Magdalena S Svensson

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• Primate Conservation PhD
• lab technician at Oxford Brookes University

Scientific investigations on the mammals of Angola started over 150 years ago, but information remains scarce and scattered, with only one recent published account. Here we provide a synthesis of the mammals of Angola based on a thorough survey of primary and grey literature, as well as recent unpublished records. We present a short history of mamm...

Mountain gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei trekking is a substantial source of revenue for the conservation of this threatened primate and its habitat. Trekking, however, may pose a threat of human‐to‐gorilla disease transmission that could have disastrous effects on wild gorillas. We used 858 photographs posted on Instagram in 2013–2019 to analyse...

Social media is known to influence consumers' attitudes and to increase demand for wild animals as pets, when depicted online. We investigate the online presence of the nocturnal primates gala-gos, on TikTok and Instagram, and its influence on followers' attitudes and desire to keep galagos as pets. We monitored activity June-December 2020 and cond...

As road infrastructure networks rapidly expand globally, especially in the tropics, previously continuous habitats are being fragmented, resulting in more frequent wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC). Primates are widespread throughout many sub-/tropical countries, and as their habitats are fragmented, they are increasingly at risk of WVC. We created...

Conservation funding is currently limited; cost-effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID-19. W...

The Northern Highlands of northwest Namibia are a particularly remote and arid landscape, where wildlife, habitats and local communities are increasingly at risk from future climate change events. There has previously been minimal research on the population of African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) in these Highlands. The Highlands are loca...

Patterns of illicit trafficking networks can be explained by economic, geographic and environmental factors, and has clear implications for forest management. Rosewood is one of the most valuable taxa in the illegal wildlife trade. We focus on its illegal trade in Indonesia. Here, rosewood is not a protected species, but logging is prohibited in pr...

In the remote, semi-desert landscape of the highlands, west of Etosha National Park, competition between humans and elephants for natural resources is likely to increase because of climate change. The aim of this study was to assess priorities and measures to reduce human–elephant conflict in the highlands, and identify lessons learnt. The approach...

In planning and monitoring measures to protect wildlife in an area, it is important to have a reliable baseline estimate of population size and trends. There has been minimal published information on a small population of elephants, a keystone and endangered species, in a large area west of Etosha National Park in Namibia, known locally as the Nort...

Etosha Pan to the Skeleton Coast examines the conservation histories and concerns of one of southern Africa’s most iconic conservation regions: the variously connected ‘Etosha-Kunene’ areas of north-central and north-west Namibia. This cross-disciplinary volume brings together contributions from a Namibian and international group of scholars and co...

Etosha Pan to the Skeleton Coast examines the conservation histories and concerns of one of southern Africa’s most iconic conservation regions: the variously connected ‘Etosha-Kunene’ areas of north-central and north-west Namibia. This cross-disciplinary volume brings together contributions from a Namibian and international group of scholars and co...

COUNTRY SUMMARY: INDONESIA CULTURAL CONTEXT Indonesia is situated in one of Southeast Asia’s four biodiversity hotspots. It is experiencing rapid economic growth and is the world’s 10th largest economy in purchasing power. These factors, with strong global and local demand for wildlife products, make it a critical player in both legal and illegal w...

A growing global human population, habitat conversion, and the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources have created unsustainable demands on nature, resulting in widespread biodiversity loss. Primates, which represent the third most specious Order of mammals, are facing an extinction crisis. Currently, 69% of primate species are listed by...

Squirrels traded for pets or consumption have the potential to be vectors for zoonotic disease transmission and to establish themselves as invasive species. Callosciurus spp. (Greek for beautiful squirrel) are popular in the pet trade due to their medium size and many colour variants, though several feral populations have established themselves in...

Wildlife trade, both legal and illegal, is increasingly recognized as a key factor in the rise of emerging viral infectious diseases, and this is especially apparent in Asia, where large numbers of wildlife are openly offered for sale in bird markets. We here focus on the risk of Psittacosis becoming a zoonotic disease in the wildlife markets of Ja...

The highlands and escarpments of Angola and Namibia (HEAN) consist of a series of high-elevation plateaus, escarpment ridges and inselbergs. They are known for their increased capacity to promote speciation and species persistence, but the importance of this area as an endemism centre for mammals remains poorly documented. Here we describe the ende...

In the Anthropocene, primate conservation can only take place when considering human culture, perspectives, and needs. Such approaches are increasingly important under the growing impact of anthropogenic activities and increasing number of threatened primates. The Amazon rainforest, rich in cultural and biological diversity, where indigenous people...

Trade can have serious implications for primate species. Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) have historically been a principal species traded for biomedical research. Individuals found in the biomedical trade continue to be sourced from captive-bred, wild, and semi-wild populations. The number of legally traded owl monkey body parts or derivatives registered...

Population viability analyses (PVAs) have become a useful tool in wildlife conservation because of their ability to assess the relative impact of threats on populations and identify the most effective management scenarios for endangered species. The Raffles' banded langur (Presbytis femoralis) is classified as Critically Endangered, with population...

The trade in primates as pets is a global enterprise and as access to the Internet has increased, so too has the trade of live primates online. While quantifying primate trade in physical markets is relatively straightforward, limited insights have been made into trade via the Internet. Here we followed a three-pronged approach to estimate the prev...

The global loss of traditional culture and knowledge makes efforts to document and preserve them a priority, not least in biodiversity conservation. The importance of indigenous peoples' cultural heritage, perceptions, and practices for primate conservation is increasingly recognised and studied through ethnoprimatology. Human-primate interactions...

Illegal and/or unsustainable trade is a major obstacle to effective primate conservation. The wildlife trade in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) is significant, but for many species, such as primates, the trade is poorly understood and sparsely reported. All EU countries are Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endan...

The growing human population in Africa is putting increasing pressure on habitats and wildlife outside of protected areas. The wildlife conservancy model in Namibia empowers rural communities to decide on the use of wildlife. Namibia started to implement the conservancy model in the 1990s and provides relevant experience from which other countries...

Information on primate vocalisations can be applied in several ways, including: improving captive welfare, as a census tool for cryptic species, or to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on species’ behaviour (Delgado and van Shaik, 2000; Konrad and Geissman, 2006; Jacobsen et al., 2010). Vocalisations can be used as a taxonomic to...

Within the New World primate family of Atelidae, infanticidal attacks are most commonly reported in howler monkeys (Alouatta spp., Crockett, 2003; Knopff et al., 2004; Aguiar et al., 2005; Agoramoorthy and Rudran, 2009; Van Belle et al., 2010; Pavé et al., 2012). The howler monkey species that have been observed to exhibit this behaviour are black...

In January 2021, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Primate Specialist Group Section for Human Primate Interactions (IUCN PSG SHPI) published best practice guidelines on the use of non-human primate imagery online. This paper explores the contribution of professional primate keepers to the detrimental online sharing of images...

Our understanding of the transmission of anthropozoonotic diseases between humans and nonhuman primates, particularly great apes due to their close genetic relationship with humans, highlights a serious potential threat to the survival of these species. This is particularly the case at tourism sites where risk of disease transmission is increased....

Pig-tailed macaques are used by coconut farmers in Southeast Asia to harvest coconuts. We assessed the welfare of northern pig-tailed macaques Macaca leonina involved in coconut harvesting in southern Thailand. We interviewed 89 coconut farmers in three provinces focusing on quantifying basic demographics of this trade, i.e., primate species, where...

Primates are traded yearly in the tens of thousands for reasons such as biomedical research, as trophies and pets, for consumption and to be used in traditional medicine. In many cases, this trade is illegal, unsustainable and considered a major impediment to primate conservation. Diurnal primates make up the vast majority of this trade, but recent...

Understanding the repertoire of hunting techniques used by traditional peoples in tropical forests is crucial for recognizing the role of traditional knowledge in hunting activities, as well as assessing the impact of harvests on game species. We describe the hunting techniques used across Amazonia by Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples for hunti...

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020

Seizures of hundreds of jaguar heads and canines in Central and South America from 2014 to 2018 resulted in worldwide media coverage suggesting that wildlife traffickers are trading jaguar body parts as substitutes for tiger parts to satisfy the demand for traditional Asian medicine. We compiled a data set of >1000 seized wild cats (jaguar [Panther...

Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of Lorises and Pottos - edited by K. A. I. Nekaris March 2020

Svensson, M., Bersacola, E. & Bearder, S. 2019. Galagoides demidoff ssp. demidoff. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T91966225A91966229.

Svensson, M. & Bearder, S. 2019. Galagoides thomasi . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T40653A17962691.

Svensson, M., Bersacola, E. & Bearder, S. 2019. Galagoides demidoff . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T40649A17962255.

Bearder, S., Svensson, M. & Butynski, T.M. 2019. Galago moholi . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T8788A17963285.

Svensson, M. & Nekaris, K.A.I. 2019. Arctocebus aureus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T2053A17969875.

Svensson, M. & Pimley, E. 2019. Perodicticus edwardsi . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T136852A91996061.

De Jong, Y.A., Butynski, T.M. & Svensson, M. 2019. Galago senegalensis ssp. senegalensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T136897A17989183. Website: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136897/17989183

de Jong, Y.A., Butynski, T.M., Svensson, M. & Perkin, A. 2019. Galago senegalensis . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T8789A17963505. Website: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/8789/17963505

De Jong, Y.A., Butynski, T.M., Perkin, A. & Svensson, M. 2019. Otolemur garnettii . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T15644A17963837. Website: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15644/17963837

De Jong, Y.A., Butynski, T.M., Perkin, A., Svensson, M. & Pimley, E. 2019. Perodicticus ibeanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T136875A91996195. Website: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136875/91996195

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019 e.T13572A17953693 https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13572/17953693

Vocalizations are a vital form of communication. Call structure and use may change depending on emotional arousal, behavioral context, sex, or social complexity. Pithecia chrysocephala (golden-faced sakis) are a little-studied Neotropical species. We aimed to determine the vocal repertoire of P. chrysocephala and the influence of context on call st...

Stone tools in the prehistoric record are the most abundant source of evidence for understanding early hominin technological and cultural variation. The field of primate archaeology is well placed to improve our scientific knowledge by using the tool behaviours of living primates as models to test hypotheses related to the adoption of tools by earl...

Like other nocturnal primates, many species of galago (Galagidae) are phenotypi-cally cryptic, making their taxonomic status difficult to resolve. Recent taxonomic work has disentangled some of the confusion. This has resulted in an increase in the number of recognised galago species. The most widespread galago species, and indeed the most widespre...

Oates, J.F. & Svensson, M. 2019. Arctocebus calabarensis . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T2054A17969996.

The mountain gorilla, Gorilla beringei beringei, is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Endangered. About 1000 individuals remain in the wild, and the loss of even a single animal has implications for the viability of their two populations. Poaching, political instability and risk of anthropozoonotic disease trans...

Comparative behavioural research reveals both intra- and inter-species diversity among primates. Few long-term behavioural studies have been conducted on African nocturnal primates. Here we describe and compare behavioural and ecological observations on two species of pottos (Perodicticus ibeanus and P. edwardsi) across ten sites. We observed a tot...

The discovery of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) nut-cracking by wild long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) is significant for the study of non-human primate and hominin percussive behaviour. Up until now, only West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and modern human populations were known to use stone hammers to crack open this particul...

Anthropogenic disturbances have a detrimental impact on the natural world; the vast expansion of palm oil monocultures is one of the most significant agricultural influences. Primates worldwide consequently have been affected by the loss of their natural ecosystems. Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascilularis) in Southern Thailand have, however, lear...

Objectives: Based on vocalization recordings of an unknown galago species, our main objectives were to compare morphology and call structure with known closely-related taxa and describe a new species of galago. Materials and methods: We conducted field surveys in three forest habitats along the escarpment region in western Angola (Kumbira Forest...

The international trade in night monkeys (Aotus spp.), found throughout Central and South America, has been regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1975. We present a quantitative analysis of this trade from all 9 range countries, over 4 decades, and compare domestic legislation...

Wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) at Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil, regularly use stone tools to break open cashew nuts (Anacardium spp.). Here we examine 2 approaches used by the capuchins to position the kidney-shaped cashew nuts on an anvil before striking with a stone tool. Lateral positioning involves placing the nut on its...

Trade in primates is considered a major impediment to primate conservation globally. The bush- meat trade in West and Central Africa is considered largely unsustainable and represents one of the main threats to biodiversity. Furthermore, the use of primates in traditional practices and medicine includes a third of the African primate species. Littl...

Eighteen species of galagos and three species of pottos are currently recognised and in several regions the distributions of these strepsirrhines overlap. Niche partitioning is a key factor in determining community structure as it allows the coexistence of two or more species that rely on limited trophic resources. For this study, we aimed to inves...

The African nocturnal primates (galagos, pottos, and angwantibos: suborder Strepsirrhini) are the result of the first major primate radiation event in Africa, and are found in different primate communities spread across the entire sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, they represent an interesting group of taxa to investigate community strategies to avoid inte...

Large "charismatic" animals (with widespread popular appeal) are often used as flagship species to raise awareness for conservation. Deforestation and forest fragmentation are among the main threats to biodiversity, and in many places such species are disappearing. In this paper we aim to find a suitable species among the less charismatic animal sp...

News article for the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group. Available at http://www.pangolinsg.org/2014/06/01/pangolins-in-angolan-bushmeat-markets-2/

Hunting and trading of wildlife, including primates, has been occurring for thousands of years. However, the rapid escalation of the bushmeat trade and the trade in live animals and body parts in recent years have come to present a serious threat to biodiversity. Asian slow lorises Nycticebus spp. are at a high risk of extinction due to their trade...

Open sale of elephant ivory in Luanda, Angola - Volume 48 Issue 1 - Magdalena S. Svensson, Elena Bersacola, Simon K. Bearder, Vincent Nijman, Michael Mills

Galago senegalensis have the widest distribution of any nocturnal primate in Africa, extending from Senegal through to East Africa, a distance of over 7000 km. Yet few field studies of this species are published. Here we present the first field study from The Gambia, in the westernmost part of their geographical range. The study was conducted in Ni...

The resolution of the ambiguity surrounding the taxonomy of Aotus means data on newly classified species are urgently needed for conservation efforts. We conducted a study on the Panamanian owl monkey (Aotus zonalis) between May and July 2008 at three localities in Chagres National Park, located east of the Panama Canal, using the line transect met...

Sounders of warthogs were studied in situ in Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) in south eastern Uganda and ex situ at Colchester and Edinburgh Zoos, to enable a comparison of their play behaviour. The aim of the study was to ensure that warthogs kept in a captive environment can be housed in the best way possible. It was also to ensure the level of w...