This Research investigates the potential impacts that free-ranging lions have within a small (<100 000 hectare), enclosed protected area, and it also investigates the subsequent challenges to the managers of areas such as these. A comprehensive literature review reveals that the smaller the protected area, the more intensively it needs to be managed via active adaptive management, because perimeter fences do not allow for immigration and emigration. The consequences of this are over-population; inbreeding depression; the decline of prey and other predator species; conflict with neighbouring communities as a result of break-outs; and, in some cases, the spreading of intra- and interspecies disease. Lions are very proficient breeders and, in all cases investigated, reserves exceeded their local carrying capacity within a relatively short period of time. A range of management interventions can potentially achieve short- and/or long-term reserve objectives. These interventions include relocation, contraception, hunting and artificial takeovers. These interventions are described in terms of the preparation required, the biological consequences and the sociological influences. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is a pinniped endemic to New Zealand and is among the rarest of sea lion species. New Zealand sea lions are incidentally caught in the trawl fishery for squid around the Auckland Islands, and a sea lion catch-limit or Fishing Related Mortality Limit (FRML) is used to manage this interaction. Since 2003 such limits have been calculated using an age-structured Bayesian population model. One problem with this approach is that several key demographic parameters have had to be assumed, or are based on very few data. Archaeological and other historical records demonstrate that New Zealand sea lions were substantially more widespread before the arrival of humans to New Zealand than they are today (Chapter 2 published as Childerhouse & Gales 1998). The present population size is clearly reduced, with subsistence and commercial hunting the most likely cause of historical changes in distribution and abundance. Campbell Island, the only significant breeding site outside the Auckland Islands, was thoroughly surveyed for New Zealand sea lions for the first time in 2003. An estimated 385 pups were born there, comprising 13% of the total pup production for the species for 2003 (Chapter 3 published as Childerhouse et al. 2005). This thesis provides the first robust estimates of several demographic parameters for New Zealand sea lions. These data were gained via the capture, tagging and ageing of 865 individual females, which had come ashore to pup between 1999 and 2001. This research was underpinned by the development of a novel and robust ageing technique for live New Zealand sea lions (Chapter 5 published as Childerhouse et al. 2004). Chapters 6, 7 and 8 used analyses of the age structure of these females, and of subsequent resightings of them, and of known-age females between 1998 and 2005, provided the first estimates of individual growth, mean reproductive rate (0.67, SE = 0.01), mean adult survival (0.81, SE = 0.04), and maximum age (28 years) for females. These data show that New Zealand sea lions are among the slowest growing, slowest reproducing, and longest lived sea lion species. Significant differences in the age structure of the two largest breeding colonies highlight flawed assumptions of the current management approach. The application of this new demographic information has the potential to significantly alter the existing management advice relating to the setting of FRMLs and the impact of the squid fishery on the New Zealand sea lion population. Taken alone, these results suggest a dim outlook for an already threatened species. In the context that pup production is in significant decline (e.g. 32% since 1998 Chilvers et al. 2007), the species� foraging environment is thought to be marginal (Costa & Gales 2000), and that resource competition may also be impacting on the population (Chapter 4 published as Childerhouse et al. 2001a), the picture darkens further. Taken as a whole, these data suggest that current management is insufficient to ensure population stasis, let alone meet the Government�s statutory goal of recovery.

Thesis (M. Marine Sci.)--Murdoch University, 2004. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Science and Engineering. Bibliography: leaves 99-112.

Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2009. / Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 101 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-190). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR29609

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2009. / Title from screen (viewed on September 30, 2009). Department of Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Frances A Huehls. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-53).

Thesis (M. Marine Sci.)--Murdoch University, 2004. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Science and Engineering. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-112).

The ability of animals to contend with unpredictable seasonal shifts in quality and quantity of prey has implications for the conservation of wildlife. Steller sea lions(Eumetopias jubatus) were subjected to different quantities and qualities of food to determine what physiological and endocrine responses would occur and whether they differed between season (summer and winter) or diet (high-lipid Pacific herring Clupeapallasi vs. low-lipid Walleye Pollock Theragra chalcogramma). Eight females were divided among two groups. One (Group H) were fed herring for 28 days (baseline), then received a reduced caloric intake for a subsequent 28 days (restriction) to induce a 15%loss of body mass. The second (Group P) were also fed herring during the baseline followed by a reduced isocaloric diet of pollock during the restriction. Both groups subsequently returned to their baseline intake of herring for a 28-day controlled re-feeding. The two groups of sea lions lost identical mass during restrictions independent of species eaten, but did differ in the type of internal energy reserve (protein vs. lipids) they predominantly used. Group H lost significantly more lipids and less lean mass than Group P in both seasons. In summer, Group H also increased activity levels and decreased thermoregulation capacity to optimize energy allocation. No such changes were observed for Group P whose capacity to adjust to the reduced caloric intake seemed to have been blocked by the pollock diet. During winter, the sea lions spared energy allocated to activity (especially Group H) and preserved thermoregulation capacity. Changes in body mass was negatively related to free cortisol and positively related to IGF-1 in winter, but only IGF-1 was related to changes in mass in summer when lean mass regulation seemed more important. Levels of IGF-1 were associated with changes in protein metabolism in both seasons for both groups, but changes in body condition were never explained by the measured metabolites or hormones. The capacity to compensate for mass loss was seasonally dependent with sea lions displaying compensatory growth (by restoring lipid stores) in winter but not in summer. Summer appears to be a more difficult season for sea lions to recover from mild nutritional stress. These physiological findings can be used to refine bioenergetic models needed for the conservation of Steller sea lion populations. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

The emergency department of Lions Gate Hospital was studied both in regard to the patients' current visit to this facility and in regard to the patients' other sources of ambulatory medical care. The objectives of the study were: (1) to understand why patients seek care at Lions Gate's emergency department; (2) to discover how this facility fits into the patients' overall patterns of medical care; and (3) on the basis of the above data, to propose any appropriate changes in the organization of the emergency department. The study was conducted during 14 days in September, 1974; the sampling frame covered all hours of the day and all days of the week. Data were gathered by questionnaires administered in the emergency department, with 85.60 percent of the sample responding. The increase in demand for emergency department services has been attributed to a variety of factors. The present study determined that private physicians and their non-availability are the predominant factors contributing to emergency department usage at Lions Gate Hospital, indicating that this facility is substituting for the wider primary care system. Data pertaining to the patients' overall patterns of medical care provided further evidence that the emergency department has gained wide acceptance by the patients as a source of primary medical care. Moreover, the emergency department was identified as an important and continuing source of care in the medical care patterns of many of its patients. As a result of the above findings, it was recommended that future plans for either the modification or expansion of Lions Gate's emergency department should include the establishment within the department of a walk-in ambulatory clinic. The proposed ambulatory care department, consisting of an emergency centre and primary care clinic, would assist Lions Gate Hospital to fit its services to the medical care needs which its patients exhibit. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

Feline herpesviruses are endemic in free-ranging lions in South Africa. Serological surveillance among free-living felids revealed high levels of exposure to the virus. However, clinical disease in wild felids following FHV-1 infection has been only described in captive populations and reported to be similar to that in the domestic cat. To expand the epidemiological understanding of feline herpesviruses in felids and for disease control, three strains of FHV-1 isolated from a domestic cat (Felis catus) a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and an African wild cat (Felis silvestris) have been compared to determine their relatedness. A region of the herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene was amplified in a nested PCR with consensus degenerate primers to confirm the identity of the isolates. The genetic relatedness were investigated by comparing patterns of genomic DNA cleaved with restriction enzymes SalI and KpnI and the DNA fingerprints generated by different RAPD primers. For antigenic relationships, a panel of nine monoclonal antibodies prepared against a vaccine strain used against domestic cats were tested in a microneutralization assay. In addition, the phenotypic characteristics of the isolates were also compared by their ability to produce plaques in CrFK monolayer cell cultures. With restriction enzyme analysis, it was not possible to make a comparison due to lack of digestion of the genomic DNA of the domestic cat isolate. However, the RAPD-PCR revealed that isolates were closely related but distinct from each other. Only two monoclonal antibodies reacted with the wild isolates; an effect similar to a toxic effect on cell was observed with the domestic isolate. No significant differences of plaque production were observed among the trains. This study provides evidence of a closer evolutionary relationship between the three isolates. The results of the relationships based on the genetic and phenotypic characterization agreed well and both indicated that the viruses from the domestic and wild felids are different but have a high degree of similarity. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Tropical Diseases))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted