Observations on the Lynx<i>Felis Caracal</i>in the Bedford District

Pringle, J. A.; Pringle, V.L.

doi:10.1080/02541858.1979.11447639

Cited by 22 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…On farms, there was a high incidence of livestock consumption, which is similar to the findings of Pringle and Pringle () for the same land‐use type. Caracal scat had a higher RFO of invertebrates than has been reported in more mesic areas of South Africa (Kok and Nel ), suggesting that when preferred prey (e.g., rock hyrax) are limited, caracals may use invertebrates as fall‐back foods that are rarely consumed in most other conditions (Palmer and Fairall ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Dietary niche relationships among predators on farmland and a protected area

2017

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The use of land for pastoralism is often associated with a reduction in the diversity and abundance of wildlife and influences conflict between farmers and predators worldwide. We explored differences in the diversity and relative abundance of medium and large animals on farmlands and a nearby protected area and compared these differences to prey consumed by 3 sympatric predators (black‐backed jackal [Canis mesomelas], caracal [Caracal caracal], and leopard [Panthera pardus]) in the Karoo region of South Africa. All 3 predators, but especially jackals and caracals, are a source of conflict with small‐stock farmers, many of whom believe that predators use the protected area as a base for raiding farmland. We determined predator diets using 657 scats collected on both land uses in subsequent years. Domestic ungulates dominated the farming landscape and comprised the bulk of prey in the scats of jackals and caracals as determined by the frequency of occurrence (42% and 25%, respectively), percent volume (47% and 32%, respectively), and ingested biomass. By contrast jackals and caracals in the reserve fed primarily on fruits and micromammals, respectively, with a lower ingested biomass of mammalian prey. No domestic sheep were in any of the scats in the reserve. We found leopard scats only in the reserve and they mostly contained wild ungulates. Dietary niche breadth and overlap were higher on farms than in the reserve and were attributed to the high consumption of domestic livestock by jackal and caracal. Dietary overlap between medium‐sized predators and leopards was small. Caracals on farms and caracals and jackals in the reserve showed strong prey preference for wild mammals, whereas jackals on farms showed prey preference for goats and sheep over similar‐sized wild mammals. Leopards showed preference for bushpig (Potamochoerus larvatus) and mountain‐dwelling antelopes but consumed baboons (Papio ursinus) according to availability. Together these results fill a gap in our knowledge about jackal and caracal diets on farmland and dietary niche relationships between 3 sympatric predators in conflict with small‐stock farmers in the semi‐arid regions of South Africa. In terms of management, our results show that it is crucial that farmers protect their livestock from predators, even on farms where wild prey are abundant because of jackals' preference for sheep and goats over similar‐sized wild mammals. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Dietary niche relationships among predators on farmland and a protected area

2017

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“…Where the differences observed between caracal diet and home range size between the WCNP study and that of other regions (see Pringle and Pringle 1979, Skinner 1979, Grobler 1981, Stuart 1982, Moolman 1984, Bernard and Stuart 1987, Palmer and Fairall 1988, Weibstein and Mendelsohn 1990, Stuart and Hickman 1991, Bothma and Le Riche 1994, Van Heezik and Seddan 1998, Melville and Bothma 2006a could be attributed to differences in variables, such as prey community structure, habitat and climate, no contradictions in social and territorial behavior were found. The WCNP study significantly added to our understanding of the role of caracal in the ecosystem, inter alia in keeping density of prey species low and ensuring healthy and productive prey populations and greater diversity of species.…”

mentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Do we still find territorial caracal that only take natural prey and not small stock (as also mentioned by Pringle and Pringle 1979, Stuart 1982, Moolman 1986, and problem animal hunters T. de Wet, S. Hanekom, E. Steenkamp and R. Wilke personal communication) or have we already ''taught'' them to see stock as part of their natural prey? Do we still find territorial caracal that only take natural prey and not small stock (as also mentioned by Pringle and Pringle 1979, Stuart 1982, Moolman 1986, and problem animal hunters T. de Wet, S. Hanekom, E. Steenkamp and R. Wilke personal communication) or have we already ''taught'' them to see stock as part of their natural prey?…”

mentioning

confidence: 93%

Sustainable small stock farming and ecosystem conservation in southern Africa: a role for small mammals?

Avenant¹,

Plessis²

2008

Mammalia

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“…In the Savannah regions of west and central Africa, it is less common and patchily distributed in pockets of drier habitat (Kingdon 1977 Principal Threats Caracals are often killed for suspected predation on small livestock, although this appears to be a pervasive problem only in South Africa and Namibia. Analyses of stomach contents and scats from parts of South Africa outside the protected areas system have found domestic stock to make up a significant portion of the caracal's diet, with estimates ranging from 17-55% in different areas (Pringle and Pringle 1979, Bester 1982, Stuart 1982, Moolman 1986. Brand (1989) found that reported annual small stock losses to caracal ranged up to 5.3 animals per 10 km2.…”

Section: Population Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The status of the caracal is satisfactory in subSaharan Africa. It appears to be most abundant in South Africa and Namibia, where its range is expanding (Stuart andWilson 1988, Rowe-Rowe 1992), possibly linked to local extirpation of black-backed jackals by farmers (Pringle andPringle 1979, Stuart 1982, H. Berry in Zitt. 199 1).…”

Section: Population Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%