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Ram M, Sahu A, Srivastava N, Chaudhary R, Jhala L, Zala Y, Venkataraman M. Home range, habitat use and capture-release of translocated leopards in Gir landscape, Gujarat, India. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305278. [PMID: 38857226 PMCID: PMC11164372 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the spatial ecology of translocated leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) is crucial for their conservation and the effective assessment of conflict management strategies. We investigated the home range and habitat preferences of five radio-collared leopards (n = 5; 2 males; 3 females) in the Gir landscape. Additionally, we examined the usefulness of the capture-release strategy for these animals. We assessed home range and habitat selection using kernel density estimation (at 95% and 50% levels) and compositional analysis. Our findings revealed that leopards exhibited distinct patterns of movement, often returning to their original capture site or nearby locations or exploring new areas within 3 to 25 days, covering distances ranging from 48 to 260 km. The average home range (95% FK) was estimated at 103.96±36.37 (SE) km2, with a core area usage (50% FK) of 21.38±5.95 km2. Seasonally, we observed the largest home ranges during summer and the smallest during winter. Males exhibited larger home ranges (95% FK, 151±64.28 km2) compared to females (56.18±14.22 km2). The habitat analysis indicated that agricultural areas were consistently preferred in the multi-use landscape at the 2nd order habitat selection level. Additionally, habitat around water bodies was highly favoured at the 3rd order, with distinct variations in habitat selection observed during day and night. This study highlights the significance of riverine and scrubland habitats, as leopards exhibited strong preferences for these habitats within their home ranges. We emphasize the importance of conserving natural habitat patches, particularly those surrounding water bodies. We also report on the characteristics of the capture-release strategy and provide our observations indicating no escalated aggression by leopards' post-release. In conclusion, this study evaluates widely employed approaches to conflict mitigation and suggests the continuous review and assessment of management strategies for mitigating human-leopard conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Ram
- Wildlife Division, Sasan-Gir, Junagadh, Gujarat, India
| | | | | | - Rohit Chaudhary
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India
| | - Lahar Jhala
- Wildlife Division, Sasan-Gir, Junagadh, Gujarat, India
| | - Yashpal Zala
- Wildlife Division, Sasan-Gir, Junagadh, Gujarat, India
| | - Meena Venkataraman
- Principal Consultant, Carnivore Conservation and Research, Mumbai, India
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2
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J E T M, P A S, C L, N GK, F GK, R A H. Leopard density and determinants of space use in a farming landscape in South Africa. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10562. [PMID: 38719842 PMCID: PMC11079070 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are traditionally the foundation of conservation strategy, but land not formally protected is of particular importance for the conservation of large carnivores because of their typically wide-ranging nature. In South Africa, leopard (Panthera pardus) population decreases are thought to be occurring in areas of human development and intense negative interactions, but research is biased towards protected areas, with quantitative information on population sizes and trends in non-protected areas severely lacking. Using Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture and occupancy techniques including 10 environmental and anthropogenic covariates, we analysed camera trap data from commercial farmland in South Africa where negative human-wildlife interactions are reported to be high. Our findings demonstrate that leopards persist at a moderate density (2.21 /100 km2) and exhibit signs of avoidance from areas where lethal control measures are implemented. This suggests leopards have the potential to navigate mixed mosaic landscapes effectively, enhancing their chances of long-term survival and coexistence with humans. Mixed mosaics of agriculture that include crops, game and livestock farming should be encouraged and, providing lethal control is not ubiquitous in the landscape, chains of safer spaces should permit vital landscape connectivity. However, continuing to promote non-lethal mitigation techniques remains vital.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKaughan J E T
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa.
| | - Stephens P A
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Lucas C
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, UK
| | - Guichard-Kruger N
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa
| | - Guichard-Kruger F
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa
| | - Hill R A
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
- Primate and Predator Project, Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre, Campfornis Game Farm, Alldays, South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
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3
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Morris DR, McWhorter TJ, Boardman WSJ, Simpson G, Wentzel J, Coetzee J, Moodley Y. Unravelling the maternal evolutionary history of the African leopard ( Panthera pardus pardus). PeerJ 2024; 12:e17018. [PMID: 38618571 PMCID: PMC11016244 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) has lost a significant proportion of its historical range, notably in north-western Africa and South Africa. Recent studies have explored the genetic diversity and population structure of African leopards across the continent. A notable genetic observation is the presence of two divergent mitochondrial lineages, PAR-I and PAR-II. Both lineages appeared to be distributed widely, with PAR-II frequently found in southern Africa. Until now, no study has attempted to date the emergence of either lineage, assess haplotype distribution, or explore their evolutionary histories in any detail. To investigate these underappreciated questions, we compiled the largest and most geographically representative leopard data set of the mitochondrial NADH-5 gene to date. We combined samples (n = 33) collected in an altitudinal transect across the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, where two populations of leopard are known to be in genetic contact, with previously published sequences of African leopard (n = 211). We estimate that the maternal PAR-I and PAR-II lineages diverged approximately 0.7051 (0.4477-0.9632) million years ago (Ma). Through spatial and demographic analyses, we show that while PAR-I underwent a mid-Pleistocene population expansion resulting in several closely related haplotypes with little geographic structure across much of its range, PAR-II remained at constant size and may even have declined slightly in the last 0.1 Ma. The higher genetic drift experienced within PAR-II drove a greater degree of structure with little haplotype sharing and unique haplotypes in central Africa, the Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the South African Highveld. The phylogeographic structure of PAR-II, with its increasing frequency southward and its exclusive occurrence in south-eastern South Africa, suggests that this lineage may have been isolated in South Africa during the mid-Pleistocene. This hypothesis is supported by historical changes in paleoclimate that promoted intense aridification around the Limpopo Basin between 1.0-0.6 Ma, potentially reducing gene flow and promoting genetic drift. Interestingly, we ascertained that the two nuclear DNA populations identified by a previous study as East and West Mpumalanga correspond to PAR-I and PAR-II, respectively, and that they have come into secondary contact in the Lowveld region of South Africa. Our results suggest a subdivision of African leopard mtDNA into two clades, with one occurring almost exclusively in South Africa, and we identify the potential environmental drivers of this observed structure. We caution that our results are based on a single mtDNA locus, but it nevertheless provides a hypothesis that can be further tested with a dense sample of nuclear DNA data, preferably whole genomes. If our interpretation holds true, it would provide the first genetic explanation for the smaller observed size of leopards at the southernmost end of their range in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Declan R. Morris
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Todd J. McWhorter
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Wayne S. J. Boardman
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Gregory Simpson
- Department of Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary of Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jeanette Wentzel
- Department of Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary of Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng, South Africa
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jannie Coetzee
- Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
| | - Yoshan Moodley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Limpopo, South Africa
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4
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Broekman MJE, Hilbers JP, Hoeks S, Huijbregts MAJ, Schipper AM, Tucker MA. Environmental drivers of global variation in home range size of terrestrial and marine mammals. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:488-500. [PMID: 38459628 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
As animal home range size (HRS) provides valuable information for species conservation, it is important to understand the driving factors of HRS variation. It is widely known that differences in species traits (e.g. body mass) are major contributors to variation in mammal HRS. However, most studies examining how environmental variation explains mammal HRS variation have been limited to a few species, or only included a single (mean) HRS estimate for the majority of species, neglecting intraspecific HRS variation. Additionally, most studies examining environmental drivers of HRS variation included only terrestrial species, neglecting marine species. Using a novel dataset of 2800 HRS estimates from 586 terrestrial and 27 marine mammal species, we quantified the relationships between HRS and environmental variables, accounting for species traits. Our results indicate that terrestrial mammal HRS was on average 5.3 times larger in areas with low human disturbance (human footprint index [HFI] = 0), compared to areas with maximum human disturbance (HFI = 50). Similarly, HRS was on average 5.4 times larger in areas with low annual mean productivity (NDVI = 0), compared to areas with high productivity (NDVI = 1). In addition, HRS increased by a factor of 1.9 on average from low to high seasonality in productivity (standard deviation (SD) of monthly NDVI from 0 to 0.36). Of these environmental variables, human disturbance and annual mean productivity explained a larger proportion of HRS variance than seasonality in productivity. Marine mammal HRS decreased, on average, by a factor of 3.7 per 10°C decline in annual mean sea surface temperature (SST), and increased by a factor of 1.5 per 1°C increase in SST seasonality (SD of monthly values). Annual mean SST explained more variance in HRS than SST seasonality. Due to the small sample size, caution should be taken when interpreting the marine mammal results. Our results indicate that environmental variation is relevant for HRS and that future environmental changes might alter the HRS of individuals, with potential consequences for ecosystem functioning and the effectiveness of conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten J E Broekman
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jelle P Hilbers
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Selwyn Hoeks
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Aafke M Schipper
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Marlee A Tucker
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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5
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Hinde K, Wilkinson A, Tokota S, Amin R, O’Riain MJ, Williams KS. Leopard density and the ecological and anthropogenic factors influencing density in a mixed-use landscape in the Western Cape, South Africa. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293445. [PMID: 37889916 PMCID: PMC10610481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Large carnivores face numerous threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, direct killing, and prey depletion, leading to significant global range and population declines. Despite such threats, leopards (Panthera pardus) persist outside protected areas throughout most of their range, occupying diverse habitat types and land uses, including peri-urban and rural areas. Understanding of leopard population dynamics in mixed-use landscapes is limited, especially in South Africa, where the majority of leopard research has focused on protected areas. We use spatially explicit capture-recapture models to estimate leopard density across a mixed-use landscape of protected areas, farmland, and urban areas in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa. Data from 86 paired camera stations provided 221 independent captures of 25 leopards at 50 camera trap stations with a population density estimate of 0.64 leopards per 100 km2 (95% CI: 0.55-0.73). Elevation, terrain ruggedness, and vegetation productivity were important drivers of leopard density in the landscape, being highest on elevated remnants of natural land outside of protected areas. These results are similar to previous research findings in other parts of the Western Cape, where high-lying natural vegetation was shown to serve as both a refuge and a corridor for leopard movement in otherwise transformed landscapes. Given the low leopard density and the prevalence of transformed land intermixed with patches of more suitable leopard habitat, prioritising and preserving connectivity for leopards is vital in this shared landscape. Ecological corridors should be developed in partnership with private landowners through an inclusive and multifaceted conservation strategy which also incorporates monitoring of and rapid mitigation of emerging threats to leopards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Hinde
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | - Rajan Amin
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
- Conservation Programmes, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - M. Justin O’Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kathryn S. Williams
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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6
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Brown MB, Fennessy JT, Crego RD, Fleming CH, Alves J, Brandlová K, Fennessy S, Ferguson S, Hauptfleisch M, Hejcmanova P, Hoffman R, Leimgruber P, Masiaine S, McQualter K, Mueller T, Muller B, Muneza A, O'Connor D, Olivier AJ, Rabeil T, Seager S, Stacy-Dawes J, van Schalkwyk L, Stabach J. Ranging behaviours across ecological and anthropogenic disturbance gradients: a pan-African perspective of giraffe ( Giraffa spp .) space use. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230912. [PMID: 37357852 PMCID: PMC10291724 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal movement behaviours are shaped by diverse factors, including resource availability and human impacts on the landscape. We generated home range estimates and daily movement rate estimates for 149 giraffe (Giraffa spp.) from all four species across Africa to evaluate the effects of environmental productivity and anthropogenic disturbance on space use. Using the continuous time movement modelling framework and a novel application of mixed effects meta-regression, we summarized overall giraffe space use and tested for the effects of resource availability and human impact on 95% autocorrelated kernel density estimate (AKDE) size and daily movement. The mean 95% AKDE was 359.9 km2 and the mean daily movement was 14.2 km, both with marginally significant differences across species. We found significant negative effects of resource availability, and significant positive effects of resource heterogeneity and protected area overlap on 95% AKDE size. There were significant negative effects of overall anthropogenic disturbance and positive effects of the heterogeneity of anthropogenic disturbance on daily movements and 95% AKDE size. Our results provide unique insights into the interactive effects of resource availability and anthropogenic development on the movements of a large-bodied browser and highlight the potential impacts of rapidly changing landscapes on animal space-use patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Butler Brown
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | | | - Ramiro D. Crego
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Christen H. Fleming
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Joel Alves
- Wildscapes Veterinary & Conservation Services, Hoedspruit, South Africa
| | - Karolina Brandlová
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16500 Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Sara Ferguson
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Morgan Hauptfleisch
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Namibia University of Science and Technology, 8 Johann Albrecht Street, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Pavla Hejcmanova
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 16500 Prague, Czechia
| | - Rigardt Hoffman
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Peter Leimgruber
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Symon Masiaine
- Conservation Science & Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kylie McQualter
- Centre for Ecosystem Studies, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and Department of Biological Science, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ben Muller
- Wildscapes Veterinary & Conservation Services, Hoedspruit, South Africa
| | - Arthur Muneza
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation, PO Box 86099, Eros, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - David O'Connor
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and Department of Biological Science, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Adriaan Jacobus Olivier
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | | | | | - Jenna Stacy-Dawes
- Conservation Science & Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Louis van Schalkwyk
- Office of the State Veterinarian, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Kruger National Park, Skukuza, South Africa
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jared Stabach
- Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Conservation Ecology Center, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
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7
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Greyling E, Comley J, Cherry MI, Leslie AJ, Müller L. Facilitation of a free-roaming apex predator in working lands: evaluating factors that influence leopard spatial dynamics and prey availability in a South African biodiversity hotspot. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14575. [PMID: 36718440 PMCID: PMC9884037 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Apex predators ideally require vast intact spaces that support sufficient prey abundances to sustain them. In a developing world, however, it is becoming extremely difficult to maintain large enough areas to facilitate apex predators outside of protected regions. Free-roaming leopards (Panthera pardus) are the last remaining apex predator in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, and face a multitude of threats attributable to competition for space and resources with humans. Using camera-trap data, we investigated the influence of anthropogenic land modification on leopards and the availability of their natural prey species in two contrasting communities-primarily protected (Cederberg) and agriculturally transformed (Piketberg). Potential prey species composition and diversity were determined, to indicate prey availability in each region. Factors influencing spatial utilisation by leopards and their main prey species were also assessed. Estimated potential prey species richness (Cederberg = 27, Piketberg = 26) and diversity indices (Cederberg-H' = 2.64, Ds = 0.90; Piketberg-H' = 2.46, Ds = 0.89), supported by both the Jaccard's Index (J = 0.73) and Sørensen's Coefficient (CC = 0.85), suggested high levels of similarity across the two regions. Main leopard prey species were present in both regions, but their relative abundances differed. Grey rhebok, klipspringer, and rock hyrax were more abundant in the Cederberg, while Cape grysbok, Cape porcupine, chacma baboon, and common duiker were more abundant in Piketberg. Leopards persisted across the agriculturally transformed landscape despite these differences. Occupancy modelling revealed that the spatial dynamics of leopards differed between the two regions, except for both populations preferring areas further away from human habitation. Overall, anthropogenic factors played a greater role in affecting spatial utilisation by leopards and their main prey species in the transformed region, whereas environmental factors had a stronger influence in the protected region. We argue that greater utilisation of alternative main prey species to those preferred in the protected region, including livestock, likely facilitates the persistence of leopards in the transformed region, and believe that this has further implications for human-wildlife conflict. Our study provides a baseline understanding of the potential direct and indirect impacts of agricultural landscape transformation on the behaviour of leopards and shows that heavily modified lands have the potential to facilitate mammalian diversity, including apex predators. We iterate that conservation measures for apex predators should be prioritised where they are present on working lands, and encourage the collaborative development of customised, cost-effective, multi-species conflict management approaches that facilitate coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Greyling
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa,The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Jessica Comley
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, Mpumalanga, South Africa,Current Affiliation: Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Michael I. Cherry
- Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Alison J. Leslie
- Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Lana Müller
- The Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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8
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Estimating density of leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) using spatially explicit capture recapture framework in Gir Protected Area, Gujarat, India. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01255-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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9
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Samarasinghe DJ, Wikramanayake ED, Gopalaswamy AM, Jayewardene R, Kumara J, Fernando J, Gunawardene K, Alexander JS, Braczkowski A. Evidence for a critical leopard conservation stronghold from a large protected landscape on the island of Sri Lanka. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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10
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Modelling potential habitat suitability for critically endangered Arabian leopards (Panthera pardus nimr) across their historical range in Saudi Arabia. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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11
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Penjor U, Astaras C, Cushman SA, Kaszta Ż, Macdonald DW. Contrasting effects of human settlement on the interaction among sympatric apex carnivores. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212681. [PMID: 35473373 PMCID: PMC9043700 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In the face of a growing human footprint, understanding interactions among threatened large carnivores is fundamental to effectively mitigating anthropogenic threats and managing species. Using data from a large-scale camera trap survey, we investigated the effects of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the interspecific interaction of a carnivore guild comprising of tiger, leopard and dhole in Bhutan. We demonstrate the complex effects of human settlement density on large carnivore interactions. Specifically, we demonstrate that leopard–dhole co-occupancy probability was higher in areas with higher human settlement density. The opposite was true for tiger–leopard co-occupancy probability, but it was positively affected by large prey (gaur) abundance. These findings suggest that multi-carnivore communities across land-use gradients are spatially structured and mediated also by human presence and/or the availability of natural prey. Our findings show that space-use patterns are driven by a combination of the behavioural mechanism of each species and its interactions with competing species. The duality of the effect of settlement density on species interactions suggests that the benefits of exploiting anthropogenic environments are a trade-off between ecological opportunity (food subsidies or easy prey) and the risk of escalating conflict with humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugyen Penjor
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK.,Nature Conservation Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | | | - Samuel A Cushman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK.,USDA, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 2500 S, Pine Knoll Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Żaneta Kaszta
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK
| | - David W Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Oxford OX13 5QL, UK
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12
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Rodríguez‐Recio M, Burgos T, Krofel M, Lozano J, Moleón M, Virgós E. Estimating global determinants of leopard home range size in a changing world. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M Rodríguez‐Recio
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química inorgánica Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Madrid Spain
- Department of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - T Burgos
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química inorgánica Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Madrid Spain
| | - M Krofel
- Department of Forestry, Biotechnical Faculty University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - J Lozano
- Unidad Docente de Ecología, Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - M Moleón
- Department of Zoology University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - E Virgós
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química inorgánica Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Madrid Spain
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Dickie M, Serrouya R, Avgar T, McLoughlin P, McNay RS, DeMars C, Boutin S, Ford AT. Resource exploitation efficiency collapses the home range of an apex predator. Ecology 2022; 103:e3642. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Dickie
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Department of Biology University of British Columbia Kelowna British Columbia Canada
| | - R. Serrouya
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - T. Avgar
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah US
| | - P. McLoughlin
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
| | - R. S. McNay
- Wildlife Infometrics, 3 – 220 Mackenzie Blvd Mackenzie British Columbia Canada
| | - C. DeMars
- Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - S. Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - A. T. Ford
- Department of Biology University of British Columbia Kelowna British Columbia Canada
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