Social organization and movement patterns of Black‐backed jackals <i>Canis mesomelas</i> in South Africa*

Ferguson, J. W. H.; Nel, J.A.J.; Wet, M. J. de

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1983.tb05101.x

Cited by 83 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…If jackals are not territorial year round, re‐establishment of territories and fresh allocation of dens would be required each year and one would expect that territories will not be held by the same pairs in subsequent breeding seasons. Thus, our observations of between‐breeding season tenure coupled with the fact that offspring remain on their natal territory and do not disperse until sexual maturity at 11 months (Ferguson, Nel & de Wet, 1983; P. Moehlman pers. comm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Commuting, territoriality and variation in group and territory size in a black‐backed jackal population reliant on a clumped, abundant food resource in Namibia

2011

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This study examines the effect of a clumped, non-defendable and abundant yearround food resource (Cape fur seals) for black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas social structure and spatial organization at Cape Cross Seal Reserve and the National West Coast Recreation Area in Namibia during the jackals' denning period in 2004 and 2005. Geo-referenced observations of behaviour and space-use were used to test for territoriality, and to assess commuting distances, territory size, group size and within-territory density on the Namibian coast. Jackals displayed behaviour indicative of territoriality to within 50 m of the fur seal colony. In accordance with optimal foraging theory, jackals commuted between 0.45 and 20.03 km from their territory (low prey availability) to the seal colony (high prey availability). The observed within-population variation in group size (two to eight adults), territory size (0.20-11.11 km 2 ) and within-territory density (0.31-9.80 jackals km À2) was unprecedented and strongly associated with distance from the food resource. Group and territory size increased, while within-territory density declined with increasing distance from the fur seal colony. We discuss the relative importance of the food resource and other factors in determining jackal social and spatial organization.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Commuting, territoriality and variation in group and territory size in a black‐backed jackal population reliant on a clumped, abundant food resource in Namibia

2011

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“…Jackals become sexually mature at 11 months, and typically disperse from their natal ranges at ca . 1 year of age (yearlings, Ferguson, Nel & de Wet ). Approximately two‐thirds disperse from their natal range in search of mates and territories, with one‐third remaining to assist their parents with raising the next litter (Ferguson, Nel & de Wet ; Moehlman ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 year of age (yearlings, Ferguson, Nel & de Wet ). Approximately two‐thirds disperse from their natal range in search of mates and territories, with one‐third remaining to assist their parents with raising the next litter (Ferguson, Nel & de Wet ; Moehlman ). In a system approaching social carrying capacity (saturated with territorial pairs), dispersing subordinates cannot establish territories (as there are no vacant territories available) and are thus socially precluded from reproducing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compensatory life‐history responses of a mesopredator may undermine carnivore management efforts

Minnie

Gaylard

Kerley

2015

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary Lethal carnivore management, aimed at reducing carnivore impacts, is a global phenomenon threatening the persistence of many carnivores. Black‐backed jackals Canis mesomelas, the dominant cause of livestock predation in southern Africa, are widely hunted to reduce livestock predation. Despite centuries of lethal management, jackals persist. Smaller canids, like jackals, are highly adaptable and display variable responses to mortality sources, which may affect management outcomes. The effects of killing carnivores will depend on their behaviour, social organization, reproduction and dispersal patterns. We predicted that hunted jackals will alter demographic and reproductive patterns to compensate for increased mortality. Here, we collected demographic and reproductive information from harvested jackals and compared it between continually hunted (farms) and unmanaged populations (reserves). The removal of jackals from farms results in a decrease in median age from 5–6 years (reserves) to 2–3 years (farms). Hunting also changed the age structure of jackal populations from a stable population to an expanding population. This may be ascribed to the compensatory immigration of individuals from neighbouring unmanaged areas, suggesting the formation of a source–sink system. Unmanaged areas may act as source populations exporting young, dispersing individuals to hunted areas which may act as sinks. This is likely driven by disruptions in the normal, mutually exclusive territorial system resulting in low densities of conspecifics on farms. The low density of conspecifics allows younger individuals that would be socially precluded from reproducing to reproduce. Jackals on farms compensated for increased mortality by increasing the pregnancy rate of young individuals and increasing the litter size at younger ages, thereby increasing reproductive output. Synthesis and applications. The lethal management of predators is the prevailing strategy to reduce livestock predation. However, the highly adaptable nature of jackals and the combination of compensatory mechanisms such as increased reproduction and potential for immigration allow these predators to persist in the face of severe anthropogenic mortality, possibly through the formation of a source–sink system. These compensatory processes will continue to counter population management actions as long as recruitment from unmanaged areas persists.

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“…Blood was sampled from the cephalic vein and centrifuged. Sera were stored at 220 C. Individuals were aged and assigned to one of three age classes using tooth wear and body weight criteria: juvenile (,12 mo), sub-adult (12-35 mo), and adult ($36 mo; Lombaard, 1971;Ferguson et al, 1983).…”

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology, Pathology, and Genetic Analysis of a Canine Distemper Epidemic in Namibia

Gowtage-Sequeira

Banyard

Barrett

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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ABSTRACT:Severe population declines have resulted from the spillover of canine distemper virus (CDV) into susceptible wildlife, with both domestic and wild canids being involved in the maintenance and transmission of the virus. This study (March 2001 to October 2003 collated case data, serologic, pathologic, and molecular data to describe the spillover of CDV from domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) to black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) during an epidemic on the Namibian coast. Antibody prevalence in jackals peaked at 74.1%, and the clinical signs and histopathologic observations closely resembled those observed in domestic dog cases. Viral RNA was isolated from the brain of a domestic dog from the outbreak area. Sequence data from the phosphoprotein (P) gene and the hemagglutinin (H) genes were used for phylogenetic analyses. The P gene sequence from the domestic dog shared 98% identity with the sequence data available for other CDV isolates of African carnivores. For the H gene, the two sequences available from the outbreak that decimated the lion population in Tanzania in 1994 were the closest match with the Namibian sample, being 94% identical across 1,122 base pairs (bp). Phylogenetic analyses based on this region clustered the Namibian sample with the CDV that is within the morbilliviruses. This is the first description of an epidemic involving black-backed jackals in Namibia, demonstrating that this species has the capacity for rapid and large-scale dissemination of CDV. This work highlights the threat posed to endangered wildlife in Namibia by the spillover of CDV from domestic dog populations. Very few sequence data are currently available for CDV isolates from African carnivores, and this work provides the first sequence data from a Namibian CDV isolate.

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Social organization and movement patterns of Black‐backed jackals Canis mesomelas in South Africa*

Cited by 83 publications

References 27 publications

Commuting, territoriality and variation in group and territory size in a black‐backed jackal population reliant on a clumped, abundant food resource in Namibia

Commuting, territoriality and variation in group and territory size in a black‐backed jackal population reliant on a clumped, abundant food resource in Namibia

Compensatory life‐history responses of a mesopredator may undermine carnivore management efforts

Epidemiology, Pathology, and Genetic Analysis of a Canine Distemper Epidemic in Namibia

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