Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul: managing threatened predators of endangered and declining prey species

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.

Habitat degradation, vegetation damage, and wildlife‐livestock interactions in Amboseli ecosystem wildlife sanctuaries, Kenya

“…Furthermore, large carnivores often congregate in areas where there is limited human activity (Braczkowski et al, 2022;Dheer et al, 2022), possibly leading to ungulate prey − which were the subject of this study − avoiding such areas (Davidson et al, 2019;Valeix et al, 2009). The results may also suggest a certain level of behavioural plasticity in wildlife that allows them to coexist alongside livestock.…”

“…Across sub‐Saharan Africa, herbivores congregate at water sources during the dry season (Thrash et al, 1995), and in general, their migration pattern is closely tied to water availability (Coe et al, 1976). Furthermore, large carnivores often congregate in areas where there is limited human activity (Braczkowski et al, 2022; Dheer et al, 2022), possibly leading to ungulate prey − which were the subject of this study − avoiding such areas (Davidson et al, 2019; Valeix et al, 2009).…”

Using by‐catch camera trapping data for estimating the population size of spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta)

“…Where populations of spotted hyaenas are small, the environment has few cleaners and carcasses can remain unprocessed (Trinkel, 2009). At high densities, they can have negative effects on population sizes of fragile or choice ungulate species (Davidson et al, 2019; Pereira et al, 2014). In addition, they can alter the structure and composition dynamics of the carnivore guild through direct or indirect competition for food and space (Lehmann et al, 2017; Sogbohossou et al, 2018).…”

Predicting the fine‐scale factors that correlate with multiple carnivore depredation of livestock in their enclosures

“…Livestock depredation is often associated with instances in which carnivores that primarily hunt wild prey switch to hunting comparatively naïve livestock with limited anti‐predator instincts (Polisar et al., 2003; Ikanda & Packer, 2008; Inskip et al., 2009; Loveridge, Wang, Frank, & Seidensticker, 2010; Davidson et al, 2019). Large carnivores typically have large home ranges, plus the proximity of highly suitable habitat patches near village lands suggests that carnivores are likely to occur in human‐dominated areas (Abade, Macdonald, & Dickman, 2014a; Atwood & Breck, 2012; Thorn, Green, Dalerum, Bateman, & Scott, 2010).…”