Global positioning system location clusters vs. scats: comparing dietary estimates to determine mesopredator diet in a conflict framework

Abstract

Studying the feeding ecology of mesopredators living on or adjacent to farmland is important as livestock predation fuels conflict between farmers and predators and between diverse stakeholders on how to best manage this conflict. Most dietary studies on elusive and heavily persecuted predators rely on indirect methods such as scat analysis, because direct observations of predation events are rare. Consequently, the proportion of livestock and other prey that was actively hunted vs. scavenged remains largely unknown. We used data from global positioning system collars affixed to black‐backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and caracal (Caracal caracal) to locate potential feeding sites on farmland and a protected area and to attempt to determine whether prey had been killed or scavenged. We compared dietary estimates from prey items found at global positioning system location clusters (GLCs) with those obtained from scat analysis and investigated whether GLC analysis is a suitable method to determine mesocarnivore diet. The success rate of finding a kill site when investigating GLCs was significantly higher for caracal than for jackal. Only 16.2% and 4.7% of jackal and caracal GLCs, respectively, were classified as scavenging events. Livestock was the most frequently detected prey in both scats and GLCs on farmland but GLCs provided a higher estimate of sheep biomass than scats. Caracal GLCs revealed prey ranging in size from small to large, whereas jackal GLCs were only for medium and large prey categories. Adult male caracals predated significantly more on livestock than females and younger individuals. Collared jackals residing in the protected area never formed GLCs containing livestock remains on neighbouring farms. Together, GLCs and scat analyses provide a more complete understanding of mesopredators feeding ecology on farmland. We recommend that both methods are applied, particularly in regions where livestock predation and lethal management of predators are driving conflict between stakeholders.

Ecology, opportunity or threat? Drivers of the caracal (Caracal caracal) population decline in South Africa

“…The literature supports the assertion that caracal and blackblacked jackal occur sympatrically and share their wide prey spectrum (see e.g. Avenant & Du Plessis, 2008;Avenant & Nel, 2002;Drouilly et al, 2019;Klare et al, 2010;Kok, 1996;Kok & Nel, 2004;Loveridge & Nel, 2004;Melville et al, 2004;Pohl, 2015).…”

A review of caracal and jungle cat diets across their geographical ranges during 1842–2021

“…The caracal ( Caracal caracal ) is a medium‐sized felid (average body mass = 17 kg; Inskip & Zimmermann, 2009) with a geographic range across Africa and Asia including the Middle East, that can feed on prey nearly twice its size (Avgan et al, 2016; Kohn et al, 2011; Marker & Dickman, 2005; Moqanaki et al, 2016; Nowell & Jackson, 1996) but are also opportunistic and consume diverse vertebrate prey (Drouilly et al, 2020; Farhadinia et al, 2007; Moqanaki et al, 2016; Ünal et al, 2020). Caracals also scavenge larger‐bodied prey species including springbok ( Antidorcas marsupialis ; Avenant & Nel, 2002; Palmer & Fairall, 1988) and bontebok ( Damaliscus pygargus ; Leighton et al, 2020) in South Africa.…”

Hiding in plain sight: risk mitigation by a cryptic carnivore foraging at the urban edge

“…In this rapidly urbanizing landscape (Turok & Borel‐Saladin, 2014), we test whether individuals adjust their foraging behaviour in response to modified landscape cover, thereby accommodating urban development as it becomes more prevalent in their foraging range. Caracals are elusive, medium‐sized felids with a diverse prey base across their geographic range (Avenant & Nel, 2002; Drouilly et al ., 2019). In Cape Town, they are the largest remaining indigenous predator and hunt largely within 200 m of urban areas, where human‐associated prey (i.e., exotic and synanthropic species) forms almost half of consumed prey biomass (Leighton et al ., 2020), suggesting that caracals may selectively forage at the resource‐rich urban edge, despite associated risks (Serieys et al ., 2019) and high mortality.…”