No abstract

Sympatric carnivores compete for similar resources which may lead to dominant species influencing the ecology of subordinate ones. However, carnivores often make use of coevolutionary strategies which enable them to minimise competition with dominant competitors and thus facilitate coexistence. We used camera trapping and scat analysis to investigate the potential competition between leopards (Panthera pardus) and caracals (Caracal caracal) along spatial, temporal and dietary axes to determine the mechanisms of their coexistence in the Cederberg, South Africa. Our results showed that both carnivores co-occurred at 39.73% of camera trapping sites, but spatial overlap based on Pianka's index was relatively low. We found a high overlap in daily activity patterns between these carnivore species both during winter and summer. Leopards and caracals exhibited fine-scale behavioural avoidance of one another, with time-to-encounters between interspecific competitors being significantly larger compared to intraspecific competitors. The two carnivores had a relatively high diet overlap, although this was largely due to one prey species, namely rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), which appears to be an important shared prey item. However, we did find evidence of dietary niche segregation, as leopards consumed larger prey compared to caracals. Our study suggests that carnivore coexistence in the Cederberg is facilitated by a combination of populationlevel partitioning in space-use and dietary habits, as well as fine-scale behavioural avoidance at the individual level to reduce interference competition. This study provides insights into the competition and coexistence mechanisms between sympatric carnivores and broadens our understanding of these ecological processes in carnivore guild systems.

Between 2011 and 2012, the carnivore guild in Majete Wildlife Reserve (MWR), Malawi, was restored following the reintroduction of lion (Panthera leo) and leopard (Panthera pardus). The aim of this study was to describe and compare the diet of lion, leopard and resident spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) using scat analysis. Lions and spotted hyaenas displayed the greatest dietary overlap (Oab = 0.88) and selected mainly medium‐ to large‐bodied prey species. Lions had a mean preferred prey weight of 120.33 ± 42.14 kg (SE), with warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) making up 60.64% of relative biomass consumed. Spotted hyaenas had a mean preferred prey weight of 102.40 ± 41.69 kg and had a more generalised diet (Ba = 0.46) compared to lions (Ba = 0.36). In contrast, leopards occupied a dietary niche substantially lower than that of lions and spotted hyaenas, selecting relatively smaller prey with a mean preferred prey weight of 27.50 ± 6.74 kg. Our results suggest that coexistence between the resident hyaena and reintroduced lion and leopard in MWR is facilitated by dietary partitioning. We advise long‐term monitoring of reintroduced carnivores in small, enclosed reserves to assess their impacts on predator and prey populations.

No abstract

Globally, leopards are the most widespread large felid. However, mounting anthropogenic threats are rapidly reducing viable leopard populations and their range. Despite the clear pressures facing this species, there is a dearth of robust and reliable population and density estimates for leopards across their range, which is particularly important in landscapes that consist of protected and non-protected areas. We conducted a camera trapping survey between 2017 and 2018 in the Western Cape, South Africa to estimate the occupancy, density, and population size of a leopard population. Leopards were recorded at 95% of camera trapping sites, which resulted in a high occupancy that showed no significant variation between seasons, habitat types, or along an altitudinal gradient. Our results indicated a low leopard density in the study area, with an estimated 1.53 leopards/100 km2 in summer and 1.62 leopards/100 km2 in winter. Mean leopard population size was therefore estimated at 107 and 113 individuals in the winter and summer respectively. Leopard activity centres for female ranges were centred in the core study area and could be predicted with good certainty, while males appeared to move out of the study area during winter which resulted in a higher uncertainty in locations of activity centres. Interestingly, livestock depredation events in the surrounding farmlands were significantly higher in winter, which coincides with male leopards moving outside the core protected area into the surrounding farmlands. To reduce livestock losses and retaliatory leopard killings, we suggest that human-carnivore conflict mitigation measures be intensely monitored during the winter months in the study area. We also suggest that future leopard conservation efforts should focus on privately-owned land as these non-protected areas contain the majority of the remaining suitable leopard habitat and may provide important dispersal corridors and buffer zones on which the long-term sustainability of leopard populations depends.