[Ecology and conservation of pangolin using stable isotope forensics] (Ref IAP2-19-086) University of Glasgow, SUERC (Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre) In partnership with University of Stirling, Biological and Environmental Sciences & ANPN (Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux du Gabon) Supervisory Team • Jason Newton, SUERC, Glasgow University • Luc Bussière, Biol. & Env. Sciences, Stirling University • David Lehmann, ANPN, Gabon • Katharine Abernethy, Stirling University & CENAREST, Gabon Key Words Pangolin, Endangered Species Ecology, Isotope Forensics, Conservation Management, Wildlife Crime. species is myrmecophagous, providing an important ecosystem service as a regulator of social insect populations. Our current knowledge of pangolins is hampered by their predominantly nocturnal lifestyle, the fact they use a complex system of deep inaccessible burrows, and further, their jeopardy by poaching and trafficking. We know little about their movements and population sizes, and our lack of knowledge about their ecology hinders our efforts to protect them. This PhD position will exploit technical advances in stable isotope analysis to provide long-sought data on the ecology and life history of giant pangolins. Pangolins are the only mammals with overlapping keratinous scales covering the body as dermal armour. Figure 1. Taking measurement on a female Giant The steep rise in demand for harvested pangolin scales Pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) captured in Wongua is driven by their use in traditional medicines in Asia Wongue Presidential Reserve in Gabon; a coastal and to some extent in Africa. Now that the IUCN lists forest-savanna mosaic. all four Asian pangolin species as endangered or critically endangered, intensive poaching has increased in the four vulnerable and decreasing African species, with 46.8 tonnes of scales being confiscated in the first Overview half of 2019. Given the large size and slow reproductive rate of S. gigantea, this species seems particularly The giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea - Illiger, susceptible to poaching pressure. The intensification of 1815) of the African lowland rainforest and savanna this threat to pangolins underlines the urgency for gallery forests is one of the world’s least studied developing analytic approaches that can help animals. It is the largest of the pangolin species, with a antipoaching efforts as well as clarify pangolin ecology. mass of around 33 kg, and in common with the other scales may provide information on ontogenetic habitat This PhD position aims to develop a groundbreaking or dietary changes in individual animals. The student method that would provide governments with rapid will develop optimal sampling protocols, including and accurate tools of habitat conservation, and improve microscopy and microsampling techniques to minimize wildlife crime forensic science in general. The research sample mass and maximise temporal resolution along promises to facilitate the identification of the each scale. geographic origin of confiscated scales, along with greater knowledge of habitat resource preferences and Whilst SIA is useful for defining ecological parameters, life history traits for S. gigantea, all of which are SIA has also been used in other species and their essential for the conservation management of this products (e.g. elephant ivory) to identify location. It is species. often the case that confiscated pangolin material is in the form of large quantities of scales, which are difficult to identify to species, never mind location. Methodology Development of a method to identify the location of scale mixtures would allow targeted conservation measures. The project has two main objectives, both driven by stable isotope analysis (SIA): 1.) to address knowledge A database of stable isotope compositions of pangolin gaps in the ecology of S. gigantea, and 2.) to exploit the from known locations (starting with Gabonese potential of using stable isotope methods to locations) will allow us to determine origin from forensically identify the geographic origin of confiscated confiscated scales of unknown origin. This is based on pangolin scales. isotopic gradients associated with latitude (2H and The student will work with ANPN’s Wildlife Capture 18O) savannah-forest and humidity (13C and 15N) Unit (WCU) to capture and GPS-tag pangolins from coastal proximity (34S and 2H) and bedrock geology Gabonese parks. This team led by Dr. Lehmann is (34S). Data provided by this project will support composed by very experienced ecoguards, master ANPN conservation action plans and environmental trackers, a field biologist and a wildlife veterinarian. policies. Pangolins will be actively tracked in the field, leaving no trails behind, without disturbing the natural habitat in which we are working. As all the field sites are in very remote locations, we do not envision any negative impacts on local communities. The Wildlife Capture Unit has developed species-specific safe and field- friendly anaesthetic protocols to sedate individual species, including giant pangolin. The immobilized individual is closely monitored during the entire duration of the operation. During capture, all individuals will be measured, weighed, sexed, and samples for SIA will be collected. In addition, to bolster stable isotope modelling, prey items and environmental (plant) samples will be collected from around capture Figure 1. Triple worldwide firsts. First active tracking locations. to capture of a chosen giant pangolin. First sedation and first GPS-tagging of this species. From left to right: After tagging, GPS spatial data can clarify life Dr. Halbwax WCU Wilflife Veterinarian, Jamaeel expectancy, territoriality and home-range size, daily Ebengue WCU team member, Wesley Mouele WCU path lengths, distance travelled and reproductive team member, SG01 aka “Ghost”, Dr. Lehmann behaviours. Furthermore, SIA of keratinous scales Director of Research and WCU Chief. With 38 kg for provides dietary and/or environmental information 1.72m. SG01 is the biggest giant pangolin ever about the animal at the time of keratin deposition. recorded. He was captured in the continental forest- Conventional methods of dietary analysis, e.g. the savanna mosaic of Lope National Park. analysis of stomach contents, are at best invasive methods and offer only a “snapshot” of what an animal is eating at one time. SIA allows the quantification, via mixing-models, all of the dietary items that a pangolin Timeline eats, and at the same time, indicates how much time an 1. 0-12 months Initial stable isotopes and generic PhD animal spends in different habitats (e.g. savannah vs. training, plus fieldwork in Gabon, including pangolin forest). Thus SIA offers a non-destructive method of capture and sample collection. dietary analysis. Further, high-resolution subsampling of 2. 13-18 months Characterisation of scale morphology and growth; microsampling of scales at SUERC. science. Second Edition, Wiley/Blackwell. 592 3. 19-24 months Stable isotope analyses of samples and pp. ISBN 9781405126809 isoscape reconstruction, manuscript preparation. • Mambeya M.M. et al. (2018) The emergence 4. 21-28 months GPS data analysis & papers. of a commercial trade in pangolins from 5. 29-42 months Analysis, thesis, policy papers. Gabon. African Journal of Ecology 56, 601– 609. (doi:10.1111/aje.12507) • Newton, J. (2016) Stable isotopes as tools in ecological research. In: eLS: Encylopedia of Life Sciences. Wiley, pp. 1-8. ISBN Training & Skills 9780470015902 (doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0021231.pub2) On-site training at SUERC in the measurement and use • Phillips et al. (2014) Best practices for use of of stable isotopes for drawing inferences about animal stable isotope mixing models in food-web diet, small-sample handling, fieldwork training in studies. Canadian Journal of Zoology 92, 823- Gabon, habitat and geolocation, modelling, data 835. (doi:10.1139/cjz-2014-0127) management, modelling, data management, taxonomy • Rysava K. et al. (2016) Re-constructing (prey items). Our team of supervisors is well placed to nutritional history of Serengeti wildebeest provide the diverse kinds of training required, all from stable isotopes in tail hair: seasonal supported by a dedicated team of lab and field starvation patterns in an obligate grazer. Rapid technicians in Scotland and Gabon. Comm. Mass Spectrom. 30, 1461-1468. (doi:10.1002/rcm.7572) This work will be undertaken in partnership with • Wang et al. (2016) Pangolin armor: ANPN, the government agency administrating national Overlapping, structure, and mechanical parks in Gabon, with whom the research team has a properties of the keratinous scales. Acta long record of collaboration for research on both Biomaterialia 41, 60-74. tropical ecology and conservation management. (doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2016.05.028) • Ziegler S. et al. (2016) Towards understanding isotope variability in elephant ivory to establish isotopic profiling and source-area References & Further Reading determination. Biological Conservation 197, 154-163. (doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.03.008) • Challender D. and Waterman, C. (2017) Implementation of CITES decisions 17.239 b) and 17.240 on pangolins (Manis spp.). Prepared by IUCN for the CITES Secretariat. Further Information SC69 Doc.57 Annex 1. • Hobson K.A. and Wassenaar L.I. eds., (2018) Applications: to apply for this PhD please use the url: Tracking animal migration with stable https://www.gla.ac.uk/study/applyonline/?CAREER=PG isotopes. Second Edition, Elsevier. ISBN R&PLAN_CODES=CF18-7316 9780128147238 Jason Newton: [email protected] • Ingram D.J. et al. (2018) Assessing Africa-wide Luc Bussiere: [email protected] pangolin exploitation by scaling local data. David Lehmann: [email protected] Conservation Letters 11, e12389 (doi:10.1111/conl.12389) • Lajtha K. and Michener R. (2007) Stable isotopes in ecology and environmental .