Troubled spots: Human impacts constrain the density of an apex predator inside protected areas.

Effective conservation requires understanding the processes that determine population outcomes. Too often, we assume that protected areas conserve wild populations despite evidence that they frequently fail to do so. Without large-scale studies, however, we cannot determine what relationships are the product of localized conditions versus general patterns that inform conservation more broadly.

High Seroprevalence of in an Urban Caracal () Population in South Africa.

We investigated antibody seroprevalence in free-ranging caracals () in Cape Town, South Africa, from 2014 to 2017. Seropositivity was 83% (24/29), which is substantially higher than that detected in sympatric feral domestic cat () populations. The impact of this pathogen on local human and wildlife communities may be of concern.

Widespread anticoagulant poison exposure in predators in a rapidly growing South African city.

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are used worldwide to control rodent populations. ARs bioaccumulate across trophic levels and threaten non-target wildlife. We investigated the prevalence of AR exposure in seven predator species in the rapidly developing Greater Cape Town region of South Africa - a mosaic of natural, urban, and agricultural areas within a global biodiversity hotspot.