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Cathleen Cybèle

Mauritian Wildlife Foundation

Grannum Road VacoasMauritius

2009

The Republic of Mauritius Final Plan

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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

2. Chapter 1............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Site Background....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

People.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8

Government.........................................................................................................................................................................................................8

Economy and Land...............................................................................................................................................................................................8

Geography and Climate...........................................................................................................................................................................................8

Socio-economic considerations...........................................................................................................................................................................8

Socio-economic Characteristics of Site................................................................................................................................................................8

Environmental considerations...........................................................................................................................................................................15

Conservation Management Issues.........................................................................................................................................................................17

3. Chapter 2........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Site Assessment..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Summary of Stakeholders..................................................................................................................................................................................19

Meetings............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 23

Summary of Questionnaire................................................................................................................................................................................23

Survey Method.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

Final Concept Model.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Concept Model Narrative...................................................................................................................................................................................25

4. Chapter 3........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

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The Flagship Species.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

5. Chapter 4........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Pride Campaign Activities......................................................................................................................................................................................25

Workshop with Tour Guide skippers..................................................................................................................................................................25

Workshop with youths.......................................................................................................................................................................................28

The Regatta Day................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29

Puppet show...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Costume............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30

Face Painting...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31

School Puppet show........................................................................................................................................................................................... 31

Tattoo................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 32

Posters............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Stickers............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33

Caps................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33

Song................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34

Brochures........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Press Release..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Radio Spots........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36

Television Spots................................................................................................................................................................................................. 36

National Open Day............................................................................................................................................................................................. 37

Pamphlets Printed............................................................................................................................................................................................. 37

6. Chapter 4........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38

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The Results............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38

Changes in Knowledge, Attitude, Self-Reported Behaviour...............................................................................................................................38

Action-Oriented/ Behaviour Change Results.....................................................................................................................................................38

7. Chapter 5........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Critical Review of the Pride Campaign...................................................................................................................................................................38

8. Chapter 6........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Recommendations................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38

References............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38

Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................................................................................... 41

Appendices............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 41

Stakeholder Matrix............................................................................................................................................................................................ 41

Copy of Questionnaire Survey............................................................................................................................................................................41

Puppet show script............................................................................................................................................................................................ 41

Monitoring data survey on Ile aux Fouquets.....................................................................................................................................................41

Biological Inventory List- Dr Nic Cole draft report..............................................................................................................................................41

Contacts................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41

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1. Executive SummaryTheory of Change narrative

Through a variety of a range of proven marketing techniques (mass media and mini media tools such as Radio talk shows, Television spot, Press releases and through activities namely workshops, training and school visits) the campaign will work on increasing people’s environmental knowledge, awareness and attitude and ultimately aim to change people’s behavior in relation to their activities on the islets. In particular the campaign will promote a Code of Conduct in relation to picnicking and barbecuing on the islets and specify which areas should be used for this purpose and how best to dispose of barbecuing oil and charcoal as well as remnant food and litter. The campaign will raise awareness on all illegal activities on the islets including camping, littering, collection of firewood and moving of stones (which are part of the reptile’s habitat and natural heritage) for the use of barbecuing. Instead the campaign will recommend than only mobile barbecues are to be used for this purpose. The campaign will also raise awareness about the need to check boats for invasive prior to departure for the islets.

Theory of Change Results

The Republic of Mauritius “Anou sap nu lezar” campaign was built upon the assumption that if we inform the skippers and fishermen, the Mauritian recreational visitors, the school children and the foreign tourists of the threats that affects the endangered endemic reptiles found in the southeast coast of the island, their attitudes while visiting the southeast area will improve. We ultimately need to provide information to change this situation by conducting workshops, through mass media communication, organizing a national awareness day for the general public, producing printed materials on the threats affecting the reptiles (use of open fire, littering and introduction of invasive alien species) and rather take rubbish back home, use only mobile barbecue sets / barbecue on boats, check boat for invasive species. As a matter of fact this will lead to an increase not only on the ecological niche of the reptiles but also an increase in the population of the threatened endemic species found there. The implementation of these key messages will generate in an increase in the reptiles population but however the result directly showing that the campaign had an effect on this concept is difficult to measure. However the indication of the increase of reptiles’ population suggests that the campaign is enclosing a positive effect on the ecosystem of these endangered species.

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→Theory of change formula

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→→[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the

[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the

Social Marketing campaign:

Undertake workshops for skippers and islet users

Mass media will diffuse information on the threats affecting the reptiles and the main threats to the reptiles are the unwanted side effects

of recreational activities.

Rare Pride campaign manager works in partnership with local government (National Parks and Conservation Service to be able to monitor active on islets

Skippers dispose of all litter at home or designated collection point

Skippers to follow regulations (stop using inland of nature reserves, no open fires, no littering, no camping)

skippers to check boats for invasives

Decrease in the amount of illegal use of open fire, littering and introduction of alien invasive species

An increase in the population of the reptiles (the Ilot vacaos Bojer’s skink on Ilot Vacoas, the translocated Ilot vacaos Bojer’s skink on Ile aux Fouquets, the Nactus night gecko)

K + + +A IC BR BC TR CRSocial Marketing campaign species increases awareness of the existence of endemic reptiles on the islets of the southeast coast of the island due to uncontrolled human activities affecting them; mainly use of open fire, littering and

introduction of invasive alien species

Social Marketing campaign:

Increase people’s knowledge about Mauritian biodiversity on the islets

Stop littering on islets

Stop open fire on islets

Stop people going onto the nature reserves

To have long term conservation impact on the endemic and native reptiles

On average, these attitude and Interpersonal Communication variables increased between the pre-campaign and post campaign surveys. This clearly supports that the hypothesis that this campaign recorded a change in attitudes and improved communication around these issues.

Free workshops were given to the skippers. A total of 48 skippers attended the whole workshop and 30 received a certificate recognizing them as ‘eco-skippers’

The level of illegal use of open fire, littering and introduction of invasive species is slightly decreasing. The monitoring survey conducted measured the amount of open fire used illegally for fire camping or barbecuing. On the other hand it is difficult to measure and monitor the introduction of invasive species .

By late April 2009 we have indirect indications of the success of the translocation of the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink from Ilot Vacoas to Ile aux Fouquets due to the fact that the population of the skinks has substantially increased ( Cole 2009)

Too early to tell; we need to be able to monitor the population increase of the reptiles regarding the rate of the threats affecting them. By the end of next season (April 2010).

On average knowledge based variables increased by XX percentage points between the pre- and post campaign surveys, and we attained X % of the SMART objectives. This clearly supports that the hypothesis that this campaign recorded a change in knowledge around these issues. See

2. Chapter 1

Site Background

IntroductionThe Republic of Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean 800 km Southeast of Madagascar, with latitude location 20° 10' S and longitude 057° 30' E. It consists of two main islands, Mauritius (1865 km²) and Rodrigues (109 km²) and two groups of outer islands, namely the St Brandon Archipelago (3 km²) and Agalega (21 km²). The total land area of the Republic of Mauritius is 2040 km² with an Exclusive Economic Zone extending over more than 2 million square kilometers.

Figure 1: Map of Mauritius found in the Indian Ocean8

Site history

When the first explorers discovered Mauritius in the 16th century, the whole of the island was covered with a luxuriant forest teeming with plant and animal life. After four centuries of colonization less than 2% of the native forest remains.

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Figure 6: Endemic forests of Mauritius throughout centuries (MWF 2005)

Hardwood trees such as the Bois d’Ebène (Diospyros egrettarum) became rare because their wood was valuable for building; giant tortoises were driven to extinction for their meat, and whole areas of forest were cleared for agriculture (especially sugarcane), settlement and development. Invasive plants and animals introduced by man have also contributed to the loss of many native species in Mauritius. Exploitation, habitat destruction and the impact of invasive plants and animals have driven many of the native species to extinction meaning that they are lost to the world forever. Many of the remaining species are extremely rare, restricted to remnants of native forest in remote mountainous areas or on the outer islets of Mauritius, (MWF 2005)

The bay of Mahebourg is a national symbolic site, as it is the place where all the ships from Europe first landed in Mauritius. The South East Trade Wind led the ships into the bay of Mahebourg where everything started. Grand Port is also the biggest natural port in the Mascarenes.

The district of Grand-Port is named after the village of Old Grand Port which saw the first Dutch landing and the first port of the island. It is centered on the town of Mahebourg on the coast, inside the Grand-Port Bay. Built by the Dutch and later taken over by the French, the town is a reminder of the colonial past of the island.

Mauritius gained its independence on the 12th March 1968 and became a Republic in March 1992. It has a multicultural society, made up of descendants of immigrants from Africa, Asia and Europe. All the major religions are practiced. The total population was 1.236 million in 2006 with a growth rate of about 1.1% per year. Over the next twenty years, population growth is expected to stabilize at replacement levels or less, but as population density in Mauritius is already high with 600 people per km², the predicted population growth (of 250,000 by 2010) will increase pressure on land use. Government policy is thus actively seeking to generate employment in rural areas.

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Land TenureLand in Mauritius is largely privately owned. State land is distributed throughout the island and the ‘Pas Geométrique’, a narrow belt of land (250 french feet) around the coast is owned by the government. Vacant land for the development is limited since most of the useable land has already been put to productive use.

Land UseAgriculture Sugarcane

TeaTobaccoFood CropsFresh vegetables

Forestry Planted forestsNatural forestsSavannah, scrub, grazing and Other forest lands

Community ReservoirsSwamps and RocksRoadsBuilt up areas

Table 1: Land use in the District of Grand-Port (Ministry of Housing and land Government of Mauritius)

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Main livelihoods and incomesEconomy of Mauritius

Mauritius has one of the most successful and competitive economies in Africa; 2006 GDP at market prices was estimated at $6.5 billion and per capita income at $5,214, one of the highest in Africa. The economy is based on tourism, textiles, sugar, and financial services. In recent years, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and seafood have emerged as important sectors of the economy, growing by an average of 40% last year. Over the past two decades, real output growth averaged just below 6% per year, leading to a more than doubling of per capita income and a marked improvement in social indicators. However, since 2002, the economy started to face some serious challenges as a result of globalization, involving the erosion of trade preferences for both textiles and sugar, two pillars of the economy. Economic growth declined to 3-4% while unemployment, government budget deficit, and public debt increased steadily.

The government that took office in July 2005 embarked on a bold economic reform program aimed at moving Mauritius from reliance on trade preferences to global competitiveness. The reform strategy, outlined in the Financial Year 2006-2007 government budget, was designed not only to remedy fiscal weaknesses but also to open up the economy, facilitate business, improve the investment climate, and mobilize foreign direct investment and expertise. The reforms and the opening up of the economy have already started to positively impact the economy. GDP growth increased to 5% in 2006, and the same rate was expected in 2007.

In addition to encouraging the restructuring and modernization of the textile and sugar sectors, the government is putting much emphasis on the development of the ICT sector and the promotion of Mauritius as a seafood hub in the region, using existing logistics and distribution facilities at the Freeport (free trade zone at the port and airport). To further diversify the economic base and generate sustainable growth, the government is actively encouraging the following economic activities:(i) The land-based oceanic industry(ii) Hospitality and property development(iii) Healthcare and biomedical industry(iv) Agro-processing and biotechnology(v) The knowledge industry.

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The business climate is friendly yet extremely competitive. The World Bank 2007 Doing Business Survey ranks Mauritius 32nd in the world and second in Africa for ease of doing business. Mauritius has a long tradition of private entrepreneurship, which has led to a strong and dynamic private sector. Firms entering the market will find a well-developed legal and commercial infrastructure. With regard to telecommunications, Mauritius has a well-developed digital infrastructure and offers state-of-the-art telecommunications facilities including international leased lines and high speed Internet access. Telecommunications services were liberalized in January 2003. The government policy is to act as a facilitator to business, leaving production to the private sector. However, it still controls key utility services directly or through parastatals, including electricity, water, waste water, postal services, and broadcasting. The State Trading Corporation controls imports of rice, flour, petroleum products, and cement.

Economy of the district of Grand-Port

Regarding the district council area, various activities take place: agriculture, fishing, Export Processing Zone Industry and tourism are the main economic activities carried out

Tea production can also be included, but on a lesser scale. Sugar production is carried out on a large scale in view of the good climatic conditions prevailing in the area, representing a total amount of 650,000 tons produced within the district of Grand-Port/Savanne.

In addition to that, a fish farm has been established at Pointe Feuilles and Quatre-Soeurs. Furthermore, vegetable production is widely carried out in the South East Coast where the land favours onion and garlic plantation on a large scale. There are also many textile mills in the surroundings.

As for the tourism industry, it has helped considerably in the rapid development of the Southern region. Numerous hotels have been built. Tourist attractions have been created, such as ‘La Vanille Crocodile Park’ and the Mahebourg Waterfront. The SSR International Airport is also located in the region. With tourism earn marked as a rapid-growth sector,the district is being urbanized at a rapid pace. Government has accelerated hotel development in the Southern part of the island. In the Mahebourg/Blue Bay area are the Preskil Hotel and numerous smaller hotels. The Shandrani at Le Chaland was one of the first hotels on the island.

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Numerous handicraft shops and tourism-related businesses have benefitted from the Tourism development in the South. “Green tourism” is seen as a fast expanding activity in the area, due to the natural beauty of the region.

The Grand-Port District also has a significant importance in the history of Mauritius as the area is where the first Dutch settlers landed in 1598. Thus, historical museums can be found in the villages of Old Grand-Port and Mahebourg.

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Environmental considerationsThe northern part of the district is mountainous with forested valleys and rivers. The eastern part gently rises to meet the central plateau and enjoys a cool temperate climate suitable for tea plantations. The southern part is a flat plain on part of which sits the international airport.

Figure 3: District of Mauritius (Wikipedia 2008)

The pride campaign will be focused in the southeastern part of the island, the district of Grand-Port and the offshore islets neighboring the district. The district has an area of 259 km² and a population size estimate of 112,000 people. Indeed, the district lies in the Bay of Mahebourg or the Bay of Grand-Port. On the other hand Grand-Port is well known for its biodiversity, from coastal forests to dry islet coastal vegetations. Starting from the coastline with coastal lowland vegetation, its land has a maximum elevation of 400 m with mid upland forest.

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NKEY

1. Black River2. Flacq3. Grand-Port4. Moka5. Pamplemousses6. Plaine Wilhems7. Port-Louis8. Rivière du Rampart9. Savanne

On the other hand the bay includes 12 offshore islets with a unique biodiversity. These calcareous islets vary in size, geological composition, remoteness, accessibility, conservation value and restoration potential.

Figure 2: Islets of the Bay of Mahebourg, Mauritius

(The Islets National Park Strategic Plan 2004)

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Conservation Management Issues

Biodiversity of the District of Grand-Port

Plants Reptiles Birds Mammals

Bois d’ébène

Diospyros egrettarum

Ornate day gecko

Phelsuma ornata

Mauritius kestrel

Falco puncatus

Mauritius Fruit Bat/flying fox

Pteropus niger

Bois jaune

Ochrosia borbonica

Ilot Vacoas Bojer skink

Gongylomorphus bojerii sp.

Pink pigeon

Nesoenas mayeri

Bois clou

Eugenia bojeri

Lesser night gecko

Nactus coindemirensis

Mauritian fody

Foudia rubra

Liane chartier

Gouania tiliifolia

Telfair skink

Leiolopisma telfairii

Olive-white eye bird

Zosterops chloronothos

Bois perroquet

Olax psittacorum

Bouton’s skink

Cryptoblepharus boutonii

Wedge-tailed shearwater bird

Puffinus pacificus

White-tailed tropic bird

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Phaeton lepturus

Table 2: Some native species of the District of Grand-Port, Mauritius

Conservation historyConservation on Mauritius is one of the World's most successful conservation stories. This is due to MWF's restoration work that started in the 1975 which includes the rescue of the Mauritius Kestrel, then following the years,the Echo Parakeet, the Pink Pigeon and the olive white-eye brought back from the brink of extinction. We develop protocols for the rescue of native plant species and we also work in Rodrigues restoring the flora and fauna and replanting the native forest. MWF has been actively involved with islet restoration, in particular on Ile aux Aigrettes and Round Island both of which are endangered biodiversity hotspots of global importance. These conservation efforts will benefit future generations of Mauritians. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation promotes local capacity building and provides employment through its activities. MWF wishes to remain a strong, vibrant and innovative organisation. In addition MWF has worked in close collaboration with NPCS since its creation in 1994, in the creation of a Conservation Management Area in the native forests, rat eradication on islets, the Round island restoration project, rare plant propagation (with the cooperation of the Forestry service).

Regarding the conservation history of reptiles found in the target site, the Telfair’s skink is a success of translocation project for Mauritius. Indeed, Mauritius was once home to one of the richest diversities of reptiles in the world and these reptiles were integral to the natural function of the pristine Mauritian ecosystem. Following human colonisation in the 16 th century numerous alien animals and plants were introduced and most of the Mauritian forests were destroyed, causing the loss of more than 60% of the Mauritian reptiles’ species from the mainland (Cole et al. 2007). Some species survived only on a few of the offshore islands, particularly those that had not been invaded by predatory mammals, such as rats, which have been responsible for many extinction events worldwide.

Round Island is one of these few locations within the Mascarenes that has never been invaded by rats. Some 30 years ago, it was recognised that the reptiles on Round Island and a few other reptile species that could still be found on some of the other offshore islands were still at risk of extinction. Action had to be taken to secure the future survival of these reptile species that could not be found anywhere else in the world. At the time it was proposed that these reptile species should be translocated back to other islands where they used to occur. Translocation is a conservation tool used worldwide to create new populations of a species by moving a number of organisms from one location to another. However, successful translocation could take place only on pest-free islands.

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Recently, a project funded by the Darwin Initiative in the UK, has translocated four endemic and endangered lizard species to other offshore islands around Mauritius (Cole et al., 2007).

One of the four species that the team is initially translocating is the Telfair’s skink, Leiolopisma telfairii, which lived throughout Mauritius and many of the offshore islands, but only continued to survive on Round Island. The Telfair’s skink plays an important role within the ecology of Round Island as a predator of invertebrates and other reptiles, and itself as prey item for larger reptiles and birds, or as pollinator and seed disperser of the native plants. The species is being released on Gunner’s Quoin and Ile aux Aigrettes. Each skink has been fitted with a small electronic tag so that their progress can be tracked as they start to re-populate their former homes (Cole et al., 2007).

The skinks on Ile aux Aigrettes remain fit and healthy in comparison to their donor population on Round Island. Investigation into the skinks use of the island’s resources demonstrates that they are dispersing many seeds of endemic fruiting plants and as such are assisting in the restoration process on the island. Furthermore there have been significant declines in problematic invasive species, such as the Indian musk shrew, Indian wolf snake, common house gecko, the agamid lizard and African land snails as a result of skink predation (Nik Cole pers. comm.).

3. Chapter 2

Site Assessment

Summary of Stakeholders

The first stakeholders’ meeting was held in a rented conference room, technologically equipped and easily accessible. Amongst 33 stakeholders invited, 23 were present that day; members of the local authorities as well as none-governmental organisations. The main theme of this first stakeholders’ meeting was “The terrestrial coastal habitat of South-east Mauritius, including the islets found in the bay of Grand-Port”. After a presentation of the MWF and the Rare Pride Campaign in Mauritius, the attendees were divided in 5 groups and were asked to think and work on the threats that affect the endemic flora and fauna of “The terrestrial coastal habitat of South-east Mauritius, including the islets found in the bay of Grand-Port. In order to design a concept model for the campaign, each member worked in group and discussed about the direct threats, the indirect threats and the contributing factors affecting the native species of South-east Mauritius, including the islets found in that area.

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Moreover, every group had a moderator, a MWF staff having a team to control. In addition, the direct threats, indirect threats and contributing factors were written by the participant on different colored paper for each group of threats. After 20 minutes, the group-work was over and with a view to enhancing interactivity amongst the stakeholders, nearly each participant stuck a threat on a sticky wall and explained to the audience the choices made. The moderators for the concept model session were the campaign manager and one MWF staff.

The first stakeholder’s meeting was a successful approach in the sense that both government and none-governmental representatives worked hand in hand to produce a fruitful concept model for the campaign.

Following the first meeting, the data collected in form of concept model were classified in terms of threats and ranked by a scientists and members of the MWF. Furthermore a questionnaire survey has been designed based on these threats and in total 1119 surveys have been conducted in the target site. The results of these surveys allowed the MWF to set SMART objectives for the campaign.

Indeed the second stakeholders’ meeting aim was to present the questionnaire survey, the result and the SMART objectives set for the campaign. As a matter of fact, the attendees, 15 present, were asked to think about “their contribution for the campaign” and were given time to write individually for a brainstorming session. The contributions and suggestions of the participants were as follows:

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The main issues raised concerning the threats and dangers to reptiles on the islands in the Bay of Mahebourg were:

Deforestation

Camping

Barbecues

It was also mentioned that even though these reptiles are endemic species, a lot of people are indifferent to the problem since the animal that we are trying to save is not directly related and does not affect most people.

It was then discussed about means of communicating with the targeted population.

1) The use of media (TV, Radio) 2) Carnivals3) Stickers/Posters/Drawings on Boats and Buses4) Posters

Education of kids was agreed to be an important way of getting the local population involved and increasing the interest in the endemic reptiles.

A) Educational tours for kids were discussed. This would include:

1) Showing the animals2) Mauritian stories for kids3) Not all animals should be in one place, so that the kids could discover different places along with the animals (Domaine D’Anse

Jonché, Vallée de Ferney, etc...)

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B) Having 2 hr sessions at schools. This would include:

1) Videos

2) Games

These sessions could be followed by an extracurricular activity. (White Sand Tours had mentioned that they might be able to supply buses for some of these activities)

Other ideas mentioned were:

1) Having a sport event such as a regatta around Ile aux Aigrettes2) Workshops to show what is being done by the conservation community3) Brainwash teachers to get them to pass on our message (include Head masters and Head teachers)4) Make use of the protected areas network5) Have a pamphlet/kit about conservation to give to people

When discussing methods of communication, the following was brought up:

1) Target Clubs (e.g Clubs de Jeunesse, etc..)2) Reduce paper usage (use other methods)3) Use games on the Radio (questions about conservation, animals, etc..) and give prizes (trips to Ile aux Aigrettes, Domaine Anse

Jonchée, Vallée de Ferney)4) Have a Treasure hunt5) National picnic (special event/open day)6) Make short films (we can even get kids to make the film and give a prize to the winner)7) Use Mahebourg waterfront for event (lizard day)8) Have pictures in the museum

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Problems about similar projects that should be avoided:

1) no follow up2) lake of visual/practical experience

Though less attendee participated to the second stakeholders’ meeting, the contribution of the latter were rich in potential activities for the campaign. In addition 8 stakeholders gave their approval to join the Rare Pride advisory committee every three months to be able to follow closely and contribute directly in the campaign.

Meetings

Summary of Questionnaire

Survey results

Methods of sampling

Mauritius has a total population size estimated to 1.2 million of people. The sample size to conduct the survey has been calculated using the total population of the island with a confidence interval of three and a confidence level of 95%. A total of 1119 questionnaire surveys were carried out in the district of Grand-Port that amply covers the initial sample population of 1057, amongst which 5 surveys were incomplete and 1114 complete. 10 villages were selected as survey sites as a representative of the district.

The questionnaires were designed to obtain information on the knowledge, attitude and behavior of people towards the islets found in the bay of Mahebourg. Moreover, media preferences to be used during the campaign, and the questionnaires were also based on the threat-ranking analysis. The survey was also used to identify the Flagship species that will help carry the message to the Mauritian people.

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Data were collected by volunteers from the National Youth Achievement Award and from fundraiser, monitored by MWF staff who worked on a daily basis rotation under the close supervision of the Campaign Manager. Reasonable transport and meal allowances were provided. The volunteers were trained by the Campaign Manager before they started conducting the surveys.

The data were then entered and analyzed using the Survey Pro® software.

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Survey MethodThe data from the questionnaires collected during the post-campaign survey were entered into the same Survey Pro® data file that contained the pre-campaign survey data and part of the post-campaign survey data has been done in separate data file and were merged with the pre-campaign survey data. A summary of the results from the pre-campaign survey was presented in the project plan. The results presented here are only those that are prone to the assessment of the impact of the campaign.

Mauritius has a total population size estimated to 1.2 million of people. The sample size to conduct the survey has been calculated using the total population of the island with a confidence interval of three and a confidence level of 95%. A total of 1119 pre-campaign surveys (Islet Users= 79, Recreational visitors= 556) were carried out in the district of Grand-Port that covers the initial sample population of 1057. On the other hand a total of 1000 post-campaign surveys (Islet Users= 55, Recreational visitors=506) have been conducted.

Final Concept Model

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Concept Model NarrativeThe revised Concept Model clarifies the first concept model in the sense that some indirect factors has proved to be direct factors and are more interlinked with the others. If we take into consideration the target condition; it was originally focus on the ‘Terrestrial habitat of the south-east coast of Grand-Port’. It has been changed to the project scope named ‘Terrestrial habitat of the islets of Mahebourg’, thus specifying the exact location of the target condition, found in the district of Grand-Port but revised to the islets found in the village of Mahebourg. Furthermore, the project scope has been extended and classified to; the coastal lowland forest, the native birds, the rocky habitat of reptiles and the native reptiles. In doing so, we have a clearer concept of which threats is affecting a specific component of the project scope.

In addition, the campaign manager and Rare course manager decided that the insufficient restoration program should be a direct fator to the project scope as not only this factor affect the habitat quality through competition of invasives but also it is an immediate menace to the native reptiles and birds.

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4. Chapter 3

The Flagship Species

Flagship species

Figure 10: Flagship Species the Phelsuma ornata

Common names: Ornate day gecko, Vinson's gecko, Lézard couleur,Lézard vert

Taxonomic name: Phelsuma ornata

Status: Endemic

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Distribution: Coastal and lowland Mauritius, except the central south coast. Also found on Round Island, Flat Island, Gabriel Island, Gunners Quoin, Ile d'Ambre, Ile de l'Est, Ile aux Cerfs, Ile aux Singes, Ile aux Aigrettes, Ile des Deux Cocos, Ilot Fourneau and Ile aux Benitiers.

Description: A medium sized gecko; average 10cm total length. Coloration greenish-brown to bluish/turquoise-green with a row of paired red spots down the back bordered by longitudinal red lines or a row of spots. The original tail of adults has thin dorsal red bands. Adult males are brighter than females and their tails are typically a bright turquoise blue. They have a broad dark greyish to brown/black stripe bordered above and below with a white stripe that runs from behind the eye through the ear to the forelegs. The head is marked with a distinctive red “T” shape of various widths, which runs from between to in front of the eyes. The underside of the body is pale creamy-white and can be bright yellow particularly around the vent of adult males. When cold or stressed they become darker in color. Juveniles havethe same patterns as the adults, but are generally browner in color.

Identification from similar species: Only likely to be confused with Phelsuma cepediana, although distinguishing by the broad, dark greyish to brown/black stripe bordered above and below by white stripes behind the eye (but see description of northern and eastern populations of Phelsuma cepediana), the paler white to yellow underside, red “T” shape on the head and red tail bands.

Characteristics: Males are larger than females. Females deposit two eggs, which are glued into position and are often laid in communal nesting sites within rocky crevices, cavities and coves, but also on sheltered vegetation and in tree cavities. An arboreal lizard with clawless lobed toe-pads. Prefers mature native coastal/lowland vegetation, particularly Pandanus and palms, but can also be found in open rocky habitats and on buildings in coastal urban areas. They are predominantly diurnal, although can also be found foraging at night, particularly around electric light sources. They feed mostly upon invertebrates, but will also consume fruit, nectar, tree resin and other smaller geckos. They are also occasionally cannibalistic.

Charismatics: The red, blue, yellow and green colour present on the ornate day gecko matches the colour of the Mauritian flag. Phelsuma’s can generally be seen in the backyard trees, especially on banana tree and palm trees. Mauritian identifies them as “lezard vert” or “lizard couleur”. Amongst the endemic reptiles of Mauritius, Phelsuma’s are the most recognizable and known lizard by Mauritian. They also important for the dispersal of seeds and pollination of plants and thus is a key stone species in the ecosystem of the island.

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Barrier removal partners

The National Parks and Conservation Services (NPCS) manage Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas Islet National Park while The National Heritage Trust under the Ministry of Arts and Culture controls Ile de la Passe. On the other hand the forestry department under the Ministry of Housing is responsible for Ile aux Mariannes, Ile aux Chats and Ile aux Singes. There is no entity in the government directly in charge of neither the islets nor the enforcement of the laws regarding them.

Furthermore the NPCS is the department of the authorities which is highly involved in terrestrial biodiversity conservation. The campaign aims at changing the behavior of people towards the islets found in the bay of Mahebourg. A code of conduct will be designed with the help of NPCS for the primary users of these islets with a view to guiding them towards behaviours and actions while visiting the islets.

The litter disposal of the islet is controlled by the District Council of Grand-Port and a strategy must be put forward to create litter collection point on the coast of the district.

The scientists of the Darwin’s Initiative Program are the campaign’s expertise on the reptiles of Mauritius. They will help us to monitor and follow up the reptiles found in the target site.

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5. Chapter 4

Pride Campaign Activities

Workshop with Tour Guide skippers

Activity 1 Workshop

Target Audience Skipper’s

Theory of Change stage

Barrier Removal and Behaviour Change

Rationale for activity

The primary audience received free training from the MWF on the endangered endemic wildlife focusing on the islets found in the District of Grand-Port. This training is a positive asset for their business and they gained the knowledge of the reptiles’ habitat and the threats affecting them.

A workshop is a key to initiate the target audience on conservation issues prevailing in their area. The islet users (skippers) working in the district of Grand-Port attended the presentations on the endangered reptiles of the target site. Most of them are literate, mobile and generally supportive of the environmental issues but they are unaware of the adverse effects of open fire and barbecue on native wildlife. Moreover, one of the main aims of the workshop is to encourage the islet users to write a ‘code of conduct’ from the knowledge they have been acquiring during the training.

Activity The workshop is composed of two phases, a theoretical session ( a power-point presentation) and a practical

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description session (field trip session).

The first session of the workshop with skippers was held in a local bar/restaurant near the beach, a common place where the skippers use to hang out after work to play snooker and relax. The aim of the workshop was to give theoretical session on the endangered species of the district of Grand-Port. This was done with the help of the Darwin’s Initiative Program working on reptiles’ restoration. The workshop started by a power-point presentation followed by an open discussion session and presentation of reptile’s specimen to the skippers (from the Darwin’s Initiative group). The meeting was interesting and we have noted that the skippers present have a willingness to contribute in the campaign.

The second session of the workshops for skippers comprises of a practical session: visit to the islands.

The visit on Ile aux Fouquets and Ile aux Vacoas, aims at showing the fauna and flora present (their names), the habitat of the endangered reptiles, and how fire & barbecue, littering and invasive alien species are destroying our reptiles. The practical session was done with the collaboration of the Darwin’s Initiative programs. On the other hand we showed the skippers what are the actions to be taken during a visit: bring litter back home, check boat for invasive species and also do barbecue on the boat or if mainland using a mobile barbecue. The skippers’ appreciations to the field trip session were:

They learned the common name of reptiles and plantsThey learned about how to protect themThey are willing to help if they can

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Picture(s)

Field Trip session

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Theoretical session

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Theoretical session

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Workshop with youths

Activity 2 Workshop with youths

Target Audience

The school children


The school children were trained by the MWF on conservation, wildlife and endangered reptiles of Mauritius. This will allow them to better understand the ecosystem of the reptiles of Mauritius and as a matter of fact implement what they have learned to a puppet show. Indeed the puppet show script is a story based upon a family visiting the islets and discovering the lizards. The youth found it easy to understand the rationale behind the puppet script.

Activity description

A group of volunteer from the ‘youth engaged in service’ has been volunteering for the puppet show during the regatta day. A presentation on conservation and wildlife of Mauritius was given to the youth and 3 half-day puppet rehearsal. The puppet show has been implemented during ‘the regatta day’ event.

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Pictures

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The Regatta Day

Activity 3 The Regatta Day

Target Audience

Skippers and Mauritian Recreational visitors


The “Regatta day” is a regatta contest and event focused on the islets of the district of Grand-Port, our target site. This event is an easy way to reach two of the campaign’s target audiences. Face painting and puppet show for children as well as adults were two main activities during the 3 days. The secondary school student from the ‘youth engaged in service’ volunteered to perform the puppet show.


The Regatta day is a 3 day Regatta (pirogue) race which took place in the bay of Mahebourg, in Pointe D’esny, a beach vis-a-vis Ile aux Aigrettes. The Regatta day has been organised since 3 years in the region by a private society. Local skippers as well as some local people participate in the Regatta day as a fun race. The main theme of the race is “Grand-Port our treasure”. Environmental NGO’s were present for sensitization as well as Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF). MWF has contributed in awareness through a puppet show, face-painting and quiz

Pictures

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The regatta day competition

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Face/ Body painting

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Puppet show

Activity 3 Puppet Show

Target Audience

The Mauritian recreational visitors and the school children


The story of the puppet shows explains the key messages of the campaign.


The puppet show is done in a puppet theatre. The main characters are the endangered reptiles (Ornate day gecko, Nactus the night gecko, Bojer’s skink and the Telfair’s skink), the rat as invasive alien species, a father and his son with a skipper. The puppet show explains the main 3 key messages of the campaign with its characters and a funny story too. It is done either in Creole or French.

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Pictures

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Costume

Activity 4 Costume

Target Audience

Islet users, Mauritian recreational visitors, school children, foreign tourists and the general population


The costume (mascot) represents the flagship species of the campaign, the Phelsuma ornata. The costume has a joyful way of approaching people during the campaign’s events. It is a symbolic way to show the cartoon character of the flagship species to become a charismatic species to the audience.


The costume has been used during puppet show, the regatta day, school presentation, the gecko day (national awareness day) and in the campaign’s song clip.

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Pictures

Face Painting

Activity 5 Face painting

Target The Mauritian recreational visitors

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Audience


To sensitize people on the flagship species in an artistic way. This activity was a major centre of interest for people as it is not commonly done in the target site.


The face/body painting activity has been done during the regatta day and the gecko day

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Pictures

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School Puppet show

Activity 6 School puppet show

Target Audience

School children


The puppet show in schools is an innovative approach in the education system of Mauritius. The School Puppet show always starts with a 5 minutes interactive power-point presentation followed by the puppet show itself. This allows the student to see the actual pictures of the reptiles before the cartoon character through the show. The 3 main key messages are delivered through the puppet show. In addition we ask the children to further explain what they learned to their family.


A 5 minutes presentation followed by a 10-15 minutes puppet show and the costume present at the end ask questions to the children and give them the tattoo/stickers.

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Pictures

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Tattoo

Activity 7 Tattoo

Target Audience

Mauritian recreational visitors, school children


Tattoo of the flagship species and 6 other endemic gecko species with their common name and scientific name on it is a trendy way to promote the geckos


Tattoo has been distributed throughout all the activities of the campaign.

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Pictures

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Posters

Activity 8 Posters

Target Audience

The general population


Posters the a mode of communication with pictures of the target site, the charismatic flagship species and the key messages of the campaign


The posters have been distributed to local businesses, schools, public areas and distributed during the gecko day.

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Pictures

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Stickers

Activity 9 Stickers

Target Audience

The skippers who attended the skipper’s workshop and the school children.


The big stickers were given to the skippers who fully attended the workshop for the latter to stick the stickers on their boat. This is a way for people to recognize them as eco-skippers.

The small stickers were given to school children.


Stickers are an attractive long lasting mode of communication distributed throughout the campaign.

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Pictures

Caps

Activity 10 Caps

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Target Audience

Islet users , Mauritian Recreational visitors


The caps has the campaign’s logo and slogan “let’s save our lizard” , a high quality caps for people to wear and diffuse the information


The caps were distributed as a gift in the gift pack of the skippers who attended the workshops and other Mauritian recreational visitors who attended a presentation on the endangered reptiles of Mauritius

Pictures

Song

Activity 11 Song

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Target Audience



This song explains the most significant information on the existence of Mauritian reptiles, their names and locations (the islets). The threats affecting the species put forward in the song will arouse the attention of people. They will be aware of the do’s and don’ts and they will implement the code of conduct. As a matter of fact, the reptiles will be saved from uncontrolled human activities


The song has been advertised in the local radio stations

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Pictures

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Fact sheet

Activity 12 Fact sheet

Target Audience

Islet users, Mauritian recreation visitors, school children, tourists and the genereal population


Through the fact sheet, the audience will have a long term communication tool which will help to protect the reptiles, thus saving them from extinction.


The fact sheet was distributed during the activities and events of the campaign

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Pictures

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Press Release

Activity 13 Press Release

Target Audience



A press release is the introduction of the campaign to the audience as a mass media. This includes the key messages, the target site, the threats affecting endemic reptiles, the aim of the campaign and the campaign’s activity.


The press release has been organized with the collaboration of one of the campaign’s partners for an hour, giving a presentation.

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Pictures

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Radio Spots

Activity 14 Radio Spots

Target Audience



Through the information given on the radio the audience is aware of things to do while visiting islets and they would put into practice the code of conduct diffused to them.


The 3 local most listened radio by the respondents of the questionnaire survey are Radio Plus, Radio one and the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation. The 3 radio station diffused information on the campaign’s key messages. The campaign manager did 6 live air shows also.

Pictures

Television Spots

Activity 15 Television spots

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Target Audience



The television program shows the threats affecting the endangered reptiles and their habitat and the code of conduct to follow while visiting these areas. As a matter of fact, the potential recreational visitors will change in behavior while visiting the islets following the rules and regulations, protecting the reptiles of the islets


The television program was mainly focused on the local news (French, English, Creole version) and through the Mauritius college of the air documentary.

Pictures

National Open Day

Activity 16 National Open day called the Gecko day

Target Audience


Rationale for 1. The general population is aware of reptiles on the islets that are in danger of extinction

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activity2. The effects of littering, barbecuing and open fires on the endangered species will be known and might be reduced

3. The audience will collect and bring back the litter to mainland bins (if they visit the islets)

4. They are aware of protected areas, nature reserve

5. The people are proud of endemic reptiles they are part of the national heritage to protect.

The reptiles of Mauritius will then be saved.


The gecko day was an open day on a Sunday afternoon in the main village called Mahebourg accessible to the local population. The venue was an open air waterfront with a view on the islets (our target site). The activities of the day: Drawing competition, gecko clay making competition, tattoo, face painting, free candy floss, photo exhibition, plant exhibition, puppet show, badminton playing, a concert and two Master of Ceremonies animating the day.

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Pictures

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6. Chapter 4

The ResultsComparability of the two surveys

The post-campaign survey is critically comparable to the pre-campaign survey due to the fact that the two samples that were selected are similar to each other in their socio-economic and demographic characteristics. The following table (Table 1) shows some of the ‘independent variables’ from the pre- and post campaign surveys in order to not only; (1) provide some background on the characteristics of the respondents but also (2) to assess the comparability of the surveys on each variable using the Chi-Square test of statistical significance.

Indeed Table 1 shows that the amount of male in the post campaign (Male = 58.1%) is slightly different from the pre-campaign (Male= 53.9% ) survey and this independent variable is statistically not significant. On the other hand the religion background and the formal education are statistically significant due to the fact that the surveys have been conducted randomly, the diversity of some religion are dominant over others ( pre- campaign (Hindu= 39.6%, Roman Catholic=36.6%) and post-campaign ( Hindu= 31.5%, Roman Catholic= 45.6%).

The results of the Chi-Square tests indicate that there is no statically significance for newspaper readership between the pre-campaign and post-campaign survey because the number of none-readership increased from pre- to post , the number of readership for up to 6 days per week increased but the number

of readership 7 days per week decreased.

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Table 1 Independent Variables to Assess Comparability of the Surveys

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Source: Data in Table 1

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Variable Pre-Campaign level Post-Campaign level Difference Chi-Square (X²) Significance

Gender Male= 53.9%Female= 46.1%

Male= 58.1%Female= 41.9%

Male= +5.8 ppFemale= -4.2 pp

X² =75%Not significant

Target Audience Group Islet Users= 58.7%Recreational Visitors= 52.4%

Islet Users= 41.4%Recreational Visitors= 47.7%

Islet Users= -17.3 ppRecreational Visitors= - 4.7 pp

X² < 50%Not significant

Age Group 16 to 20 = 25.6%21 to 25 = 16.7%26 – 30 = 13.8%31 to 40 = 14.6 %41 – 50 = 14.6 %51 – 60 = 10.1%61 and older = 4.2%

16 to 20 = 21.2%21 to 25 = 14.1%26 – 30 = 15.3%31 to 40 = 19.9%41 – 50 = 16.2%51 – 60 = 10.3%61 and older = 3.3%

16 to 20 = - 4.4 pp21 to 25 = - 2.6 pp26 – 30 = + 1.5 pp31 to 40 = + 5.3 pp41 – 50 = + 1.6 pp51 – 60 = + 0.2 pp61 and older = - 0.9 pp

X²<50%Not significant

Formal Education No formal Education = 4.5%Primary Education = 19.8%Form 1-4 = 23.3 %

Form 5 (School Certificate) = 30.4 %High School Certificate = 15.5 %University = 5.7 %

No formal Education = 6.7%Primary Education = 23.6% Form 1-4 = 27.2 %

Form 5 (School Certificate) = 25.8 % High School Certificate = 11.1%University = 2.5 %

No formal Education = + 2.2 ppPrimary Education = +3.8 ppForm 1-4 = + 3.9 ppForm 5 (School Certificate) = -4.6 ppHigh School Certificate = - 4.4 ppUniversity = - 3.2 pp

X² = 99%Significant

Religion Hindu = 39.6 %Muslim = 10.7 %Roman Catholic = 36.6 %Christian = 9.5 %

Hindu = 31.5 %Muslim = 7.2 %Roman Catholic = 45.6 %Christian = 9.4 $

Hindu = - 4.1 ppMuslim = - 3.5 ppRoman Catholic = + 9 ppChristian = -0.1 pp

X²= 95%Significant

Employment Unemployed = 12.5 %Student = 21.2 %Fisherman = 5.2 %Skipper = 1.8 %Hotel = 5.1 %Independent = 14.9 %Public Sector = 8.9 %Private Sector = 15.2 %

Unemployed = 16.5 %Student = 17.8 %Fisherman = 3.9 %Skipper = 1.6 %Hotel = 4.6 %Independent = 18.5 %Public Sector = 8.2 %Private Sector = 13.1 %

Unemployed = + 4 ppStudent = - 3.4 ppFisherman = - 1.3 ppSkipper = - 0.2 ppHotel = -0.5 ppIndependent = + 3.6 ppPublic Sector = - 0.7 ppPrivate Sector = - 2.1 pp


Radio listenership (days per week)

Never = 14.3 %Up to 3 days per week = 16.7 %4 – 6 days per week = 5.3 %7 days per week = 63.7 %

Never = 16.8 %Up to 3 days per week = 21.3 % 4 – 6 days per week = 7.3 %7 days per week = 54.7 %

Never = + 2.5 ppUp to 3 days per week = + 4.6 pp4 – 6 days per week = + 2 pp7 days per week = - 9 pp

X² = 99%Significant

TV viewership (days per week )

Never = 7.7%Up to 3 days per week =

Never = 9.2%Up to 3 days per week =

Never = + 1.5 ppUp to 3 days per week =


is based on interviews with 1124 respondents in the pre-campaign survey and 1000 respondents in the post-campaign survey. The “difference” is calculated by subtracting the pre-campaign level from the post campaign level and is expressed in percentage points (pp). The X² tests is a statistical test for differences between the pre-campaign survey and the post-campaign survey using the total samples.

The analysis of Table 1 representing the pre- and post-campaign survey samples are comparable to each other and that there are no systematic differences between the samples that would complicate interpretation of our analyses of the dependent variables used to measure campaign impact.

Exposure to the Pride Campaign Activities

Table 2 shown below describes the data from the post campaign survey representing the percentage of each target audience who saw and heard each of the Pride campaign media tool and activity. The importance of mass media is clearly shown as the “advertising spot” on the reptile has been promoted in local radio, television and newspaper throughout different time of the campaign.

The most important activities for reaching the islet users as well as the recreational visitors were the gecko day; billboards and posters have been distributed all over the target site during 2 months. The posters contain the 3 key messages of the campaign on endangered reptiles of Mauritius. It Figure 1 show the respondents answer to the exposure question.

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Islet Users exposure to Billboards on Reptiles

Work Skipper and fishermen

Is this a:

Pre Campaign survey 58.65%, 78

Post Campaign Survey 41.35%, 55

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Figure 1 a shows the responses to the question “During the past 3 months, have you seen billboard on reptiles” by the Islet Users

Recreational Visitors exposure to Billboards on Reptiles

Recreational visitors

Is this a:

Pre Campaign survey Post Campaign Survey

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52.35%, 556 47.65%, 506

Figure 1 b shows the responses to the question “During the past 3 months, have you seen billboard on reptiles” by Recreational Visitors by the Recreational Visitors

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Activity Islet Users

Pre-campaign survey

Islet Users

Post- campaign survey


Pre-campaign survey


Post- campaign survey

Billboards on islets 20.5% 24.1% 18% 19.5 %

Poster on islets 17.9% 25.9 % 17.8% 24.5 %

Hear an advertising spot on islet

14.1% 29.6 % 11% 21.3 %

Billboards about Reptiles

12.8% 24.1 % 11.3% 21.7 %

Poster about reptiles 14.1% 31.5 % 11.5% 21.9 %

Advertising spot about reptiles

10.3% 31.5 % 9.6% 24.1 %

Table 2 Exposure to Pride Campaign Activities

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Changes in Knowledge, Attitude, Self-Reported Behaviour

Impact of Pride Campaign on Knowledge SMART objectives

The results regarding the key questions that have been used to design the survey are found in the Table 3 below. The following results show the campaign’s impact on knowledge SMART objectives.

The data present in the table refers to the stated fact that the National Awareness Campaign increased knowledge about the concept of ‘endemic species’ and most specifically the endemic’ ornate day gecko’ which is the flagship species of the campaign as well as an endemic species from Mauritius, responded by the primary audience (the islet users) the secondary audience (the recreational visitors) and the general public a whole

Table 3 Change in Knowledge Variables between the Pre-campaign and Post-campaign surveys

Smart Objective Question 0bjective percentage point change

Pre campaign

Post

campaign

Percentage point change (pp)

Chi Square

% of Smart objective achieved

Objective theme 1 – Increase people’s knowledge about Mauritian biodiversity on the islets

SMART OB1 – By April 2009 the Do you think that there are any reptiles 22pp 63% 57% -6pp 95% 0

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number of people from the District of Grand Port who think that there are some reptiles on the islets that are in danger of disappearing goes up from 63% to 85% (n=1118, Q20a)

that are becoming rare and are on the verge of extinction on the islets?

significant

SMART OB2 – By April 2009 the number of people from the District of Grand Port who can name the ornate day gecko when shown a picture goes up from 34% to 60% (n=1096, Q21c).

If YES which one and name it 22pp 35.5%

47.6%

12.1 pp 99 % 55%

SMART OB3 - By April 2009 the number of primary users (fisherman and skippers) who can name 3 endemic species found on the islets goes up from 6% to 25% (n=545, Q19a)

If yes, can you name up to 3 endemic plants or animals found on the islets?

19% 5.13%

15.63

10.47pp <50% 55.1%

SMART OB4 - By April 2009 the number of recreational users who can

If yes, can you name up to 3 endemic 23% 5.8% 2.6 -3.2pp 50% 0

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name 3 endemic species found on the islets in the Bay of Mahebourg goes up from 7% to 30% (n=545, Q19a)

plants or animals found on the islets? %

Smart Objective Question 0bjective percentage point change

Pre campaign

Post

campaign

Percentage point change (pp)

Chi Square

% of Smart objective achieved

SMART OB5 - By April 2009 the number of primary users who know what an endemic species is goes up from 27% to 50% (n=69, Q23d)

Do you know what is meant by an endemic plant or animal?

23 % 30.77%

43.64%

12.87pp 50% 55.9%

SMART OB6 - By April 2009 the number of recreational users who know what an endemic species is goes up goes up from 32% to 55% (n=545, Q23d)

Do you know what is meant by an endemic plant or animal?

23% 33.45%

41.95%

8.5pp 95% 37%

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The successful figures

Indeed, there is a 55.9% of Smart objective achieved (shown by the frequency of the figure 2 below) for the islet users who know what endemic means because this segment has been highly exposed to the messages by mass media during the past 15 months as well as the national open day organized during the past month.

Islet Users who knows what endemic means


Is this a:



80

Figure 2a shows the response of primary audience to endemicity

Recreational visitors who know what endemic means


Is this a:



81

Figure 2a shows the response of secondary audience to endemicity

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The least successful results

As part of the campaign, the name of the reptile species were put forward. However, the general public is not enough aware of the concept of endemic species, unique to Mauritius. They have been newly introduced to this concept throughout the campaign (see figure 2) as well as the name of these species. Morever they have not been able to keep all the information thus disgarding the name of the endemic species (see figure 3a and 3b)

Islet Users who can name 3 endemic species


Is this a:



83

Figure 3b shows the primary users naming endemic species

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Recreational visitors who can name 3 endemic species


Is this a:



Figure 3a shows the recreational visitors naming endemic species

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Impact of Pride Campaign on Attitude and Interpersonal Communication SMART objectives

SMART OB1 – By April 2009 the number of people from the District of Grand Port who think that there are some reptiles on the islets that are in danger of disappearing goes was expecting up from 63% to 85% from the campaign but has gone down from 63% to 57%. This statistically not significant figure will further be explained in the critical review.

People from the district of Grand Port who thinks that the reptiles are becoming endangered

Is this a:



Figure 4: general public who thinks that reptiles are endangered

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Other Objective:

By April 2009 the number of people from the District of Grand-Port who find it important to stop doing barbecue in areas where endangered species are found, has increased due to an increase of awareness regarding the main 3 key messages of the campaign

Islet Users who thinks that there should be a designated place for barbecue


Is this a:



88

Figure 5a: Islet users strongly agree that there should be a designated place for barbecue

Recreational Visitors who thinks that there should be a designated place for barbecue


Is this a:

Pre Campaign survey Post Campaign Survey

89

52.35%, 556 47.65%, 506

Figure 5a : Recreational visitors strongly agree that there should be a designated place for barbecue

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Other objective

By April 2009 the number of people from the District of Grand-Port who have heard of a reptile’s restoration programme have increased due to the campaign main activities: Skipper’s workshop, mass media and national open day

Islet Users who have heard of reptile's restoration program during these past 6 months


Is this a:



91

Figure 6 a: Response on islet users on reptile’s restoration programme

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Impact of Pride Campaign on behavioural SMART objectives

Table 2: behavioural SMART objectives

Objective theme 2 - Stop littering on islets

SMART OB7 – By April 2009 out of the local people visiting Ile aux Fouquet the % of people littering will have gone down from 2 %(in September, October) to 0.74% (Y=X-20%X) in February, March)

Results found in the “monitoring results” section

SMART OB8 - By April 2009 out of the foreign tourists visiting Ile aux Fouquet the % of people littering will have gone down from X (September, October) to Y in February, March)


SMART OB9 - By April 2009 the Results in progress to be sent later - - - - - -

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number of bags collected on Ilot Vacoas, Ile aux Fouquet and Ile aux Marianne by NPCS and on Ile aux Fouquet ( by the National Heritage Trust) will have declines from 10 bags/month to 2 bags per month

by NPCS

SMART OB10 - By April 2009 the number of recreational users who name dumping, littering or pollution as illegal activities on the islets will have gone up from 6.6 % (n=545; Q23f) to 25%

Are you aware of any special rules that apply to activities on the islets?

If YES, which rule(s)?

18.4% 5.94%

6.96%

1.02 pp 50% 5.54%

SMART OB11- By April 2009 the number of primary users (skippers and fisherman) who name dumping, littering or pollution as illegal activities on the islets will have gone up from 9.9 % (n=69; Q23f) to 30%



20.1% 5.12%

5.55%

0.43pp <50% 2.14%

SMART OB12 In relation to disposal of litter from the islets in an

Results in progress to be sent later - - - - - -

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environmentally friendly and viable way for the skippers a SMART OBJECTIVE to measure whether this has been attained by February 2009 is to be determined by August 2008.

by NPCS

Objective theme 3 – Stop open fire on islets

SMART OB13 - By April 2009 the number of recreational users who name lighting of fires as illegal activities on the islets will have gone up from 9.4 % (n=545; Q23f) to 30%



20.6% 9.0% 10.75%

1.75pp 50% 8.5%

SMART OB14 - By April 2009 the number of primary users who name lighting of fires as illegal activities on the islets will have gone up from 5.6% (n=69; Q23f) to 25%



19.4% 0.00 3.7%

-3.77pp 0

SMART OB15 - By April 2009 out of the local people visiting Ile aux

Results found in the “monitoring

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Fouquet the % of people doing illegal activities associated with barbecuing (open fires, moving of stones, disposal of hot charcoal and oil on the islet) will have gone down from X (in July, August, September) to Y (Y=X-20%X) in December, January, February)

results” section

SMART OB16 - By April 2009 out of the boats with foreign tourists visiting Ile aux Fouquet the % of boats where the skipper is doing illegal activities associated with barbecuing (open fires, moving of stones, disposal of hot charcoal and oil on the islet) will have gone down from X (in July, August, September) to Y in December, January, February)

Objective theme 4 – Stop people going onto the nature reserves


SMART OB17- By April 2009 the percentage of primary users who name Ilot Vacoas as one of the islets

Do you know that if some of the islets find in the Bays of Mahebourg are

18.6% 1.28%

15.63%

14.32pp 99% 77%

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which are already protected (nature reserves) will go up from 1.4% (n=69, Q23D) to 20%

protected area?

If YES which islets?

SMART OB18- By April 2009 the percentage of primary users who name Ile aux Marianne as one of the islets which are already protected (nature reserves) will go up from 1.4% (n=69, Q23D) to 20%

Do you know that if some of the islets find in the Bays of Mahebourg are protected area?


20% - - - - -

SMART OB19- By April 2009 the percentage of recreational users who name Ilot Vacoas as on of the islets which are already protected (nature reserves) will go up from 0.6% (n=545, Q23D) to 20%



19.4% 0.54%

4.84%

4.3pp 99% 22%

SMART OB20- By April 2009 the percentage of recreational users who name Ile aux Marianne as on of the islets which are already protected (nature reserves) will go up from 1.5%


18.5% 1.44%

1.85%

0.44pp 99% 2.4%

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(n=545, Q23D) to 20% If YES which islets?

SMART OB21- By April 2009 the percentage of primary users who think it is legal to visit a nature reserve will go down from 49% to 25% (n=69; Q23g)

It is legal to visit protected area

Do you think it is legal or illegal for people to visit protected areas (nature reserve)?

-24% 53.85%

69.09%

16.1 pp <50%

SMART OB22- By April 2009 the percentage of recreational users who think it is legal to visit a nature reserve will go down from 54% to 34% (n=545; Q23g)

Do you think it is legal or illegal for people to visit protected areas (nature reserve)?

-20% 54.95%

66.07%

11.1 pp 95%

SMART OB23- By April 2009 the percentage of primary users who find it easy to stop visiting the inland of the islets of Ile aux Vacoas, Ile aux Marianne and only visit the beach will go up from 12% (n=69; Q27c) to 30%.

Stop visiting the inland of the islets?(you can visit the beach)

18% 11.54%

9.265%

-2.26pp 75% 0

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SMART OB24- By April 2009 the percentage of recreational users who find it easy to stop visiting the inland of the islets of Ile aux Vacoas, Ile aux Marianne and only visit the beach would go up from 17% (n=545; Q27c) to 35%.

Stop visiting the inland of the islets?(you can visit the beach)

18% 17.63%

11.51%

-6.12pp 99% 0

SMART OB25 - By April 2008 have appropriate signage placed on Ilot Vacoas, Ile aux Marianne, Ile aux Fouquet, Ile aux Chat, Ile aux Singes, Ile de la Passe (in co-operation with NHT, NPCS).

Results in progress to be undertaken later with the partnership of the NPCS

- - - - - -

Objective theme 5 – To have long term conservation impact on the endemic and native reptiles found on the islets in the Bay of Mahebourg

By April 2009, disturbances are reduced sufficiently to permit the survival of the translocated population

Results in progress by the Darwin’s initiative programme on the

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of the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink the by recording the difference in population estimate of the number of the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink Gongylomorphus bojerii sp. on Ilot Vacoas and on Ile aux Fouquets.

restoration of reptiles of Mauritius. Find quoted comments here under

Objective theme 4 – Stop people going onto the nature reserves

The best: SMART OB17- By April 2009 the percentage of primary users who name Ilot Vacoas as one of the islets which are already protected (nature reserves) has gone up see figure 7 below

Islet users who name Ilot Vacoas as a protected area

Work: Skippers + Fishermen

Is this a:



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Figure 7: response by primary audience on protected ares

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The least successful results

By April 2009 the percentage of primary users who find it easy to stop visiting the inland of the islets of Ile aux Vacoas, Ile aux Marianne and only visit the beach has gone down. The confusion of the messages will be further be explained critically in the critical review.

Islet users who find it easy to stop visiting the inland of islets (ile aux Vacoas...)

Work: Skippers + Fishermen

Is this a:



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Action-Oriented Results

The Monitoring results of the Pre- and post campaign data

Table 4 :“The survey on islets to monitor the behaviour of islet users and recreational visitors

Datetotal Visitors littering dumping using open fire open fire using materials from the islet

fire camping

Pre-campaign 8/9/2008 to 8/10/2008 274 2 1 2 2 0Post-Campaign 2/15/2009 88 1 0 0 0 0Post-Campaign 2/21/2009 22 0 0 0 0 0Post-Campaign 2/22/2009 22 1 1 1 0 3Post-Campaign 2/22/2009 124 0 0 0 0 0Post-Campaign 3/29/2009 146 0 0 0 0 0

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The monitoring results conducted during the campaign aims at collecting data on the behaviour of the general public while visiting on islets. The Pre-campagin monitoring visit has been conducted in September and October 2008 while the post-campaign survey has been conducted in February, March and April 2009.

The table clearly indicates that from the pre-campaign monitoring to the end of the post-campaign there is a substantial decrease in the amount of people littering, dumping, using open fire, using materials from the islets and fire camping throughout the months. This might indicate that the recreational visitors are more aware of the danger of littering, barbecuing and any sort of fire to the endangered wildlife. This will be explained in the critical review

7. Chapter 5

Critical Review of the Pride Campaign

The Rare Pride campaign of the Republic of Mauritius is focus on the south-east part of the country, in the district of Grand-Port. The national awareness campaign has for theme the terrestrial coastal habitats of southeast Mauritius including the islets found in the bay of Grand-Port. The target site of the campaign is home to the endemic endangered reptiles. Indeed, Mauritius is a reptile dominant country, and maintains the richest diversities of reptiles in the word. The flagship and charismatic species of the campaign, which will represent the other endangered lizards of the country is one of the endemic lizards that the general population can easily recognize, the ornate day gecko (lezard vert), the ‘Phelsuma ornata’, a colourful day gecko that carries the Mauritian flag on its back. The main threats affecting the endangered species are uncontrolled human activities. A social marketing conservation based campaign is a specific approach and targeted commercial techniques to solve conservation issues. As with any tool, social marketing has its strengths and limitations.

Social Marketing is at its best when used to effect sustain healthful or socially beneficial behaviour but might not be as affective for certain issues including confounding factors and problems not under individual control .(Weinreich , 1999)

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Good aspects of the campaign

1. Communicating using Mass Media The Republic of Mauritius comprises of a population size estimated at 1,288,000 for an area of 1860 km² which implies that the island is an over-populated island. Mass media is highly present in the daily life of the population and is an easy way to diffuse information to the general public and freely. The mass media was used during the campaign for:

Press release: to introduce the campaign and its aim at the beginning of the campaign to the general population.

Open day: The open day was first set to be launched on the 5th of April but due to bad weather it has been re-scheduled for the 19 th of April. Initially the open was advertised in radio, television and internet but on the other hand mass media has been a powerful tool to inform people that the event has been canceled. The second communication phase for a re-scheduled day for the event has been undertaken through mass media and was a real success as radio gives us full coverage during the 2 days before till the set day for the event.

Newspapers (Pictures)

The advent of the campaign have been advertise by one local newspaper (L’express) before the press release. The press release had an important impact as half of the journalists present on that day continued to publish and diffuse different aspects of the campaign, did keep the campaign up to date. They have not only put forward the key messages of the “Anou sap nu lezar” but also gave information on the skipper’s workshop and advert on the ‘gecko day’ to encourage people to participate during this national awareness day.

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Radio

The Radio was used to advert on the gecko day. The most listened local radio channels (Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation, Radio One and Radio Plus) talked about the gecko day during their news 2 days before till the set date for the event. I have aired lives on radio for each station not only to advertise on the gecko day but also to explain about the ‘why’ of the gecko day; the threatened reptiles of Mauritius as well as the key messages. Moreover the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) invited me for 3 radio talk shows, 3 hours live talk show in total to talk about the campaign and launch the national song of the campaign. This implies that the radio has a keen interest in promoting the campaign when they saw through the gecko day one aspect of the key messages that they wanted to lay emphasis upon; the impact of alien invasive species on the endemic reptiles.

Moreover a joke on the campaign’s slogan “Anou sap nu lezar” (let’s save our lizard) has been made prior the gecko day to “Anou sap nu Cam et Leon” (let’s save Cam and Leon). Cam and Leon is a comedy radio show which talked on burning news of the country. Cam and Leon in French is Cameleon and has for meaning the agamid lizard (an alien invasive species) . The radio talk show made a light hearted comedy on the character Cam and Leon being invasives species towards the ‘let’s save our lizard’ campaign. This is a pure indication of the true involvement of the radio in the campaign. The figure 1 below indicates the level of increase of ‘advertising media spot’ from the target audiences from pre- to post campaign survey.

Television

The local television, MBC, put forward the clip of the song of the campaign and focused on the key messages of the campaign following the press release (2-3 times per day during 4 days). The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation received positive feedbacks on the quality of the clips randomly from people after the diffusion of the clip. In addition figure 1 below indicates the level of increase of ‘advertising media spot’ from the general puclic from pre- to post campaign survey.

Mauritius College of the Air Television Program

The Mauritius College of the Air (MCA) is a governmental organization which is complementary to the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) in the sense that MCA produces documentary only. The MCA produced a series of 4 interviews on people working in conservation in Mauritius. I have been interviewed regarding my position as ‘conservation educator’ at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. I also used this 26 minutes documentary on my job

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position as an opportunity to talk about endemic species of Mauritius focusing on the reptiles. This documentary has been diffused 4 times in 12 months time. I have received up to 15 positive comments on this documentary from close as well as random people.

Relating to the pre- post campaign survey results

The figure below shows that there is an increase in the exposure of reptiles through advertising spot comparing pre- to post campaign by 12 %.

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Figure 1 shows the level of increase of ‘advertising media spot’ from the general puclic from pre- to post campaign survey.

Relating the use of Mass Media to the Social Marketing theory

The mass media has been a good communication tool to diffuse the campaign’s main messages to the general public. Using public relations strategies as part of the social marketing program accomplishes the following:

Lends credibility to the campaign and message via coverage

Reaches many people at once

Does not require purchase of media time or space

Develops mutually beneficial long-term relationships with media

Gets the message out quickly and efficiently

(Weinreich, 1999)

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The reason why the media has had a good impact during the national awareness campaign is because it has been strategically plan to be a public relation tool; the key messages of the campaign were already set. Thus public relations methods (mainly through newspapers and radio) have helped to accomplish the following:

Supplement and reinforce the campaign with the target audience

Reach the secondary audience (Mauritian Recreational visitors)

Increase the general population awareness on the “Anou sap nu lezar” , let’s save our lizard campaign

2. Tattoo as a Campaign Material

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Figure 2 shows the picture of the advert on the tattoo by Yoplait.

The international brand of yoghurt and is a company owned by two French holdings, and is the second best selling brand in dairy products. Yoplait has a franchised branch in Mauritius since the 70’s and has a good positioning in the market place of yoghurt brand locally. Yoplait needed to focus the brand on

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a ‘green’ level and worked in partnership with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation for the re-branding of one sub product of Yoplait called ‘Safari’ targeted mainly for children. Yoplait wanted to produce a series of 6 tattoos to be collected while buying a pack of four pot of yoghurt.

The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) directed Yoplait towards the national awareness campaign on the endangered reptiles of Mauritius. The Rare Pride campaign at that time was at its early project planning and the MWF oriented Yoplait to the endemic geckos’ species and the flagship species of the campaign called “Miss Ti’. The main slogan of Yoplait during their advertising spot in the radio and television was “with Miss Ti collect the 6 tattoos”. Yoplait indeed undertook television advertising spot, Radio advertising, Billboards throughout the island and newspapers. This campaign on the gecko tattoo was entirely organized and paid by Yoplait and they donated Rs 1 per pack of yoghurt with a tattoo sold to MWF.

On the other hand, due to the fact that we were at the early planning phase of the campaign, we were not ready to tackle the concept of Yoplait’s campaign on reptiles. As a matter of fact the media materials didn’t have the key messages but got a general impression of the reptiles of Mauritius.


In addition, no quantitative data has been collected regarding the tattoo through surveys but the message on reptiles of Mauritius has reached the general public.

Relating to the Social Marketing theory

The society Yoplait has adopted a social marketing approach to sell their products (Yoghurt segmented for children called ‘Safari’) by creating a superior exchange (compared to competition) that is socially desirable and easily done.

A free tattoo in a pack of yoghurt targeted for the children is an easy cost to be able to reach maximum of children and arouse their interest. It is the first time in the yoghurt’s market that tattoo sealed inside a pack to be collected by children/adults.

There are four principal strategies that the marketer took to induce a given target population to undertake the desired exchange:

Increase the expected gains

Decrease the expected costs

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Increase the present social pressure

Improve the consumers’ ability to act

(Andreasen, 1995)

We can suggest that from a Social Marketing Point of view, the general population has moved from a pre-contemplation stage to a contemplation stage.

Weak aspects of the campaign

3. Segmenting the first target audience: Islet users

Islets as well as coastal regions are highly visited by local people and foreigners. Indeed, a boost of skippers and independent tour operators has been identified. The islet users composed of fishermen and boatmen who currently live and work in the district of Grand-Port tend to be active adult between 18-60 years old. As a matter of fact the campaign has been focusing on conducting skipper’s workshops aim at giving key messages to the skippers for behaviour change. The design of the workshop has followed the social marketing theory but unfortunately not all the skippers and fishermen have followed the workshop by the MWF.

The skippers form part of the first target audiences and we have come to the conclusion that they can be divided into subgroups: (1) Tour Operator skipper, (2) Hotel Skippers and (3) Independent Skippers.

These 3 subgroups need a workshop while, at the same time, they have to be tackled in a different way. We believe that the 3 distinct subgroups tend to have different behaviour and will automatically be on a different level towards change in behaviour. There is a big need to conduct more workshops to be able to reach these different subgroups of the first target audience.

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We have been able to monitor the progress of the behaviour change of islet users through the pre- and post campaign survey. The survey results identify those who have attended the skipper’s workshop organized by the MWF. On the other hand as the survey has been conducted randomly thus out of the 48 skippers who officially completed the workshop, only 5 have answered the post-campaign survey. The behaviour change is slightly measurable through the survey data analysis. In addition we conducted monitoring survey on the islets with a view to analyse the behaviour of all the visitors on the islets (skippers, fishermen and recreational visitors). The monitoring data shows a decrease in the number of littering, dumping. Use of open fire for barbecuing/fire camping thus we can suggest that the campaign key messages are being implemented by the first and second target audiences.

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What is a segment?

The goal of segmentation is to identify distinct groups of people who are like each other in key ways and, therefore are liable to respond to particular messages similarly. The balancing act lies in choosing between segments that are not very different from the population as a whole versus being so specific that only a small number of people fall into the segment. The target audience should have been segmented having for main theme the skippers as it is a distint group. (Weinreich, 1999)

Targeting the segments

To determine the most important segmentation criteria, we should consider which are the most important factors that determine whether a target audience member adopts the relevant behaviour. We should think about the geographic, demographic, physical/medical, psychographic, attitudinal, and behavioral characteristics that might define subgroups of the target audience that would respond differently to the program.

Identify the targets of risk, that is, the segments that would be more likely to have the problem because of their behaviours and attitudes and culture. Targeting the people in these segments would have had the biggest payoffs if they were to adopt the desired behaviour. These might be groups that have the highest prevalence of the problem (independent skippers), that know the least about prevention (the threats affecting the reptiles of the Bay of Grand-Port) and whose members’ lifestyles make it more likely that they will be affected by the problem due to lack of knowledge and inaccessibility to reach them to be able to invite them for a skipper’s workshop.

On the other hand, a vital aspect is to be able to rank the segmentation criteria that are most important. In the case of Mauritius, a list of segmentation criteria should be put forward starting by the first target audience called islet users. The islet users are divided into skippers and fishermen. A list of segmentation criteria only for skippers should be emphasized to better subgroup them. Example (skippers are divided into tour operator skippers, hotel skippers and independent skippers).

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Indeed the segment was too large and we didn’t have in-depth information to think about creating a list to identify criteria. The most probable solution would have been to conduct a detailed primary research with each segment to see whether it is fairly homogeneous or whether there are additional subgroups that I could have detected.

4. Designing of the Fact sheet (brochure)

The fact sheet creation aimed at targeting the general population as a whole due to the fact that lack of knowledge and lack of information of human is generating threats to the endemic endangered reptiles of Mauritius. The fact sheet is an A4 paper folded into two to give an A5 size fact sheet comprising of 4 pages. We have indeed devised and identified the objectives that the fact sheet can support as well as identified the target audience. However the graphic design of the fact sheet has been started by a graphic designer and corrected before printing by another one. The graphics and the format of the fact sheet make it difficult to change certain of its aspects (example are map and pictures that cannot be increased in size). We have spent too much time on trying to correct the aspects of the graphics (increasing the sizes of the map, the link from the reptiles to the islets). As a matter of fact the fact sheet was ready 1 month before the end of the campaign. This essential tool should have been easily accessible from the beginning of the campaign. Some materials showing the key messages of the campaign have been printed in-house while the fact sheet should have been ready to be used earlier. The fact sheet has reached different target audiences but we suggest that its impact has not been reached yet. Figure 4 below shows the fact sheet.

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Summary of the Fact Sheet suggested Impact

Target AudienceDepthReachGeneral Public (everyone)MediumLowFishermenHighlowSkippersHighMediumMauritian Recreational visitorsHighlowLocal BusinessesMediumMediumSchools

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119

Back Page

Front Page

Figure 4 shows the Fact sheet (brochure)

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Inside Page


The fact sheet has been printed too late in the campaign to be able to assess its impact. Moreover the exposure questions found in the questionnaire survey focus on the advertising spot in general. There is no specific question targeting the exposure of the fact sheet only.


Fact sheets can prove quite useful for a Pride Campaign. Fact sheets are brief graphic and descriptive documents that have been distributed during the activities of the campaign (workshops, national awareness day ‘gecko day’, school presentation). Through them, the target audiences are made aware of the campaign’s flagship species and the campaign’s key conservation messages.

Fact sheets should not be chock-full of information. They should inform and lure the reader with simple educational messages developed for the campaign. This type of material with pictures and clear, short, well-structured messages would prove to be very effective during the campaign because it is suitable for people who are susceptible to visual/ spatial, verbal/linguistic and naturalist intelligences because they present legends, schemes and pictures related to nature.

What to do for an efficient fact sheet

The design of the contents of the fact sheet : should have been clear

The development of the graphic design of the educational material: should have been changed completely right from the beginning as the problem was too difficult to solve.

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Critical review from a personal point of view

My strengths throughout the campaign

The good management of staff and volunteers, throughout the whole campaign activities and particularly during the post campaign survey and the gecko day, was a revealing aspect of me. It has been seen that I have developed a gift for event management due to the fact that I have been able to reach my main goal. The gecko day has initially been cancelled and reported two weeks after. I have been able to stay calm throughout the conflicts arousing and have rather trying to find all the possible solutions as quickly as possible. The second tentative for a national awareness gecko day has been successful due to the fact that I have been able to manage the event, coordinating MWF staff, volunteered staff, the logistics, the press present and all other issues at the same time.

In addition my skills for public speaking adapted to different audiences’ thus using different languages have been more and more accurate and efficient to given audiences. The simple fact that I have been trying to put myself at the same level as the audience has proved to be beneficial in terms of creating partnership with them. These are very important for a long term basis for the MWF as well as our target audiences.

My weaknesses throughout the campaign

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I felt that it was difficult to me to be able to be focused on the time-line because I took time for the project planning and this has created a major gap in the time line. On the other hand I wasn’t competent to be able to reach the first target audience due to the fact that I am not well known in terms of popularity in the target site and it took quite a long amount of time to reach this.

I found it difficult to be able to get the MWF staff involved more deeply in the campaign. Last but not least only during the past month that I have been able to receive help from the management. This has slowed my work regarding the set time-line. On the other hand my lack of empowerment in the organization was a major weakness throughout the whole campaign. The national awareness campaign was a project among the others in my organization (MWF). It has been a tuff work to make them, at the end, understand that it is a national awareness campaign and not just a simple conservation project.

8. Chapter 6

RecommendationsThe population density of the island should have been a main criterion while devising the 7 generic steps of social marketing. This has been seen throughout the implementation phase of the campaign that a overpopulated area should has a different planning phase than only one/two communities in a low population density area. In addition Mauritius tends to become a highly developed life standard. The approach of social marketing should be more focused in that sense including the multi-cultural and political issues.

The “Anou sap nu lezar” campaign in the Republic of Mauritius has just started. The ideal plan for the future is an extension of the campaign followed by another Rare Pride Campaign as the local population is eager to discover their natural heritage

ReferencesAtkinson, R. and Sevathian, J.C. (2007) A guide to the plants in Mauritius. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, 2nd edn., MSM ltd, Mauritius.

Atkinson, R. and Sevathian, J.C. (2007) A guide to the plants in Mauritius. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, 2nd edn., MSM ltd, Mauritius, (iv), illus.

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Bell, B.D, Dulloo, E. and Bell, M. (1994) Mauritius Offshore Islands Survey Report and Management Plan, Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, New Zealand.

Bell, B. D. and Bell, E. (1996) Mauritius offshore islands project phase II. Implementation of management recommendations. Unpublished report from Wildlife Management International Ltd., New Zealand.

Cole, N.C (2005) The ecological impact of the invasive house gecko Hemidactylus frenatus upon endemic Mauritian geckos. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Bristol.

Cole, N., Jones, C., Buckland, S., Mootoocurpen, R., Tatayah, V., Bachraz, V., Nundloll, V. and Seewajee, P. (2007) Restoring island biodiversity: the reintroduction of endemic Mauritian reptile communities. A Darwin Initiative Project, 2006/07 Progress Report, pp. 10-51.

Cole, N. (2008) A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Mauritius. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Vacoas.

Dulloo, M. E., Verburg, J., Paul, S. S., Green, S. E., de Boucherville Baissac, P. and Jones, C. G. (1997) Ile aux Aigrettes Management Plan, 1997-2000. Technical Series No. 1/97, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Mauritius.

Hansen, D.M., Beerand K., Muller, C. (2006) Mauritian coloured nectar no longer a mystery: a visual signal for lizard pollinators, Biology letters, (2) March, pp.165-168.

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Institut de recherche pour le developpement, Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute, Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), (2005) Flore des Mascareignes, La Reunion, Maurice, Rodrigues. Paris, pp.19.

Lacerna-Widmann, I.D. (2004) Project plan: Dumaran, Palawan, Philippines. RARE.

Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. (2005) The Native Plants & Animals of Mauritius. Mauritius, M.S.M. Ltd., pp. 1-16.

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Technology & Natural Resources (2004) The Islets National Park Strategic Plan, Development of a Management Plan for the Conservation and Management of Offshore Islets for the Republic of Mauritius. Agrer, Mauritius.

National Parks & Conservation Services Agro-Industry & Fisheries (2006) National biodiversity strategy & action plan for the Republic of Mauritius 2006-2016.

Vinson, J. (1976) The distribution of Phelsuma species in Mauritius. The Mauritius Institute Bulletin, 8(2), pp.177-195.

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The government of Mauritius, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2833.htm (Accessed on 15th December 2008)

Wikipedia, The Districts and dependencies of Mauritius, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_and_dependencies_of_Mauritius (Acessed on 7th March 2008)

Wikipedia, The District of Mauritius, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanne (Acessed on 7th March 2008)

The government of Mauritius, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2833.htm (Acessed on 1st June 2008)

Cultural Heritage Structures and Sites in Mauritius, Ile de la Passe, Natural Heritage fund, http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/nheritage/menuitem.1baffaaeb20cb91a43732f0248a521ca/?content_id=001c4db4ca2c8010VgnVCM100000ca6a12acRCRD (Acessed on 2nd February 2008)

The Government of Mauritius http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/fisheries/menuitem.40a3cb904590624e7f7a98ada0208a0c/ (Acessed on 7th June 2008)

Acknowledgements

The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation has taken a positive action while starting for the first time a national awareness campaign. I would like to thank, first of all, Lone Raffray my mentor and supervisor who accompanied me in every step to create the campaign; Jean-Claude Sevathian the best botanist of the country who inspired me to discover the in depths of the flora of Mauritius and conservation itself. The Ecotour manager of Ile aux Aigrettes Dany Thisbe who contributes largely in helping to work on the target site. In addition Noor-Jahan Anissa Calloo Rohimun, Martine Goder and Kevin Nundloll who provided limitless encouragement including comments on every draft. And of course to Prof. Carl Jones our scientific director who started the big conservation work in Mauritius.

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http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/fisheries/menuitem.40a3cb904590624e7f7a98ada0208a0c/

http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/nheritage/menuitem.1baffaaeb20cb91a43732f0248a521ca/?content_id=001c4db4ca2c8010VgnVCM100000ca6a12acRCRD

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2833.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanne

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_and_dependencies_of_Mauritius

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2833.htm

I would like to thank Dr Nic Cole for being active in saving the endangered reptiles of Mauritius from extinction, thus inspiring me with a new vision of spreading the message throughout Mauritius. Indeed, Dr Nic Cole working on the Darwin’s Initiative Program and secondly his crew, Zaid Jhumka and Rouben Mootoocarpen for their participation.

The National Parks and Conservation Service are our direct partner on behalf of the local authorities, most notably: Kevin Ruhomaun, Senior Research and Development Officer (Wildlife) and Vimul Nundlaul Research and Development Officer (Wildlife) are our most important collaborators for the campaign. Kevin Ruhomaun is omni present in keeping in touch for the campaign’s activities.

I am also grateful to Virginie Orange, Fabrice Tamby our embassador skipper working the Blue-Bay who is motivated in promoting conservation amongst skippers of the region. Also to the youths and volunteers of the Duke of Eidenburg’s Award (NYAA) and the Green team (MCB) who volunteered for the pre-campaign survey. A special thanks to the positive thinkers in the campaign enhanced the work done to create the concept of the campaign, merci: Mathew Ingrand for his help and moral support, Steeves Buckland for his infinite knowledge on the conservation of Mauritius, Heather Richards, Poonam Gangaram and to my dear Iwan Fletcher for believing in the campaign from the beginning.

Above all a warm thank you to Rare for their tremendous global mission in inspiring people. Rosemary Godfrey our senior course manager, Annalisa Bianchessi my course manger, Adam Murray, Sean Southey and Paul Butler. And of course a thankful thought for our lecturers of the University of Kent who transmitted the knowledge and passion for conservation; Dr Ian Bride, Dr Bob Smith and Prof. Stuart Harrop. To end up, to the Islands of Gaia.

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Appendices

Stakeholder Matrix

Appendix 2 Stakeholder’s Matrix

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129

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No Participant/ Stakeholder

Sector:(Private, NGO,

Government, Individual, Education etc.)

Name Key Issues Interest/Motive Potential Contribution

(what participants bring to the meeting)

(what the meeting can give to participant

)

Environmental Protection & Conservation Organization None Governmental

Organization

Mr MikaelOrganization grouping people caring for the environment

Their knowledge about how people perceive conservation. Their past experiences in promoting conservation amongst Mauritians

Activities for student on conservation

22Association for the Promotion for Environmental Education

None Governmental Organization

Mr JeerodurkhanAwareness on the environment in education

The work they have already undertaken in promoting conservation in education

Work together in the same field

23 Durell Wildlife TrustOrganization Dr Nicholas Cole

Darwin initiative Reptile expert working on the islets

Collaborating to find a way to protect the islets and endangered reptiles

24 Loreto College MahebourgSecondary school

Ms Nellun Biology teacher Secondary school syllabus and needsIncentives in encouraging more conservation issues in the syllabus

25 Mahebourg RCA School

Primary school

Mr Jolicoeur Teacher Primary school syllabus and activitiesMore activities regarding conservation for the children

Key: Invited guest who attended the 1st stakeholders’ meeting only Invited guest who attended the 2nd stakeholders’ meeting only

Invited guest who attended both 1st and 2nd stakeholders’ meeting

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Invited guest who did not attend the stakeholders’ meeting

No Participant/ Stakeholder

Sector:(Private, NGO, Government, Individual, Education etc.) Name

Key Issues Interest/Motive Potential Contribution

(what participants bring to the meeting)

(what the meeting can give to participant

)

26National Youth Achievement Award Local People

Mrs Finaz Moothia Representatives of decision makers in the education system

The perception of conservation issues in the education system.

potential in the implementation of conservation in the curriculum/syllabus

27 Domaine d’Anse JonchéeNGO

Ms LapendryLocal people working with tourists

Information on tourists visiting the isletsThe endangered fauna and flora of these islets

28 Bioculture (Mtius) Ltd

Society

Mr Padayatchy Restoration of plants Knowledge on plants of MauritiusPromote the endangered plants of Mmauritius

29 Incentive PartnersTour operator Mrs Cecilia Robert

Ms Natacha Gromme

Tourist operators are in directly in contact with tourists and the tourist trend

The tourist world Ecotourism, awareness of the threats prevailing in the target site

Key: Invited guest who attended the 1st stakeholders’ meeting only

Invited guest who attended the 2nd stakeholders’ meeting only

Invited guest who attended both 1st and 2nd stakeholders’ meeting

Invited guest who did not attend the stakeholders’ meeting

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Copy of Questionnaire Survey

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Puppet show scriptPuppet show script

Les personages(*Et le narrateur)

Miss TiBojerTelfairRooben le papaZaid le filsSteeve le skipperRatus le rat

Les messages à faire passer Les 3 menaces: le feu, les déchets et les espèces exotiques

Scène 1

Grand-Port se situe au sud est de l’ile Maurice et au large de la cote, avec une Baie Magnifique.

Dans cette baie, nous pouvons voir des îlots, qui habritent les reptiles mauricien.

Nous nous trouvons dans le village de Mahebourg, ou une famille se prepare pour pickniquer sur L’Ile au Phare, une ile qui se trouve dans la Baie de Grand-Port.

Zaid le fils et Rouben le père sont excité à l’idée de savoir qu’ils vont picknicker et faire du barbecue !!!

Zaid : Papa! Super ! on va visiter l’ile au Phare !

Rouben : Oui mon Fils !

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Pendant ce temps, nous apparait un lézard nommé Miss Ti.

Miss TI: Bonjour je m’appelle Miss Ti, le lezard vert ou gecko. Je suis un reptile endemique.

Endemique veut dire que j’existe qu’a L’ile Maurice et nulle part ailleurs au monde.

Je porte les couleurs du drapeu mauricien (rouge, bleu, jaune, vert)

Je suis contente car aujourd’hui je vais apercevoir mes autre amis les lezard. MAIS je vais RESTER sur le bateau et leur faire une petit coucou au passage !

Mes amis sont spéciales car ils vivent qu’à L’ile Maurice et nulle part ailleurs au monde. WOOOW

Le saviez-vous ? que Mes amis sont spéciales car ils vivent qu’à L’ile Maurice et nulle part ailleurs au monde.

Miss Ti habite sur la latanier dans le jardin de Rouben le père et Zaid le fils. Le gecko observe Rouben et Zaid qui se préparent pour picniquer sur l’Ile au Phare. Ils ont mis dans leur panier du poulet et des légumes pour un barbecue, du charbon, de l’huile…

Scene 2

En même temps, un petit animal se prepare pour la visite de L’ile au Phare, Ratus le rat.

Ratus: hahahaha, voila une occasion de rêve de me glisser dans le panier de Rouben et Zaid et hhahahaha

destination les Ilots de la Baie de Grand-Port !!!! hahahaha !!!!

Scene 3

Rouben et zaid avec leur tente de déjeuner marchent et se dirigent joyeusement vers la jeté pour prendre le bateau.

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Steeve: Bonjour! Bienvenue a bord de mon bateau. Je m’appelle Steeve et je serai votre skipper pour cette visite sur les ilots. Je travail sur la mer .Je connait Ile au Phare ainsi que L’ile aux Vacoas et l’ile aux Aigrettes bien. Avant de démarrer, on va vérifier s’il n’y a aucune espèces exotiques dans le bateau.

Saviez-vous que les espèces exotiques tels que:

Le rat, le caméléon, la souris, la couleuvre, le lézard de maison (couleur marron) sont invasive et peuvent tuer nos espèces mauriciens ?!!!!

Rouben et Zaid font un non de la tete

Rouben et Zaid: abon!

Et tout le monde monta sur le bateau. Steeve démarra le bateau pour passer à coté de l’ile aux Aigrettes, l’Ile aux Vacoas et pour s’arrêter à l’Ile au Phare !

Scene 4

Alors que le bateau est en mer, Zaid commence à avoir soif et retire une bouteille d’eau de son gros sac.

Soudain Ratus le rat sorti du sac.

Et Zaid pousse un grand cri aaaaaaah.

Zaid : ahhhh un rat!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ratus: hahahaha !!!

Steeve le skipper et Rouben le père cherchent le rat affolé! Et Steeve le trouva.

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Rouben : que va-t-on faire du Rat maintenant?

Steeve : soit on le tue ou on le ramène à terre ferme de Maurice. C’est plus prudent de le ramener sur la terre ferme!

Zaid : Mais pourquoi doit-on ramener le rat sur la terre ferme ?!

Steeve : un rat sur le bateau peut arriver sur les ilots et manger tous les lezard !!!!!

Zaid : C’est horrible !!! un rat peut manger tous les lezard ! ah non !

Rouben : Dans ce cas, allons-y sur la terre ferme pour déposer le rat la-bas

Ratus: Oh non, je ne pourai pas manger les lezards mauriciens, hahahah, ce sera pour la prochaine fois ! hahahahah

Steeve le skipper retourna le bateau a terre.

Steeve: le rat est l’espèce le plus dangereux pour nos lézard mauricien endémique

Saviez-vous qu’un rat seulement peut manger tous les lezard sur un îlot?!

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Rooben et Zaid: Abon!

MissTi: en effet, les scientifiques ont mis les lézards de nuit appelé Nactus sur l’ile au chat . Il y avait à peu prés 150 Nactus sur l’ile. Un rat a pu arriver sur l’ile au chat et le rat a mangé tous lézards Nactus en 2 mois. On n’a malheureusement pas pu sauver les Nactus.

Mais sauvons nos autres lézards tant qu’il est encore temps!

Le bateau arriva à terre et Steeve le skipper pris le rat dans une cage et le remis sur la terre.

Scene 5

Le bateau recommence son voyage vers les ilots. Le bateau passe devant L’ile aux Aigrettes, une réserve naturelle.

Steeve, Rouben et Zaid vit Miss Ti et tous ses amis gecko et Telfair sur le palmiste, latanier et Vacoas à manger le nectar des fruits. Miss Ti les salua!

Telfair : Bonjour les amis !

Je m’apelle Telfair et je vit sur L’ile aux Aigrettes

Steeve: les gecko et les Telfair aident à la pollinisation des plantes,

c’est a dire qu’ils aident aux plantes endemiques de repousser . Sans gecko ou Telfair il n’y aura plus de plantes!

Zaid : Oh non ! Papa tu vois, on a BESOIN des lezard et du Gecko pour faire pousser les plantes !

Le bateau continua sa route et passa a cote de l’ile aux Vacoas et on vit le Bojer se dorer au soleil alors que le petit Nactus le lézard de nuit s’endormait .

Bojer : ahhhh, j’aime le soleil !

Steeve: Ile aux Vacoas est une réserve fermé. On peut que visiter la plage. L’ile aux Vacoas fait un hectare, une ile minuscule. Laissons nos lezard Bojer et nos Nactus se reposer tranquillement.

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Bojer et Nactues: ahhhh, (sommeil)

Le bateau arriva finalement sur l’Ile au Phare

Scene 6

Zaid : wow c’est magnifique! Regarde le Phare il est grand.

Papa j’ai faim !

Rouben : descendons du bateau et allons préparer un bon barbecue pour le déjeuner. On va faire le barbecue sur le sol au coin du bâtiment. On va utiliser un peu de bois et de charbon et prendre les rocher pour poser le grill du barbecue.

Steeve le skipper fut horrifié par Rouben et dit

Steeve : NON ! Il ne faut jamais faire un barbecue au sol car le feu va bruler les lézard.

Il ne faut pas le faire en bougeant les roches car les lézard vivent dans les rocher et dormant pendant la journée. Ils sont petits et se cachent dans les trous des roches avec leurs œufs.

Si on utilise les rochers on va tous les bruler .

Les bois proviennent des plantes mauriciens il ne faut pas les toucher mais utiliser que le charbon!

On va utiliser un stand de barbecue qui est fermé, mobile et ne touché pas le sol pour que le feu ne se propage pas au sol

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Bojer: ouf il etait temps, s’il avait mis le feu au sol on serai tous brulé.

Apres le déjeuner et une sieste, la visite se termina

Steeve: Il faut récupérer tous les saletés dans un plastic et les mettres dans une poubelle sur la terre ferme à Maurice.

Les lézards restent souvent à l’intérieur des déchets comme la bouteille de plastic et meurent.

Zaid: Oui, je vais ramasser tous les saletés pour jeter à la maison.

Rouben : c’est très bien mon fils !

Miss TI: Steeves est un skipper responsable. Il a montré :à Rouben et Zaid :

mes amis les lézards: Bojer, Nactus et Telfair

Protéger du feu mes amis Bojer et Nactus

Ramasser les saletés et déchets et jeter a la maison

Verifier le bateau, il ne faut pas avoir de rat, couleuvre, caméléons, iguane ou lézard marron dans le bateau!

Zaid retourna à la maison avec plein de souvenir

Et nos amis les lézards mauriciens vivèrent en paix sur les ilots de la Baie de Grand-Port.

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Biological Inventory List- Dr Nic Cole draft report

The Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink

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3.1 Summary

The Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink, Gongylomorphus bojerii sp. is a genetically distinct population of slit-eared skinks that were once widespread throughout the

southeast of Mauritius and the southeast islands. Following the invasion of alien predators, principally the wolf snake L. aulicus, musk shrew S. murinus and

the mongoose Herpestes javanicus, the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink became restricted to the tiny island of Ilot Vacoas. With a population of approximately 380

individuals inhabiting 0.58ha of grassland on the 1.06ha, the skink is at great risk of extinction and can be classified as critically endangered. Twenty

individuals were harvested from Ilot Vacoas in January 2007 and a further 20 in January 2008, for re-introduction to the neighbouring island Ile aux

Fouquets. The health and fitness, survival, population growth and microhabitat shifts between the donor and translocated populations were investigated.

The impact of harvesting skinks from the small Ilot Vacoas population and the impact of the release upon the vertebrate and invertebrate communities on

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Ile aux Fouquets were also investigated. The translocated skinks were shown to remain fit and healthy and attained greater body weights than on Ilot

Vacoas, with seasonal patterns related to food availability. Aggressive interspecific interactions were less on Ile aux Fouquets, which is assumed to be

related to the current lower density of individuals and greater relative resource availability. However, aggressive interactions were more prominent as a

result of poor conditions in the dry seasons of 2007 and 2008. Despite a broader array of habitats on Ile aux Fouquets there were no major shifts in the

utilisation of habitat. A shift was detected in the thermoregulatory behaviour of the skinks. This shift is accounted for by the greater availability and

variation along the thermal niche on Ile aux Fouquets, permitting skinks to attain optimal body temperatures and a higher rate of activity. No skink induced

impacts were detected on the vertebrate or invertebrate communities on Ile aux Fouquets, although seasonal variation was evident. A greater relative

availability of preferred prey items on Ile aux Fouquets led to skinks not selecting other prey items consumed on Ilot Vacoas as strongly. The periodic

removal of 20 skinks from Ilot Vacoas was shown to have no significant impact upon the resident population. On Ile aux Fouquets the founding population

did not undergo Allee effects. The founding population was shown to have a high survival rate with exponential growth. By October 2008 there were an

estimated 254 skinks on the island. By the rainy season of 2009 the population was expected to exceed that on Ilot Vacoas, effectively doubling the World’s

population of this critically endangered animal. These findings are discussed with proposals for restoring populations elsewhere, particularly on Ile de la

Passe.

3.2 Background

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The Mauritian slit-eared skinks Gongylomorphus spp., are a diverse group of lizards that were once found throughout the main island and most offshore

islands (Freeman, 2003). These small reptiles, like the night geckos, would have been important prey items for larger species (Jones, 1987; Pernetta et al.,

2005) and also as seed dispersers within the pristine ecosystem (skinks are occasionally seen eating fruits and are found to have seeds in their faeces, Z.

Jhumka, N. Cole pers. obs.; Vinson & Vinson 1969). Only the Macchabé skink Gongylomorphus fontenayi remains on the mainland, albeit in restricted

regions in the upland areas of Black River Gorges National Park (Jones, 1993; Freeman, 2003). However, a subspecies of the Macchabé skink, the orange tail

skink Gongylomorphus fontenayi sp. is now only known from Flat Island (Figure 1.1; XXXX; E. N. Arnold, C. J. Jones & K. M. L. Freeman, in prep). The Bojer’s

group of Gongylomorphus, which were known mostly from the lower regions of Mauritius (Arnold, 1980; Freeman, 2003), were lost from the mainland soon

after the introduction of the wolf snake L. aulicus from the 1830s (Cheke & Hume, 2008). Further habitat loss and the introduction of the mongoose

Herpestes javanicus and the Indian musk shrew S. murinus have further shaped the distribution of the Bojer’s group on offshore islands (Jones, 1988a;

Tonge, 1990; Jones, 1993; Freeman, 2003).

Freeman’s (2003) study of the Gongylomorphus demonstrated that the Bojer’s group are now restricted to seven offshore islands and represent

three genetically distinct populations. The Bojer’s skink Gongylomorphus bojerii bojerii are found on Flat Island, Gabriel Island, Gunners Quoin, Pigeon Rock

and Round Island, whilst two subspecies can be found on Serpent Island and Ilot Vacoas, respectively (E. N. Arnold, C. J. Jones & K. M. L. Freeman, in prep.;

Figure 1.1). The Serpent Island population is not known to have occurred elsewhere and probably evolved in isolation like the Serpent Island night gecko

(see section 2.2). The Ilot Vacoas population was only discovered in 1987 and represents the last remaining group of Bojer’s skinks in the southeast of

Mauritius (Jones, 1993). The past distribution throughout the southeast is known from subfossil remains discovered at Mare aux Songes and Ile aux

Aigrettes, and historical accounts of Bojer’s skinks on Ile aux Fouquets and Ile de la Passe (Vinson & Vinson, 1969; Jones, 1993; Freeman, 2003).

This genetically distinct, remnant population of Bojer’s skinks on Ilot Vacoas are relatively abundant in comparison to the northern populations of G.

b. bojerii. In 2000 a population estimate of between 80 to 490 individuals was generated (Freeman, 2003). Although relatively abundant, the island is only

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1.06ha and the skinks are mostly limited to just 0.58ha of grassland (N. Cole pers. obs.). Isolation through the loss of populations on neighbouring islands

now prevents natural migration of individuals from island to island, which will lead, and probably is leading, to inbreeding depression and loss of genetic

variation (Freeman, 2003). The small restricted skink population is also at great risk from anthropogenic and stochastic extinction events; particularly from

the invasion of alien species (see sections 2.3, 3.8 and XXXX). Following IUCN guidelines this subspecies of skink can be classified as critically endangered

(IUCN, 2001, 2008b). To safe-guard against the loss of the Ilot Vacoas population and maintain natural genetic variation within the genus, Freeman (2003)

recommended that skinks from Ilot Vacoas should be re-established back on the neighbouring islands of Ile aux Fouquets and Ile de la Passe.

Both Ile aux Fouquets and Ile de la Passe supported skink populations until quite recently. A specimen from Ile de la Passe was last collected in the

1930s, whilst skinks were still present upon Ile aux Fouquets up until the 1970s (see Jones, 1993). Furthermore, residents of the Mahebourg region knew of

small and fast lizards that ran across the ground and rocks on Ile aux Aigrettes up until the 1950s-60s (M. Goder pers. comm.). The lizards described were

most likely skinks, which would have been either the native Bouton’s skinks Cryptoblepharus boutonii, the endemic Bojer’s skink, or both. The 1950s-60s are

also dates when it is thought that the wolf snake and shrew were introduced to Ile aux Aigrettes, which are known to cause skink extinction (Jones, 1993).

The extinction of the Ile aux Fouquets and Ile de la Passe populations were caused by the introduction of the shrew (Jones, 1993); although on these islands

the Bouton’s skinks survived. The shrew population on Ile aux Fouquets died out in the mid 1990s following a severe drought (C. Jones pers. obs.) and the

Ile de la Passe population was eradicated in 2000 (Varnham et al., 2002). Unfortunately, shrews and wolf snakes are still present on Ile aux Aigrettes,

despite attempts to eradicate the shrew and control the snake (Rodda et al., 2002; Varnham et al., 2002; Seymour et al., 2005). With shrews no longer

present on Ile aux Fouquets and Ile de la Passe, both islands are open for the re-establishment of the Bojer’s skink from Ilot Vacoas. Given the limited

population of skinks on Ilot Vacoas a translocation attempt should initially occur on only one of the neighbouring islands; the most logical being Ile aux

Fouquets, which lost its skinks more recently than Ile de la Passe.

In January 2007, 20 skinks were collected from Ilot Vacoas and released on the 2.81ha island, Ile aux Fouquets (Cole et al., 2007).

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3.3 The second translocation of Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks

On the 18th January 2008, 20 adult Bojer’s skinks were collected from Ilot Vacoas. Individuals were caught by hand, noose and by pitfall trapping (see Cole et

al., 2007). Captures were made across the entire island to ensure that maximum genetic variation was obtained for translocation.

Upon capture the sex of each individual was determined to obtain a 1:1 sex ratio. Surplus individuals, or those in poor body condition, were

returned to their point of capture. All skinks were measured (with vernier callipers) and weighed (with spring-scale). Photographs and body deformations

were recorded to aid in post-translocation monitoring and identification (see Cole et al., 2007). Ten males (SVL±SD = 57.3±8.2mm) and ten females (SVL±SD

= 51.3±3.1mm) were caught, three of the females were gravid.

The 20 skinks were then held individually in cloth bags and transported by boat in a plastic container to Ile aux Fouquets on the same day and

released. All of the skinks were released around the coralline rock outcrops in the S. dimidiatum grassland north from the northern corner of the lighthouse

(Figure 3.1).

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N

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Bedrock

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SandBuildings & structures

Loose rock & sand

TournefortiaPemphisScaevolaCasuarinaRock pools

# Skink release locations

Figure 3.1 Release locations of the 20 Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink on Ile aux Fouquets in January 2007

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3.4 Bojer’s health and fitness

As stated in section 2.4, maintaining healthy reptile populations is paramount to the long term success of re-establishing new populations.

3.4.1 Bojer’s health and fitness methodology

After the first translocation in Jan 2007, Ile aux Fouquets was visited in the rainy season (March) 2007 and twice in the dry season (Sept & Nov) 2007. After

the second translocation in Jan 2008, the island was visited within the rainy season (May) 2008 and twice within the dry season (Aug & Oct) 2008. The

entire island was repeatedly searched over three day periods in the rainy seasons and a total of six days within each of the dry seasons. All skinks were

caught by hand and placed individually within a cloth bag. All bagged skinks were placed in a cool and shaded location for up to one hour or until five skinks

had been caught and then processed. The dorsal and lateral pattern on the right side of each skink was photographed to determine individual identity (see

section 3.5.1). Body measurements (see section 2.4.1) of each skink were recorded with vernier calipers to the nearest mm. The sex and age class (adult or

juvenile) of each individual was noted. Age was determined by the ability to sex males by hemipenal inversion and females by their relatively small head in

comparison to their body size and lack of hemipenes. Based on these observations skinks were classified as adult where their SVL was greater than 47mm.

The number of tail breaks, bite scars and missing claws and toes were recorded (see section 2.4.1). Ectoparasites have not previously been found on Bojer’s

skinks, but were searched for on each individual (Cole et al., 2007). Each skink was weighed to the nearest 0.1g using a Pesola spring scale.

Equivalent baseline data were collected from the donor population on Ilot Vacoas. Skinks were captured throughout their known range (Cole et al.,

2007) on the island; in the rainy season (April) and dry season (Oct) 2007, and the rainy season (May) and dry season (Sept) 2008.

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3.4.2 Statistical procedures for Bojer’s health and fitness

Comparisons of body condition were examined using ANCOVA models followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc comparisons (Zar, 1999). Adult and juvenile skinks

were treated separately. Body mass, with SVL as a covariate, was entered into the model to infer body condition. These variables were then tested against

the variables of season, island, sex (for adult skinks), and their interactions. Differences in the number of missing claws/toes, tail breaks and bite scars on

adult skinks were compared between island, season and sex using repeated Bonferroni corrected (Adj P; Legendre & Legendre, 1998) Kruskal-Wallis tests,

followed by Nemenyi tests for post hoc comparisons (Siegel & Castellan, 1988). The same tests were used to investigate the difference between the

numbers of tail breaks and bite scars between the islands and seasons. Paired t-tests were used to test for differences between first and last capture size

and mass of each individual and then tested in an ANCOVA with individual added as a random factor to determine whether body condition had changed for

individuals post release. All repeated tests were Bonferroni corrected (Adj P; Legendre & Legendre, 1998) and where necessary the variables were

transformed to meet the underlying assumptions for each test (transformations are displayed upon the relevant figures). For skinks caught more than once

within any one season, only the first capture data were used.

3.4.3 Results of Bojer’s health and fitness

On the first post translocation trip to Ile aux Fouquets in the rainy season 2007, only four skinks were seen, none of which were caught (Cole et al., 2007).

During the 2007 dry season trips, 16 skinks were caught (Table 3.1). In the rainy season 2008, 15 skinks were caught and in the 2008 dry season trips a total

of 66 skinks, seven of which were caught twice (Table 3.1).

Body condition scores for adult skinks were shown to be significantly different between the season and island (Table 3.2a). Tukey’s HSD post hoc

comparisons demonstrated that body condition scores were similar between the dry seasons, but both were significantly lower than scores in the rainy

season 2008 (Figure 3.2). Body condition scores were also significantly higher for adult skinks on Ile aux Fouquets than on Ilot Vacoas (Figure 3.2). No

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significant difference was found between the body condition scores of juvenile skinks between the islands or seasons (Table 3.2b). The interaction between

island and season could not be tested owing to the low number of initial juvenile captures.

Table 3.1 Seasonal Bojer’s skink captures/observations on Ile aux Fouquets and captures on Ilot Vacoas. Figures in brackets represent the number of adult

males, adult females and juveniles, respectively.

Season Rain 07 Dry 07 Rain 08 Dry 08Island

Ile aux Fouquets 0/4 16/47 15/27 60/92(0,0,0) (5,6,5) (7,4,4) (37,14,9)

Ilot Vacoas 30 30 22 30(15,14,1) (12,14,4) (9,9,4) (8,15,7)

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Table 3.2 ANCOVA results of the differences in body conditions for: (a) adult Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks (using transformed (x 0.25) mass as the dependent

variable and SVL (transformed x0.25 for juveniles) as the covariate) between season, island and sex and the interactions of season and island, island and sex,

and season and sex; and (b) juvenile lesser night geckos between islands.

Source df MS F P

(a) Adult skinks Season 2 0.015 6.945 0.001 Island 1 0.142 67.185 <0.001 Sex 1 0.006 2.934 0.089 Season*Island 2 0.003 1.478 0.232 Season*Sex 2 0.001 0.519 0.597 Island*Sex 1 0.001 0.555 0.458 Error 128 0.002 Total 138

(b) Juvenile skinks Season 2 0.021 1.088 0.350 Island 1 <0.001 0.019 0.891 Error 29 0.019 Total 33

Figure 3.2 The main effects plots for fitted means of adult Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink body condition scores on Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas in the dry

season 2007 and rainy season 2008.

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For adult skinks no difference was found in the number of missing claws/toes between the islands, sexes or across the seasons (Table 3.3a). The

number of tail breaks differed between the islands and across the seasons (Table 3.3b), and the number of bite scars changed seasonally (Table 3.3c). Post

hoc comparisons demonstrated that skinks on Ilot Vacoas had more tail breaks than on Ile aux Fouquets and that overall the number of tail breaks

increased across each season (Figure 3.3). The degree of scarring was shown to be significantly lower in the dry season 2007 than the following two seasons

(Figure 3.3c). Only two juvenile skinks were found to have lost toes, both of which were on Ilot Vacoas. The number of tail breaks was greater for juvenile

skinks on Ilot Vacoas than on Ile aux Fouquets, but no difference was found across the seasons (Table 3.4a; Figure 3.4). No differences were found between

the number of bite scars between the islands and across seasons for juvenile skinks (Table 3.4b).

Table 3.3 Bonferroni corrected (Adj P) Kruskal-Wallis test results for the differences in the number of (a) missing claws/toes, (b) tail breaks and (c) bite scars

of adult skinks between island, season and sex. All P-values adjusted for ties.

Kruskal-Wallis test 2 df (N=139) Adj P(a) Missing claws/toes

Season 7.506 2 0.070

Island 2.831 1 0.185

Sex 0.616 1 0.433

(b) Tail breaks

Season 12.549 2 0.004

Island 28.108 1 <0.001

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Sex 0.286 1 0.593

(c) Bite scars

Season 28.502 2 <0.001

Island 2.966 1 0.170

Sex 1.594 1 0.207

Table 3.4 Bonferroni corrected (Adj P) Kruskal-Wallis test results for the differences in the number of (a) tail breaks and (b) bite scars of juvenile skinks

between island and season. All P-values adjusted for ties.

Kruskal-Wallis test 2 df (N=139) Adj P(a) Tail breaks

Season 0.388 2 0.824

Island 9.441 1 0.004

(b) Bite scars

Season 4.508 2 0.105

Island 3.110 1 0.156

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Figure 3.3 Differences in the mean ranked number of adult skink tail breaks (a) across the seasons and (b) islands, and the mean ranked number of bite

scars (c) across the seasons. Significant differences are indicated by different italicised letters.

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Figure 3.4 Differences in the mean ranked number of juvenile skink tail breaks between the islands.

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Of the original 40 skinks translocated, 13 were recaptured during post translocation monitoring trips and a further eight individuals that hatched on

the island were caught more than once. Comparisons of their size and mass showed that individuals had increased significantly in size ( t20=6.503, Adj

P<0.001; Figure 3.5) and mass (t20=6.675, Adj P<0.001; Figure 3.5) between captures. This increase in size and weight was shown to be uniform, as no

differences was detected in body condition (F1,39=2.490, Adj P= 0.123).

Figure 3.5 Mean differences (+SD) between first and last measures of SVL (closed column) and mass (open columns) for Bojer’s skinks on Ile

aux Fouquets.

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3.5 Survival, population growth and dispersal of the Bojer’s skinks

168

As stated in section 2.5, survival, dispersal and recruitment are critical components that drive population dynamics and the establishment of a founding

population. The release of a small number of skinks on Ile aux Fouquets, followed by a high rate of dispersal across the island is likely to cause Allee effects.

The Allee effect is caused when the density of individuals in a founding population is too low for individuals to meet and reproduce such that recruitment is

lower than survival and the population dies out (Allee, 1931). From observations and repeated captures of individuals on Ilot Vacoas, the home range of

skinks can be very roughly estimated at 0.09 ha; where individuals have been observed or re-captured no more than 30m from their original point of

observation. Assuming that the home range of skinks is likely to be similar on Ile aux Fouquets to Ilot Vacoas then if skinks are found to occupy isolated

positions more than 60m apart then they are likely to be subjected to Allee effects. The survival, population, recruitment and dispersal of the skinks were

examined to predict establishment.

3.5.1 Bojer’s survival, population growth and dispersal methodology

Obtaining capture-mark-recapture data of individuals within a closed population such as for the skinks on Ile aux Fouquets is an essential process for

estimating survival probabilities and population size (White & Burnham, 1999). There are currently no techniques that can be applied in the field to

permanently mark small lizards without causing harm. Nevertheless, Bojer’s skinks have distinctive dorsal and lateral stripes and spots, which are unique to

each individual (N. Cole pers. obs.; Cole 2009). Skinks were therefore captured in all but the first monitoring trip after the initial translocation (see section

3.4.1). Captured individuals were identified by comparing dorsal and lateral patterns of skinks photographed in the field to photographs taken of individuals

that were translocated and those caught from previous monitoring trips (Cole et al., 2007). The position of tail breaks, missing claws or toes and bite scars

recorded prior to and during subsequent monitoring trips, the sex, and to some degree, SVL and tail break positions (see section 3.4.1) were used to

corroborate photographic identification.

169

Bojer’s skinks produce two eggs at a time. Unlike the night geckos, the eggs cannot be seen through the ventral surface, which is covered in thick

scales. The reproductive status could only be determined when a skink was almost full term and the belly was greatly distended. Given the uncertainty of a

skinks reproductive status, the number of gravid individuals within the captured female sample was not used as an indicator of reproductive activity (see

section 2.5.1). Skinks that were captured with no previous record represented new individuals in the population.

The co-ordinates for the position of each skink captured or sighted on Ile aux Fouquets were recorded using GPS (global positioning system). Skink

locations were then and plotted on the digitised habitat map of Ile aux Fouquets, developed in the first year of the project (Cole et al., 2007). The 100%

MCP (minimum convex polygon) area was calculated for each seasonal skink distribution in ArcView 3.2 (ESRI, Redlands, CA) using the Home Range

Extension for ArcView (Carr & Rogers, 1998). If the 100% MCP divided the number of skinks used to create it was greater than 0.09ha then the Allee effect

could be assumed to have an impact upon population growth.

3.5.2 Statistical procedures for Bojer’s skink survival and population estimates

Survival was estimated for the skinks, using the capture/recapture histories of each individual in the Program MARK (White & Burnham, 1999). Seasonal

variation in survival could not be analysed and as such capture/recapture histories were entered per trip and monthly time interval set accordingly. Models

were constructed with the parameters Ф (survival) and p (recapture rate) to be held constant (·) or vary with time (t) and controlling for visits when skinks

were released (tc). Models were created and ranked according to AIC (Cooch & White, 2007). Selection for the strongest supporting model was made where

the difference in AIC (ΔAICc) was less than two (Cooch & White, 2007). The goodness-of-fit of the strongest model to the data was examined using the

Program RELEASE within MARK. Closed capture analyses was also used in MARK to estimate the translocated skink population in October 2008. The

following models were tested against one another: M0 where capture rate was equally probable for all skinks on each trip; Mb the skinks behaviour

changed after capture so the probability of recapture differed; Mt where the probability of capture varies between trips; Mtc where the probability of

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capture was held constant and accounted for release trips; and Mh, accounting for heterogeneity where capture probability is different between individual

skinks. Selection for the strongest supporting model was made in the same way as survival.

3.5.3 Bojer’s survival, population growth and dispersal results

Skinks were captured in all monitoring trips except during three days of monitoring during the rainy season 2007, when only four were seen (Cole et al.,

2007). During six days of monitoring in the dry season 2007 there were 47 skink observations, of which 16 were captured, which included five of the original

release animals. In the rainy season 2008 there were 27 skink observations over a three day period and 15 of these were caught, which included four

recaptures, one from each translocated population and two individuals that were caught in the previous season. In the dry season 2008 there were 92 skink

observations, where 60 individuals were caught (seven were caught twice), which included two individuals from the first release, four individuals from the

second release and four individuals that were captured in previous seasons (Table 3.5). A clear exponential growth pattern was detected in the daily

capture rates of skinks over the seasons (Table 3.5). When plotted the equation y=e 0.7935x can be fitted to the capture rates with an r2 value of 0.99. Using

this equation it was shown that the population increased seasonally by a rate of 2.21. From a founding population of 20 in the rainy season 2007, the

population was calculated at approximately 44 individuals by the dry season 2007 and 98 individuals by the rainy season 2008. With the addition of the 20

skinks top the rainy population in the rainy season 2008 the population would have been 118 and by the dry season 2008 it would have been approximately

260 skinks. However, this population growth data is based on numerous assumptions, such as each skink has equal catchability and do not avoid capture

once captured and that capture effort is constant.

Four models were created in MARK and ranked according to their AIC values (Table 3.6). The most plausible model [Ф(•)p(tc)] with the lowest AIC,

was selected. The selected model demonstrated that survival was constant over time with a monthly value of 0.95 (95% confidence intervals [CL]=0.853-

0.983). Recapture rates were found to be constant at a low value of 0.20 (95% confidence intervals [CL]=0.106-0.334). The selected model was found to

171

have a good fit to the data (χ27=9.292, P=0.232). Five closed capture models (M0, Mb, Mt, Mtc, Mh; see section 3.52 for descriptions) were created in MARK

and ranked according to their AIC values (Table 3.7). The most plausible model [Mtc] with the lowest AIC, was selected. The model Mtc was not that

different to the model Mt, but it was the most plausible given evidence that holding capture constant, whilst controlling for release trips was selected

within the survival model. Therefore, model averaging was not conducted. The selected model demonstrated that the skink population on Ile aux Fouquets

was estimated at 254 individuals in October 2008 (95% confidence intervals [CL]=196-353). This value is remarkably similar to the value calculated from the

capture rates. It can therefore be assumed that the population has increased exponentially.

Table 3.5 Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink recapture rates during post translocation monitoring trips to Ile aux Fouquets.

Season Rain 07 Dry 07 Rain 08 Dry 08

Number of monitoring days 3 6 3 6Observations 4 47 27 92Captures 0 16 15 67Individuals 0 16 15 60Capture rate per day 0.00 2.67 5.00 10.00Recaptures of original - 5 2 6Percentage of originals recaptured - 25 5 15New individuals caught in season - 11 11 49Recaptures of previous new - 0 2 8Percentage of new skinks in sample - 69 87 95

Table 3.6 Results of the model selection of survival (Ф) and recapture rate (p) varying according to time (t), where they are constant (·), or where recapture

rates are controlled for release trips (tc). AICc is a measure of model parsimony, ΔAICc is the difference in AICc between the best and current model, the

AICc weight is the normalised likelihood of the model, K the number of estimable parameters. The best approximate model is shown in bold.

172

Model AICc ΔAICc AICc Weights K Deviance

[Ф(•)p(tc)] 176.16 0.00 0.769 3 39.73

[Ф(•)p(t)] 179.06 2.90 0.180 8 31.29

[Ф(•)p(•)] 181.61 5.45 0.050 2 47.31

[Ф(t)p(t)] 190.02 13.85 0.001 13 29.56

Table 3.7 Results of the model selection of (M0) equal catchability of skinks over season, (Mb) changed skink behaviour after capture affecting recapture,

(Mt) varying catchability between trips, (Mtc) constant catchability of skinks accounting for release trips and (Mh) different catchability between individual

skinks. AICc is a measure of model parsimony, ΔAICc is the difference in AICc between the best and current model, the AICc weight is the normalised

likelihood of the model, K the number of estimable parameters. The best approximate model is shown in bold.

Model AICc ΔAICc AICc Weights K Deviance

[Mtc] -232.62 0.00 0.735 8 57.71

[Mt] -230.58 2.04 0.265 9 57.71

[Mb] -178.25 54.37 <0.001 2 124.23

[M0] -159.59 73.03 <0.001 2 142.89

[Mh] -159.48 73.13 <0.001 4 138.97

173

174

In the rainy season 2007, four skinks were found covering an area of 0.018ha (0.65% of the island; Figure 3.6a). In the dry season 2007, 47 skinks

were found within 0.129ha (4.61% of the island; Figure 3.6b). In the rainy season 2008, 27 skinks were found in an area of 0.157ha (5.57% of the island;

Figure 3.6c). In the dry season 2008, 92 skinks were found in an area of 0.524ha (18.65% of the island; Figure 3.6d). The distribution of skinks is clearly

increasing, although not so rapidly for skinks to occupy independent ranges of more than 0.09ha. This finding and the rate of population growth

demonstrates that Allee effects are non-existent or negligible.

3.6 Niche utilisation of the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks

Space and food are two of the most important dimensions within a lizards environment (Pianka, 1973; Schoener, 1974; Toft, 1985). Bojer’s

skinks occupy a broad range of habitats, but tend to be found at greater densities in areas of deep leaf litter and long grasses (see section

XXXXGQ, and XXXXFI; Freeman, 2003). However, comparisons of microhabitat use between the translocated and donor population can be

very informative for adaptive management if required for increasing skink numbers. Such comparisons also determine potential disadvantageous

shifts in utilisation of microhabitat that could expose skinks to greater risks of exposure, injury or predation, such as occupying positions far

from the safety of a refuge or alteration in thermoregulation affecting behaviour (Huey & Pianka, 1981; Huey, 1982; Huey et al., 1989). Bojer’s

skinks are active foragers and are generally only stationary when basking, eating or sleeping. Comparisons of the skinks behaviour between the

islands gives an indication on the suitability of basking sites; where non-active skinks could be indicative of poor basking opportunities. Bojer’s

skinks are also thought to have a generalist omnivorous diet and are known to consume invertebrates, scavenge carcasses, broken eggs and most

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food types, consume fruits and seeds, and are occasionally cannibalistic (Z. Jhumka, N. Cole pers. obs.; Vinson & Vinson 1969). Nevertheless, a

change in prey availability can alter prey selection to the benefit or detriment of the consumer and/or prey assemblage. Prey selection by the

skinks was therefore assessed on Ile aux Fouquets and compared to Ilot Vacoas to determine shifts in prey selection and potential impact upon

Ile aux Fouquets as a result of the translocation.

Figure 3.6 The distribution of Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks on Ile aux Fouquets from releases in January 2007 and 2008 in the (a) rainy season

2007, (b) dry season 2007, (c) rainy season 2008 and (d) dry season 2008. Red circles represent skink locations within that season and pink

circles represent release and previous skink locations.

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3.6.1 Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks niche methodology

Microhabitat data were obtained for skink captures and observations during monitoring trips to Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas (see section 3.4.1). Upon

capture the following microhabitat details were recorded at the exact position that each skink was first seen: the substrate type (Rock/Grass-Herb/Sand-

Soil/Leaf-litter); the substrate’s incline from horizontal; the height above ground if on a vertical incline (>60 ); whether it was exposed or sheltered; the

distance to the closest refuge, its type (Cavity-Crevice/Grass-Herb-thicket) and size (narrowest width of cavity-crevice or height of grass-herb thicket). The

behaviour of each skink was also recorded as moving or stationary when first seen. The cloacal body temperature was recorded using a digital thermometer

(0.1C), within ten seconds of capture. Body temperatures were not recorded if taken after ten seconds of handling to prevent recording hand induced body

temperature changes. Corresponding substrate and air (1m above capture point, sheltered from the wind) temperatures were also recorded. To assess

microhabitat selection, points where skinks were found, were paired with a random point where a skink was not found. Random points were taken at a

random angle and distance (within 60 paces) from the point of each skink capture or sighting, and data were obtained for the same microhabitat variables.

178

If a skink was found within the randomly selected area, or the random point ended in the sea it was discarded and the process repeated until a skink-free

and or terrestrial site was found. All sites were selected independently and randomly from previous sites.

Faecal samples were obtained from skinks either as a result of being handled, or were encouraged to defecate by massaging the belly; individuals

also occasionally defecated in the cloth holding bag. Faecal samples were placed in labelled Eppendorf tubes containing 2ml of 70% ethanol. The faecal samples

were then teased apart and all contents separated and sorted. All invertebrate prey were counted, measured, and identified to order. Plant material and

other items were identified and grouped individually, counted and measured; the length, width and depth of each item. The skinks are predominantly

terrestrial and therefore feed upon what they find at ground level, such that invertebrate sampling was concentrated on non-volant terrestrial species

utilising pitfall trapping and 1m2 litter plots. Pitfalls consisted of 50ml Eppendorf tubes half filled with 70% alcohol and 2ml of detergent. Litter and the top

layer of soil within 1m2 quadrats were removed and sifted using the Winkler methodology for invertebrate extraction (see Krell et al., 2005; Sakchoowong

et al., 2007 and references therein). On Ile aux Fouquets eight pitfalls and eight litter plots were sampled and on Ilot Vacoas five pitfalls and five litter plots

were sampled. The locations of pitfalls and Winkler sites were initially assigned randomly along transect positions (Figure 3.7) and then the same sites were

sampled in each season. Each pitfall tube was placed into a pre-submerged plastic pipe and marked with a flag. To prevent the disturbance of pitfall

placement, tubes were not opened until after at least 24 hours and remained open for a further 24hrs. Litter was removed from the quadrats hours prior to

leaving the island and returned to the mainland for a three day extraction period (see Krell et al., 2005).

179

Figure 3.7 Pitfall (solid red circles) and litter plot (solid red squares) positions on Ile

aux Fouquets (above) and Ilot Vacoas (below; islands are to scale, but positioned

incorrectly).

3.6.2 Statistical procedures for Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink niche comparisons

The relationships between body temperature and air and substrate temperatures were

examined with Pearson product moment correlations. The thermoregulatory behaviour

of the geckos was then compared between the islands, sex (male/female/juvenile) and

the interaction of island and sex using ANCOVA. Body temperature was entered as

the dependent variable with the most correlated temperature variable (air or substrate

determined from the Pearson product moment correlations) entered as the covariate to

infer thermoregulatory behaviour. Skink activity (active or inactive) when first seen

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was compared between the islands using Fisher’s exact test. Binary logistic regression

was used to analyse the microhabitat variables (substrate, incline, height above

ground, exposed, closest refuge type) to examine differences between the islands in

terms of microhabitat availability within each of the skinks ranges and then

individually for each island to determine microhabitat selection by the skinks

(presence or absence). Independent variables were tested individually against the

dependent variable in a series of univariate tests and only those that were significant

were retained. Retained variables were then compared against one another to test for

collinearity using Spearman rank correlations. When two variables were biologically

related, significantly and strongly associated, the variable with the greatest deviance

from the null model, and thus the lowest P-value in the univariate tests, was selected.

The final model was developed by removing each retained variable one at a time and

comparing -2 log likelihood values to the full model, containing all the variables,

using the likelihood ratio test (Hosmer & Lemeshow, 2000). If the change in the -2

log likelihood for a variable removed was not significant then it was removed from

the final model. Paired t-tests were then used to determine whether skinks were

selecting between substrate temperatures on each island where skinks were, and were

not found. Distance from refuge was examined using a one-way ANOVA followed by

Tukey’s HSD post hoc comparisons to test for differences between sites with and

without skinks across the two islands. Refuge size was spilt between Cavity-Crevice

and Grass-Herb thicket, then independently examined using one-way ANOVAs

followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc comparisons to test for differences between sites

with and without skinks across the two islands.

The volume (mm3) of each item consumed was estimated by multiplying the

length, width and depth or, where appropriate, by using the length to calculate the

spherical volume [4/3(l/2)3], the length (l) and width (w) to calculate the volume of a

tube [(w/2)2(l)], or a prolate spheroid ([(l)(w2(l))/6]; see Vitt & Zani 1998). To

account for the inherent bias arising from numerous small items being consumed by

many individuals in comparison to a few very large items being consumed by just a

few individuals, dietary importance values (IV; Powell et al., 1990; Gifford et al.,

2000) were calculated as [((ria)+(riv)+(rio))/3]; where ria, riv and rio are the relative

abundance, volume and occurrence of the ith resource, respectively and where relative

occurrence is the proportion of geckos that have consumed the ith resource. Dietary

181

IV’s were compared independently for skinks on Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas

species across seasons using Pianka’s (1973) symmetric version of the MacArthur-

Levins (1967) niche overlap index (Ojk):

where IVij and IVik = IVs of the ith prey item utilised by the jth (Ile aux Fouquets) and kth (Ilot

Vacoas) skink population respectively. This index compares the proportion of a resource

utilised by each population with a single value ranging from zero when there is no overlap to

one when there is complete overlap.

Orders that were identified within the environment, but were not represented

in the diet of the skinks were ignored. The abundance of invertebrates within each

order, with a dietary IV >5% were retained as separate orders. Orders with IV’s <5%

in the diet were summed and categorised as ‘Other’. The relative abundance of

invertebrate prey items within the diet (ria) of each skink population was compared to

the relative abundance of respective invertebrates within the environment (pia) using

Vanderploeg and Scavia's relativised electivity index (E*) (Vanderploeg & Scavia,

1979; Lechowicz, 1982):

182

where ria and pia = relative abundance of the ith invertebrate prey item in the diet and in

the environment respectively, and n = the number of prey items included in the

analysis. E* ranges in value from +1 to –1 for the most and least selected prey items

respectively. Values near zero represent neutral/random selectivity.

3.6.3 Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink space niche results

Body temperatures and corresponding substrate and air temperatures were recorded

for 101 individuals on Ile aux Fouquets and 74 on Ilot Vacoas. It was found that body

temperature had a stronger association with the substrate temperature (r=0.645,

N=175, Adj P<0.001) than with the air temperature (r=0.435, N=175, Adj P<0.001).

No differences were found in the thermoregulatory behaviour between males, females

and juveniles, but there was a difference between the islands (Table 3.8). Post hoc

comparisons demonstrated that skinks on Ile aux Fouquets held lower body

temperatures in comparison to Ilot Vacoas (Figure 3.8). Skink activity was shown to

be significantly different (Fisher’s exact test: N=272, P=0.031) between the islands

where more skinks were seen to be active on Ile aux Fouquets (79% moving when

first seen) than on Ilot Vacoas (69% moving when first seen).

Habitat variables were recorded for a total of 240 locations on the two islands,

of which 63 paired locations with and without skinks were recorded on Ilot Vacoas

and 57 paired locations on Ile aux Fouquets. The category Leaf-litter within the

variable Substrate was poorly represented (less than 2.5% of samples) and was

therefore combined with the most similar Grass-Herb variable. For comparison of

microhabitat variation between the islands, only the variable Substrate was shown

differ significantly (d2=24.553, P<0.001; Table 3.9a). Within the skinks range on

both islands, there was a greater likelihood of finding substrates categorised as Sand-

Soil on Ile aux Fouquets, which led to the relative and lower likelihood of substrates

being categorised as either Rock or Grass-Herb than on Ilot Vacoas.

Comparison of microhabitat variables on Ilot Vacoas, only the variable Height-above-

ground (d1=5.961, P=0.015; Table 3.9b) was significantly associated with the likelihood of a

skink being present or absent from a particular location. The likelihood of finding a skink on

elevated substrates was marginally lower than finding a skink on substrates close to or on

ground level. On Ile aux Fouquets, Substrate (d2=28.068, P<0.001) and Refuge-type

(d1=4.591, P=0.032) were selected in the 183

184

Table 3.8 ANCOVA results of the differences in thermoregulatory behaviour of the Ilot

Vacoas Bojer’s skink between islands, sex/juvenile and their interaction. P-values have been

Bonferroni corrected (Adj P).

Source df MS F Adj P

Island 1 34.522 13.483 0.001 Sex & Juvenile 2 2.802 1.094 0.674 Island*Sex & Juvenile 2 0.389 0.152 0.859 Error 168 2.560 Total 174

Figure 3.8 The main effects plot for fitted means of body temperature with substrate

temperature as the covariate for Bojer’s skinks on Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas.

univariate models, neither of which were correlated, so both were entered into the final

model. However, the likelihood ratio tests showed that Refuge-type had little weight in the

final model and was therefore removed to leave Substrate in explaining the likelihood of a

skink being present or absent (Table 3.9c). There was a lower likelihood of finding skinks on

Rock and Sand/Soil and greater likelihood of finding them in Grass-Herb.

185

Ile aux FouquetsIlot Vacoas

Island

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The position of the skinks was not found to be dependent upon substrate

temperature on either Ile aux Fouquets (t56=1.841, P=0.071) or Ilot Vacoas (t62=0.650,

P=0.518). A significant difference (F3,236=17.564, P<0.001) was found in the root

transformed (x0.25) distance to refuge between skink positions and random positions on

Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas. Tukey’s HSD post hoc comparisons demonstrated

that skinks on both islands held similar positions from refuge sites, but on Ile aux

Fouquets there were more opportunities to hold positions further from refuge sites

(Figure 3.9). No significant difference (F3,49=0.534, P=0.661) was found in the root

transformed (x0.25) size of cavity-crevice type of refuge between sites with and without

skinks, or between islands. Where grass or herb thickets were the closest refuge type,

the root transformed (x0.25) size (height) was found to differ significantly (F3,183=5.508,

P=0.001) between sites with and without skinks and between islands. Tukey’s HSD

post hoc comparisons demonstrated that the height of grass or herb thickets was no

different between sites with and without skinks, that the height of potential refuge

sites on Ilot Vacoas was higher than on Ile aux Fouquets, although skinks were close

to refuge sites of similar height between the two islands (Figure 3.10).

Table 3.9 Results of final multivariate model based on microhabitat variables recorded (a)

between islands and for where Bojer’s skink were present and not present on (b) Ilot Vacoas

and (c) Ile aux Fouquets

Variable ß SE Wald statistic z df

Significance P Exp(ß) 95% CI for Exp(B)

(a) Islands

Substrate 20.646 2 <0.001

Substrate (1) -2.156 0.519 17.258 1 <0.001 0.116 0.042 - 0.320

Substrate (2) -1.583 0.392 16.345 1 <0.001 0.205 0.095 - 0.442

Constant 1.281 0.357 12.841 1 <0.001 3.600

(a) Ilot Vacoas

Height -0.053 0.026 4.136 1 0.042 0.948 0.901 - 0.998

186

Constant 0.241 0.208 1.346 1 0.246 1.273

(b) Ile aux Fouquets

Substrate 22.440 2 <0.001

Substrate (1) 1.204 0.785 2.351 1 0.125 3.333 0.715 – 15.535

Substrate (2) 2.415 0.519 21.691 1 <0.001 11.190 4.050 - 30.920

Constant -1.609 0.447 12.951 1 <0.001 0.200

Figure 3.9 Mean (+SD) root transformed (x0.25) distance from refuge for Bojer’s

skinks (solid columns) and random positions (open columns) on Ilot Vacoas and Ile

aux Fouquets. Significant differences between each season are indicated by different

italicised letters

Figure 3.10 Mean (+SD) root transformed (x0.25) distance from refuge for Bojer’s

skinks (solid columns) and random positions (open columns) on Ilot Vacoas and Ile

aux Fouquets. Significant differences between each season are indicated by different

italicised letters

187

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Ilot Vacoas No Skink Ilot Vacoas Skink Ile aux Fouquets NoSkink

Ile aux Fouquets Skink

Roo

t tra

nsfo

rmed

(x^0

.25)

refu

ge d

ista

nce

aa

a

b

No Skink Skink No Skink Skink

Ilot Vacoas Ile aux Fouquets

188

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Ilot Vacoas No Skink Ilot Vacoas Skink Ile aux Fouquets No Skink Ile aux Fouquets Skink

Roo

t tra

nsfo

rmed

(x^0

.25)

refu

ge s

ize

(cm

) a

abbb

No Skink Skink No Skink Skink


3.6.4 Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink food niche results

A total of 393 prey items were identified in the faeces collected from 113 skinks on

Ilot Vacoas and 87 prey items were identified in the faeces collected from 38 skinks

on Ile aux Fouquets. Data were grouped annually for 2007 and 2008 and then

combined to account for the low number of samples obtained from Ile aux Fouquets.

As expected, both species were predominantly insectivorous and invertebrate remains

were found in all faeces except for six samples from skinks on Ilot Vacoas.

Invertebrate remains were identified to 13 orders, all of which were represented in the

diet of skinks on Ilot Vacoas and 9 orders were represented in the diet of skinks on Ile

aux Fouquets (Table 3.10). Plant material was found in the faeces of skinks from both

populations, which consisted mostly of grass (Table 3.10). Approximately 5% of all

samples consisted of unidentifiable remains, which was likely to have represented

digested waste of the prey consumed. Unidentified invertebrate remains The prey

groups representing >5% in terms of their importance within the diet are the same

between each island population, with the exception of Hymenoptera, where the

importance value was 0.89 on Ile aux Fouquets (Table 3.10). Nevertheless on both

islands it appears that Aranae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera are

the main prey types consumed.

Dietary overlap was calculated from the IVs for identifiable invertebrate prey

categories to investigate similarity within island populations over time and then

between the islands. The overlap in diet was almost complete between 2007 and 2008

for Ilot Vacoas (Ojk=0.912) and Ile aux Fouquets (Ojk=0.967). Combining data for

both years (as justified by the similarity) the diet of the two populations was shown to

differ by approximately 50% (Ojk=0.487).

A total of 11,267 invertebrates were obtained from four sampling periods

(Rain 08, Dry 07, Rain 08, Dry 08) on Ilot Vacoas and Ile aux Fouquets (see section

XXXX). All invertebrates were identified to order and grouped for each island. The

relative abundance of the groups Aranae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera,

Orthoptera and other (Acari, Collembola, Dermaptera, Diplopoda, Diptera,

Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Isopoda) in the diet were then used with the relative

abundance of these categories present within the environment on each island. On Ilot

Vacoas, skinks selected invertebrates belonging to Blattodea, Coleoptera and

189

Orthoptera, randomly consumed invertebrates in Aranae and Lepidoptera and the

selected invertebrates in the category Other the least (Figure 3.11). In comparison

Table 3.10 Importance values (see text) for prey items consumed by skinks on Ilot

Vacoas and Ile aux Fouquets in 2007 and 2008, and then for both years combined.

Figures in brackets represent the relative abundance, volume and occurrence,

respectively. Asterisks denote categories representing >5% of the diet in both

populations.


Year 2007 2008 Sum 2007 2008 Sum

Samples 69 44 113 12 26 38

Prey category

Acari4.42 0.00 2.75 0.00 0.00 0.00

(7.1, 0.2, 5.9) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (4.6, 0.1, 3.6) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)

Aranae*9.53 17.64 12.65 16.61 7.83 10.54

(9.6, 7.9, 11.1) (16.3, 16.2, 20.5) (12.0, 11.1, 14.8) (21.4, 6.2, 22.2) (10.2, 1.8, 11.5) (13.8, 2.7, 15.2)

Blattodea*5.38 7.84 6.34 43.67 34.17 35.72

(4.6, 3.4, 8.2) (5.2, 10.4, 8.0) (4.8, 6.2, 8.1) (25.0, 80.1, 25.9) (27.1, 44.6, 30.8) (26.4, 51.6, 29.1)

Coleoptera*36.65 36.48 36.85 5.37 9.99 8.55

(48.1, 33.7, 28.2) (40.7, 36.9, 31.8) (45.5, 35.5, 29.6) (7.1, 1.6, 7.4) (15.3, 3.2, 11.5) (12.6, 2.9, 10.1)

Collembola0.40 0.00 0.24 0.00 0.00 0.00

(0.4, <0.1, 0.7) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.3, <0.1, 0. 5) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)

Dermaptera0.00 1.47 0.56 0.00 0.00 0.00

(0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (1.5, 0.7, 2.3) (0.5, 0.3, 0.9) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)

Diplopoda1.31 0.64 1.05 0.00 0.00 0.00

(1.3, 0.5, 2.2) (0.7, <0.1, 1.1) (1.1, 0.3, 1.8) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)

Diptera0.45 0.00 0.28 2.48 1.25 1.66

(0.4, 0.2, 0.7) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (0.3, 0.1, 0.5) (3.6, 0.2, 3.7) (1.7, 0.1, 1.9) (2.3, 0.2, 2.5)

190

Hemiptera1.64 1.56 1.62 5.09 4.47 4.76

(2.5, 0.2, 2.2) (1.5, 0.9, 2.3) (2.1, 0.5, 2.2) (7.1, 0.7, 7.4) (5.1, 2.6, 5.8) (5.8, 2.2, 6.3)

Hymenoptera4.93 15.84 9.10 0.00 1.31 0.89

(5.9, 0.8, 8.2) (19.3, 15.8, 12.5) (10.7, 6.8, 9.9) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (1.7, 0.3, 1.9) (1.2, 0.2, 1.3)

Isopoda2.80 3.33 3.01 0.00 2.34 1.71

(2.51, 1.46, 4.44) (2.22, 4.35, 3.41) (2.41, 2.6, 4.04) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (1.69, 3.39, 1.92) (1.15, 2.72, 1.27)

Lepidoptera*5.27 8.76 6.60 16.01 18.52 18.20

(5.0, 2.6, 8.2) (8.9, 4.9, 12.5) (6.4, 3.5, 9.9) (21.4, 8.1, 18.5) (18.6, 19.6, 17.3) (19.5, 17.4, 17.7)

Orthoptera*12.23 1.24 7.80 8.30 10.68 10.70

(2.9, 29.3, 4.4) (0.7, 1.8, 1.1) (2.1, 18.1, 3.1) (10.7, 3.1, 11.1) (5.1, 21.2, 5.7) (6.9, 17.6, 7.6)

Invertebrate material

7.48 4.39 6.30 0.00 6.18 4.17

(6.28, 5.07, 11.11) (2.22, 7.55, 3.41) (4.81, 6.01, 8.07) (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) (10.17, 0.67, 7.69) (6.9, 0.54, 5.06)

Plant material

7.51 0.82 4.84 2.47 3.26 3.10

(3.4, 14.7, 4.4) (0.7, 0.6, 1.1) (2.4, 9.0, 3.1) (3.6, 0.1, 3.7) (3.4, 2.5, 3.9) (3.5, 2.1, 3.8)

191

to Ilot Vacoas, the translocated skinks shifted in their selection for prey by targeting

Orthoptera more and Blattodea less, they also shifted by selecting all other

invertebrate categories less. Invertebrates in the category Other were selected the least

by skinks in both populations (Figure 3.11).

Figure 3.11 Changes in the electivity of invertebrate categories selected for or against

by Bojer’s skinks on Ilot Vacoas and Ile aux Fouquets.

3.7 Impact of the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink translocation

192

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0


Aranae

BlattodeaColeoptera

LepidopteraOrthoptera

Other

Elec

tivity

Assessing the impact of harvesting individuals from a small population for release and the

impact upon the ecosystem at the release location are important factors of any translocation

(Dimond & Armstrong, 2007; Armstrong & Seddon, 2008).

Harvesting 20 Bojer’s skinks from Ilot Vacoas in 2007 represented the removal of

between 4% and 7% of the population and was shown to have little impact upon the

resident population (Cole et al., 2007). These findings justified the harvest of a further 20

individuals in 2008 (see section 3.3), which represented the removal of between 5% and 8%

of the estimated population (Table 3.11). Ongoing assessment of the small critically

endangered population on Ilot Vacoas is essential to determine the impact of the

translocations.

The faunal assemblage on Ile aux Fouquets is somewhat similar to Ilot Vacoas, with

the exception of the introduced house gecko, which is present on the former island. Both

islands also maintain populations of the native Bouton’s skink, although the density of

Bouton’s skinks in the presence of the Bojer’s skink on Ilot Vacoas is considerably lower than

on Ile aux Fouquets. It has long been thought that in the absence of larger predators Bojer’s

skinks have a competitive advantage over Bouton’s skinks and exclude them to the

periphery of islands where they are most adapted (Vinson & Vinson, 1969; Jones, 1993;

Freeman, 2003). The Bouton’s skink population is therefore expected to decline on Ile aux

Fouquets as the Bojer’s skink population increases. However, the Bojer’s skinks are most

likely to impact upon what they predate, which has been identified in section 3.6.4. Changes

in the abundance of invertebrate categories that are selected by the skinks are therefore

examined.

Here we investigate the impact of harvesting the skinks from Ilot Vacoas, and their

release and subsequent impact upon the resident reptile and invertebrate fauna on Ile aux

Fouquets.

3.7.1 Methodology for Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink impact assessment

Section 3.6 demonstrated that the skinks are predominantly terrestrial insectivores that

mostly consume invertebrates within the orders Aranae, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, with a

particular preference for Blattodea and Orthoptera. Invertebrate sampling was conducted

on Ile aux Fouquets prior to the translocations in the dry season (Sept) 2006 and then

193

subsequently in the rainy season (March) 2007, dry season (Nov) 2007, rainy season (May)

2008 and finally the dry season (Oct) 2008. Sampling was also conducted on Ilot Vacoas

during the rainy season (April) and dry season (Oct) 2007, and the rainy season (May) and

dry season (Sept) 2008. Invertebrate sampling followed the methodology detailed in section

3.6.1.

The Bojer’s skink population on Ilot Vacoas was assessed using 1m wide belt

transects (Krebs, 1999), as Distance sampling was an unsuitable methodology within the

dense S. dimidiatum grassland (Cole et al., 2007). Other population estimation

methodologies were too destructive for the small island or were not cost effective in terms

of time. Ilot Vacoas was visited in dry season (Sept) 2006 to obtain initial estimates and then

again during each of the monitoring trips: rainy season (April) 2007, dry season (Oct) 2007,

rainy season (May) 2008, dry season (Sept) 2008 and rainy season (Mar) 2009. On each visit,

thin twine was placed so that it ran between marked transect positions on the island to

create 22 independent transects, measuring between 8.6m and 25.3m, across the island

(Figure 3.12). Searches were made within 50cm either side of the transect line and care was

taken to observe ahead along the line should a skink be disturbed by the approaching

observer. Skinks observed within the 50cm belt were counted and the age class (juvenile,

adult) was recorded. The resident reptile populations were assessed on Ile aux Fouquets

during the same periods when the invertebrates were assessed (see above) with an

additional survey in September 2007, which has been combined with November 2007 data

to make the dry season 2007 estimates. The Distance Sampling methodology for line

transects (Buckland et al., 2001) was used to survey the reptile populations along 22

transects across Ile aux Fouquets (Figure 3.12). As on Ilot Vacoas, thin twine was placed so

that it ran between marked transect positions on the island to create 21, transects 25m in

length and one transect 21m in length. All transects were walked once during the day and

once at night. Searches along transects were slow, systematic and made from the fixed

transect line. When a reptile was observed, the perpendicular distance (±1cm) was

measured from the fixed transect line to the point at which the reptile was first observed.

Searches at night for geckos were made between one hour after sunset and 0100hrs, using a

triple LED Petzl Tikka headtorch with fully charged batteries. House geckos will generally flee

after several seconds in direct torch light, so care was taken not to shine the torch beam far

ahead along the transect line where geckos had yet to be searched for. During the day the

transect line was searched ahead first with each step and then to the sides following

194

standard procedures for transect walks (Buckland et al., 2001). When possible the sex and

age class (juvenile, adult) was recorded for each reptile seen. For each transect walk the

following data were recorded: name of surveyor; transect code; start and end time of each

sampling period; air temperature; percentage of cloud cover; sun visibility (none, partial,

full); moon visibility (none, ¼, ½, ¾, full); rain (none, post [where ground and vegetation was

wet], current [transects were not walked in moderate to heavy downpours and did not

commence for at least one hour after rainfall to allow reptile to return to their normal

behaviour]). At the end of each monitoring period all transect lines were taken down, to

prevent resident Wedge-tailed Shearwater or human visitors being entangled.

195

Figure 3.12 Transect locations for estimating populations of Bojer’s skinks on Ilot Vacoas

(below) and house geckos and Bouton’s skinks on Ile aux Fouquets (above). Transects are

shown as thick black lines (islands are to scale, but positioned incorrectly).

196

0 50 100 Meters

0 50 100 Meters

Ivoutline.shp

N

#

#

## ##

#

# ##

###

#

#

#

#####

0 50 100 Meters

Bedrock



Loose rock & sand



0 25 50 75 100 Meters

Tidal zoneBedrockSand & rockStenotaphrum grassCynodon grassBeachPemphisTournefortiaScaevola

3.7.2 Statistical procedures for Bojer’s skink impact assessment

Changes in the abundance of Aranae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera on

Ile aux Fouquets were compared between the seasons using the G-test of independence

with Williams correction. Post hoc comparisons were conducted in a pairwise approach and

results were Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons (Adj P). The same orders were

examined on Ilot Vacoas to compare changes in abundance on Ile aux Fouquets to

determine whether changes were likely to be environmental or skink induced.

Belt transects were divided into categories of grass or rock, depending upon the

habitat type in which they passed (Figure 3.12). The average density of skinks observed per

transect was then calculated and extrapolated up to the area of each habitat type

(grass=0.576ha and rock=0.487ha). The overall mean density and 95% confidence limits

were calculated from the density estimates of each transect in each habitat within each

season. Distance data obtained for the Bouton’s skinks and house geckos on Ile aux

Fouquets were entered into the program Distance 5.0., Release 2 (Thomas et al., 2006).

Where necessary, distant observations were removed by truncation. These outermost

observations are difficult to model and provide little information in estimating the density

function at zero distance, which is the most critical part of the curve (Buckland et al., 2001).

To find the most suitable detection function for each species data were fitted to the default

and three additional models with the following key function/series expansion:

half-normal/cosine (default); uniform/cosine; hazard-rate/simple; half-normal/hermite. The

best fitting model was chosen based on the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC)

number and goodness of fit test (Buckland et al., 2001; Thomas et al., 2006). The number of

reptiles seen per transect were correlated (Pearson product moment correlations for skinks

and Spearman rank correlations for house geckos) with the time taken to walk the transects,

the temperature, percentage cloud cover and moon visibility (for house geckos) to

determine whether these variables could explain inter-seasonal differences in the

population estimates.

3.7.3 Results for skink impact on Ile aux Fouquets’ invertebrates

197

A total of 12,545 invertebrates were sampled from Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas.

The abundance of the main prey categories within the Bojer’s skinks diet represented

about 5.3% and 2.9% of total invertebrate abundance over all seasons on Ile aux

Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas, respectively. The relative abundance of prey was therefore

higher on Ile aux Fouquets. Significant differences were found between the

abundance of the main invertebrate prey groups consumed by skinks over the seasons

on Ile aux Fouquets (G=42.7, 16 d.f., Adj P=0.003) and on Ilot Vacoas (G=87.6, 12

d.f., Adj P<0.001). Pairwise post hoc comparisons demonstrated that abundance of

invertebrates in the rainy season 2008 differed to all other seasons except for the dry

season 2007 on Ile aux Fouquets (Figure 3.13a). On Ilot Vacoas post hoc comparisons

showed that invertebrate abundance differed between each season (Figure 3.13b).

Figure 3.13 Relative abundance of main invertebrate prey groups on (a) Ile aux Fouquets and

(b) Ilot Vacoas over the seasons. Significant differences between each season are indicated

by different italicised letters.

198

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Dry 06 Rain 07 Dry 07 Rain 08 Dry 08

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Dry 06 Rain07 Dry07 Rain08 Dry08

0.00%

0.10%

0.20%

0.30%

0.40%

0.50%

0.60%

0.70%

0.80%

0.90%

1.00%


Orthoptera

Lepidoptera

Coleoptera

Blattodea

Aranae

a a ab b a

a b c d

(a)

(b)

Rel

ativ

e ab

unda

nce

Rel

ativ

e ab

unda

nce

There are no clear patterns between the islands, except that at the peak of Orthopteran

abundance on Ilot Vacoas in the rainy season 2008, they are detected for the first time on Ile

aux Fouquets. The difference detected on Ile aux Fouquets in the rainy season 2008 can be

explained by the larger than expected abundance of Coleoptera; when this category is

removed no significance exists. There is also a cyclic change in the abundance of Blattodea

on Ile aux Fouquets over the seasons.

3.7.4 Results for the impact of skink removal from Ilot Vacoas

Initial pre and post translocation population estimates of the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink

on Ilot Vacoas demonstrated a slight decline, although this was thought to have been

attributed to poor weather conditions during monitoring period (Cole et al., 2007;

Figure 3.14). To determine any long term effect of the initial 2007 and then 2008

translocation, population estimates were calculated in each season (Table 3.12; Figure

3.14). No substantial declines were detected, although a larger than expected

population was found in the rainy season 2009. This increase can be accounted for by

the earlier timing of the trip, where a greater proportion of juvenile skinks were seen

just after the breeding season (Table 3.12). No correlations were found between the

number of skinks, times and climatic variables across the seasons.

Table 3.12 Seasonal population estimates for Bojer’s skinks on Ilot Vacoas

Season k TL (m) ER/100m n j (%) N L95% CI U95% CI

Dry 06 21 1346.4 7.20 97 13 397.38 306.98 487.78

199

Rain 07 22 826.9 5.56 46 13 336.21 233.31 439.11

Dry 07 22 826.9 5.68 47 11 333.60 240.69 426.50

Rain 08 22 826.9 6.29 52 8 366.12 256.30 475.93

Dry 08 22 826.9 5.56 46 4 332.34 238.20 426.47

Rain 09 22 826.9 8.47 70 36 509.68 371.71 647.66

Overall 379.08 332.61 445.35

Table headers are as follows: k is the number of transects surveyed; TL is the total length walked along all transects including repeated walks; ER is the encounter rate of individuals per 100m; n is the total number of individuals seen; j is the percentage of juveniles seen; N is the estimated number of individuals on Ilot Vacoas; L95% CI and U95% CI are the lower and upper 95% confidence intervals for the population estimate.

Figure 3.14 Estimated Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink population, with 95% confidence intervals on

Ilot Vacoas; columns indicate the removal of 20 skinks prior to the rainy seasons of 2007 and

2008.

3.7.5 Results for skink impact on Ile aux Fouquets’ vertebrates

Seasonal population estimates of the two resident reptiles, the native Bouton’s skink

Cryptoblepharus boutonii (Table 3.13a) and the introduced house gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus (Table 3.13b) were calculated using the uniform key function

2000

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Dry 06 Rain 07 Dry 07 Rain 08 Dry 08 Rain 09

Num

ber o

f ski

nks

and cosine series expansion. Population estimates generated for the Bouton’s skink

had a high level of variation around the mean, although there appeared to be a decline

in the dry season 2007 during the severe drought followed by a recovery in rainy

season 2008 before settling to a pre-existing population estimate (Table 3.13, Figure

3.15). In contrast it appears the nocturnal house gecko population appears to have

remained relatively constant with small seasonal changes within the confidence limits

across all seasons (Table 3.13, Figure 3.15). The detection probability curves were

shown to have a good fit with the respective distance histograms (Figure 3.16).

For the majority of transects there was little evidence to suggest that variation in the

times taken to walk transects, air temperatures, cloud cover or moon visibility impacted

upon the number of skinks or geckos seen. However, slower walks on one transect (transect

8) through a mixture of habitat types (r=0.928, N=5, P=0.023) and warmer temperatures

along another transect (transect 21) subject to sea spray (r=0.950, N=5, P=0.013), resulted in

more Bouton’s skink observations. Slower walks on two transects (transects 7 and 10)

through long grass and rocky habitat types (r=0.894, N=5, P=0.041; r=0.975, N=5, P=0.005),

resulted in more house gecko observations.

3.8 Invasions of alien species to Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas

In 2003, the mutilating gecko Gehyra mutilata was recorded on Ile aux Fouquets (Cole,

2005b). It was assumed that the gecko was introduced to the island between 2002 and 2003,

because it was not found during thorough searches of the island in 2002 (Cole, 2005b).

During four trips to Ile aux Fouquets from 2003 to 2004 all juvenile and adult mutilating

geckos encountered (N=11) were removed. The removal of these geckos now appears to

have led to their eradication from Ile aux Fouquets as no individuals have been encountered

during the 2006 to 2009 monitoring trips.

In the dry season 2007 an Indopacific tree gecko Hemiphyllodactylus typus

typus was discovered in the long grasses on the western side of the island. In the

201

Table 3.13 Model (uniform key function and cosine series expansion) fits and population estimates of (a) the Bouton’s skink and (b) house gecko

on Ile aux Fouquets generated by Distance (Thomas et al., 2006).

SeasonGoF test (P)

AIC kTL

(m)W

(cm)ER n

Area (ha)

NCV (%)

dfL95%

CIU95%

CI

(a) Bouton’s skink Cryptoblepharus boutonii

Dry 06 0.748 1701.2 22 1017 339* 14.75 150 2.81 1082 18.50 24.08 741 1579

Rain 07 0.439 1336.9 22 546 620 19.78 108 2.81 962 27.10 25.89 557 1663

Dry 07 0.647 2004.5 22 1092 482* 15.11 165 2.81 726 16.91 26.52 514 1025

Rain 08 0.996 1058.9 22 546 314* 18.13 94 2.81 1295 23.68 24.77 800 2095

Dry 08 0.597 1392.0 22 546 485* 21.06 115 2.81 1050 25.39 23.23 626 1761

(b) House gecko Hemidactylus frenatus

Dry 06 0.957 729.6 22 1330 385 4.74 63 2.81 312 26.26 24.18 183 532

Rain 07 0.928 617.9 22 1442 218 4.02 58 2.81 406 31.14 26.96 218 759

Dry 07 0.831 1174.5 22 2822 319 3.72 105 2.81 301 34.16 21.90 151 599

Rain 08 0.934 260.4 22 1092 154 2.38 26 2.81 336 37.88 30.42 159 710

Dry 08 0.704 532.4 22 1092 253 4.49 49 2.81 436 29.64 25.36 240 791

Table headers are as follows: GoF test = Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit test of the selected model; AIC = Akaike information criterion for the selected model; k = number of transects surveyed; TL = total length walked all transects; W = greatest perpendicular distance recorded in the model, those marked * have been right truncated by 5%; ER = encounter rate of individuals per 100m; n = number of observations; Area = range of the species; N = estimated number of individuals for that area, CV = coefficient of variance; df = degree of freedom; L95% CI and U95% CI = lower and upper 95% confidence intervals.

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500


Num

ber o

f ind

ivid

uals

Figure 3.15 Seasonal population estimates, with 95% confidence intervals, of Bouton’s skinks (solid line) and house geckos (dashed line) on Ile

aux Fouquets.

2GoF10=2.56, P=0.990 2GoF5=0.466, P=0.993

2GoF7=5.14, P=0.643 2GoF3=0.836, P=0.841

2GoF6=6.84, P=0.336

(a) (f)

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Figure 3.16 Distance histograms and fitted detection probability curves with Chi-square goodness-of-fit test statistics for Bouton’s skinks (left) and house geckos (right) in the dry season 2006 (a,f), rainy (b,g) and dry (c,h) seasons 2007, and rainy (d,i) and dry (e,j) seasons 2008.

Mascarenes this introduced species is considered to be parthenogenic (Déso et al., 2007; Cole, 2009) and the individual found on Ile aux

Fouquets was gravid. Despite further searches no other individuals were found and the gravid gecko was removed. In the dry season 2008

another gravid Indopacific tree gecko was found at the exact location that the first had been caught the year before; this individual was also

removed. With both gravid geckos being found at the same location, it is likely that eggs have been deposited and hatched. Further intensive

searching on future trips and the removal of any tree geckos found may prevent establishment, as with the founding population of mutilating

geckos.

During the October 2008 visit the fire ant S. geminata was discovered on Ile aux Fouquets and in April 2009 it was found on Ilot Vacoas.

This species has not previously been found on these islands, although was recorded on Ile Marianne in 2003 (N. Cole pers. obs.). This ant

presents a serious threat to the conservation of native communities, affecting many non-target animals and plants and represents a threat to the

reptiles, seabirds and invertebrates on Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas (Chalcraft & Andrews, 1999; Holway et al., 2002; PIAG, 2004; Cole,

2005b; ISSG, 2009; Plentovich et al., 2009).

These findings in conjunction with those reported in section 2.3 clearly demonstrate that the invasion of alien species is an ongoing

process in Mauritius as a result of unsupervised and illegal access to the islands.

3.9 Discussion on Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink translocation

3.9.1 Health and fitness

In the first season, after the original release of 20 skinks only four skinks were seen; all appeared healthy and active and it was

assumed that the skinks were doing well (Cole et al., 2007). These observations can now be confirmed, as subsequent captures have

shown the body condition scores of adult skinks has been consistently higher on Ile aux Fouquets than on Ilot Vacoas. As with the

night geckos on Ilot Chat (see section 2.7.1), higher body condition scores for skinks on Ile aux Fouquets are probably caused by a

release from intraspecific competition for food resources. Body condition was shown to vary across the seasons on both islands. The

pattern of seasonal variation was similar between the two populations, whereby skinks in the dry

Figure 3.17 The relative availability of skink prey on Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas from the dry season 2007 to the dry season

2008

seasons of 2007 and 2008 held a lower body mass for their size than in the rainy season 2008. It is likely that the skinks naturally

follow a seasonal pattern of fluctuating body condition related to seasonal prey availability. Initial investigation of invertebrate

abundance between the dry and rainy seasons on the two islands shows that overall invertebrate abundance is 36% higher in the dry

seasons than in the rainy seasons. However, the relative abundance of prey items consumed by the skinks shows the reverse pattern

where prey availability is higher in the rainy season than the dry seasons (Figure 3.17). The seasonal change in prey availability

corroborates the suggestion that body condition follows seasonal prey availability when comparing Figures 3.2 and 3.17. Furthermore,

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the higher relative abundance of skink prey on Ile aux Fouquets (see section 3.7.3) is the most likely cause for skinks to maintain

higher body condition scores than those on Ilot Vacoas. However, it is possible that this seasonal pattern may only be evident because

of the unusually severe dry seasons, with a long drought in 2007 followed by a relatively wetter, but exceptional hotter dry season in

2008. The repeated measures of the same individuals on Ile aux Fouquets demonstrated that translocated and hatched individuals on

the island were maintaining a healthy growth rate, despite the severe dry seasons. Moreover, juvenile skinks on Ile aux Fouquets were

shown to be fit and healthy and maintained body condition scores similar to those on Ilot Vacoas.

Individual skinks on Ilot Vacoas were shown to have a higher level of tail breaks than those on Ile aux Fouquets and that the

number of tail breaks increased from the dry season of 2007 through to the dry season 2008. Tail loss has been associated with

attempts of cannibalism in Mauritian gecko populations, particularly when food resources are limited (Cole, 2005b). On Ilot Vacoas

the skinks are at their carrying capacity and as such intraspecific competition for food is likely to be high and may favour

opportunistic attempts to consume each others tails. The increase in tail loss over the seasons can also be linked with the severe dry

seasons and associated declines in relative prey availability where tail loss is additive over the relatively short time period. Scarring

was shown to increase equally in both the Ile aux Fouquets and Ilot Vacoas populations from the dry season 2007 through to the dry

season 2008. Scarring is mostly caused by predation attempts and aggressive encounters, which includes courtship (N. Cole pers.

obs.). However, without any specific adult skink predators (although crabs have been seen to occasionally predate upon the reptiles)

on the islands, scarring is most likely a result of intraspecific interactions. The increase in scarring, like the rate of tail breaks, is likely

to be additive and possibly caused by the poor conditions during the dry seasons that limit prey availability and increases

aggressive/competitive interactions. Nevertheless, scarring was not associated with a decline in body condition.

3.9.2 Survival, population growth and dispersal and recruitment

Although survival was calculated monthly at the high rate of 95% the seasonal survival rate can be calculated at 74%, which is similar

to what was found for the healthy night gecko populations (see section 2.5.3). At this estimated level of survival it is thought that just

over half of the original, Jan 2007 release, population existed on Ile aux Fouquets when the second translocation occurred in January

2008. Nevertheless, by September 2007, only eight months after the translocation, the translocated individuals had produced viable

offspring that were already reproducing. It is estimated that by the dry season 2007 the released individuals represented about a

quarter of the existing population on Ile aux Fouquets. The second translocation of 20 individuals in January 2008 boosted the

exponentially growing population, so that by October 2008 there were between 196-353 skinks on Ile aux Fouquets. The mean of 254

skinks calculated from the encounter histories, is almost identical to the estimate calculated on the daily capture rate assumption that

the population has increased exponentially. By the dry season 2008 the skinks were distributed over an area of 0.524ha, approximately

a fifth of the island’s total area and just under half (45.6%) of the preferred grassland habitat (1.149ha). There have been no founding

Allee effects and it is expected that the skink population will continue to disperse gradually as the population grows exponentially.

Exponential growth is likely to occur until the skinks occupy the entire grassland habitat and/or the relative prey abundance does not

become limited. By the rainy season 2009 it is expected that the Ile aux Fouquets’ skink population will consist of approximately 575

individuals, a larger population than on Ilot Vacoas. The probability of this population becoming fully established, that is once the

population has reached its carrying capacity on the island, is very high.

3.9.3 Niche utilisation

The thermal environment is an important factor for an ectotherm like a Bojer’s skink. Active lizards generally maintain a narrow range

of body temperatures that are optimum for locomotion, metabolism, and behavioural and physiological functions (Hertz et al., 1982;

Huey, 1982). A greater variation of habitat increases thermal heterogeneity and potential basking opportunities, which permits lizards

to attain a greater level of activity (Sartorius et al., 1999). The larger and more diverse habitat, particularly substrate type, on Ile aux

Fouquets offers a wider thermal variance (mean substrate temperature 31.8˚C with a variance of 27.9, N=114) in comparison to Ilot

Vacoas (mean substrate temperature 33.1˚C with a variance of 13.8, N=126). The greater variety of basking opportunities on Ile aux

Fouquets is therefore the most likely reason for the greater level of activity observed. The greater opportunity of basking sites is likely

to allow skinks to obtain an optimum body temperature. The range or variance of body temperatures recorded from skinks on Ile aux

Fouquets (mean body temperature 30.8˚C with a variance of 3.9, N=101) is narrower than those recorded on Ilot Vacoas (mean body

temperature 31.8˚C with a variance of 5.1, N=74). The broader range of available substrate temperatures and narrow range of body

temperature demonstrates that the thermal biology of skinks is probably optimal on Ile aux Fouquets in comparison to Ilot Vacoas.

Optimisation of skink body temperatures would account for the greater activity observed on Ile aux Fouquets.

In comparison to Ile aux Fouquets, Ilot Vacoas is relatively flat and exposed to strong salt-spray winds with little cover from

the sun, which is intensified by reflectance from the surrounding lagoon. The skinks on Ilot Vacoas were therefore more likely to be

found at ground level where they are relatively sheltered from the elements by the S. dimidiatum grasses, where the skinks are mostly

confined. In comparison to Ilot Vacoas, the skinks on Ile aux Fouquets continued to select the S. dimidiatum grasses of similar height

and held similar positions from refuge sites, despite a broader array of habitat types and availability.

Skinks on Ilot Vacoas were found to consume more prey types than on Ile aux Fouquets, such that the diet of both populations was

found to differ by approximately 50%. Many of the additional prey types consumed on Ilot Vacoas occurred at relatively low rates and were

calculated with low importance values. The absence of these additional prey types in the diet of skinks on Ile aux Fouquets was most likely a

result of the lower sampling effort. It is also probable that the lower relative abundance of preferred prey categories on Ilot Vacoas and higher

likely rate of intraspecific competition caused skinks to consume additional prey categories. With the exception of the prey category

Hymenoptera (mostly the introduced big-headed ant P. megacephala) that had a significant importance value in the diet of skinks on Ilot Vacoas

the main prey types consumed were similar between the two island populations. There was no evident shift for selection of new prey types on

Ile aux Fouquets, although there was a greater preference for Orthoptera. The main shifts that were detected were a reduced selection of

certain prey types that were selected for more strongly on Ilot Vacoas. The greater relative availability of the main prey types on Ile aux

Fouquets, the lower skink density and resultant release from intraspecific competition are the most likely causes for these observed shifts.

3.9.4 Impact

The southeastern side of Ile aux Fouquets is raised into a small cliff on which the lighthouse is positioned. These aspects of the island

make it more sheltered from the elements and strong trade winds, which probably accounts for the more stable invertebrate

community than seen on the low-lying, smaller and more exposed Ilot Vacoas. No evidence was found to suggest that the translocated

skink population had yet caused an impact upon the main invertebrate prey groups. There was evidence to suggest the severe drought

in the dry season 2007 caused a change in the relative abundance of invertebrate groups with a knock on effect in the rainy season

2008. However, by the dry season 2008 invertebrate abundance was no different to the dry season 2006 prior to when skinks were

released.

Harvesting two batches of 20 skinks a year apart from Ilot Vacoas for release onto Ile aux Fouquets has shown to have had no detectable

impact upon the donor population, which is estimated at being between 333 and 445 skinks with a mean of 379. This method has proved to be

extremely effective in establishing a new population on Ile aux Fouquets. Given the rate of population growth on Ile aux Fouquets and it was

deemed unnecessary to translocate a further 20 individuals from Ilot Vacoas in January 2009. As of yet, there have been no detectable impacts

upon the introduced house gecko or native Bouton’s skink population as a result of the Bojer’s skink release. The severity of the dry season 2007

did however lower the Bouton’s skink population, although by the dry season 2008 the population estimate was no different to pre-

translocation estimates. There is much circumstantial evidence to suggest that Bojer’s skinks competitively exclude Bouton’s skinks (Vinson &

Vinson, 1969; Jones, 1993; Freeman, 2003), but as of yet we have found little evidence to support this. It is highly probable that one or more

resources utilised by the two skink species are not yet limited for competitive mechanisms to take effect. This may change when the Bojer’s

skinks reach a carrying capacity and start limiting resources. Further annual monitoring of this system is required to determine the competitive

relationship between the two skinks.

3.10 Proposed management for continued Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink restoration

As a result of this project we have demonstrated that a small number of skinks can be harvested for translocation to produce a healthy growing

population elsewhere. The next and most logical step is to restore Bojer’s skinks back to Ile de la Passe (2.42ha, Figure 1.1). Bojer’s skinks were

present on the island until at least the 1930s (Jones, 1993; Freeman, 2003). Introduced musk shrews that were responsible for the loss of the

Bojer’s skinks from the island were eradicated in 2000 (Varnham et al., 2002). The habitat on Ile de la Passe is similar to Ile aux Fouquets, except

that the former is heavily fortified with numerous buildings, concrete platforms and structures. Nevertheless, the buildings offer numerous

cavities and crevices for refuge and the surrounding vegetation; mostly S. dimidiatum grasses and low lying bushes of P. acidula, S. taccada, T.

argentea and several screwpines Pandanus vandermeerschii that offer suitable microhabitats for the skinks. Like Ile aux Fouquets, Ile de la Passe

has a large population of Bouton’s skinks and house geckos. In addition to these reptiles, the introduced blind snake Typhlops porrectus was

recorded on Ile de la Passe during archaeological work on the island in 2003 (Cole, 2005b). However, this small introduced snake poses no threat

to the Bojer’s skinks. Invertebrate prey species are abundant upon the island, particularly those in the orders Blattodea and Orthoptera that are

favoured by the skinks. Prior to any translocation we recommend a thorough survey of the islands fauna to obtain baseline abundance levels of

vertebrate and invertebrate groups. A faunal survey is also required to detect any recent introductions of alien species that may pose a threat to

the establishment of a new skink population.

It is proposed that 20 skinks are harvested from Ilot Vacoas and an equal number from Ile aux Fouquets for release on Ile de la Passe.

The release should occur in January 2010 before the onset of the rainy season when the relative abundance of preferred prey types is at its

greatest. If the population grows exponentially it is estimated that there should be approximately 430 skinks on the island by the dry season

2011, without additional translocations.

3.10.1 Genetic management of small Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink populations

Increasing the distribution of skinks to islands within their former range will significantly reduce the risk of extinction. Low levels of natural

migration of Gongylomorphus skinks between islands over time is thought to have permitted northern island populations to retain a high level of

genetic variation (Freeman, 2003). However, the isolated and bottlenecked population on Ilot Vacoas is thought to be losing genetic variation

through the inevitable impact of inbreeding (Freeman, 2003). The translocation of small numbers of individuals to Ile aux Fouquets is likely to

have bottlenecked the release population even more. However, this effect is likely to have been lessened slightly by the second translocation

from Ilot Vacoas. Periodic translocations into small reintroduced populations has proved to be an effective strategy to reduce inbreeding in some

New Zealand bird species (Armstrong & Seddon, 2008). The release of skinks from both Ilot Vacoas and Ile aux Fouquets to Ile de la Passe is likely

to reduce potential bottlenecking effects by effectively mixing genetic material from the two islands. How the genetic make-up of a source

population affects a founding translocated population and its persistence is a key question in re-introduction biology (Armstrong & Seddon,

2008). Understanding the level of genetic variation that exists in the source population and how much of the variation is captured in a

translocated population, governs effective management strategies to prevent inbreeding depression. Determining these factors is of paramount

importance when managing small critically endangered island populations, such as the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skink. To address these issues, tail tips

have been collected from skinks on Ilot Vacoas and Ile aux Fouquets. For comparative investigation of the potential effects of inbreeding in the

southeast populations, tail tips have also been collected from the genetically diverse and sub-specific population of Bojer’s skinks on Round

Island. All samples have been sent to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust for analyses.

3.10.2 Further options for southeastern island small reptile restoration

Whilst the restoration of night gecko populations is limited (see section 2.9), there is still scope for restoring reptile communities on islands such

as Ile de la Passe. In 2010 Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks will be released, but the island once held a larger reptile community. In the 1764 Cossigny

reported large snakes on Ile de la Passe (Cheke, 1987a), which would have been one of the two species of Bolyeridae. Bolyeridae are reptile

specialists, although also occasionally predate seabirds. To have survived on Ile de la Passe, the boas would have required a large biomass of

reptiles varying from small geckos and skinks and possibly larger species like the Telfair’s skink L. telfairii, which represent the principal prey item

for the keel-scaled boa C. dussumieri on Round Island. It is unlikely that large skinks or boas would be able to survive on Ile de la Passe in present

times, because of the high levels of human interference. However, smaller species that would have been present to support these reptiles could

be reintroduced. Apart from the smaller skinks, the endemic ornate day gecko and lesser night gecko would have inhabited Ile de la Passe in the

past. The presence of house geckos on the island prevents the release of night geckos and although it is a known competitor of the day gecko,

the species are likely to persist on the island (Cole, 2005b; Cole et al., 2005). The habitat of Ile de la Passe is ideal for the day gecko and suitable

prey abundance is available (Cole, 2005b). The translocation to Ile de la Passe from the neighbouring island Ile aux Aigrettes has also previously

been suggested (R. Gibson pers. comm.), and would represent another step in restoring functional reptile communities on offshore islands.

Nevertheless, given the constraints of funding and time the translocation of Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks to Ile de la Passe should take precedent

over the release of ornate day geckos.

Bojer’s skinks were also once present on Ile aux Aigrettes (Jones, 1993), but were extirpated following the introduction of alien

predators, principally the wolf snake, musk shrew and black rat. Rats have been eradicated (Jones & Hartley, 1995) and initial indications show

that an established population of Telfair’s skinks on the island is likely to lead to the decline and possible extirpation of wolf snakes and shrews

(see section XXXX). Without wolf snakes or shrews on the island it will be possible to re-introduce the Ilot Vacoas Bojer’s skinks.

Contacts

Cathleen Cybele

[email protected]

The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation

Grannum Road

Vacoas

Mauritius

(230) 697 6097

www.mauritina-wildlife.org

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