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Olive baboons (Papio anubis) use fixed, secure, and naturally occurring sleeping sites such as tall trees and rocky cliffs, as protection from predators and often show a selection preference for particular trees or rocky cliff faces. We documented olive baboons' adoption of recently constructed high‐tension electrical transmission towers (pylons) as a novel type of sleeping site in Laikipia, Kenya. The use of pylons suggests that the greatest potential benefits may include reduced parasite exposure and predation avoidance. Thermoregulation and feeding efficiency are not supported as benefits because pylons increase baboons' exposure to wind and cool nighttime temperatures and the pylons were constructed in locations independent of established feeding sites. These observations advance our understanding of olive baboon sleeping site selection in a changing landscape. In Laikipia, Kenya, olive baboons (Papio anubis) were observed utilizing 45‐m‐tall high‐tension electrical towers (pylons) as sleeping sites. This new behavior enhances our understanding of baboons' natural choice of sleeping sites, which typically include trees and cliffs.

Maximizing detection probability of elusive species enhances the robustness of population and occupancy estimates, which are essential for supporting impactful conservation strategies. Although the number of camera trap studies on leopards is increasing, few have assessed the drivers influencing leopard detection specifically. We used occupancy modeling embedded in a causal inference framework to provide four biologically robust site use models against which to test the influence of six factors likely influencing leopard detectability at the level of encounter probability, trigger probability, and image quality. In this study, vegetation productivity moderated by rainfall was the top predictor of leopard detectability associated with three of the four site use models. While optimizing detection probability improves estimates of population parameters, the cost‐effectiveness of the study designs is also an essential criterion to consider for long‐term monitoring of elusive species. Camera trap placement involves minimal cost in the early stages of the grid design. Our results suggest that setting cameras in microhabitats of moderate productivity improved leopard detectability in the wet season. This study can inform the design of camera trap studies occurring in semi‐arid bushland ecosystems to improve estimates of leopard population and occupancy. Camera trapping studies are increasingly used to derive population and occupancy estimates of leopards; however, little is known about the drivers influencing leopard detection when using such devices. We used occupancy modeling embedded in a causal inference framework to identify factors influencing leopard detectability. Our results suggest that setting cameras in microhabitats of moderate productivity improved leopard detectability in the wet season.

As a solutions‐oriented discipline, our attention is often placed on the substance of conservation challenges. Ideally, conservation science is relevant for policy and practice, contributing relevant data to fill key knowledge gaps. Thus, the data value is not only determined by methodological rigor, but also by its usefulness. In this perspective, we contend that trust in the purpose and process of data collection is integral to evidence‐based conservation and threatened by parachute science. We describe the substance, process, and relationships involved in the establishment of a community‐based reporting network for evaluating conflict responses and interventions to wildlife damage. We demonstrate how reflection on the process of science can provide the foundation for meaningful collaboration. We illustrate how, as a multinational team, supporting local researchers to establish a community‐based program, trust and demonstration of a long‐term commitment are essential to avoid the pitfalls of parachute science. We describe the substance, process, and relationships involved in the establishment of a community‐based reporting network for evaluating conflict responses and interventions to wildlife damage. We illustrate how, as a multinational team supporting local researchers to establish a community‐based program, trust and demonstration of a long‐term commitment are essential to avoid the pitfalls of parachute science.