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CARNIVORE CONNECTION

December 2017 This month, travel with us to Welcome! DecemberIndia, , and Sri Lanka! Anthony J. Giordano Founder & Director

An opening word from the director...

Dear S.P.E.C.I.E.S. Nation, fighting to hold the southern boundary shed light on the ecology of the world’s obscure of the ’s distribution and develop canid , many of which are threatened; I am very pleased to bring this long-awaited strategies to reverse in the our effort to support local biologists dedicated inaugural newsletter to you, what I hope planet’s most rapidly disappearing biome, to protecting some the of which are threatened; our effort to support local biologists dedicated is the first of many such communications or Project , the most encompassing to protecting some the world’s cryptic small to come from us. For many years now, and ambitious program to map and protect carnivores; and finally, our commitment to S.P.E.C.I.E.S. has operated quietly in the populations of the world’s two clouded mitigating the causes of most carnivore shadows and without much fanfare, doing species, we purposely occupy those population and declines at their source: our best and working our hardest to protect big spaces and gaps in many of the world’s the looming global economic and agricultural Featured News 4 the world’s carnivores and secure their conservation efforts to magnify our impact. drivers of habitat loss, and the resultant processes future conservation. This has allowed us Our strategies are thoughtful and reflective, which inevitably undermine the coexistence of local carnivore and human populations. Now to focus on developing relationships with as are the reasons we establish any program more than ever our diverse ideas and strategies, The of : key partners and stakeholders, build upon anywhere, and always circle back to one scientific platform, and integrative approach, are Updates from the Field 6 our own early incremental successes, and major driving question: How can we make needed to protect these species, and we ask Conserving a Biodiversity Hotspot establish a track record and brand that a difference? For example, we account for all of you for your support. By supporting us, I couldn’t be prouder of. Most recently, the accomplishments and investments of you are supporting not only our direct efforts to our achievements have begun to receive the many laudatory achievements among advance carnivore conservation in more than Does Taiwan want to see greater public attention, and our reputation today’s diverse conservation institutions a dozen countries where we work, you’re also on the world conservation stage is now and efforts. A comprehensive knowledge of supporting our partners and partnerships, the clouded again? students we mentor, the trusted relationships Species Spotlight 8 our most valuable commodity. We are not this landscape helps to guide our program we have with international governments, the First we need to ask! a large organization with a tremendous goals and objectives, and influence how heroes often putting their lives on the line… and operating budget, trying to tackle all the we choose our partners, which are as much the critical ecological role that carnivores play world’s biggest conservation challenges. a part of our successes as we are. Rather in the health of ecosystems sustaining us all. The Sri Lankan Jackal But nor are we a niche organization; despite than shy away from mention of these our declared focus on protecting and partners, we’ll be highlighting them in future Keeping up with SPECIES 9 securing viable carnivore populations and newsletters, as they help to define us as Most Sincerely, communities far into the future, studying much as the commitment exhibited by our Anthony J. Giordano, M.Sc., Ph.D. the interactions between carnivores and the staff, volunteers, and interns. And if you Executive Director & Chief Conservation Officer ecosystems they depend on takes us to the have an interest beyond cats, big and small, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. SPECIES in the News 10 frontlines of conservation across the world, which admittedly are an important part of journeying into some of the world’s most our program, stay tuned for news about all threatened and endangered ecological of the following: our work to protect sun regions, and tackling issues at scales large and sloth bears in southern Asia; and small. Whether through our Chaco our efforts here in the U.S. to protect the Jaguar Conservation Project, where we’re Act; our new push to

2 / CARNIVORE CONNECTION CARNIVORE CONNECTION / 3 The Western Ghats of India: FEATURE STORY: Western Ghats The Western Ghats of India Conserving a Biodiversity Hotspot Image: Ramesh Tharmalingam

the predator-prey dynamics of carnivores, and how they exist together in the ecosystem. During this study they expected, and found, that large carnivores such as the were preying on large bodied prey such as gaur and sambar while medium sized predators, Resource partitioning in large carnivores of India is largely mediated by activity and spatial use of their principal prey.

This understanding of the way in which ecosystems function is important to developing conservation management strategies, Ramesh states. “Tiger, Ghats, and explains the importance of As the natural habitat of carnivore species is leopard and are three of the main preserving carnivores that inhabit this area. reduced due to deforestation or agricultural keystone species in the landscape expansion, they look elsewhere for prey. in Western Ghats, and they are A range of threats are facing these species “They sometimes go out of the boundaries mainly found in undisturbed habitat.” in the Western Ghats. Habitat loss and the of protected reserves and they look for Since much of the region is under fragmentation of forest areas are considerable, livestock,” Ramesh says. “When they kill pressure from fragmentation, there as is the global skin market. “Mainly livestock the local people poison the are potentially huge effects occurring and leopards are hunted for their skin and carcasses and try to kill the predators. We within the ecosystems. “When you for traditional Chinese medicine – they have are trying to understand the ecological lose the habitat, indirectly you lose the highest value on the market.” Ramesh impacts of this on large carnivores, the prey species, when you lose these explains. A recent report by TRAFFIC, the and also the human perception and species it makes huge changes which monitoring network, found that attitude towards carnivore conservation.” affect the carnivores as they are very there has been no decline in tiger . sensitive to ecosystem changes.” Between 2000 and 2015, a total of 801 tiger “Primarily we will be doing population studies seizures were reported across 13 tiger range to see how the species are distributed, what countries, equivalent to at least 1,755 tigers. human factors are causing disturbance, and how large carnivores such as the “S.P.E.C.I.E.S. aims to The Asiatic wild faces a different kind of tiger respond to these disturbances. Our encourage conservation The Western Ghats region of India is found here. “We also have so many other threat. “The population of this species was project will try to understand the conflicts one of the most important areas for the endemic birds, and the highest once very good, but now the population is between humans and wildlife, and how in ecologically The Western Ghats, India we can mitigate them.” Developing an conservation of biodiversity. It’s recognized populations of Asian elephants in India, going down because of a virus that is being outreach and educational programme vulnerable areas where Image: Ramesh Tharmalingam as an UNESCO world heritage site and and in fact the whole of Asia!” says Ramesh. transmitted from domestic to wild ones.” to help mitigate the ensuing conflict is a noted as one of the world’s eight “hottest wildlife and local S.P.E.C.I.E.S.’s work in the Western Ghats will key element of the S.P.E.C.I.E.S project. hotspots” of biological diversity. Within Despite this wealth of biodiversity, the aim to understand how habitat loss impacts people often come into this mountainous area, which covers region is under threat due to exploitation these carnivore species and their prey, with Ramesh has over 14 years’ experience of conflict around 140,000km2 and stretches some of the rich natural environment. the ultimate goal of creating a manageable studying carnivores in India and South ” 1,600 km through India, there are at “This area is highly fragmented for conservation strategy. Directly linked to Africa. In his homeland of India he undertook least 325 globally threatened species. various agricultural activities,” Ramesh this are steps to lessen human-wildlife studies which looked into the effect of continues. “Coffee plantations, tea conflict, another source of species decline. human disturbance on large carnivores Through increasing existing knowledge “There are very good populations of plantations and more have huge impacts across Western Ghats. “India is one of the of the threats facing the carnivores large carnivores in the Western Ghats,” on habitat loss and fragmentation.” While the designation of areas as tiger most highly populated countries in the in the Western Ghats, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. Dr. Ramesh Tharmalingam says. He is a reserves is a positive step, Ramesh points world, so it is important to study how these aims to encourage conservation in researcher and conservationist working S.P.E.C.I.E.S will soon begin working out that lack of connectivity between reserve carnivores are responding to growing ecologically vulnerable areas where with S.P.E.C.I.E.S in the Western Ghats. The in this important area, focusing on areas is a problem. “After the declaration of levels of human disturbance in various wildlife and local people often come endangered tiger ( tigris keystone carnivore species such as the tiger reserves all kinds of human activities, forms, and despite this India holds the into conflict. Education and awareness tigris), Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus) and tiger, leopard and Asiatic Wild Dog, also livestock, and hunting or poaching has largest population of wild tigers in the programmes amongst local people (Panthera pardus fusca), known as the dhole. Ramesh will lead reduced due to high levels of protection.” But world.” This was the inspiration which drove who inhabit and live off the land on listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, are all the S.P.E.C.I.E.S. project in the Western now the small size of these reserves, coupled him into conservation in the first place. or nearby conservation areas are an with a lack of forest cover connecting them, essential step to ensuring that the bring species into conflict with local people. He also undertook research to understand

4 / CARNIVORE CONNECTION CARNIVORE CONNECTION / 5 UPDATES FROM THE FIELD UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

(Below) Conducting interviews with Lukai and Paiwan people. Images: Anthony Giordano Does Taiwan want to see clouded leopards again? First we need to ask!

(Below) Art depicting the importance of clouded leopards to chiefs of the Paiwan Nation.

(Above) A ceremonial skin owned for several generations by the famil of a Lukai Chief. (Below) Poster advertising the project in the Tawu Mountain

A clouded leopard. Image: Soren Wolf (FlickrCC)

leopards and their prey. Here, we It is not entirely clear when, but conducted interviews with the Lukai some time during the last century and Paiwan people to determine the Formosan clouded leopard, as it how local Taiwanese feel about the was known, went extinct in Taiwan. potential return of the clouded leopard Rumored to be the most beautiful to the island’s mountain forests. of clouded leopards, recent genetic analyses suggest it was no different In the Lukai village, we also discovered from the species that occurred on that the clouded leopard featured mainland Asia. Given the high potential prominently in their art and ceremony. for Taiwan to host clouded leopards A ceremonial clouded leopard skin, for once again, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. embarked on example, has been owned for several an expedition to Taiwan to ask: how generations by the family of a Lukai would local Taiwanese feel about chief. The clouded leopard clearly bringing back the clouded leopard? holds great importance to people of the Lukai and Paiwan nations. The Rukai village in the Tawu mountains. S.P.E.C.I.E.S. traveled to the Tawu Image: Anthony Giordano Mountain Nature Reserve, an area With this assessment, we have taken suited to hosting both clouded the critical first step needed to one day return clouded leopards to Taiwan. 6 / CARNIVORE CONNECTION CARNIVORE CONNECTION / 7 Keeping up with S.P.E.C.I.E.S.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT Asunción, Paraguay - Nov./Dec. ‘17 S.P.E.C.I.E.S.’s Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project was a proud sponsor of the III Paraguayan Workshop on Herpetology and mastozoology this year. Members of the team also presented on the The Sri Lankan recent update to the IUCN Red List for Paraguay. New York, NY - Oct. ‘17 SPECIES founder and director Anothony Giordano and Communication and Outreach Manager Stefanie Siller met with future conservation leaders to Jackal Sri Lankan Jackal discuss context-dependent strategies for human- Image: Thimindu wildlife conflict at this year’s Student Conference on The jackal is a cunning and resourceful Conservation Science in NY. species found all over the world, and the Since the jackal has adapted Sri Lankan Jackal ( aureus naria) is no and thrived in different , exception. The Sri Lankan Jackal is one of it is currently listed as “least thirteen of the , concern”. However, there are still and as you can guess by its name, this concerning threats impacting Luque, Paraguay - Oct. ‘17 jackal lives in Sri Lanka and southern parts the Sri Lankan Jackal. Human At this year’s Green Expo 2017, Diego Gustavo of India. The jackal is slightly smaller than a overpopulation in India constantly wolf, with smaller legs, body, and tail overall. pressures wildlife through habitat Giménez, our Chief Program Officer for the Chaco Its back is covered with black and white fur loss, industrialization, agricultural Jaguar Project in Paraguay, shared his passion with a brown background. This beautiful and livestock expansion. In canine is mysterious, curious, and agile. addition, Sri Lankan locals fear for conservation of the jaguarete with students, that the jackals will transmit rabies teachers, communicators, colleagues and friends. However, don’t be fooled by its good looks. and other diseases to themselves This jackal is a skilled hunter and scavenger, and their domesticated dogs. carnivore and . As a pack , Another threat is the trade of they can organize and take down large prey. jackal’s pelts and tails, but the The pack also waits for other predators Wildlife Protection Act hopes to to make a kill, fill up, and then scavenge Image: Shanaka Kalubowila minimize this. Conservation efforts mainly Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Sept. ‘17 the rest of the food. The jackal has a wide target educating communities on how to S.P.E.C.I.E.S. project hopes to understand range diet that consists of small coexist with these intelligent canines and At the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in Wyoming, including rodents, birds, mice, young decrease hostile actions towards them. the carnivores in Sri Lanka that are gazelles, reptiles, and also fruits. This threatened or potentially threatened SPECIES founder and director Anthony Giordano diet allows the jackal to thrive in varying As urban development increases in Sri through surveying the current status brought his knowledge and expertise to the Cats in niches that include forest, grasslands, and future of carnivore species. Learn Lanka, the rich biological community the Shadows panel, highlighting stories from the world semi-urban, rural, and arid areas. continues to be threatened. The more about our project in Sri Lanka here. of small and rare cat conservtion and research.

8 / CARNIVORE CONNECTION CARNIVORE CONNECTION / 9 S.P.E.C.I.E.S. in the news S.P.E.C.I.E.S. in the news

A Little Cat Goes A Long Way Cats of the Canopy

Jaguarundis have the second-greatest As the smallest of the big cats, clouded north-south distribution of any wild cat in leopards have fallen through the cracks of the Americas. They have historically been mainstream conservation efforts. Because they known to range from Argentina all the way have been overshadowed by other charismatic to Arizona. However, as no one has ever Asian megafauna, very little is known about photographed a wild in Arizona, their status on local or even regional scales. the question remains – are they actually there? However, it is precisely their unique ecological and evolutionary characteristics that make “The jaguarundi, for me, represents a big clouded leopards a potential flagship species. mystery,” says Giordano. “In some areas, they’re more like ghosts.” Although it has been assumed S.P.E.C.I.E.S. is working to not only collect that they are common and widespread in certain important baseline information on the 2 species areas, basic information on where they live is of clouded leopards, but also to inform the incomplete. In Arizona, for instance, general public about the clouded leopard. In are frequently identified, but no evidence has particular, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. aims to publicize the been shown of their existence in the state. major threat facing clouded leopards today: oil palm displacement of natural habitats. Read more about the hunt for the jaguarundi in Arizona, featuring S.P.E.C.I.E.S. founder To learn more about the clouded leopard and and director Anthony Giordano, here. S.P.E.C.I.E.S. efforts to conserve this unique species, read the latest article at Purr and Roar here.

A Clouded Future: Can Taiwan’s Formosan clouded leopard Asia’s enigmatic clouded leopard threatened by palm oil. claw its way back from extinction?

The clouded leopard is so elusive that we didn’t Today, 2 species of clouded leopard roam know there were two species of this cat until throughout Asia: Neofelis nebulosa and Neofelis 2006. Its elusiveness has made conservation diardi. These species are rarely glimpsed in the efforts very difficult. Although both species are wild, and are now at risk of extinction. Indeed, only 4 listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN, we know very years ago, a third type of clouded leopard, Neofelis little about their behavior or ecology. Because nebulosa brachyura (the Formosan clouded of this, they have been largely overlooked leopard), was declared extinct from its home in by both conservationists and the public. Taiwan. However, questions remain as to whether the Formosan clouded leopard ever existed at all. It is known, however, that palm oil production is greatly affecting the clouded leopard. The No clouded leopard has been seen in Taiwan clouded leopard’s habitat lies within 3 of the for decades. Still, most biologists believe world’s top palm oil producing nations. Palm oil the Formosan clouded leopard existed as a production is destroying the natural habitat of this subspecies or subpopulation of N. nebulosa. small , and it is difficult to know how the cat will adapt to these huge changes. Along with Now, conservationists hope to return the palm oil, poaching, trapping, and a decline in prey clouded leopard to the island of Taiwan. have also negatively affected the clouded leopard. S.P.E.C.I.E.S. is working to determine how locals would feel about this reintroduction. Read more about the different challenges, solutions, and future predictions that palm oil To learn more about this unusual extinction production will have on the clouded leopard in story, read Post Magazine’s article here. Mongabay’s recent article, featuring S.P.E.C.I.E.S. director and founder Anthony Giordano, here. 10 / CARNIVORE CONNECTION CARNIVORE CONNECTION / 11 CONNECT WITH US!

“To ensure the viability, diversity, and integrity of the world’s threatened, endangered, and declining native carnivore populations and communities, mitigate threats to their future survival, and restore their part to the healthy functioning of the planet’s ecosystems”

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