By Mark Waghorn<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are among large carnivores being driven to extinction by habitat loss, persecution by humans and reduced prey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their plight has been overlooked owing to the focus on lions, leopards and other top predators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lead author Dr. Paolo Strampelli, of the University of Oxford<\/a>, said: \u201cResearch effort is significantly biased towards lions and against striped hyenas despite the latter being the species with the widest continental range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfrican wild dogs also exhibited a negative bias in research attention, although this is partly explained by its relatively restricted distribution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The study in the journal PeerJ<\/a> is the first of its kind \u2013 based on a systematic review of population assessments over the last two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Identifying knowledge gaps will improve conservation efforts by guiding funding, investment and priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strampelli said: \u201cOur findings highlight the urgent need for additional cheetah population assessments, particularly in northern, western, and Central Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDue to their large country ranges, studies in Chad and Ethiopia should especially be considered a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The international team found biodiversity monitoring may not be evenly distributed or occurring where most needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Computer models showed assessments have been biased \u2013 in particular towards South Africa and Kenya. Northern, western and Central Africa are under-represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most studies have been carried out in tourism areas under government management, non-protected and trophy hunting regions received less attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reducing biases would help ensure all species and areas of conservation importance have an adequate knowledge base available, with the potential to improve their outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Specifically, 26 countries currently lack any published estimates \u2013 especially Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Chad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The study found only 59 percent of studies outside South Africa included a co-author from the country being analyzed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It reinforces suggestions research in developing countries is disproportionately led by scientists from more developed areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strampelli and colleagues called for donors and foreign researchers to maximize involvement of local scientists, students and practitioners in future assessments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This includes provision of training, funding, and equipment. Donors and funders should encourage efforts in understudied regions and species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This will ensure conservation occurs where it is most needed. Population assessments of striped hyena are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further population assessments of African wild dogs are essential, particularly given the species is classified as endangered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such efforts are especially required in countries that have been identified as critical for the species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No recent assessments have been carried out in some countries, including Botswana and Tanzania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strampelli said: \u201cThere is an urgent need for additional cheetah population assessments, particularly in northern, western, and Central Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDue to their large country ranges, studies in Chad and Ethiopia should especially be considered a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs in the case of African wild dog, development and standardization of cheetah population monitoring techniques, including the exploration of citizen-science based approaches, are recommended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The post \u201cHyenas, wild dogs and cheetahs disappearing from African savannah\u201d<\/strong> appeared first on Zenger<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Produced in association with <\/em>SWNS Talker<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Edited by Saba Fatima and Joseph Hammond<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n