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Changing land use patterns in southern Africa have potential to dramatically alter the prospects for carnivore conservation. Understanding these influences is essential for conservation planning. We interviewed 250 ranchers in Namibia to assess human tolerance towards and the distribution of large carnivores. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), leopards (Panthera pardus) and brown hyaenas (Hyaena brunnea) were widely distributed on Namibian farmlands, spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) had a narrower distribution, and wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and lions (Panthera leo) are largely limited to areas near source populations. Farmers were most tolerant of leopards and least tolerant of lions, wild dogs and spotted hyaenas. Several factors relating to land use correlated consistently with carnivore-presence and landowner tolerance. Carnivores were more commonly present and/or tolerated where; wildlife diversity and biomass were higher; income from wildlife was higher; income from livestock was lower; livestock biomass was lower; in conservancies; game fencing was absent; and financial losses from livestock depredation were lower. Efforts to create conditions whereby the costs associated with carnivores are lowest, and which confer financial value to them are likely to be the most effective means of promoting carnivore conservation. Such conditions are achieved where land owners pool land to create conservancies where livestock are replaced with wildlife (or where livestock husbandry is improved) and where wildlife generates a significant proportion of ranch income. Additional measures, such as promoting improved livestock husbandry and educational outreach efforts may also help achieve coexistence with carnivores. Our findings provide insights into conditions more conducive to the persistence of and tolerance towards large carnivores might be increased on private (and even communal) lands in Namibia, elsewhere in southern and East Africa and other parts of the world where carnivore conservation is being attempted on private lands.

South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement; University of Pretoria; National Research Foundation (NRF); Wilderness Safaris Botswana; The Wilderness Wild life Trust Financial support was provided by the National Research Foundation (NRF), University of Pretoria, Wilderness Safaris Botswana, the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO).

Introduced common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) can negatively impact native wildlife throughout the mynas’ non-indigenous range, and in Seychelles myna eradications have been attempted on some smaller islands to protect endemic and indigenous fauna. Initial attempts, relying on a quick knock-down of the population using toxicants, failed. Here we describe an eradication on North Island, Seychelles, that was accomplished by trapping, supported by shooting in the final stages. This eradication attempt was ultimately successful but took place in two stages spanning seven years and involved removing 1641 birds. During the second, successful, stage, morphometric data collected from caught mynas provided pointers to optimum times during the mynas’ annual cycle to target control activities. During both stages the trapping of non-target species interfered with the capture of mynas. The six main conclusions from this eradication are (i) eradication of mynas from small islands is feasible and achievable by trapping and shooting, without recourse to the use of toxicants; (ii) provision of adequate resources for the life of an eradication attempt, especially ensuring continuity of funding and staffing, is essential for the efficient removal of the whole population; (iii) knowledge of myna phenology can be used to target the optimal timing of an eradication attempt, (iv) post eradication, vigilance and capacity for immediate action must be maintained to remove any immigrant mynas, (v) further research on trap design is needed to minimise the capture of non-target species, and (vi) introduced endemic bird populations should be monitored to assess their responses to myna removal.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an exaggerated response to a mildly painful stimulus would reflect abnormal levels of psychological distress in patients and, conversely, whether patients who show abnormal levels of psychological distress would have a low tolerance for a mildly painful stimulus. A total of 101 patients were given a mildly painful stimulus (30-gauge needle stick) and asked to record the amount of pain they felt on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = severe pain). The mean response to the needle stick was a 1.9 on this scale. There was no gender difference, and the average did not change with increasing age. Psychological testing showed that 18% of the 101 patients had psychological distress prior to the needle stick. The pain ratings to needle stick of these 18 patients were not significantly different than those of patients without psychological distress (2.3 vs 1.9 on the scale). Seven percent of patients had a very low tolerance for pain (pain score of ≥7). Evaluation of the psychological testing results on these patients showed no significant difference compared with known normal psychological values. Therefore, the assumption that patients who overrespond to a mildly painful stimulus have psychological distress is not valid. The results of this study suggest only that patients who overrespond to a needle stick have a low tolerance for pain. Furthermore, it is not valid to assume that patients who have psychological distress, poor coping abilities, or marked stress will respond in an exaggerated fashion to a mildly painful stimulus.