Home ranges of African wild dogs, lions, and spotted hyenas during the (a) denning period, (b) post-denning period, and (c) non-denning period in 2004 in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa.

<p>Home ranges of African wild dogs, lions, and spotted hyenas during the (a) denning period, (b) post-denning period, and (c) non-denning period in 2004 in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa.</p

Mean percentage overlap (± SE) of (a) home ranges, (b) core use areas and (c) and volume of intersection (3-dimensional overlap) of home ranges of wild dogs with lions (n = 9) and spotted hyenas (n = 5) between periods in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa, 2002–2004.

<p>Mean percentage overlap (± SE) of (a) home ranges, (b) core use areas and (c) and volume of intersection (3-dimensional overlap) of home ranges of wild dogs with lions (n = 9) and spotted hyenas (n = 5) between periods in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa, 2002–2004.</p

Space Use of African Wild Dogs in Relation to Other Large Carnivores

<div><p>Interaction among species through competition is a principle process structuring ecological communities, affecting behavior, distribution, and ultimately the population dynamics of species. High competition among large African carnivores, associated with extensive diet overlap, manifests in interactions between subordinate African wild dogs (<i>Lycaon pictus</i>) and dominant lions (<i>Panthera leo</i>) and spotted hyenas (<i>Crocuta crocuta</i>). Using locations of large carnivores in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa, we found different responses from wild dogs to their two main competitors. Wild dogs avoided lions, particularly during denning, through a combination of spatial and temporal avoidance. However, wild dogs did not exhibit spatial or temporal avoidance of spotted hyenas, likely because wild dog pack sizes were large enough to adequately defend their kills. Understanding that larger carnivores affect the movements and space use of other carnivores is important for managing current small and fragmented carnivore populations, especially as reintroductions and translocations are essential tools used for the survival of endangered species, as with African wild dogs.</p></div

Carrying capacity determines persistence.

<p>Average projected size of simulated wild dog populations over 100 years with the carrying capacity parameter set at varying levels in relation to initial population size. Model assumes an inbreeding avoidance threshold of F = 0.20.</p

Occasions where inbreeding was possible versus observed in the field within natal packs, after reproductive vacancies, and among siblings in the KZN African wild dog population (adults and yearlings) from 1997 through 2008.

§<p>Mother-son pair that bred together multiple years.</p>†<p>Full siblings unfamiliar to each other due to being born 2 years apart and present in the natal pack at different times.</p

Sensitivity analyses for selected model input variables with a ±25% variation range in values for a simulated African wild dog population.

*<p>Indicates the variables with the highest model sensitivity (S).</p

Average percent gene diversity lost annually before inbreeding thresholds were reached and population growth rates after thresholds began influencing mate availability in simulated African wild dog populations experiencing a range of levels of inbreeding avoidance.

<p>Average percent gene diversity lost annually before inbreeding thresholds were reached and population growth rates after thresholds began influencing mate availability in simulated African wild dog populations experiencing a range of levels of inbreeding avoidance.</p

Population composition with avoidance.

<p>Average number of adult male, adult female and juvenile wild dogs in simulated populations maintaining an inbreeding threshold of F = 0.20.</p

Projections with and without avoidance.

<p>Mean projected population size (a) and mean inbreeding coefficients (b) of simulated African wild dog populations over 100 years without inbreeding avoidance behaviours, with prevention of parent-offspring and full-sibling matings (F = 0.20), with prevention of half-sibling matings and higher (F = 0.123), and with prevention of aunt-nephew/uncle-niece matings and higher (F = 0.063). Dotted horizontal lines in (b) indicate inbreeding thresholds. The erratic behavior of mean inbreeding coefficients just before extinction is the result of very small population sizes that lead to unusual mean values near F = 1.0.</p

Relatedness comparisons with kinship levels.

<p>Mean pairwise relatedness (<i>r</i>) for different relationships in the KZN wild dog population with numbers of dyads examined for each category indicated.</p