Resource partitioning between black-backed jackal and brown hyeana in Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, South Africa

Understanding resource partitioning by predators is important for understanding coexistence patterns, with this becoming more relevant as historical food webs are altered through human impacts. Using scat analysis, we investigated the diet overlap of two sympatric meso-carnviores, the black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas and brown hyaena Hyaena brunnea, in Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. Scats (n = 30 jackal, 42 brown hyaena) were collected in April 2012 from game and livestock farms. When comparing main prey categories (medium-large mammal, small mammal, fruit, invertebrate, reptile, and bird) we found little difference in diets, with both carnivores consuming predominantly medium-large mammals (10-100kg). Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus was the most commonly consumed large mammal species for both predators. Jackal and brown hyaena had, on average, 1.3 and 1.4 main prey categories per scat respectively which resulted in diet diversities of 3.9 for jackal and 2.5 for brown hyaena. Only jackal consumed livestock (which may have been scavenged), albeit in small amounts (< 5% frequency of occurrence). The high level of resource overlap was consistent with previous jackal–brown hyaena resource partitioning studies. Across a range of studies, resource overlap was higher when apex predator densities were lower. Thus, lower apex predator densities may restrict brown hyaena populations through the lack of carrion. At these lower brown hyaena densities, large mammal carrion, which brown hyaena rely on, may persist for longer. This persistence may enable jackals to increase their consumption of larger mammals, thereby reducing their reliance on rodents and small-medium sized mammals. Our results support the prediction that lower apex predator densities allow jackals to consume more medium to large mammals. However, diet overlap is only one of many niche axes that can assist in species co-occurrence, and further work is required to understand how jackal and brown hyaena interact at spatial, temporal and behavioural scales

Spatial and temporal changes in group dynamics and range use enable anti-predator responses in African buffalo

The reintroduction of large predators provides a framework to investigate responses by prey species to predators. Considerable research has been directed at the impact that reintroduced wolves (Canis lupus) have on cervids, and to a lesser degree, bovids, in northern temperate regions. Generally, these impacts alter feeding, activity, and ranging behavior, or combinations of these. However, there are few studies on the response of African bovids to reintroduced predators, and thus, there is limited data to compare responses by tropical and temperate ungulates to predator reintroductions. Using the reintroduction of lion (Panthera leo) into the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) Main Camp Section, South Africa, we show that Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) responses differ from northern temperate ungulates. Following lion reintroduction, buffalo herds amalgamated into larger, more defendable units; this corresponded with an increase in the survival of juvenile buffalo. Current habitat preference of buffalo breeding herds is for open habitats, especially during the night and morning, when lion are active. The increase in group size and habitat preference countered initial high levels of predation on juvenile buffalo, resulting in a return in the proportion of juveniles in breeding herds to pre-lion levels. Our results show that buffalo responses to reintroduced large predators in southern Africa differ to those of northern temperate bovids or cervids in the face of wolf predation. We predict that the nature of the prey response to predator reintroduction is likely to reflect the trade-off between the predator selection and hunting strategy of predators against the life history and foraging strategies of each prey species

Illegal bushmeat hunters compete with predators and threaten wild herbivore populations in a global tourism hotspot

Illegal bushmeat hunting is a global threat to wildlife, but its secretive and unregulated nature undermines efforts to mitigate its impacts on wildlife and wildlife-based industries. We investigated the scale of illegal bushmeat hunting in the Okavango Delta, Botswana (~ 20,000 km2) to assess its potential contribution to wildlife population declines. Approximately 1,800 illegal hunters each harvest an average of 320 kg of bushmeat annually, though some reported harvesting ≥ 1000 kg. While impala were the most commonly hunted species, buffalo and greater kudu accounted for most bushmeat. Hunters remove ~ 620,000 kg of medium-large herbivore biomass (equivalent to 15,500 impala) annually from the delta and humans are the fourth most prominent predator in the delta. Cumulative harvest by humans and other predators likely exceeds the intrinsic population growth rate of several species of ungulates in the delta, and helps explain purported declines in ungulate populations. Competition between humans and other apex predators for limited prey reduces the ecosystem's carrying capacity for large carnivores. Illegal bushmeat hunting represents an economically inefficient use of the delta's wildlife and a threat to the region's tourism industry. Strategies are required that provide clearer avenues for communities to benefit legally from wildlife, while concurrently curbing illegal hunting through effective law enforcement.The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for funding this project under Technical Cooperation Programme project TCP/BOT/3501, in partnership with Panthera and the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust.http://www.elsevier.com/ locate/biocon2018-06-30hj2018Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Spatial patterns of large African cats: a large-scale study on density, home range size, and home range overlap of lions Panthera leo and leopards Panthera pardus

Environmental Biolog