Brown hyaena and leopard diets on private land in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa

Williams, Kathryn S.; Williams, Samual T.; Fitzgerald, Leanne; Sheppard, Eleanor C.; Hill, Russell A.

doi:10.1111/aje.12539

Cited by 15 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Hair samples for each scat were identified to species level using the Rhodes University mammal hair reference collection ( n = 90) of all potential prey species found in Selati (Karanth & Sunquist, ; Spaulding, Krausman & Ballard, ). To ensure accurate species assignments, we verified all species identifications at least twice (Williams et al , ). This meant that consecutive species identifications for each hair sample needed to be identical.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This meant that consecutive species identifications for each hair sample needed to be identical. Rodents and mongooses are difficult to identify to species level (Martins et al , ; Williams et al , ). We therefore classified these two groups to Order and Family respectively (Martins et al , ; Williams et al , ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rodents and mongooses are difficult to identify to species level (Martins et al , ; Williams et al , ). We therefore classified these two groups to Order and Family respectively (Martins et al , ; Williams et al , ). If hair samples could not be classified to species or Order, they were recorded as unidentified (Klare et al , ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Do spotted hyaenas outcompete the big cats in a small, enclosed system in South Africa?

Comley

Joubert²,

Mgqatsa

et al. 2020

Journal of Zoology

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Carnivores are adapted to kill, meaning sympatric carnivores can have particularly aggressive and harmful competitive interactions. The co-existence of multiple carnivores in an ecosystem could be restricted by their similarity in ecological niches (e.g. dietary overlap); however, high prey abundances could facilitate their co-existence. Although the development of small, enclosed reserves (<400 km 2 ) in South Africa has reduced human-carnivore conflict, these systems may increase the likelihood of carnivore intra-guild competition due to the clumping of competing carnivores into these restricted spaces. Using carnivore scat and kill site analyses, we determined the dietary preferences and overlap of sympatric large carnivores in a small, enclosed reserve, Selati Game Reserve (Selati). Large carnivores in Selati (lions (Panthera leo), spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) and leopards (Panthera pardus)) preferentially selected for varying combinations of prey size classes. Lions selected for large prey, leopards selected for small prey and spotted hyaenas did not prefer any particular prey size. Additionally, lions had the largest dietary breadth and the diet of leopards and spotted hyaenas overlapped considerably. Coupled with high prey densities in Selati, the predation strategies of the large carnivores could be facilitating their co-existence. On the other hand, the high degree of dietary overlap among large carnivores suggests that there is strong potential for exploitation competition, particularly between spotted hyaenas and leopards as their diet overlapped extensively (91% and 93% for prey species and size class, respectively). Although spotted hyaenas are potentially outcompeting leopards in Selati, lions were the most dominant large carnivore. Our study reiterates the complexity of carnivore guild interactions and emphasizes how these interactions are subject to variation due to site-specific circumstances (e.g. composition of prey and carnivore populations). We therefore encourage site-specific, multi-carnivore research throughout protected areas in southern Africa.Dietary analyses of sympatric carnivores J. Comley et al.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Do spotted hyaenas outcompete the big cats in a small, enclosed system in South Africa?

Comley

Joubert²,

Mgqatsa

et al. 2020

Journal of Zoology

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“…Skinner and van Aarde 1981;Kuhn et al 2008;Wiesel 2010), and the Makgadikgadi National Park and neighbouring areas in Botswana (Maude and Mills 2005). More recently, dietary assessments have been reported from mesic systems such as the Eastern Cape (Slater and Muller 2014;Comley et al 2018) and Limpopo Province (Burgener and Gusset 2003;Williams et al 2018) although the available data are still not representative of all habitats inhabited by brown hyaena across their geographic range. This study adds important information on brown hyaena diet for a population from a game reserve comprising predominantly of sweet Bushveld and with access to neighbouring farming areas from Limpopo Province.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies of brown hyaena diet have shown it comprised mostly of gemsbok Oryx gazella, springbok Antidorcas marsupialis and springhare Pedetes capensis in the south and central Kalahari (Mills and Mills 1978;Owens and Owens 1978), Cape fur seal pups Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus along the Namib Desert coast (Skinner and van Aarde 1981;Siegfried 1984;Kuhn et al 2008;Wiesel 2010), medium to large antelope such as kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros and red hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus caama in the Eastern Cape (Slater and Muller 2014;Comley et al 2018), large antelopes in North West Province (Yarnell et al 2013;Van der Merwe et al 2009), bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus and red duiker Cephalophus natalensis in the Soutpansberg Mountains (Williams et al 2018), and common duiker Sylvicapra grimmia from a game reserve in Limpopo Province (Burgener and Gusset 2003). While indicating dietary variation across their range, none of these studies reported evidence to suggest that livestock can be considered an important food source of brown hyaena.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) diet composition from Zingela Game Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa

et al. 2019

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Brown hyaenas Parahyaena brunnea are classified as 'Near Threatened'. Although predominantly scavengers, they are frequently blamed for livestock depredations leading to persecution. Information on brown hyaena diets is important for understanding the degree of potential conflict with farming livelihoods and exploring diet variation across their range and how this might shift in response to land use change. Here we explore the diet of brown hyaena on a game reserve in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. We collected scats in 2013 (n = 55) and 2018 (n = 73) from Zingela Game Reserve to identify mammalian prey based on the cuticular scale imprints and cross-sectional appearance of hairs found in scat. Artiodactyls were most frequently consumed (total relative frequency of occurrence = 69.6%), dominated by common duiker Sylvicapra grimmia and steenbok Raphicerus campestris. Smaller prey were also common with Rodentia appearing in 15.8% of scats, although for all prey items there was some variation between years. We found only one occurrence of a domestic species in scats (donkey Equus asinus). Set alongside other studies from across southern Africa the results illustrate that brown hyaena are flexible in their diet and that domestic animals generally only represent a very small proportion of their diet.

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Consistency in the flight and visual orientation distances of habituated chacma baboons after an observed leopard predation. Do flight initiation distance methods always measure perceived predation risk?

Allan

Bailey²,

Hill

2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Flight initiation distance (FID) procedures are used to assess the risk perception animals have for threats (e.g., natural predators, hunters), but it is unclear whether these assessments remain meaningful if animals have habituated to certain human stimuli (e.g., researchers, tourists). Our previous work showed that habituated baboons displayed individually distinct and consistent responses to human approaches, a tolerance trait, but it is unknown if the trait is resilient to life‐threatening scenarios. If it were consistent, it would imply FIDs might measure specific human threat perception only and not generalize to other threats such as predators when animals have experienced habituation processes. We used FID procedures to compare baseline responses to the visual orientation distance, FID, and individual tolerance estimates assessed after a leopard predation on an adult male baboon (group member). All variables were consistent despite the predation event, suggesting tolerance to observers was largely unaffected by the predation and FID procedures are unlikely to be generalizable to other threats when habituation has occurred. FID approaches could be an important tool for assessing how humans influence animal behavior across a range of contexts, but careful planning is required to understand the type of stimuli presented.

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Brown hyaena and leopard diets on private land in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa

Cited by 15 publications

References 36 publications

Do spotted hyaenas outcompete the big cats in a small, enclosed system in South Africa?

Do spotted hyaenas outcompete the big cats in a small, enclosed system in South Africa?

Brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) diet composition from Zingela Game Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Consistency in the flight and visual orientation distances of habituated chacma baboons after an observed leopard predation. Do flight initiation distance methods always measure perceived predation risk?

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