Endangered Wildlife Trust

Wildlife marking techniques are widely used in research and conservation, but stakeholder perceptions of these methods may influence support for conservation initiatives and participation in monitoring. We surveyed 207 participants in and around Kruger National Park, South Africa, including conservation staff, field guides, wildlife photographers, local visitors and international tourists, to assess awareness of and perceptions of wildlife marking, with a focus on patagial-tagged vultures. Using a structured questionnaire administered in-person and online, we found that awareness of wildlife marking was generally high and that many participants were familiar with common marking methods and their main purposes. Responses to marked wildlife and patagial- tagged vultures were often positive, but neutral, mixed and negative views were also reported, particularly where concerns about animal welfare and the appearance of tags were raised. Awareness that tagged vultures should be reported differed significantly among stakeholder groups, and among respondents who had previously seen a tagged vulture, and past reporting behaviour also differed significantly among stakeholder groups. Conservation staff and field guides showed the highest levels of awareness and reporting. Despite these differences, all respondents indicated willingness to report future sightings of tagged vultures. Overall, our results highlighted the importance of clear and accessible communication about wildlife marking and reporting procedures when marked animals may be encountered.

Abstract Conservation programs increasingly require consideration of rehabilitated individuals for translocations to reduce pressure on highly threatened wild populations. Such supplementation remains controversial due to the influence of captivity on natural behaviors. However, determining the relative conservation value of translocations requires quantifiable measures of success through post‐release monitoring over defined timescales. This case‐study evaluates the short‐term translocation success of captive‐origin cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ) after phased‐release reintegration into the wild in South Africa. After phased‐release training, collared cheetah ( n = 12) were released into fenced metapopulation reserves ( n = 7) and monitored intensively (2019–2021). Monthly home‐range size and overlap, as well as habitat use stabilized within 6 months for all individuals, with significant deviations representing confirmed denning events. A metapopulation‐specific cheetah body condition score was used in parallel with kill‐site cluster analysis to support direct prey consumption observations as a novel monitoring tool. While three cheetah suffered natural mortalities during the monitoring period, all females successfully mated within the first 4 months post‐release. To date, these reintegrated cheetah have contributed toward 36 first‐ and 19 second‐generation cubs, 33 of which reached independence and integrated into the wild‐born metapopulation, supplementing growth, but also providing critical demographic and genetic resilience. Rapidly evaluating such translocation success through monitoring directly informs post‐release carnivore management.

The successful release of captive-bred frogs to the wild can be hampered by uncertainty regarding the selection and state of proposed release sites. The Endangered Pickersgill’s reed frog (Hyperolius pickersgilli) has been captive-bred since 2013, to improve the understanding of its husbandry and ultimately for release to the wild at secure rehabilitated wetlands within the species’ native range in central coastal KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. To facilitate selection of release sites, a bioblitz was conducted at four wetlands at which H. pickersgilli is present and at one potential release site. Wetlands occupied by H. pickersgilli have a dense and variable vegetation structure, comprising an overstory of tall, relatively broad-leaved emergent plants and an understorey of herbaceous plants. These wetlands have a variety of arthropods from various orders and families that are potential predators or prey. Predatory arthropods were present at all sites. Predatory fish and hetero-cannibalistic amphibians were captured at two sites each. The results of the bioblitz allowed us to ascertain what vegetation structure is suitable for H. pickersgilli, and which potential predatory fish and arthropods may be present at proposed release sites. Analysis of environmental DNA from water and soil samples might assist with the identification of fish, amphibian and some arthropod predators at potential release sites because phenotypic and genetic identifications matched in most cases. However, this was the case for relatively few potential prey species. Release sites for captive-bred H. pickersgilli should have a suitable vegetation structure as determined in this study, relatively few predators, and an abundance of small arthropods as prey, amongst other factors. The presence of certain insect species that are easily identifiable may be useful additional indicators of the suitability of potential release sites.

Abstract Human–wildlife conflict continues to threaten the persistence of large carnivores, with livestock depredation by lions ( Panthera leo ) often resulting in lethal control. Translocation is widely dismissed as ineffective, yet few empirical assessments have tested its efficacy under favorable ecological and management conditions. We report on “reactive” ( n = 4) and “strategic” ( n = 5) translocations of livestock‐raiding lions within Mozambique between 2020 and 2024. Based on our criteria, none of the reactive translocations were confirmed as successful outcomes; 50% failed outright due to conflict lions returning to their capture sites and resuming livestock depredation, with 25% considered partially successful and 25% unknown. In contrast, four of five strategic translocations (80%) clearly met criteria for success: absence of homing, stable range establishment, survival for at least a year, and no livestock depredation. These translocated lions integrated into resident populations and, in two cases, bred successfully, producing at least 35 cubs. Our findings suggest that, under more favorable conditions—including lower livestock densities, higher prey availability, lower resident lion densities, larger area size, and appropriate release strategies—translocation may help mitigate conflict and contribute to lion recovery. We encourage a more nuanced approach toward decision‐making around relocating stock‐raiding large carnivores, highlighting several key conditions that may improve the practice and policy around this conservation‐driven intervention.

Abstract Green and conservation criminology are important frameworks for addressing the complexity of environmental harms, their perpetrators and societal consequences. Both are grounded in the concept of harm, which includes illegal wildlife trade (IWT). This study examines decisions by South Africa’s courts to assess how judges addressed elements of organized crime and corruption in IWT cases. We conducted a systematic content analysis of 61 IWT-related cases ruled by South Africa’s highest courts between January 2000 and February 2024. Key findings include insights on cases where organized crime was detected, a limited adoption of an organized crime lens, and absence of corruption charges or consideration of corruption risks. Findings suggest legal tools alone may be insufficient, highlighting the relevance of structural and normative dimensions.

ABSTRACT Few reintroduction and translocation programs incorporate genomic assessments into management planning, despite ongoing debate over how founder individuals should be selected. Some argue they should be genetically similar to the original population, whereas others counter‐argue that their evolutionary fitness should be valued regardless of their genetic identity. Here, we assess the genomic composition of reintroduced African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus ) populations in private reserves in South Africa, comparing them with a free‐roaming population in northern South Africa and southern Zimbabwe, and with Kruger National Park. Using genotyping‐by‐sequencing, mitochondrial Control Region sequences, and variation at the DLA‐DRB1 Class II locus of the major histocompatibility complex, we quantified genetic diversity, population structure, gene flow, and adaptive variation. We also developed conservation translocation guidelines to inform future reintroduction efforts that are taking place across southern Africa. We show that reintroduced and free‐roaming wild dogs form a single, broadly connected population, despite evidence of genetic drift, and retain high levels of adaptive genetic variation across their range compared to neutral markers. In our translocation guidelines, we recommend that wildlife managers prioritize maintaining overall genetic diversity rather than strictly preserving original genetic composition, thereby enhancing adaptive potential in a rapidly changing environment.

Abstract The national conservation status of the globally threatened Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) in Armenia was last updated in 2009, and there is an obvious need to revise it. The data collected in 2022–2024 show that there are 39–43 breeding pairs of Egyptian Vulture in Armenia, while its population trend declined by 25% in the years between 2003–2024 (p<0.01), which equals a decrease of 48% in 40 years (three generations of the species). The Area of Occupancy is 976 km 2 , and the Extent of Occurrence is 19,024 km 2 . The species’ national conservation status is marginal between the categories of Vulnerable and Endangered; however, the existing conservation measures remain insufficient for either category. To improve the status of the species, it is necessary to mitigate hazardous waste management policy, to secure proper Environmental Impact Assessments of construction and other developments in the buffer zones of known nests, and to restrict outdoor activities, including drone filming or photography in the same buffer zones in the breeding season, to review the policy on burial of dead cattle, and to study the influence of electric infrastructure on Egyptian Vultures. The implementation of conservation measures should be accompanied by continuous monitoring with minimum disturbance.