Latest news with #WildlifeResearchCentre
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Science
- Free Malaysia Today
Have cats genetically evolved to better communicate with humans?
Domestic cats have developed genetic variants that favour vocal communication with humans. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : Despite their close relationship with humans, many aspects of cat behaviour remain impenetrable. Japanese researchers have now shed some light on one of the most intriguing mysteries by uncovering the genetic mechanism behind purring. A team at Kyoto University's Wildlife Research Centre studied 280 mixed-breed cats living in Japanese homes. By analysing their DNA samples and comparing them to those of 11 other feline species, they were able to establish for the first time a direct genetic link between purring and a variation in the androgen receptor gene. As it turns out, cats carrying the short version of the androgen receptor gene score higher on purring scales, as assessed by their owners, than those with the long version. This genetic difference is not only linked to simple purring: it is also associated with gender-specific behaviour. Males with the short gene vocalise more towards humans, while females with the same genetic profile display more aggression towards strangers. These discoveries take on a fascinating dimension when placed in the context of feline evolution, in that comparative analysis with other feline species reveals a genetic transformation directly linked to domestication. While the leopard cat and the fishing cat – species closely related to the domestic cat – only have the short version of the gene, domestic cats have long variants that are completely absent in their wild cousins. This observation suggests that the emergence of these long versions is the result of profound genetic changes that accompanied domestication and artificial selection over thousands of years. The ability to predict certain behavioral tendencies based on genetic data could allow for observation and care tailored to the specific needs of each cat. (Envato Elements pic) Published in the scientific journal PLOS One, this study also highlights the differences between purebred and mixed-breed cats. The former, often raised by humans from an early age, are more likely to carry the long version of the gene and seem to have less developed vocal communication skills. Conversely, mixed-breed cats in the study, many of which were former stray cats that had been rescued, tended to meow more. They are more likely to have the genetic variant that promotes vocalisation, as if they had developed more intense communication strategies to survive and get adopted. This genetic understanding of feline behaviour isn't just about satisfying our scientific curiosity about our beloved furry friends. The ability to predict certain behavioral tendencies based on genetic data could allow for targeted observation and care tailored to the specific needs of each cat. The Kyoto team plans to extend its investigations to other feline species to further our understanding of the genetic mechanisms behind various behavioral patterns. The goal remains clear: to enrich our knowledge about cats and help build more harmonious relationships between humans and these animals.
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Otters posing for selfies in Japanese cafes may be linked to illegal trade, experts warn
Posing for selfies on the laps of excited visitors, the otters of Tokyo's animal cafes have learned to play their part in their online stardom. In thousands of social media videos, the aquatic mammals wriggle through the outstretched hands of adoring customers who reward their attention with food. But the booming demand has raised major concerns among conservationists, with a study published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice linking the small-clawed otters in animal cafes in Japanese cities with wild populations in poaching hotspots in Thailand. Researchers compared the DNA profiles of 81 otters from zoos and animal cafes or seized by customs with genetic data from wild populations in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. They found the overwhelming majority of captive otters matched with two poaching hotspots in southern Thailand, on the Gulf of Thailand coastline and near the border with Malaysia. The Asian small-clawed otter, classified as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN red list, is the otter species of choice and has become a popular pet, even though its commercial trade was banned internationally in 2019. 'In recent decades, the otter has become very popular in Japan because of the cafes. I feel anxiety about the situation because the otters are decreasing in their own territories. We wanted to see where they were coming from,' said Mayako Fujihara, associate professor at the Wildlife Research Centre of Kyoto University and study co-author. 'We cannot confirm that the otters came through the illegal trade but we have shown that their DNA is the same as those from areas in Thailand that are illegal trade hotspots. 'Many cafe owners do not understand the situation. Some believe they are helping otter conservation by breeding them and showing them to people.' While not definitive proof, researchers from Japan, Thailand and France said their findings were strongly suggestive of links to the wild trade. Some of the otters found in Japan's pet cafes could also have been bred in captivity from animals captured and imported before the 2019 ban. 'Before the study, we had this strong feeling that most of them were smuggled,' said Dr Marie Sigaud, from the National History Museum in France. 'These otters are in Appendix 1 in Cites [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora], the most highly protected category, like elephant ivory. Our big question to answer was where they are coming from. The results strongly suggest that at least some of those otters are coming directly from the illegal trade.' In the wild, the otters have a key role in maintaining freshwater and mangrove swamps in Asia, hunting creatures such as crabs and molluscs. They form monogamous pairs for life and are known for their dextrous, highly sensitive claws for digging. Conservationists worry that the pet trade will see their role in ecosystems disappear – exacerbating the impact of habitat loss and pollution. Despite recent efforts, smuggling of the otters remains rampant, with the animals prized for their cuteness. The scale of the trade in small-clawed otters was first unveiled in 2018 in a joint study by the IUCN otter specialist group and Traffic, an NGO specialising in the global trade in wild animals and plants. It found more than 500 adverts for the creatures between January and April 2017, with a huge demand for young otters less than a year old. It is believed to have grown since then. 'You cannot have an otter as a pet in most European countries but it is a very popular pet in Asia and Japan. There are popular YouTube channels from people that have otters as pets and there are lots of follows. It's a cute species, even though it's very hard to look after,' Sigaud said. Kanitha Krishnasamy, Traffic's director in south-east Asia, was sceptical that an industry breeding the animals in captivity would help wild populations. 'Otters have long been sought after for illegal trade,' she said. 'There are many longstanding examples that highlight the pitfalls and complications in regulating and controlling breeding for trade, with links to laundering of illegally caught wild specimens into the legal trade chain. Any move to introduce commercial captive breeding is extremely risky.' The researchers also urged people to think twice before visiting the cafes or having the animals as pets, as they can sometimes become aggressive. In social media posts, they often show signs of stress and are regularly grossly overweight, sometimes vomiting up food or gnawing away at their own tails. Fujihara said: 'I don't think it is a good idea for people to go to the cafes. Most of the people go because they love animals. But people should understand that the businesses may be involved in the illegal trade.'. Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
Test confirms meat seized from Maval farmhouse to be of hare, wild boar; samples of suspected deer meat sent to lab
1 2 3 Pune: Forensic analysis of a substantial part of the 52kg of frozen meat seized on Tuesday from a farmhouse in Tikonagaon of Maval taluka, as part of a suspected animal poaching case, confirmed that it was hare and wild boar, Pune forest division officers told TOI on Wednesday."More samples of suspected fragments of deer meat have been sent to the Wildlife Research Centre in Nagpur for further tests and confirmation," an officer farmhouse owner, Sukhmit Singh, is in custody of the forest department until May 15 for raid took place on Tuesday when acting on a tip-off, a team of forest officials reached the farmhouse around 8.30am. A search of the premises led to the recovery of the meat from a deep freezer.A case for offences under sections 9 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has been registered against forest division was informed that Singh also earlier indulged in illegal wildlife hunting and trade and was being tracked over the last two months; however, they had not been able to catch him until also claimed he is involved in sale of this meat to many individuals in team conducting the raid seized two rifles and two air guns from the was on Tuesday produced before a court in Wadgaon Maval, from where he was taken into custody by the forest case will be heard once again in court on Thursday at 5pm. "We have handed over the weapons to the police. However, the owner is claiming that he has licences for them all. During our interrogation, he was claiming that he bought the meat elsewhere and it's not something he hunted. We are questioning him further," said Prakash Shinde, range forest officer, Wadgaon Maval.
