Neil D'Cruze | University of Oxford (original) (raw)
I am a wildlife researcher interested in a range of conservation and animal welfare issues. Through my research, I seek to obtain the evidence required to demonstrate the commonalities between these two scientific disciplines. This data is used to inform the development and implementation of practical solutions that simultaneously reduce the unnecessary suffering of wild animals whilst protecting wild populations.
Since 2004, I have led biodiversity focussed field research projects throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and Central America for a variety of national and international NGOs. The majority of my field studies have been dedicated to generating baseline ecological data for previously unexplored areas and have focused on a range of different taxa.
I have also been involved in addressing a wide range of complex issues including wildlife farming, human-wildlife conflict, and wildlife trade. My efforts have helped to improve the welfare and conservation status of a wide range of different species including Sloth bears in India, Civets in Indonesia, Brown bears in Turkey, and Green turtles in the Caribbean.
A trained taxonomist, with a particular passion for herpetology, I have helped to discover and describe six new species previously unknown to science (Liophidium maintikibo, Rhombophryne matavy, Stumpffia be, Stumpffia hara, Stumpffia megsoni and Stumpffia staffordi). In 2012, I also led a team of scientists who obtained the first wild photographic evidence of the endangered Visayan spotted deer and Warty pig via remote camera trapping in the Philippines.
During my career I have been fortunate enough to have lived, worked and travelled in over 40 countries across 6 continents and have published over 20 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Currently I am Head of Wildlife Research & Policy at the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), UK. I joined WildCRU as visiting academic in 2014.
http://zoo-wildcru.zoo.ox.ac.uk/members/dr-neil-dcruze/
Phone: + 44 (0)20 7239 0500
Address: WSPA,
5th Floor, Gray's Inn Road,
London,
WC1X 8HB,
UK.
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School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
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Papers by Neil D'Cruze
Conservation Letters, 2016
Nature Conservation, 2015
Tourism accounts for 9% of global GDP and comprises 1.1 billion tourist arrivals per annum. Visit... more Tourism accounts for 9% of global GDP and comprises 1.1 billion tourist arrivals per annum. Visits to wildlife tourist attractions (WTAs) may account for 20–40% of global tourism,
but no studies have audited the diversity of WTAs and their impacts on the conservation status and welfare of subject animals. We scored these impacts for 24 types of WTA,
visited by 3.6–6 million tourists per year, and compared our scores to tourists’ feedback on TripAdvisor. Six WTA types (impacting 1,500–13,000 individual animals) had net positive
conservation/welfare impacts, but 14 (120,000–340,000 individuals) had negative conservation impacts and 18 (230,000–550,000 individuals) had negative welfare impacts.
Despite these figures only 7.8% of all tourist feedback on these WTAs was negative due to conservation/welfare concerns. We demonstrate that WTAs have substantial negative effects that are unrecognised by the majority of tourists, suggesting an urgent need for tourist education and regulation of WTAs worldwide.
Hundreds of wild animals, stacked in filthy cages all piled on top of each other as far as the ey... more Hundreds of wild animals, stacked in filthy cages all piled on top of each other as far as the eye can see. Stepping into one of the gloomy makeshift internal corridors of the wildlife market, a manic menagerie enfolds before you. Wild fowl frantically flap beside malnourished macaques whilst geckos grapple for space and fruit bat faeces drop thought the mesh wire of their cages onto the civets cowering below. The air around you is so thick with dust particles comprised of skin, feathers and scales that you can almost taste the pathogens as you take each breath. What sounds very much like a grossly exaggerated scene from a Hollywood horror movie is in actual fact a common feature and fact of life in many major urban centres across the world. Every day hundreds of people will visit a wildlife market either intentionally to make a purchase or unintentionally perhaps as part of their commute to work. Irrespective of the reason why people pass through them, wildlife markets are a seriou...
Madagascar has long been recognized as one of the world’s priority global hotspots for biodiversi... more Madagascar has long been recognized as one of the world’s priority global hotspots for biodiversity conservation. Its herpetofauna, in particular, is extremely species-rich and diverse with high levels of endemism. By far the most important threat to its continued survival is the relentless destruction of its primary habitats. Socioeconomic factors in combination with particular aspects of Malagasy culture have led to the exploitation of natural resources which have already had an impact at a national level. Conservation strategies are in place to protect this unique fauna. However, in practice they are constrained in part by a lack of information regarding the distribution, abundance, natural history, and habitat requirements of threatened species. Accessible information, generated by baseline herpetological surveys, is particularly lacking for several key regions such as the northern province of Antsiranana. The first study in this research programme represents a review of modern ...
Conservation Letters, 2014
Human-bear conflicts cause annoyance, financial losses, injuries, and even death to people. In po... more Human-bear conflicts cause annoyance, financial losses, injuries, and even death to people. In poorer parts of the world, conflicts with bears can affect local economies. Retaliation against bears may threaten the future of small, isolated populations. Our survey of the world's bear experts revealed that the problem is worsening in terms of severity of conflicts and their impact on bear conservation on all four continents inhabited by bears. However, the main drivers of conflict, and its manifestations, differ among bear species. We reviewed human-bear conflict management plans from which we identified 10 categories of mitigating interventions that together comprise a ubiquitous bear conflict management toolbox. Within this toolbox, the peer-reviewed literature indicates heavy reliance on education and physical barriers for conflict mitigation. In customizing these general approaches to local circumstances, it is important to be mindful of starkly varying geopolitical and social circumstances. There is a pressing need to improve transfer of knowledge from places with active empirical research on mitigation (especially North America), and adapting methodologies to other parts of the world. We saw little evidence of evaluation and adaptive management in the conflict plans. Failure to mitigate conflicts may reduce society's tolerance of bears and diminish conservation efforts.
Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. I... more Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. Inconsistencies among studies may result from variation in the choice of landscape metrics and response variables, which is often compounded by a lack of key statistical or methodological information. Collating primary datasets on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in a consistent and flexible database permits simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. We present a relational database that links such field data to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes, and environmental characteristics. Field assessments include measurements of the response(s) (e.g., presence, abundance, ground cover) of one or more species linked to plots in fragments within a partially forested landscape. The database currently holds 9830 unique species recorded in plots of 58 unique landscapes in six of eight realms: mammals 315, birds 1286, herptiles 460, insects 4521, spiders 204, other arthropods 85, gastropods 70, annelids 8, platyhelminthes 4, Onychophora 2, vascular plants 2112, nonvascular plants and lichens 320, and fungi 449. Three landscapes were sampled as long-term time series (>10 years). Seven hundred and eleven species are found in two or more landscapes. Consolidating the substantial amount of primary data available on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in the context of land-use change and natural disturbances is an essential part of understanding the effects of increasing anthropogenic pressures on land. The consistent format of this database facilitates testing of generalizations concerning biologic responses to fragmentation across diverse systems and taxa. It also allows the re-examination of existing datasets with alternative landscape metrics and robust statistical methods, for example, helping to address pseudo-replication problems. The database can thus help researchers in producing broad syntheses of the effects of land use. The database is dynamic and inclusive, and contributions from individual and large-scale data-collection efforts are welcome.
Bioscience, Dec 2013
Wildlife trade is a big and burgeoning business, but its welfare impacts have not been studied co... more Wildlife trade is a big and burgeoning business, but its welfare impacts have not been studied comprehensively. We review the animal welfare impacts of the wildlife trade as they were reported in the literature between 2006 and 2011. Rarely was the term welfare mentioned, evidence of welfare impact documented, or welfare improvement recommended. Literature focused on mammals and on animals killed on site, for luxury goods or food, and for traditional medicine. Welfare impacts may be underreported, particularly in international, illegal, and wild-caught trade and trade in reptiles. Greater attention should perhaps be paid to the welfare of animals traded alive and in larger numbers (e.g., birds, reptiles, amphibians) and to those—including mammals—potentially subject to greater impacts through live use (e.g., as pets). More evidence-based research is needed. Animal welfare should be integrated with wider issues; collaboration between conservationists and welfarists and the development of health and welfare levers to influence trade offer benefits to both people and wildlife.
Herpetologica, Jan 1, 2010
Recent surveys of the herpetofauna in the rainforest of the Forê t d'Ambre Special Reserve, north... more Recent surveys of the herpetofauna in the rainforest of the Forê t d'Ambre Special Reserve, northern Madagascar, revealed a distinctive fossorial microhylid anuran species of the genus Rhombophryne.
Journal of Zoology, Jan 1, 2010
The endemic Malagasy microhylid genus Stumpffia usually comprises small-bodied terrestrial frogs ... more The endemic Malagasy microhylid genus Stumpffia usually comprises small-bodied terrestrial frogs with snout–vent lengths of 16 mm or less, with some miniaturized species as small as 10 mm in their adult stage, and only two described species reaching over 20 mm in snout–vent length. Previous studies have provided evidence for parallel miniaturization in Malagasy microhylids, with several species and candidate species previously assigned to Stumpffia probably belonging to other, still undescribed genera. Here, conversely, we report on the discovery of four new species of microhylids from northern Madagascar, of which two are larger than all previously known Stumpffia, but all clearly belong to this genus based on molecular phylogenetic relationships. All four species have fully developed digits, are closely related and occur in karstic limestone environments, with most specimens collected in caves, a habitat formerly unknown for cophylines. This newly discovered radiation of large-bodied and supposedly cave-dwelling Stumpffia contains one species from Nosy Hara, one from Ankarana, one from Ampombofofo and one from Montagne des Français, respectively. In the latter species, specimens can reach up to 28 mm snout–vent length. These new species are genetically differentiated from each other by 3.8–8.6% pairwise divergence in the 16S rRNA gene and furthermore by differences in coloration, extension of terminal finger discs, relative eye diameter and relative head width. We discuss the status of Stumpffia madagascariensisMocquard, 1895 and consider it a valid species referable to one of the two small-bodied species identified from Montagne d'Ambre National Park. Furthermore, our results support that cophylines are highly microendemic and we provide support for a miniaturized ancestor of the large-bodied species described here, thus demonstrating that miniaturization is evolutionarily reversible.
Ursus, Jan 1, 2011
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
Conservation Letters, 2016
Nature Conservation, 2015
Tourism accounts for 9% of global GDP and comprises 1.1 billion tourist arrivals per annum. Visit... more Tourism accounts for 9% of global GDP and comprises 1.1 billion tourist arrivals per annum. Visits to wildlife tourist attractions (WTAs) may account for 20–40% of global tourism,
but no studies have audited the diversity of WTAs and their impacts on the conservation status and welfare of subject animals. We scored these impacts for 24 types of WTA,
visited by 3.6–6 million tourists per year, and compared our scores to tourists’ feedback on TripAdvisor. Six WTA types (impacting 1,500–13,000 individual animals) had net positive
conservation/welfare impacts, but 14 (120,000–340,000 individuals) had negative conservation impacts and 18 (230,000–550,000 individuals) had negative welfare impacts.
Despite these figures only 7.8% of all tourist feedback on these WTAs was negative due to conservation/welfare concerns. We demonstrate that WTAs have substantial negative effects that are unrecognised by the majority of tourists, suggesting an urgent need for tourist education and regulation of WTAs worldwide.
Hundreds of wild animals, stacked in filthy cages all piled on top of each other as far as the ey... more Hundreds of wild animals, stacked in filthy cages all piled on top of each other as far as the eye can see. Stepping into one of the gloomy makeshift internal corridors of the wildlife market, a manic menagerie enfolds before you. Wild fowl frantically flap beside malnourished macaques whilst geckos grapple for space and fruit bat faeces drop thought the mesh wire of their cages onto the civets cowering below. The air around you is so thick with dust particles comprised of skin, feathers and scales that you can almost taste the pathogens as you take each breath. What sounds very much like a grossly exaggerated scene from a Hollywood horror movie is in actual fact a common feature and fact of life in many major urban centres across the world. Every day hundreds of people will visit a wildlife market either intentionally to make a purchase or unintentionally perhaps as part of their commute to work. Irrespective of the reason why people pass through them, wildlife markets are a seriou...
Madagascar has long been recognized as one of the world’s priority global hotspots for biodiversi... more Madagascar has long been recognized as one of the world’s priority global hotspots for biodiversity conservation. Its herpetofauna, in particular, is extremely species-rich and diverse with high levels of endemism. By far the most important threat to its continued survival is the relentless destruction of its primary habitats. Socioeconomic factors in combination with particular aspects of Malagasy culture have led to the exploitation of natural resources which have already had an impact at a national level. Conservation strategies are in place to protect this unique fauna. However, in practice they are constrained in part by a lack of information regarding the distribution, abundance, natural history, and habitat requirements of threatened species. Accessible information, generated by baseline herpetological surveys, is particularly lacking for several key regions such as the northern province of Antsiranana. The first study in this research programme represents a review of modern ...
Conservation Letters, 2014
Human-bear conflicts cause annoyance, financial losses, injuries, and even death to people. In po... more Human-bear conflicts cause annoyance, financial losses, injuries, and even death to people. In poorer parts of the world, conflicts with bears can affect local economies. Retaliation against bears may threaten the future of small, isolated populations. Our survey of the world's bear experts revealed that the problem is worsening in terms of severity of conflicts and their impact on bear conservation on all four continents inhabited by bears. However, the main drivers of conflict, and its manifestations, differ among bear species. We reviewed human-bear conflict management plans from which we identified 10 categories of mitigating interventions that together comprise a ubiquitous bear conflict management toolbox. Within this toolbox, the peer-reviewed literature indicates heavy reliance on education and physical barriers for conflict mitigation. In customizing these general approaches to local circumstances, it is important to be mindful of starkly varying geopolitical and social circumstances. There is a pressing need to improve transfer of knowledge from places with active empirical research on mitigation (especially North America), and adapting methodologies to other parts of the world. We saw little evidence of evaluation and adaptive management in the conflict plans. Failure to mitigate conflicts may reduce society's tolerance of bears and diminish conservation efforts.
Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. I... more Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. Inconsistencies among studies may result from variation in the choice of landscape metrics and response variables, which is often compounded by a lack of key statistical or methodological information. Collating primary datasets on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in a consistent and flexible database permits simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. We present a relational database that links such field data to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes, and environmental characteristics. Field assessments include measurements of the response(s) (e.g., presence, abundance, ground cover) of one or more species linked to plots in fragments within a partially forested landscape. The database currently holds 9830 unique species recorded in plots of 58 unique landscapes in six of eight realms: mammals 315, birds 1286, herptiles 460, insects 4521, spiders 204, other arthropods 85, gastropods 70, annelids 8, platyhelminthes 4, Onychophora 2, vascular plants 2112, nonvascular plants and lichens 320, and fungi 449. Three landscapes were sampled as long-term time series (>10 years). Seven hundred and eleven species are found in two or more landscapes. Consolidating the substantial amount of primary data available on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in the context of land-use change and natural disturbances is an essential part of understanding the effects of increasing anthropogenic pressures on land. The consistent format of this database facilitates testing of generalizations concerning biologic responses to fragmentation across diverse systems and taxa. It also allows the re-examination of existing datasets with alternative landscape metrics and robust statistical methods, for example, helping to address pseudo-replication problems. The database can thus help researchers in producing broad syntheses of the effects of land use. The database is dynamic and inclusive, and contributions from individual and large-scale data-collection efforts are welcome.
Bioscience, Dec 2013
Wildlife trade is a big and burgeoning business, but its welfare impacts have not been studied co... more Wildlife trade is a big and burgeoning business, but its welfare impacts have not been studied comprehensively. We review the animal welfare impacts of the wildlife trade as they were reported in the literature between 2006 and 2011. Rarely was the term welfare mentioned, evidence of welfare impact documented, or welfare improvement recommended. Literature focused on mammals and on animals killed on site, for luxury goods or food, and for traditional medicine. Welfare impacts may be underreported, particularly in international, illegal, and wild-caught trade and trade in reptiles. Greater attention should perhaps be paid to the welfare of animals traded alive and in larger numbers (e.g., birds, reptiles, amphibians) and to those—including mammals—potentially subject to greater impacts through live use (e.g., as pets). More evidence-based research is needed. Animal welfare should be integrated with wider issues; collaboration between conservationists and welfarists and the development of health and welfare levers to influence trade offer benefits to both people and wildlife.
Herpetologica, Jan 1, 2010
Recent surveys of the herpetofauna in the rainforest of the Forê t d'Ambre Special Reserve, north... more Recent surveys of the herpetofauna in the rainforest of the Forê t d'Ambre Special Reserve, northern Madagascar, revealed a distinctive fossorial microhylid anuran species of the genus Rhombophryne.
Journal of Zoology, Jan 1, 2010
The endemic Malagasy microhylid genus Stumpffia usually comprises small-bodied terrestrial frogs ... more The endemic Malagasy microhylid genus Stumpffia usually comprises small-bodied terrestrial frogs with snout–vent lengths of 16 mm or less, with some miniaturized species as small as 10 mm in their adult stage, and only two described species reaching over 20 mm in snout–vent length. Previous studies have provided evidence for parallel miniaturization in Malagasy microhylids, with several species and candidate species previously assigned to Stumpffia probably belonging to other, still undescribed genera. Here, conversely, we report on the discovery of four new species of microhylids from northern Madagascar, of which two are larger than all previously known Stumpffia, but all clearly belong to this genus based on molecular phylogenetic relationships. All four species have fully developed digits, are closely related and occur in karstic limestone environments, with most specimens collected in caves, a habitat formerly unknown for cophylines. This newly discovered radiation of large-bodied and supposedly cave-dwelling Stumpffia contains one species from Nosy Hara, one from Ankarana, one from Ampombofofo and one from Montagne des Français, respectively. In the latter species, specimens can reach up to 28 mm snout–vent length. These new species are genetically differentiated from each other by 3.8–8.6% pairwise divergence in the 16S rRNA gene and furthermore by differences in coloration, extension of terminal finger discs, relative eye diameter and relative head width. We discuss the status of Stumpffia madagascariensisMocquard, 1895 and consider it a valid species referable to one of the two small-bodied species identified from Montagne d'Ambre National Park. Furthermore, our results support that cophylines are highly microendemic and we provide support for a miniaturized ancestor of the large-bodied species described here, thus demonstrating that miniaturization is evolutionarily reversible.
Ursus, Jan 1, 2011
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.