WildGenes to Help Sand Cat

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WildGenes to Help Sand Cat

A Scottish conservation charity will use their DNA expertise to help efforts to save the Arabian sand cat in the United Arab Emirates.

The WildGenes conservation genetic laboratory at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is assisting Al Ain Zoo, Abu Dhabi UAE, to launch a flagship conservation breeding and research programme for this species. The DNA project undertaken by WildGenes will provide the vital information needed in order to design and implement the project.

Al Ain Zoo have the largest known captive population of Arabian sand cats in the world, however little is understood about their genetics or indeed the species in general. The RZSS WildGenes lab will use blood samples from the cats at Al Ain Zoo to extract their DNA and develop the genetic markers suitable for parentage testing and analysing genetic diversity. These tools will be used help establish a captive breeding programme for the sand cat and to compare the relatedness of the cats at Al Ain with those from other captive populations that could contribute to the breeding programme.

The genetic tools WildGenes are developing will also be used for the monitoring of wild populations of this species in Abu Dhabi via the analysis of collected faecal samples; this information will help to estimate the range and population size of the species in the wild.

It is hoped that this project will serve as a catalyst for conservation efforts in the region, with exhibits at the Zoo acting as a platform for education alongside the conservation programme. The programme aims to coordinate conservation efforts with local and regional partners to develop a cohesive population management for the Arabian sand cat in Arabia.

The sand cat lives deep in the deserts of Arabia, North Africa and Central Asia and can survive for months without water. Thick fur protects its paws from the baking ground and it makes burrows in the sand to cope with the extremes of midday and night-time temperatures. It is the only species of cat to inhabit true desert.

Degradation of the desert environment had led to the decline in many species including the sand cat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species list the cat as Near Threatened, however the threat to many local populations in Arabia is likely to be much higher. In fact the Arabian sand cat is classified as Endangered in the regional IUCN Red Lists for the UAE, with only four reliable sightings since 1995. Due to the elusive nature of this species and due to the extreme environments it inhabits, it is very hard to estimate exactly how many cats are left in the wild and to what extent they are declining.

Dr Helen Senn, Research Scientist at the RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, comments:

“This is an important step in conserving the Arabian sand cat. Desert environments tend to be overlooked in terms of conservation work and many species are extinct or on the brink of extinction. Although the sand cat is classed as Near Threatened as a whole, the threat to local populations can be much greater. It is hoped that the establishment of this captive breeding programme and the information gathered from this study will help to improve the conservation prospects of this species.

“This genetic work performed by RZSS WildGenes will support the design of a breeding program that will help maintain vital genetic diversity within the captive population, ensuring that it has the best chance of long-term survival if eventually reintroduced. Wild monitoring will also provide us with much needed background data about what this elusive species gets up to out in the desert”.

Muna al Dhaheri, Acting Chief of Conservation and Education for Al Ain Zoo, says: “Al Ain Zoo’s partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s WildGenes Lab is in line with our continued and active commitment to conserve arid wildlife species, a key priority for the Abu Dhabi Emirate. The DNA analysis project will help us to better understand this elusive species, which will serve as a major contribution to conservation efforts, while also establishing a foundation for potential reintroduction and long-term sustainability.” RZSS WildGenes are also actively involved with work on a number of other desert species - the addax, Scimitar-horned oryx and dama gazelle - for Al Ain Zoo. Recently the WildGenes lab has taken the lead in the conservation genetic management of Arabian oryx, which have been the subject of long term conservation efforts and several reintroductions over the past 30 years. The use of DNA data to support the controlled release of these animals will hopefully improve survivorship and longevity in the reintroduced population.

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Scottish Beaver Get A Boost

A fourth release of beavers has taken place as part of the five-year Scottish Beaver Trial

Scotland’s first wild beaver population gets a boost, as Trial’s fourth family is released

An additional breeding pair of two beavers, one male and one female, has now been released into the wild in Scotland as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial (SBT), a project which marks the first formal trial reintroduction of a native mammal back into the UK.

The Trial, which is a partnership project between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), aims to determine how beavers will prosper in Scottish habitats and to assess their impact in the current Scottish environment by monitoring them over a five-year trial period.

The pair, which were transported from a holding facility at the Highland Wildlife Park and released into the wild on 4 May and after nearly a week in their new home, have been settling in well. This release follows the release of three beaver families, 11 beavers, into the Trial site at Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll, in May last year. All animal releases follow the conditions outline as part of the licence issued by the Scottish Government.

Prior to the release, two artificial lodges were created by the project team to provide temporary shelter until the pair can build a lodge of their own. Food and used bedding will be placed in these lodges to encourage them to settle in this new loch and make it their home.

Roisin Campbell-Palmer, SBT Project Leader said: “Whenever you release an animal into the wild it is a nerve-wracking moment and you want to give them the best chance at adapting to their new environment. Knapdale is ideal for beavers and already we have seen our other animals really making it home and doing what comes naturally to them. The two beavers are in good health, having passed all the required veterinary health checks and we are confident they should settle in well.”

There are great hopes for the future of this pair and the other beavers, as Campbell-Palmer continue: “Following arrival from Norway, these beavers underwent a six-month quarantine period in England before being transported to the Highland Wildlife Park, where they have lived together for several months, giving them a chance to get used to life in Scotland. Even our harshest weather is nothing compared to the cold they have been used to. With plenty of food and space to explore we hope that this pair along with the others may start breeding in the coming months and years.”

Simon Jones, SBT Project Manager, explained more about the decision to release a fourth family almost one year into the Trial.

Jones said: “It was always a possibility for us to release a fourth family of beavers as part of our Trial. Our licence fro the Scottish Government permits us to release up to four families and we feel that by having four breeding pairs in Knapdale our Trial stands the best chance of creating a viable population of beavers. It is very important that we create the most natural conditions possible for our wild beavers to allow the results to inform decisions about the impact a wider beaver reintroduction might have on Scotland’s environment.

Over the course of the Trial, all our beavers will be tracked closely by the project team. The release of a fourth pair will provide important additional field data and hopefully show how neighbouring families of beavers interact with one another.”

The Scottish Beaver Trial could determine whether or not beavers are reintroduced into the wild across Scotland. Twenty-five European countries have already reintroduced beavers to their wild lands. Beavers are a native species to the UK and were once a common sight before they were hunted to extinction by man. Beavers are known as a keystone species and bring many benefits to wetland environments and improve habitats for many other animals including invertebrates, birds and otters.

The release of the fourth family of beavers was discussed with Scottish Natural Heritage, which is coordinating the independent scientific monitoring of the Trial.