By Emma Sinnett, 15th May 2025
The latest issue of Oryx features a special section on community participation. From exploring the experiences of local hunters regarding the return of the lynx to the French Alps, to conducting participatory modelling sessions to evaluate human–elephant conflict in villages in rural Kenya, the theme highlights the importance of involving local communities in conservation strategies.
In the lead article, Shidqi et al. describe an encouraging alternative livelihood intervention in Indonesia that resulted in a decrease in pelagic thresher shark mortality and an increase in income for participating fishers. The cover shows Sahlul, a former thresher shark fisher, releasing a shark after tagging.
In the editorial, Dudley et al. reflect on the important steps conservationists can take to keep going in troubled times, and our Briefly section contains a spotlight page showing that uplifting, good news are still to be found!
The issue also includes sections on pangolin conservation and the Javan tiger, and a host of Conservation News items. Find out more about the issue’s content, including our Editor’s picks, below.
Editor’s picks
- Participatory modelling across Kenyan villages facilitates insights into the complexity of human–elephant interactions – Von Hagen et al.
- The Pangolin Universal Notching System: a scale-marking methodology for pangolins – Martin et al.
- Doing social science with conservation: co-reflexivity on the project model in conservation – Schreer et al.
- Half a century of survey data reveal population recovery but persistent threats for the Vulnerable yellow-footed rock-wallaby in Queensland, Australia – Silcock et al.
Silcock et al. surveyed 138 sites across the range of the yellow-footed rock-wallaby during 2010-2023 & examined population trends over the past 50 years. Despite persistent threats, the data reveal population recovery for this Vulnerable species. Photo: Lyn Brydon.
Community participation
- Designing and evaluating alternative livelihoods for shark conservation: a case study on thresher sharks in Alor Island, Indonesia – Shidqi et al.
- Return of the Eurasian lynx: using local stakeholder knowledge and experiences to inform lynx conservation in the French Alps – Alexander et al. (read the blog here)
- Participatory modelling across Kenyan villages facilitates insights into the complexity of human–elephant interactions – Von Hagen et al.
- Partnerships between private landowners and conservationists to protect one of the most evolutionarily distinct amphibians – Valenzuela-Sánchez et al.
Alexander et al. explored the perceptions of hunters and pastoralists regarding the return of the Eurasian lynx to the French Alps. Although some had concerns, respondents generally tolerated the species and expressed willingness to coexist peacefully. Left: The Giffre Valley, France. Right: A Eurasian lynx. Photos: Justine Alexander (left) and Rima15/Adobe Stock (right).
Pangolin conservation
- The Pangolin Universal Notching System: a scale-marking methodology for pangolins – Martin et al.
- First camera-trap evidence of the Critically Endangered Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla in Kavrepalanchok community forests, Nepal – Shrestha et al.
- Georeferencing Sunda pangolin Manis javanica records in Singapore – Aziz et al.
Camera-trap video stills of the Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla from community forests in Panauti Municipality, Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal (see Shrestha et al.).
The Javan tiger
- No reliable evidence supports the presence of the Javan tiger: data issues related to the DNA analysis of a recent hair sample – Sui et al.
- Reanalysis of sequences of alleged Javan tiger highlights the difficulties in studying big cats and the need for high-throughput sequencing – Khan et al.
Behind the cover
The pelagic thresher shark is an Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species primarily threatened by overfishing. In Alor Island, Indonesia, thresher sharks are a primary target for small-scale fishing communities, sustaining subsistence livelihoods and serving as a protein source. But with populations declining, there is a need for conservation measures to reduce shark mortality from fishing whilst also securing the well-being of coastal communities. A multi-faceted effort to reduce the dependence of the island’s communities on this Endangered shark species used a livelihood-based intervention complemented by collaborative species management and community outreach. The cover shows Sahlul, a former thresher shark fisher, releasing a shark after tagging. This was Sahlul’s first experience holding a live thresher shark, and it profoundly changed his perception of the species. For further details, see Shidqi et al. (Photograph © Sarah Lewis)
Shidqi et al. describe an encouraging alternative livelihood intervention in Indonesia that resulted in a decrease in pelagic thresher shark mortality and an increase in income for participating fishers. Here, Sahlul, a former thresher shark fisher, releases a shark after tagging. Photo: Sarah Lewis.
Editorial
Conservation in troubled times – Nigel Dudley, Brent A. Mitchell, Kent H. Redford, Sue Stolton, Hannah L. Timmins & James E.M. Watson
As nature conservation is increasingly under threat from climate change, disinformation and far-right governments, to name a few, Dudley et al. reflect on the important steps conservationists can take to keep going in the face of these challenges.
‘Crises often bring out the best in individuals and communities. We need to hold our nerve. Nature can be very resilient, and we need to be the same.’
Other content
- Using decision analysis to develop a framework for nest protection for threatened birds – Tripovich et al.
- Human–African buffalo conflict: perceptions of damage, and mitigation strategies, in villages bordering Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania – Hariohay et al.
- Distribution and potential habitat of the Vulnerable Himalayan wolf Canis lupus chanco in Bhutan – Dhendup et al.
A Himalayan wolf Canis lupus chanco camera-trapped in Paro Forest Division in western Bhutan (see Dhendup et al.).
Conservation news
- A major victory in the effort to end the online, ornamental trade in bats – Coleman et al.
- Marine conservation in Indonesia’s Senayang Islands: addressing threats to dugongs and hawksbill turtles within the coral triangle – Alawy et al.
- Turning the tide for sharks: Important Shark and Ray Areas – Armstrong et al.
- Lost and found: discovery of the painted swellshark Cephaloscyllium pictum in Timor-Leste – Claassens et al.
- Eels: uncertain impacts of proposed CITES listings – Stein et al.
- New surveys reveal high biodiversity of Lake Télé, Congo – Brugiere et al.
- New records of the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa in the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, Tibet – Ding et al.
- Fungi gaining ground at recent CBD and IUCN meetings – Barron et al.
- New record of the Endangered Nymphaea candida discovered in Xinjiang, China – Zhou et al.
- Saving Ulmus elongata: an Endangered tree endemic to China – Chen et al.
- Ex situ planting movement for Indonesia’s threatened trees – Zaman et al.
- The last remaining southern muriquis Brachyteles arachnoides from the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil – Robbi et al.
- New record of Leopardus guigna in Chile expands its range northwards – Riffo & Aedo
Ding et al. captured 2 camera-trap images of the clouded leopard in Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, China. These are the first records of the Vulnerable species in Jilong County and could suggest there is more potential habitat for the species in China.
