A large global study shows that the simple presence of people changes how wild animals move. Researchers tracked many species with GPS and mobile phone data and say conservation should consider when and where people go.
Photo by HARSH TANK, Unsplash
UC Riverside researchers led by Erin Wilson Rankin observed songbirds stealing twigs and moss from each other’s nests over six months. They found thefts sometimes damaged nests and warn the behaviour could affect conservation of native birds.
A long-term study at Ngogo in Kibale National Park found that one large chimpanzee group split into two. Members of the western group later attacked and killed many former groupmates, a result that raises questions about social behaviour.
Tea plantations and other development near Kibira National Park in northwest Burundi have reduced forest cover and made wildlife, including chimpanzees, rarer. Experts and local people call for community action to protect the park.
The Government of Nepal has proposed the Chepang Landscape as an Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure (OECM). The area is community-managed and important for biodiversity, but land-rights and cultural concerns must be addressed.
A study using drone footage found many tourism rule violations at El Azul, a large whale shark site off the Yucatán coast. Researchers recorded boats and swimmers too close to feeding sharks and recommend better monitoring and self-regulation.