http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/6747 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:08:58 GMT 2026-10-06T03:08:58Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19852 Invisible Allies: Donkeys promote drought resilience in pastoralist communities but are excluded from policy Emily Haddy, David Obiero Oduori, Tesfaheywet Z. Shiferaw, Julia Brown, Ilan Kelman, Leanne Proops Severe droughts in East Africa threaten pastoralist livelihoods, with donkeys providing vital but undervalued support in transporting water, food, and resources. This study examines policy and provision for working donkeys in Kenya and Ethiopia, countries severely affected by drought and heavily reliant on donkeys for community resilience. We narratively reviewed national and international documents relevant to donkey welfare, particularly during drought (n = 77), spanning animal health, agriculture, climate change, disaster risk management, and water. We found donkeys largely absent—only 17 policies referenced equids, mainly in economic rather than welfare terms. To explore ground realities, lived experience and barriers to successful provision of donkey welfare during drought, we conducted 41 semistructured interviews with government officials, veterinarians, non-governmental organisation and pastoralist representatives. Stakeholders reported systemic exclusion of donkeys from veterinary curricula, health infrastructure, and drought relief efforts. Barriers to provision included the invisibility of their contributions, a lack of data on their economic value, and livestock models focused on production animals. Recommendations for future policy comprise the explicit inclusion of equids in policy definitions of livestock and corresponding inclusion in livestock and disaster risk management frameworks; ensuring eligibility for feed and veterinary support. Practical improvements could be made regarding welfare law enforcement, integrating donkeys into veterinary curricula, collecting data on their economic value and resilience contributions and prioritising drought preparedness initiatives. A One Health/Welfare approach linking human, animal, and environmental wellbeing, combined with coordinated and context-specific drought interventions, could strengthen community resilience, enhance animal welfare, and safeguard pastoralist livelihoods. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19852 2026-09-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19848 Bat species diversity at Rugezi Marsh, northern Rwanda, as a basis for wetland conservation Paul W. Webala, Sospeter Kibiwot, Peace Iribagiza, Pascal Hishamunda, Pamela Sanchez-Vendizu, Juan J. Pellon, Zane Libke, Richard Muvunyi, Gideon Erkenswick , Olivier Nsengimana East African marshlands are critical natural resources, but information on wildlife species richness and abundance is lacking. Rwanda is characterised by its hilly terrain, with marshes and other wetlands accounting for approximately 8% of the nation's area. Marshlands, which serve as roosting and foraging sites, are expected to harbour a greater diversity of bat species than adjacent open farms and eucalypt-dominated hills. A survey of bats was conducted at Rugezi Marsh, northern Rwanda, in 2023, across two distinct seasons, June to July and November to December. Roost searches, traditional capture methods, acoustic monitoring, and DNA barcoding were used to gather data. Twenty-two bat species across six families were recorded, including an undetermined Pipistrellus that may represent a new species based on molecular data and therefore warrants further examination. Remarkably, more than forty per cent of Rwanda’s bat biodiversity is found here; nonetheless, many species appear to be rare, such as the threatened Harrison's giant mastiff bat (Otomops harrisoni), which is designated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Strong grounds exist for the protection of this wetland because of the exceptionally high bat species richness, including one threatened species. The baseline data on bat biodiversity offer a unique opportunity for tracking changes with the potential restoration of this special wetland. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19848 2026-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19835 Modeling multifunctional landscape change in southern Kenya: Spatial trade-offs and drivers in an arid and semi-arid landscape Susan M. Kotikot a, * , Erica A.H. Smithwick a,b , Sarah E. Gergel c , Jedidah Nankaya d , Romulus Abila Arid and Semi-Arid Landscapes (ASALs) support a substantial portion of the world's population and multiple ecological and social functions. However, landcover outcomes in ASALs are determined by competing land uses, which are governed by fine gradients in biophysical conditions, legacy land use policies, and complex socio- economic drivers. Simulating these land use and land cover (LULC) interactions can promote policy that en- hances human and ecosystem well-being but capturing dynamics at scales relevant to local livelihoods remains challenging. To explore these interactions, we used the Land Change Modeler (LCM) to simulate spatial patterns of LULC change from 2010 to 2018 in a multifunctional landscape in southern Kenya. Results showed that spatial patterns of LULC transition were associated with biophysical and socio-political factors such as proximity to existing land use types, rainfall and temperature, and land tenure arrangements. Our calibrated model achieved 83% overall correctness, with remaining errors (17%) linked to spatial misallocation. These errors were spatially clustered, suggesting the possible influence of localized socioeconomic factors not included in our parameteri- zation. Notably, transitions in humid–arid ecotones were consistently underestimated, reflecting the challenges of capturing fine-scale heterogeneity in ecologically sensitive landscapes. Our findings demonstrate where conservation objectives, agricultural expansion, and pastoral livelihoods spatially converge, highlighting land- scape zones where policy interventions and development investments are most likely to generate trade-offs rather than synergies under increasing climate stress. These results underscore the value of spatially explicit modeling as a diagnostic tool for identifying priority areas where competing land-use demands and socio- ecological vulnerabilities are most tightly coupled. Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19835 2026-07-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19833 Effects of forest degradation on bats at the South and North Nandi Forests, Western Kenya Sospeter Kibiwot, Millicent J. Bungei, Johnstone Kimanzi, David B. Wechuli, Paul W. Webala Habitat loss and degradation pose significant threats to biodiversity, especially in tropical regions characterized by high biodiversity levels and elevated deforestation rates. However, there is a lack of sufficient information concerning the effects of such disturbances on bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in tropical Africa. This research investigated the impact of habitat degradation on bat communities in two forests of varying sizes, South Nandi and North Nandi, located in western Kenya, through bat capture methods. Tree density and forest human use intensity served as predictors for relative bat abundance and species richness. A total of 6,003 bats were recorded, representing 21 species across seven families, during a comprehensive study involving 5,322 hours of mist-netting and 4,224 hours of harp trapping. A progressive decline in species richness (S) was observed from the forest interiors (S = 17) to the edges (S = 16) and the matrices (S = 12) at both forests. Fruit bats (n = 3427; 61.7%) were predominantly detected at the edges and within the matrices, with a limited presence in the forest interior. Conversely, forest-interior insectivorous bats and those foraging in confined spaces (n = 260; 58.6%) were primarily recorded within the forest interiors. Forest specialists exhibited significant correlations with tree density, whereas frugivores and edge- and open-space foraging species showed positive responses to human activity indicators, including cut stumps, charcoal kilns, and footpaths in highly degraded matrices and along forest edges. Consequently, specialized bat species are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19833 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z