Results of the eighteenth winter waterbird census in Libya in 2022

Background

Libyan wetlands are diverse; the coastline of Libya, in particular, has different kinds of wetlands, such as salt marshes, bays, lakes, lagoons, and islands. These varieties in habitats provide good shelters and foraging sites for migratory birds during their journeys between Eurasia and Africa. Since the beginning of the Libyan winter census of waterbirds International waterbirds census (Libya IWC) in 2005, which continued regularly until 2012, it has had relatively the same performance in the number of covered sites. However, since 2013, due to the security situation that Libya has experienced due to wars and conflict, which negatively affected the quality of the IWC in Libya, the number of sites has dramatically decreased, reaching only six locations during the middle of the previous decade.

Aim

The IWC 2022 aimed to count the birds along the Libyan coast from January 10 to 29.

Methods

The census activities were conducted from dawn to dusk during the study period by using high-quality Telescopes, binoculars, and digital cameras for the documentation. Point transects method was used to cover the sites.

Results

The results of this year showed that a total of 64 sites were covered, and 68 species of waterbirds were counted, with an abundance of 61,850 individuals. During the census period, a total of 52 non-waterbird species found in Wetlands were recorded, and the number of individuals was 14,836 birds. A total of 18 threatened species were observed during this survey, 12 of them are mentioned in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, and nine species are mentioned in the regional activities center of specially protected areas annex II as threatened in the Mediterranean, where the species; Larus audouinii (Payraudeau, 1826), Larus genei (Breme, 1839), and Puffinus yelkouan (Acerbi, 1827) are mentioned in both of them.

Conclusion

The lack of the number of ornithologists and bird watchers is still one of the factors affecting the quality of the IWC in Libya, as well as lack of funding remains an important factor that plays a major role in the success of the waterbirds census.

Effect of glucomannan on haematological, coagulation and biochemical parameters in male rabbits fed aflatoxin-contaminated ration

The main goal of the present work was to explore the effect of glucomannan (GM) as a biological detoxifying agent on haematological, coagulation and biochemical parameters in male rabbits fed aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated ration. Thirty male White New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. They were divided into 3 equal groups. The first group was given a ration free from mycotoxins and kept as a control group. Rabbits in the second group were fed a ration naturally contaminated with AFB1 (0.1 mg/kg ration) for 28 days, while rabbits in the third group were fed AFB1-contaminated ration (0.1 mg/kg ration) in addition to GM (1 kg/ton) for 28 days. The results of the present work revealed that aflatoxicosis elicited a picture of microcytic hypochromic anaemia, leukopenia, lymphocytopenia and monocytopenia. Coagulopathy recorded in this work due to aflatoxicosis was characterised by thrombocytopenia, prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. Hepatotoxicity due to AFB1 recorded in this work was characterised by a significant increase in serum activity of alanine aminotransferase, gammaglutamyl transferase and total bilirubin in addition to a significant decrease in serum total proteins and albumin. Data recorded in this work showed a significant increase in serum urea, creatinine, total lipids and cholesterol in addition to a significant decrease in serum glucose, calcium, phosphorus and iron in rabbits fed aflatoxin-contaminated ration only. Supplementation of rabbit ration with GM resulted in the return of the above-mentioned parameters to normal control values. It could be concluded that GM provides new insights into counteracting the adverse effects of AFB1.