No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Urban Wildlife of Hokkaido, Japan.

Various domestic and wildlife species have been found susceptible to and infected with SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, around the globe, raising concerns about virus adaptation and transmission to new animal hosts. The virus circulation in the white-tailed deer population in North America has further called to action for virus surveillance in the wildlife. Here, we report on the first SARS-CoV-2 survey of wild animals in Japan, where frequent wildlife invasions of urban areas have occurred due to the limited predation, field abandonment, the increase of human acclimatization.

Habitat selection of a large carnivore along human-wildlife boundaries in a highly modified landscape.

When large carnivores occupy peripheral human lands conflict with humans becomes inevitable, and the reduction of human-carnivore interactions must be the first consideration for those concerned with conflict mitigation. Studies designed to identify areas of high human-bear interaction are crucial for prioritizing management actions. Due to a surge in conflicts, against a background of social intolerance to wildlife and the prevalent use of lethal control throughout Japan, Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) are now threatened by high rates of mortality.

Remotely-sensed active fire data for protected area management: eight-year patterns in the Manas National Park, India.

The Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands, which once extended along most of the Himalayan foothills, now only remain in a number of protected areas. Within these localities, grassland burning is a major issue, but data on frequency and distribution of fires are limited. Here, we analysed the incidence of active fires, which only occur during the dry season (Nov.