Wild, Volume 3, Issue 2 (June 2026) – 11 articles

Medium-sized felines play an essential role in ecosystems by contributing to the maintenance of ecological dynamics and the balance of biological communities. However, the available information regarding their biology and ecology is limited compared to that of larger felids. This study documents the presence of four medium-sized feline species in the state of Morelos, Mexico, and characterizes the spatial features associated with the distribution of these species. Between 2022 and 2025, camera traps were deployed in northern Morelos within three Protected Natural Areas. With a total sampling effort of 9641 days, we recorded 87 independent occurrences of medium-sized felines. Records of the bobcat were concentrated at higher altitudes, primarily in pine forests, whereas the number of margay records decreased with increasing altitude. The presence of these felines indicates that suitable habitats for this group persist in northern Morelos. Nonetheless, a significant proportion of these records were located near urban areas and roads, highlighting the necessity for monitoring to assess population status and implement appropriate conservation strategies. Full article

All eastern hemlock-dominated forests in Ontario could be gone by 2075 given current trends, which demands rapid assessment to locate these endangered ecosystems. To date, however, neither the Canadian or Ontario governments have developed field assessment protocols or minimum standards for identifying old-growth forests that provide density and biomass estimates for the primary features of these forests. This study focused on the Catchacoma Forest, Canada’s largest eastern hemlock forest, and represents a first step towards establishing minimum standards for old-growth eastern hemlock forests in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest region. Rectangular plots were systematically placed along evenly spaced east–west transects at a 2% sampling intensity for the 181 ha study area and assessed for mother trees (MTs) and cut stumps. By a factor of 15X, the method developed was more efficient for covering larger areas compared to randomly placed and intensively sampled plots typically used for long-term ecological studies. Mean integrity (stumps/ha) was 0.006/ha and mean MT density was 149/ha with a range of 0–533/ha. Four MT forest types were identified including: eastern hemlock-dominant (47%; 194 MT/ha), white pine-dominant (26%; 123 MT/ha), other MT species-dominant (9%; 169 MT/ha), and eastern hemlock–white pine co-dominant (8%; 133/ha). MTs were absent from roughly 10% of the study area. Full article

Enormous genetic diversity exists in rice germplasm, including wild and weedy relatives, though they remain unexplored within in situ or ex situ collections. Characterisation and utilisation of the available biodiversity in plant breeding is essential for the detection of novel traits or genes for climate resilience. In this study, 97 rice genotypes, including 90 rice accessions belonging to various Oryza species and 7 check cultivars with an O. sativa background, were characterised for quantitative morphological characters following the guidelines based on distinctiveness, uniformity and stability (DUS) test by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA), India. Characterisation of the genotypes based on 39 important DUS morphological descriptors revealed polymorphism in 35 traits, confirming high morphological diversity among wild rice accessions and distinguishing and unique traits from other wild accessions for the utilisation in pre-breeding programmes. Genotypes such as WD5_6, WD10_4, and WD3_3 consistently expressed a favourable combination of broad and long leaves, extended panicle length, and well-branched panicles with higher panicle number. In addition, these genotypes showed purple pigmentation across multiple vegetative and reproductive organs, indicating stable and enhanced anthocyanin accumulation. Accessions WD10_4 and WD3_3 also represent valuable donors for panicle architecture and yield component enhancement, while genotypes such as WD17_15 and WD12_8 may serve as specific donors for panicle length and branching traits. Characterisation studies and detection of unique traits provide the empirical foundation for conservation decisions, taxonomic clarity, and pre-breeding applications. Interspecific crosses in the genetic background of elite cultivars with donor species viz., O. barthii, O. glaberrima and O. rufipogon were developed as pre-breeding materials for further crop improvement as well as for the identification of novel genes of agronomic importance. Full article

Land and place are often framed within Western ecological traditions as “wild”, meaning pristine, uninhabited, and separate from human life, yet from a First Nations perspective no place exists without relationship, story, or responsibility. This study investigates how environmental understanding emerges when land is approached as a living, relational system rather than an object of detached observation. Guided by a sensory–phenomenological framework, the research brings together phenomenological attention to lived experience with First Nations sensory practices and arts-based methods. Fieldwork was undertaken on Dharug Country with First Nations women artists and cultural practitioners and involved walking on Country, deep listening, stillness, sensory mapping, visual making, and group yarning as interconnected ways of generating knowledge. The findings show that environmental awareness developed through attention to sound, rhythm, vibration, seasonal change, and affect, revealing Country as an active participant in knowledge formation rather than a passive setting. The study concludes that what is commonly described as “the wild” is not unknown or untouched but deeply known through sustained sensory, relational, and creative engagement, demonstrating that ecological reconnection arises through ethical, culturally grounded relationships with living systems and offering implications for more respectful, place-responsive approaches to environmental research and care. Full article

The Seven-coloured Tanager Tangara fastuosa is a threatened species, with little data available on its reproduction. Between 1987 and 2025, 29 nests were found around the Pedra Talhada Biological Reserve in Quebrangulo, Alagoas, north-eastern Brazil. Nests were cup-shaped, with average external dimensions of 11.0 × 7.3 cm and average internal dimensions of 6.2 × 3.7 cm. They were built at an average height of 5.4 m above ground. Mean clutch size was 2.7 eggs, which measured 20.9 × 15.6 mm, and weighed 2.6 g. Eggs were beige in colour with greenish undertones and were heavily spotted with purple or rusty brown. Average incubation period was 13.8 days, and average nestling period was 15.4 days. Apparent nest success was 51.7%, with predation being the main cause of nest failure. Parents, sometimes assisted by helpers, fed the nestlings with small fruits, fruit pulp, seeds, and various arthropods. Our records provide new information on the reproduction of this species in interior and edge forests. However, forest destruction and capture for the illegal wildlife trade pose a threat to the survival of its populations, both remaining an issue in the study area. Full article

The activity of an Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus) family inhabiting the natural reserve Calanchi di Atri in central Italy was monitored during the post-reproductive period (May–October) of two consecutive years (2023–2024), using ten camera trap sites. Detections were classified into adults and pups. Although records cover a limited period and focus on a single pack, they allowed the detection of variations in the spatiotemporal activity of the wolf family. In the first year, wolf activity peaked in summer, with adults frequently supervising pups at rendezvous sites. In the second year, activity by both adults and pups declined significantly and was accompanied by an evident shift in territory use. In addition to potential intrinsic factors, such as individual variability and litter dynamics, these variations may also reflect increased environmental stressors and anthropogenic disturbance. These findings provide insights into how wolves adapt their behavior in human-modified landscapes and highlight the importance of integrating human–wildlife dynamics into conservation and management strategies. Full article

Indonesia’s bird trade research has largely focused on songbirds, leaving other exploited taxa, such as hornbills, understudied. We address this gap by analyzing hornbill seizures in Indonesia (January 2015–December 2024) and online hornbill advertisements (January 2015–February 2025). We recorded 126 seizures and 231 advertisements revealing widespread illegal exploitation of all thirteen native Indonesian hornbill species, and endemic species from the Philippines and Africa. Trade involved live hornbills and hornbill beaks and casques. The prevalence of live trade suggests targeted poaching for the pet market is more extensive than previously documented, underscoring the need for further research and heightened enforcement. At least four endemic Philippines hornbill species were found in trade. The absence of CITES import records for these species indicates illegal international trafficking. At least two African endemic species were also observed for sale online in Indonesia underscoring the need for international monitoring and regulatory oversight to prevent over-exploitation. East Java and Jakarta emerged as principal trade hubs and Riau as a key transit point for hornbill parts entering international trafficking routes. Hornbills are particularly vulnerable to over exploitation because of their slow maturation, low re-productive rates, and complex ecological requirements. As such, Indonesia’s illegal hornbill trade demands targeted actions, including legal reform, strengthened enforcement capacity, and enhanced accountability of online platforms to curb these pressures and protect remaining populations. Full article

Human–elephant conflict (HEC) has emerged as a major conservation and socio-economic challenge across Asia, largely driven by habitat degradation and increasing human pressure within elephant ranges. In India, expanding agriculture, mining activities, and infrastructure development have progressively altered forest landscapes, restricting elephant movement and intensifying interactions with human settlements. This study examines the relationship between landscape dynamics and HEC in the West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand, India. A three-year field investigation (2018–2020) across four forest divisions—Porahat, Chaibasa, Kolhan, and Saranda—was integrated with multi-temporal land-use and land-cover (LULC) analysis from 2000 to 2020 to evaluate habitat changes and their influence on conflict patterns. During the study period, 157 human casualties and extensive crop and property losses were recorded, indicating the severity of the conflict in the region. Landscape analysis revealed a substantial decline in dense forest cover and a reduction of large core forest areas (>500 acres), accompanied by increasing agricultural expansion and forest perforation. NDVI trends further indicated widespread deterioration in vegetation condition, reflecting declining habitat quality. These structural landscape changes have fragmented elephant habitats and displaced movement routes toward human-dominated landscapes and are thus associated with a spatial clustering of conflict events, particularly in the Chaibasa Forest Division. In contrast, the Saranda Forest Division retains relatively intact forest cores and supports more stable elephant habitat conditions. The findings demonstrate that HEC in the region is strongly linked to habitat fragmentation and declining vegetation quality rather than random elephant behaviour. Maintaining large contiguous forest blocks, restoring landscape connectivity, and implementing targeted mitigation strategies are therefore essential for sustaining elephant populations while reducing conflict with local communities. Full article

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is cardinal to natural resource management, and its resilience in protected areas (PAs) depends on its continued practice. The changing socio-ecological landscape has given rise to new PAs that emphasise community participation, like Simalaha Community Conservancy (SCC), versus state-owned, like Liuwa Plain National Park (LPNP). Resilience was assessed by comparing TEK awareness, utilisation, and perceived effectiveness between LPNP and SCC. Three categories of TEK (rules and regulations; myths and taboos; and customs and rituals) were analysed using a blended analytical framework drawing on the knowledge–practice–belief complex and a social–ecological systems perspective. A structured questionnaire was administered to 427 respondents, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. TEK awareness was high, but significantly higher in LPNP than in SCC. Age and length of residence were strongly associated with knowledge, confirming older and long-term residents as key knowledge-holders. Rules and regulations were widely recognised and utilised, while customs and rituals, and myths and taboos, were variable. LPNP showed higher utilisation and perceived effectiveness of TEK, particularly among younger cohorts. These findings highlight the influence of conservation governance and intergenerational knowledge transmission on TEK resilience, underscoring the need to strengthen its integration in emerging PAs. Full article

This study examined the distribution and feeding ecology of Grey Crowned Cranes (GCCs) (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) in the Rushebeya–Kanyabaha wetland watershed in southwestern Uganda, focusing on changes in land use and land cover (LULC) between 1986 and 2022. We documented crane distribution and foraging behaviors through field surveys and analyzed Landsat data of 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022 using supervised classification. The findings revealed significant changes in LULC, with an increase in built-up areas and subsistence farms, while grassland, bushland, and wetland coverage steadily declined. As the human population increased, leading to a demand for food, subsistence farming emerged as the predominant land use starting in 1998. Data on crane distribution indicates that wetlands are a vital habitat for roosting and breeding; nests are typically located within 140 m of water, along the edges of wetlands, and in vegetation that averages 2.6 m in height. Subsistence farmland, primarily growing beans, potatoes, and sorghum, serves as a key food source for the cranes. The study highlights that while agricultural landscapes provide important foraging sites, crane populations are at risk due to ongoing habitat degradation and disturbances. To effectively conserve these populations, strategies that integrate sustainable land use planning within the catchment area and wetland protection will be essential. Full article

Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) plays an important ecological role in Mesoamerican forests as a browser and seed disperser, earning it the nickname of “gardener of the forest”. However, knowledge of its diet composition remains scattered. We reviewed and analysed the available literature on the composition of Baird’s tapir diet throughout its geographic distribution, compiling data from 27 studies. Baird’s tapir was found to consume 515 plant taxa belonging to 410 genera and 123 families. Five types of dietary components have been identified: fibre (stems), leaves, fruit, bark, and flowers. The influence of seasonality on the tapir diet is unclear due to the underestimation of some components, notably fruits. We identified limitations in the techniques used to determine diet components and study designs. Future research should focus on developing techniques to improve the quantification of dietary components. Additionally, the direct and indirect effects of the Baird’s tapir’s diet and plant consumption on ecosystem dynamics should be investigated to clearly understand the functional role of this species. Full article