Lion (Panthera leo) diet and cattle depredation on the Kuku Group Ranch Pastoralist area in southern Maasailand, Kenya

Abstract

Context African lion (Panthera leo) populations are declining throughout Africa, but the problem is particularly acute in southern Kenya, where human–lion conflict is common. Aims Using the Kuku Group Ranch (KGR) in southern Kenya as a case study, we investigated lion diet and the potential drivers of temporal variation in cattle depredation. Methods Using GPS clusters, we investigated the main prey species consumed by lions to determine lion diet. Prey preference of lions in relation to prey availability was then assessed using a Jacobs index to determine whether cattle or wild prey were preferred. We used reported depredation events recorded by verification officers over 36 months (2016–2018) to investigate whether temporal variation in cattle depredation by lions was linked to variation in lag rainfall, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) or availability of the most important large non-domestic prey items. Key results Six prey species (cattle, Bos taurus; Burchell’s zebra, Equus quagga; Coke’s hartebeest, Alcelaphus cokeii; Maasai giraffe, Giraffa tippelskirchi; blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus; and eland, Tragelaphus oryx) made up 92% of the biomass consumed by lions on KGR. Cattle are the most consumed prey item and contribute the second most to consumed biomass after giraffe. However, once prey availability is considered, lions preferred wild prey. Verification officers identified 330 cattle depredation events over 3 years, and we show that the most important predictor of monthly cattle depredation by lions was cumulative rainfall in the preceding 3 months. Conclusions Our results on cattle depredation by lions showed that rainfall and its influence on the environment are important drivers of cattle depredation. Understanding the mechanistic link between lion depredation and rainfall enables us to predict when depredation events may increase and allows hypotheses on the reason why this spike in depredation takes place to be explored. Implications Given that climate-change models indicate that East Africa will experience prolonged and increased seasonal rainfall, we predict that periods when cattle are vulnerable to lion depredation may increase. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that cattle husbandry is improved during these wetter periods to minimise the risk of conflict and retaliatory killing of lions.

The utility of Global Positioning System collars in inventorying the diet of lions and its shifts following an anthrax outbreak

“…Quantifying the diet of carnivores is central to understanding predation ecology and trophic energy flows (Peckarsky et al., 2008), and high‐resolution spatio‐temporal data has enabled researchers to better understand animal movements and their interaction with the environment (Bar‐David et al., 2009; Wittemyer et al., 2019). Areas of repeated or prolonged use are often sites of ecological significance for individuals or social units (Olivier et al., 2022; Tambling et al., 2012). Because predators often stay long in the vicinity of kills (Davidson et al., 2013; Frohlich et al., 2012; Tarugara et al., 2021), prey selection of collared subjects can be investigated (Beukes et al., 2017).…”

“…Advances in GPS tracking technology have significantly improved the ability of researchers to locate kills in the field (Knopff et al., 2009; Tambling et al., 2012). GPS cluster data coupled with field investigation have been successfully used to study the feeding ecology of African lions (see Barnardo et al., 2020; Beukes et al., 2017; Davidson et al., 2013; Olivier et al., 2022; Stander, 2019; Tambling et al., 2010; Tumenta et al., 2013), but not without challenges. For example, the method cannot distinguish between feeding sites resulting from predation or scavenging (Barnardo et al., 2020).…”

“…Advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) radio telemetry have broadened the scope of study on animal movement, behaviour and activity (Tambling et al., 2012). GPS collar data have improved the ability of researchers to locate kills in the field through clusters of GPS points (Barnardo et al., 2020; Beukes et al., 2017; Davidson et al., 2013; Louw et al., 2012; Olivier et al., 2022). Lions generally prey on medium to large ungulates (Hayward & Kerley, 2005; Louw et al., 2012), and outbreaks of zoonoses such as anthrax can have profound depressing effects on select prey species (Clegg et al., 2007) leading to possible shifts in predation habits.…”