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Tarugara A, Clegg BW, Clegg SB. Factors influencing space-use and kill distribution of sympatric lion prides in a semi-arid savanna landscape. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16749. [PMID: 38282863 PMCID: PMC10821722 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16749] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding lions' (Panthera leo) space-use is important for the management of multi-species wildlife systems because lions can have profound impacts on ecosystem-wide ecological processes. Semi-arid savanna landscapes are typically heterogeneous with species space-use driven by the availability and distribution of resources. Previous studies have demonstrated that lions select areas close to water as encounter rates with prey are higher and hunting success is greater in these regions. Where multiple lion prides exist, landscape partitioning is expected to follow a despotic distribution in which competitively superior prides occupy high-quality areas while subordinates select poorer habitats. In this study, Global Positioning System collar data and logistic regression were used to investigate space-use and hunting success among 50% of lion prides at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe. Our findings show that lion space-use was driven by surface water availability and that home range selection was socially hierarchical with the dominant pride occupying habitat in which water was most abundant. In addition, we found that the effect of shrub cover, clay content and soil depth on kill probability was area specific and not influenced by hierarchical dominance. Where multiple lion prides are studied, we recommend treating prides as individual units because pooling data may obscure site and pride specific response patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Tarugara
- Research Department, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
| | - Bruce W. Clegg
- Research Department, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
| | - Sarah B. Clegg
- Research Department, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zimbabwe
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2
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Bouderka S, Perry TW, Parker D, Beukes M, Mgqatsa N. Count me in: Leopard population density in an area of mixed land‐use, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Afr J Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.13078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Safia Bouderka
- Department of Biology Furman University Greenville South Carolina USA
| | - Travis W. Perry
- Department of Biology Furman University Greenville South Carolina USA
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Makhanda South Africa
| | - Daniel Parker
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Makhanda South Africa
- School of Biology and Environmental Sciences University of Mpumalanga Mbombela South Africa
| | - Maya Beukes
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Makhanda South Africa
| | - Nokubonga Mgqatsa
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology Rhodes University Makhanda South Africa
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3
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Banasiak NM, Hayward MW, Kerley GI. Emerging Human–Carnivore Conflict Following Large Carnivore Reintroductions Highlights the Need to Lift Baselines. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.3957/056.051.0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia M. Banasiak
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Gqeberha, 6031 South Africa
| | - Matt W. Hayward
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Gqeberha, 6031 South Africa
| | - Graham I.H. Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, Gqeberha, 6031 South Africa
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4
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Wilkinson CE, McInturff A, Miller JRB, Yovovich V, Gaynor KM, Calhoun K, Karandikar H, Martin JV, Parker-Shames P, Shawler A, Van Scoyoc A, Brashares JS. An ecological framework for contextualizing carnivore-livestock conflict. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:854-867. [PMID: 32406970 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Carnivore predation on livestock is a complex management and policy challenge, yet it is also intrinsically an ecological interaction between predators and prey. Human-wildlife interactions occur in socioecological systems in which human and environmental processes are closely linked. However, underlying human-wildlife conflict and key to unpacking its complexity are concrete and identifiable ecological mechanisms that lead to predation events. To better understand how ecological theory accords with interactions between wild predators and domestic prey, we developed a framework to describe ecological drivers of predation on livestock. We based this framework on foundational ecological theory and current research on interactions between predators and domestic prey. We used this framework to examine ecological mechanisms (e.g., density-mediated effects, behaviorally mediated effects, and optimal foraging theory) through which specific management interventions operate, and we analyzed the ecological determinants of failure and success of management interventions in 3 case studies: snow leopards (Panthera uncia), wolves (Canis lupus), and cougars (Puma concolor). The varied, context-dependent successes and failures of the management interventions in these case studies demonstrated the utility of using an ecological framework to ground research and management of carnivore-livestock conflict. Mitigation of human-wildlife conflict appears to require an understanding of how fundamental ecological theories work within domestic predator-prey systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Wilkinson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Alex McInturff
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Jennifer R B Miller
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
- Defenders of Wildlife, 1130 17th St. NW, Washington DC, 20036, U.S.A
| | - Veronica Yovovich
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Kendall Calhoun
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Harshad Karandikar
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Jeff Vance Martin
- Department of Geography, University of California, 505 McCone Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Phoebe Parker-Shames
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Avery Shawler
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Amy Van Scoyoc
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 139 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, U.S.A
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Balbuena‐Serrano Á, Zarco‐González MM, Monroy‐Vilchis O, Morato R, De Paula R. Hotspots of livestock depredation by pumas and jaguars in Brazil: a biome‐scale analysis. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Á. Balbuena‐Serrano
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas Universidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoInstituto Literario 100 Toluca Estado de México México
| | - M. M. Zarco‐González
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas Universidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoInstituto Literario 100 Toluca Estado de México México
| | - O. Monroy‐Vilchis
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas Universidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoInstituto Literario 100 Toluca Estado de México México
| | - R. Morato
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos CarnívorosInstituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia SP Brazil
- Instituto Pro‐Carnívoros Atibaia SP Brazil
| | - R. De Paula
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos CarnívorosInstituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia SP Brazil
- Instituto Pro‐Carnívoros Atibaia SP Brazil
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Ugarte CS, Moreira-Arce D, Simonetti JA. Ecological Attributes of Carnivore-Livestock Conflict. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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Davidson Z, Dupuis-Desormeaux M, Dheer A, Pratt L, Preston E, Gilicho S, Mwololo M, Chege G, MacDonald SE, Doncaster CP. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul: managing threatened predators of endangered and declining prey species. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7916. [PMID: 31637142 PMCID: PMC6798864 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation policy and practice can sometimes run counter to their mutual aims of ensuring species survival. In Kenya, where threatened predators such as lion deplete endangered prey such as Grevy's zebra, conservation practitioners seek to ensure species success through exclusive strategies of protection, population increase and preservation. We found strong selection for the endangered Grevy's zebra by both lion and hyena on two small fenced conservancies in Kenya. Despite abundant diversity of available prey, Grevy's zebra were selected disproportionately more than their availability, while other highly available species such as buffalo were avoided. Lions were therefore not alone in presenting a credible threat to Grevy's zebra survival. Conservation practitioners must consider interlinked characteristics of prey selection, resource availability and quality, the interplay between carnivore guild members and landscape scale population trends performance in wildlife management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeke Davidson
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Isiolo, Meru, Kenya.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arjun Dheer
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Pratt
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Preston
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Suzanne E MacDonald
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - C Patrick Doncaster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
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Mann GK, Wilkinson A, Hayward J, Drouilly M, O’Riain MJ, Parker DM. The effects of aridity on land use, biodiversity and dietary breadth in leopards. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Guerisoli MDLM, Luengos Vidal E, Franchini M, Caruso N, Casanave EB, Lucherini M. Characterization of puma-livestock conflicts in rangelands of central Argentina. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170852. [PMID: 29308228 PMCID: PMC5749996 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Livestock predation is one of the major causes of conflicts between humans and pumas (Puma concolor). Using data from interviews with ranchers and kill-site inspections, we characterized puma-livestock conflicts in Villarino and Patagones counties of central Argentinean rangelands. Depredation was considered the major cause of livestock losses, and puma attacks were reported in 46.6% and 35.4% of ranches in Villarino and Patagones, respectively. The majority of ranches underwent losses smaller than 1000 USD. The proportion of livestock lost to predation (0.1-10.4%) and financial losses (5.3-1560.4 USD) per ranch/year varied across ranches, and small sheep ranches in Villarino were affected the most. Depredation was recorded only at night and preferentially in grassland with shrubs and cropland habitats. Although nocturnal enclosures appeared to decrease sheep losses, puma hunting was considered the most effective form of reducing depredation and was implemented by most ranchers. Mortality rates were 3.7 and 1.1-1.56 individuals/year × 100 km2 for sheep and pumas, respectively. Nocturnal fencing, shepherding and spatial separation from predators may efficiently reduce sheep losses. However, the poor association between the intensity of puma persecution and puma-related livestock losses suggests that conflict mitigation in central Argentina is not only about reducing damage but also about increasing tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- María de las Mercedes Guerisoli
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Estela Luengos Vidal
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | | | - Nicolás Caruso
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Emma Beatriz Casanave
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Mauro Lucherini
- GECM (Grupo de Ecología Comportamental de Mamíferos), Lab. de Fisiología Animal, Depto. Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- INBIOSUR (Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur), CONICET, UNS (Universidad Nacional del Sur)—DBByF (Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia), San Juan 670, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
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Ghoddousi A, Soofi M, Kh. Hamidi A, Lumetsberger T, Egli L, Khorozyan I, Kiabi BH, Waltert M. Assessing the Role of Livestock in Big Cat Prey Choice Using Spatiotemporal Availability Patterns. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153439. [PMID: 27064680 PMCID: PMC4827856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Livestock is represented in big cat diets throughout the world. Husbandry approaches aim to reduce depredation, which may influence patterns of prey choice, but whether felids have a preference for livestock or not often remains unclear as most studies ignore livestock availability. We assessed prey choice of the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Golestan National Park, Iran, where conflict over livestock depredation occurs. We analyzed leopard diet (77 scats) and assessed wild and domestic prey abundance by line transect sampling (186 km), camera-trapping (2777 camera days), double-observer point-counts (64 scans) and questionnaire surveys (136 respondents). Based on interviews with 18 shepherds, we estimated monthly grazing time outside six villages with 96 conflict cases to obtain a small livestock (domestic sheep and goat) availability coefficient. Using this coefficient, which ranged between 0.40 and 0.63 for different villages, we estimated the numbers of sheep and goats available to leopard depredation. Leopard diet consisted mainly of wild boar (Sus scrofa) (50.2% biomass consumed), but bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus) was the most preferred prey species (Ij = 0.73), whereas sheep and goats were avoided (Ij = -0.54). When absolute sheep and goat numbers (~11250) were used instead of the corrected ones (~6392), avoidance of small livestock appeared to be even stronger (Ij = -0.71). We suggest that future assessments of livestock choice by felids should incorporate such case-specific corrections for spatiotemporal patterns of availability, which may vary with husbandry methods. Such an approach increases our understanding of human-felid conflict dynamics and the role of livestock in felid diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Ghoddousi
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Mahmood Soofi
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Tanja Lumetsberger
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Egli
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Igor Khorozyan
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bahram H. Kiabi
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Tehran, Iran
| | - Matthias Waltert
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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