MARKHOR (The Journal of Zoology)

Conservation Status and Biodiversity of Pelecanus onocrotalus (The Great white pelican bird) at Manchar Lake, District Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

Quratulain Memon — 2024-09-30

Diversity amongst birds occurs in so many forms, which captivates their appearances and peculiar distributions. Avifaunal species enhance the beauty of wetlands with their ecological and economic benefits. Manchar Lake is a wetland of much importance, as it serves as a distinguished habitat for a variety of bird species, many of these species might be yet unknown to the scientific community. Objectives: To explore the distribution, diversity, and conservation status of the great white pelican (Pelicanus onocrotalus). For this purpose, South Asia's one of the largest natural lakes, Manchar located in Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan was investigated. Methods: Pelecanus onocrotalus was identified as a migratory species. Notably, a few specimens have been recorded for the first time all through the summer. According to the IUCN red list of endangered species, the conservation status of the great white pelican was recorded as least concern. The prevalence of the species was recorded highest from October to March and lowest from April to September. Results: A total of 50 specimens of Pelecanus onocrotalus (Great White Pelican) belonging to the genus Pelecanus and the family Pelecanidae were recorded. Conclusions: This fact-finding study aims to document the emergence of bird diversity and its association with the lake surroundings and other species. The research findings will be valuable for wildlife departments and future researchers as a useful literature resource.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Coryza in a Peacock (Pavo cristatus): A Case Report

Fazal Ur Rehman — 2024-09-30

Infectious Coryza (IC) is a contagious respiratory bacterial infection in peacocks. The current study evaluated the outcomes of treating infectious coryza in a peacock. The adult peacock at the age of 2 years was presented with a history of anorexia, difficulty breathing, sticky eyes, nasal and ocular discharge, and semi-solid swelling under the eyes. Clinical examination confirmed respiratory depression, a swollen head and face, gasping, occluded eyelids, sticky purulent discharge from the eyes and nostrils, moist rales, depression, and recumbency. Treatment included the use of injection of gentamicin, meloxicam, and multivitamins therapy, along with surgical debridement of facial edematous swelling. The peacock successfully recovered after 5 days of treatment. It was concluded that infectious coryza was a treatable disease, and an antibiotic sensitivity test was highly recommended for selecting a suitable antibiotic against bacterial infections.

Utilizing Medicinal Plants for Disease Treatment in Aquaculture: An Approach to Improve Fish Health

Tasawar Iqbal — 2024-09-30

Botanicals were being used more and more in aquaculture to promote fish health as well as for disease prevention. In this review, we discuss the efficacy of botanicals in aquaculture worldwide and go through their modes of action that might play a key role in these activities. Similarly, some plants with well documented broad-spectrum antimicrobial, immunomodulatory activity, and antioxidant properties. These can be advantageous as supplements in fish feed to stimulate the immune function of fish. Plant extracts may exert positive effects on animal health through different modes rather than relying solely on a single mode. Using herbs as dietary additives has been shown to enhance immunity defense mechanisms. Recently, botanical treatments have been incorporated into aquaculture, resulting in increased growth rates and disease resistance, thus giving rise to more sustainable practices. Work was still being done in this area to find new bioactive compounds, understand how they work, and identify delivery systems that will ensure the compound reaches cells where needed. They can be incorporated with sustainable approaches, such as the aquaponics system, and possibly remain organic accredited, all while decreasing chemical residue on food products and sustaining environmental wellness. These emerging botanical approaches promise environmentally sustainable strategies for disease management in aquaculture, supporting the consumer shift to demand safe and sustainably produced seafood. The advantages that botanical treatments offer indicate them as essential tools for the development of a sustainable and eco-friendly aquaculture industry

Technological Advances in Wildlife Monitoring and Conservation

Ali Nawaz — 2024-09-30

Wildlife as one of the major categories of research and ecosystem management within the ecosystems, have a key role in maintaining structure, function and balance of ecosystems. However, the wildlife, its interaction and associated processes with environment and ecosystem equilibrium have received inadequate focus due to the constraints of conventional tracking and detection techniques. But in recent years, the technology of wildlife monitoring has shown enhanced improvement and change with the advancement of automatical and information technologies into the science.

The significant emergence of AI in wildlife monitoring has particular importance as it helps to gather vast amount of data which can be used for computer vision and interpretation. Acoustic tracking be described as the identification and documentation of sounds produced by wildlife and their subsequent analysis for numerous purposes including the determination of species presence, distribution and behavior. The AI algorithms (Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forest (RF) classifiers) are capable of being trained over big data samples of audio recordings to accurately identify and categorize wildlife sounds including calls, songs and vocalizations [1].

Technologically, from early radio telemetry used in research to modern satellite tracking, more animals could be tracked in increasingly fathomable manners. Remote sensing with satellites is useful in developing complex ecological niches and predicting possible dangers to the animals. For example, satellite photographs have greatly assisted the identification and monitoring of illicit logging practices in rainforests and this has helped in interventions and formulation of wildlife protection and tracking strategies.

Also, recent tracking devices like GPS collars and satellite tags have enabled researchers to new outlooks in animal behavior and movement. Automated sensors, for example digital cameras and recording devices like microphones, can give high frequency of species recordation without influence on the species’ behavior. Molecular tools like DNA barcoding and genomic sequencing are helping in understanding the genetic well-being of the wildlife species and assessing the effect of inbreeding and genetic drift going on in the species.

The advent of different thermal, optical and environmental sensors has helped in collecting information on wildlife habitat, and activities. The thermal infrared or TIR is very useful in tracking wildlife species since plants and animals emit light in TIR at their normal body temperature; this is the reason why, in contrast to the visual band they are detectable at night or in conditions of limited visibility.

In conclusion it was clearly evident that technological advances in monitoring wildlife and its conservation can make a great contribution to the traditional tracking methods. The future of wildlife preservation depends on capacity to strike a balance between creativity and sustainability by using technology not just to protect our natural habitats but also to reuse this in future.