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First Camera Trap based Evidence of Grey Wolf Canis lupus in the Hanma National Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia, China
Abstract
As an apex predator, the grey wolf (Canis lupus) is an ecologically important species. It is considered an ecologically important species due to its position as an apex predator. Grey wolves survive in a wide range of habitats including deserts, steppe, tundra, shrubs, coniferous and deciduous forests. Grey wolves have a cosmopolitan distribution, mostly found in the northern hemisphere. Due to historical and continued persecution; and reduced prey populations, its current range is restricted to remote areas. Thanks to conservation initiatives, grey wolves are beginning to reclaim parts of its historical distribution, currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. During a two year camera-trapping survey, we obtained the first photographic detection of grey wolves in Hanma National Nature Reserve, China. We deployed 113 camera traps spaced at least 1km apart, which ran for 27,607 trap nights. On October 11th 2017 at 16:40, a camera located in the coniferous forest detected two adult grey wolves. Thus, we report the first photographic detection of grey wolves in HNNR. We emphasize the need for more research to further determine the true distribution of grey wolves in China and suggest that wildlife managers can use the same conservation strategies applied in HNNR to other areas in order to assist grey wolf recovery.
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Patterns of habitat use profoundly influence interactions among wildlife species and ecological communities, the sustainability of species and the stability of populations. The Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx, sable Martes zibellina, moose Alces alces, roe deer Capreolus pygargus and mountain hare Lepus timidus are sympatric carnivore and herbivore species in Hanma Nature Reserve in the Greater Khingan Mountains, northeastern China. We conducted snow track sample plot surveys of these mammals during the winter of 2012–2013 and analyzed habitat selection characteristics and interspecific interactions. We screened the preferred habitat variables of each species and predicted their potential occurrence probability by generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) and further, selected the best model of each species that incorporated other species' potential occurrence probability in GLMM. Our results showed that when we only considered habitat factors in the model: 1) river valley was the most favored habitat factor in winter that lynx, moose and mountain hare showed strong selection on; 2) lynx preferred areas with steep slope and coniferous forest; 3) sable only avoided the forest edge; 4) roe deer avoided sparse shrub forest but preferred coniferous forest. When we incorporated other species' presence probability in GLMM: 1) the presence probability of moose and roe deer had no significant relationship with other species; 2) lynx preferred areas with higher mountain hare potential occurrence probability; 3) sable preferred areas with higher mountain hare but less lynx occurrence probability; 4) mountain hare preferred to inhabit areas with sympatric roe deer and lynx. These results will provide guidance for species specific habitat conservation and restoration, and wildlife population management based on interspecific interactions.
The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is a Neotropical canid with a wide geographic distribution. Although globally listed as Near Threatened, this species was listed as Vulnerable in a recent assessment by the Brazilian government. Few records of this mammal have been reported in the Brazilian Cerrado, and it is considered extinct in several localities as a result of human landscape fragmentation. The record presented here is the first evidence of bush dog presence in West Minas Gerais, Brazil, which augments the species distribution with expected occurrence for this region. The study site was a transitional area between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, in the Triângulo Mineiro region, which is a highly fragmented landscape, dominated by cattle ranches with exotic pasture species and scattered natural patches. We only recorded a single bush dog individual in our survey (4,036 camera trap/night), but our sampling success was expected compared with that of other previous mammal surveys using the camera trapping method, in part, because of the species' elusive behavior and low natural densities. This record enhances knowledge of the S. venaticus distribution. Potentially, we confirm the presence of the bug dog in a region that was regarded being environmentally suitable for this species occurrence, but where it has never been reported. Moreover, our result elucidates the potential of the natural remnants to harbor threatened species in highly human-influenced and non-protected landscapes, which is the dominant scenario found in West Minas Gerais, Brasil.
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The conservation of large carnivores is a formidable challenge for biodiversity conservation. Using a data set on the past
and current status of brown bears (Ursus arctos), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), gray wolves (Canis lupus), and wolverines (Gulo gulo) in European countries, we show that roughly one-third of mainland Europe hosts at least one large carnivore species, with
stable or increasing abundance in most cases in 21st-century records. The reasons for this overall conservation success include
protective legislation, supportive public opinion, and a variety of practices making coexistence between large carnivores
and people possible. The European situation reveals that large carnivores and people can share the same landscape.
Large carnivores face serious threats and are experiencing massive declines in their populations and geographic ranges around
the world. We highlight how these threats have affected the conservation status and ecological functioning of the 31 largest
mammalian carnivores on Earth. Consistent with theory, empirical studies increasingly show that large carnivores have substantial
effects on the structure and function of diverse ecosystems. Significant cascading trophic interactions, mediated by their
prey or sympatric mesopredators, arise when some of these carnivores are extirpated from or repatriated to ecosystems. Unexpected
effects of trophic cascades on various taxa and processes include changes to bird, mammal, invertebrate, and herpetofauna
abundance or richness; subsidies to scavengers; altered disease dynamics; carbon sequestration; modified stream morphology;
and crop damage. Promoting tolerance and coexistence with large carnivores is a crucial societal challenge that will ultimately
determine the fate of Earth’s largest carnivores and all that depends upon them, including humans.
In this paper we compare some socio-ecological traits of feral dogs and wolves in order to assess the social ecology of feral dogs in terms of its adaptive value in the natural environment, and to evaluate to what extent the domestication process altered the wolf's socio-ecological patterns. Referring to feral dogs as those dogs living in a wild state with no food and shelter intentionally provided by humans, and showing a continuous and strong avoidance of direct human contacts, we review the currently available information on feral dog ecology, and particular reference is made to a 3-year term project on feral dog ecology in Abruzzo, Italy. Through comparison of relevant behavioural and ecological features of both wolves and feral dogs, we hypothesize that some aspects of the feral dogs' ecology, having escaped natural selection pressures, represent primarily expression of “evolutionary inertia” or an epiphenomena of artificial selection. Fitness-related measures of sociality, demography, reproduction, space-use, activity patterns, and feeding ecology in feral dogs tend to support our original hypothesis: feral dogs are not reproductively self-sustaining, suffer from high rates of juvenile mortality, depend indirectly upon humans for food, co-optable individuals, and space, and their demography appears dominated by unpredictable mechanisms. However, further research is needed, especially concerning different ecological conditions and multi-generational time-scales, as well as the role that dominant breed-types and cross-breeding history within feral dog groups might play in the expression of the analyzed socio-ecological features.
Raised-leg urinations were performed almost exclusively by dominant male and female wolves (Canis lupus). The alpha male and female in two captive groups showed full raised-leg urinations (RLUs) throughout the year. Each alpha male and female sniffed and marked on one another's marks frequently; however, the pair that bred did more marking and more double marking. They increased their marking frequency prior to and during the breeding season, decreased it at the time of parturition, while the female was in the den, and then increased to a moderate level when the female took part in pack activities again. Because the alpha pair was the principal sender and receiver of the message within the group, it is likely that double marks function to maintain and advertise the pair bond. Because the group that did not breed also did not double mark frequently, the presence of double marking in a captive group may be diagnostic of the viability of the group as a pack.
Scent-marking behaviour and inter-pack aggression were studied in wild Ethiopian wolf, Canis simensis, packs. Raised-leg urinations, followed by ground scratching, were the most frequently deposited scent-mark. Scent-marking rates were highest along or near territory boundaries, where distances between scent-marking sites were reduced and the proportion of multiple marks was increased, relative to other areas. Marking rates increased with wolf numbers during patrols but not during other activities. Although all adult members of a pack contributed to scent-marking, the dominant pair marked most frequently. Subadult males scent-marked occasionally but subadult females never did. Wolves vigorously over-marked neighbours' scent-marks. Most direct encounters between neighbouring wolves at territory borders were aggressive and involved repeated chases, and the larger group was most likely to win. Resident wolves were more tolerant of opposite-sex than same-sex neighbours. Resident wolves therefore signalled pack composition and status at home range borders by olfactory and auditory cues and by aggressive contests. Such signalling may reduce the occurrence of potentially costly inter-pack aggressive encounters at territory borders and provide information on reproductive status.
This paper introduced the past and current situation about distribution and population of wolf (Canis lupus) in different countries. Wolf once distributed widely in the world. Its distribution area has diminished greatly as their
living conditions are destroyed, together with persecution from humans. The overall population of wolf is also declining.
In some countries, wolves are endangered or even extinct. Now some countries have placed the wolf on the national list of
protected animals. Alaska of the United States and Canada are the widely distributed areas of wolves in the world.
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