastern, or mountain, bongo is a Critically Endangered antelope species. This is unlike the western, or lowland, bongo, which is not currently threatened (IUCN, 2015). Found only in Kenya, there are only around 150 of them left in the wild. They've been relentlessly poached, and have also fallen victim to habitat destruction. Sadly,  when informing the public of their plight in the wild, very many were surprised and unaware that it was more endangered than our pair of Sumatran tigers! Yet, like so many others, the species does not generally get the publicity is very much deserves. When was the last time you turned the television on and saw an advert asking you to adopt an Eastern bongo?

Why would it matter if this creature goes extinct?  

Think of the ecosystem as one giant, complicated jigsaw puzzle. It needs every single piece to be present, in the correct order, so that it can work and be complete. Let's use a West African rainforest as an example. First, you would need the soil and all its inhabitants to be present. Without this, forget everything else. Then, you would need the plants to fill in parts of the jigsaw- not just the enormous trees, or the beautiful flowering ones, but the ferns, the shrubs, the bushes, etc. Then you'd need the insects, and so on, and so forth. Eventually, the jigsaw would be complete, and you'd be able to see a healthy, functioning ecosystem which also contains the charismatic megafauna such as forest elephants, gorillas and leopards.

In the ecosystem, nothing is more important than another. They're equal. All organisms- no matter how small or large , how scary or hairy, how beautiful or ugly- matter just as much! 

Indah, the gorgeous Sumatran tiger at Howletts Wild Animal Park
(June 2015). Her species would not be able to survive without
the Cinderella Species that hold her ecosystem together! 

References

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2015)  Tragelaphus eurycerus ssp. eurycerus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22058/0 Date accessed: 16th November 2015; Tragelaphus eurycerus ssp. isaaci Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22057/0 Date accessed: 16th November 2015

WWF (no date supplied) Income and expenditure Available at: http://www.wwf.org.uk/about_wwf/other_publications/annual_review_archive/annual_review_2009/raising_support/income_and_expenditure/ Date accessed: 16th November 2015

Justice For Jaws

A shortfin mako (back) and blue shark (front), two species at the centre
of the ICCAT conference (Andy Murch)

No Limits? No Future!

Tope. Blue shark. Porbeagles. Shortfin mako. Smoothhounds. Catsharks. These beautiful species of shark can all be found in British waters.  Yet, as is a sadly common story in this day and age, they're all in pretty sharp decline. These sharks are commonly landed in Atlantic waters, accounting for around 97% of sharks landed by fisheries in the region. Statistics collected in 2012 show that 280,000 tons of these sharks were landed in Atlantic waters, although the true statistic is likely to be as much as quardruple this. (SharkTrust, n.d.).  It's about high time that something was done to help sharks before it is too late!

The Shark Trust is currently heading a campaign called No Limits? No Future!, and is also currently attending the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting in Malta. 

The IUCN lists the shortfin mako as being Vulnerable to extinction and decreasing in numbers and the blue shark to be Near Threatened (2015). The campaign seeks to finally place limits on the numbers of these sharks landed in Atlantic waters annually, as well as prohibiting the retention of the Porbeagle Shark (Shark Trust, 2015), which the IUCN lists as Vulnerable and decreasing in numbers. 

Porbeagle shark (Canadian Shark Research Lab) 

The Marine Conservation Society says that Porbeagle meat is among the most valued of all shark meat (2015). It is also used in vitamin supplements! Though it is protected by the EU and in Uruguay (Shark Trust, 2015), it is not protected anywhere else in the Atlantic.

Nursehound (or bull huss) in the National Marine Aquarium (February 2015)-
an often overlooked, yet commonly consumed, species
of shark

In a world where half of the world's marine life has perished in the last 40 years we absolutely must start taking care of our oceans. It is not just about protecting the species we love most. It is about caring about the entire ecosystem for the planet's sake, and for own!

References

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2015) Isurus oxyrinchus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39341/0 Date accessed: 15th November 2015; Prionace gluaca Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39381/0 Date accessed: 15th November 2015; Lamna Nasus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11200/0 Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Marine Conservation Society (2015) Porbeagle Shark Available at: http://www.mcsuk.org/support_mcs/Get+involved/30+species/30+Species+-+Porbeagle+shark Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Shark Trust (2015) ICCAT Available at: http://www.sharktrust.org/en/iccat Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Shark Trust- No Limits? No Future! (no date supplied) The Campaign Available at: http://www.nolimitsnofuture.org/campaign/ Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Killer Seagulls?

A juvenile gull in Looe, Cornwall (October 2015)

Seagull Mania

I am used to "seagulls". I grew up in Dover, and now study and live in Plymouth. Neither towns exactly have a shortage of gulls, so I am more than accustomed to their noises and their seemingly predatory habits of snatching chips and pasties from your hands. 

But, whereas I don't really mind "seagulls", there are plenty of people who despise them. The media is part of the anti-seagull brigade, too, and this year (2015), seagulls seemed to be public enemy number one. Even David Cameron became involved; as this news article from the Guardian shows, he called for a "big conversation" as there were talks of a gull cull.

The Human Impact

Juvenile herring gull outside the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth,
November 2014

What we as a society don't want to acknowledge (or admit?) is that the "thug" behaviour of gulls is a reflection of our own activity. The deaths of the dogs and tortoise as mentioned in the article are, of course, tragic, and the behaviour of the gulls cannot be ignored. However, it is of vital importance to discuss why "seagulls" are behaving the way they are, and how the media has an agenda against them. While the article does talk about the conservation status of herring gulls, there is little attempt to discuss the reasons behind the "aggressive" and "problematic" behaviour of seagulls. 

Black-headed gull (summer
plumage) Fountains Abbey, Ripon,
North Yorkshire, April 2015

Before I move on, "seagulls" don't really exist. The term generally applies to herring gulls and lesser black-backed gull, the two most familiar types of gull. Also, it is vital to address that their numbers are NOT booming, contrary to the hype and misinformation in the media. In fact, just like the majority of British wildlife, both types of gull are in real trouble. The conservation status of the herring and lesser black-backed gulls are Red and Amber respectively, meaning that they have both suffered a significant decline and range reduction (RSPB, n.d.). Of course, there are other species of gull, such as the black-headed and greater black-backed, but they don't receive nearly so much bad publicity. 

As you can see, I have posted a photo of a black-headed gull in Ripon, North Yorkshire, which is very far from the sea. This is a common trend, and is a symptom of what our activities have done to the sea (as little as we would like to admit it). If you've ever had a pasty stolen from your hands by a gull, or seen them hanging around near bins, you would know that they're opportunists, and that's where we as a society have created a problem.

- The WWF states that over 85% of the world's fish stocks are fished to or beyond capacity (2015). This means that the main natural food source of seagulls is removed and the ecosystem is profoundly affected. This means that the gulls are moving further inland to find their food sources (hence why they're in Ripon!).

Herring gulls surround a fishing boat in Looe, Cornwall
(March 2015)

- Poor fishing practices, such as gutting the fish onshore, attracts seagulls and encourages them to scavenge and use their opportunistic behaviors.

- Poor management of waste, particularly food waste attracts seagulls! So by dropping the odd chip on the ground here and there, seagulls are encouraged to scavenge where there are people. Similarly, actively feeding the gulls is not such a good idea as it provides further encouragement.

Gulls are not normally aggressive. Most of the attacks occur in the early summer, which is when their nesting and brooding season is!

No Gull Cull!

So, with regards to the talks of a gull cull, it is a silly idea and would solve very little. 

Before we point at seagulls, we must resolve our own bad behaviour to rectify the issue!

* We MUST discourage people from feeding the seagulls!
* Better management of waste, particularly of food waste
* Tighter regulations on the gutting of fish on the coast
* More sustainable fishing practices- not just to discourage seagulls, but for the entire ecosystem

Therefore, we need to admit that we have made this problem ourselves, and culling them is simply not the answer!

References

The Guardian (2015) Seagull attacks: David Cameron calls for "big conversation" about issue Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/18/seagull-attacks-david-cameron-big-conversation Date accessed: 19th October 2015

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (no date supplied) Herring Gull Available at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/h/herringgull/ Date accessed: 19th October 2015; Red, Amber and Green Explained Available at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/status_explained.aspx Date accessed: 19th October 2015

World Wildlife Fund (2015) Overfishing Available at: http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing Date accessed: 19th  October 2015