Complementary roles of wild boar and red deer to animal tuberculosis maintenance in multi-host communities.

The contribution of wildlife species to pathogen maintenance in multi-host communities has seldom been quantified. To assess the relative contribution of the main wildlife hosts of animal tuberculosis (TB) to its maintenance, we estimated the basic reproduction number (R0) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in wild boar and red deer at 29 sites in the Iberian Peninsula. Host abundance and true TB prevalence were estimated for each species at each site by sampling from distributions incorporating the uncertainty in the proportion of the population harvested each year, sensitivity, and specificity of the diagnostic methods, while excretion of mycobacteria was estimated using site-occupancy models. The distributions of these parameters were then used to estimate, at each site, the R0,wild boar (range 0.1 - 55.9, average 8.7, standard deviation 11.8), and the R0,red deer (0.1 - 18.9, 2.2, 3.9). Animal TB is maintained in epidemiological scenarios ranging from any single species acting as a maintenance host (the wild boar in 18 sites and the red deer in 5), to facultative multi-host disease (6 sites). The prevalence of TB in the red deer is likely an important driver of the epidemiology in multi-host communities. The wild boar was the main maintenance host of TB in most of the study sites and could have an epidemiological role linking the wildlife multi-host community and livestock.

Dear deer? Maybe for now. People's perception on red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations in Portugal.

The human dimension of wildlife is a subject of increasing interest, especially considering the potential impact of people's perceptions on decision-making concerning wildlife management and thus on species' distribution and abundance. This is particularly important for species that inhabit human-dominated landscapes, where conflicts are likely to arise. These conflicts typically emerge between different human collectives when their interests collide and thus an assessment of their perceptions is valuable. Throughout Europe, ungulates have expanded, and Portugal is no exception. The expansion of red deer (Cervus elaphus) comes with benefits (e.g. hunting opportunities), but also with costs (e.g. vehicle collision or damage to crops), that can shape people's perceptions of these populations. To assess perceptions of red deer populations in continental Portugal, we developed a questionnaire survey with three interest groups: general public, farmers and hunters (total n = 1532). Our results show that perceptions about red deer were generally positive with a high acknowledgement of deer benefits, which we link to a broad level of sympathy towards this species. In addition, farmers showed a higher concern with crop damage caused by deer than non-farmers. Nonetheless, a general lack of knowledge regarding wildlife was present, particularly among younger people, who are potentially more apart and disconnected from nature. Now is the time to implement preventive and mitigation measures - e.g. fencing, reduction of population density - which can be a small contribution to address this problem. The focus should be put on people's acceptance of the required strategies to manage deer populations (which can also include unpopular practices, such as hunting). For that, an evaluation of people's attitudes towards deer populations and awareness of associated problems is essential. People's opinions, as well as the success of monitoring and management strategies, should be evaluated through multi-disciplinary teams, that include natural and social scientists, to ensure their success.

What does the wolf eat? Assessing the diet of the endangered Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) in northeast Portugal.

The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is a top predator that inhabits the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal, its numbers and distribution declined throughout the 20th century, due to human persecution, habitat degradation and prey decline, which have led to higher predation rates of livestock in the remaining packs. In Montesinho Natural Park (northeast Portugal), wild ungulate populations have been increasing in the last years, which may have led wolf to predate upon them. In order to assess Iberian wolf diet in this area, 85 wolf scats were collected from transects distributed throughout the study area in two periods between November 2017 and August 2019. Scat analysis indicated a high predation on wild ungulates, where the frequency of occurrence showed that roe deer was the most consumed prey (44%), followed by red deer (26%) and wild boar (24%). Domestic/wild cat (6%), domestic goat and stone marten (5%) were consumed in lower quantities. It was found a higher selection towards roe deer (D = 0.71) and this was the only prey item which was significantly dependent of the season of the year (χ2 = 16.95, df = 3, p < 0.001). This is the first study in Portugal where was recorded that wolves feed mainly on wild ungulates. We conclude that lower livestock predation may be correlated with higher wild ungulates densities in our study area, as well as suitable husbandry practices, leading to a shift on Iberian wolf diet from mainly livestock on previous studies to wild ungulates.

Living on the edge: roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) density in the margins of its geographical range.

Over the last decades roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) populations have increased in number and distribution throughout Europe. Such increases have profound impacts on ecosystems, both positive and negative. Therefore monitoring roe deer populations is essential for the appropriate management of this species, in order to achieve a balance between conservation and mitigation of the negative impacts. Despite being required for an effective management plan, the study of roe deer ecology in Portugal is at an early stage, and hence there is still a complete lack of knowledge of roe deer density within its known range. Distance sampling of pellet groups coupled with production and decay rates for pellet groups provided density estimates for roe deer in northeastern Portugal (Lombada National Hunting Area--LNHA, Serra de Montesinho--SM and Serra da Nogueira--SN; LNHA and SM located in Montesinho Natural Park). The estimated roe deer density using a stratified detection function was 1.23/100 ha for LNHA, 4.87/100 ha for SM and 4.25/100 ha in SN, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 0.68 to 2.21, 3.08 to 7.71 and 2.25 to 8.03, respectively. For the entire area, the estimated density was about 3.51/100 ha (95% CI - 2.26-5.45). This method can provide estimates of roe deer density, which will ultimately support management decisions. However, effective monitoring should be based on long-term studies that are able to detect population fluctuations. This study represents the initial phase of roe deer monitoring at the edge of its European range and intends to fill the gap in this species ecology, as the gathering of similar data over a number of years will provide the basis for stronger inferences. Monitoring should be continued, although the study area should be increased to evaluate the accuracy of estimates and assess the impact of management actions.