Using thin-layer chromatography of fecal bile acids to study the leopard (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Panthera pardus ciscaucasica</Emphasis>) population

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) of fecal bile acids has been used to confirm visual identification of scat samples found in Armenia in 2004–2005 and attributed to the leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica). The results of TLC do not differ significantly from those of visual identification, confirming the reliability of the latter method. Taking into account the frequency and distribution of fresh scats, two priority areas for leopard conservation have been identified: the Central and Khachadzor districts of the Khosrov Reserve and the Nuvadi-Shvanidzor area in eastern Meghri Ridge.     

Global patterns in biomass models describing prey consumption by big cats

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Habitat selection by Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is primarily driven by avoidance of human activity during day and prey availability during night

The greatest threat to the protected Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Central Europe is human‐induced mortality. As the availability of lynx prey often peaks in human‐modified areas, lynx have to balance successful prey hunting with the risk of encounters with humans. We hypothesized that lynx minimize this risk by adjusting habitat choices to the phases of the day and over seasons. We predicted that (1) due to avoidance of human‐dominated areas during daytime, lynx range use is higher at nighttime, that (2) prey availability drives lynx habitat selection at night, whereas high cover, terrain inaccessibility, and distance to human infrastructure drive habitat selection during the day, and that (3) habitat selection also differs between seasons, with altitude being a dominant factor in winter. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed telemetry data (GPS, VHF) of 10 lynx in the Bohemian Forest Ecosystem (Germany, Czech Republic) between 2005 and 2013 using generalized additive mixed models and considering various predictor variables. Night ranges exceeded day ranges by more than 10%. At night, lynx selected open habitats, such as meadows, which are associated with high ungulate abundance. By contrast, during the day, lynx selected habitats offering dense understorey cover and rugged terrain away from human infrastructure. In summer, land‐cover type greatly shaped lynx habitats, whereas in winter, lynx selected lower altitudes. We concluded that open habitats need to be considered for more realistic habitat models and contribute to future management and conservation (habitat suitability, carrying capacity) of Eurasian lynx in Central Europe.     

Spatio-temporal niche partitioning between the African lion (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Panthera leo leo</Emphasis>) and spotted hyena (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocuta crocuta</Emphasis>) in western African savannas

Large predators in West Africa are threatened with extinction mainly by direct and indirect effects of human activities. Within this context, intraguild competition can limit populations of some species and even play a role in extinction. In this study, we used camera trapping to assess the spatial and temporal patterns of niche partitioning between the African lion Panthera leo leo and the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, Benin. We found that these predators are more nocturnal in the hunting zone than in the national park of the biosphere reserve. The temporal overlap between lion and hyena was high in the national park (Pianka overlap index 0.88) and low in the hunting zones (0.39). The spatial overlap was low (0.40 in the national park and 0.38 in the hunting zones). The two predators were distributed independently in the national park, but showed significant positive association (co-occurrence) in the hunting zones. We suggest that anthropogenic activities leading to depletion of predators and their prey limit lion and hyena distribution in the hunting zones to some safety areas which are strongly selected by both predators. We recommend to significantly improve conservation efforts in the hunting zones of Pendjari Biosphere Reserve and to expand research of lion-hyena intraguild relationships to improve predator survival in West Africa.     

Cattle selectivity by leopards suggests ways to mitigate human–leopard conflict

Addressing widespread livestock losses to carnivores requires information on which livestock categories are preferentially selected. We analyzed an individual‐based database of cattle grazing in forest (n = 932) and having been killed (n = 70) by leopards (Panthera pardus) in the Hyrcanian forest, Iran. We calculated Jacobs’ selectivity index for cattle age, sex, and coloration across four scales: the study area as a whole, three sites, nine villages, and 60 cattle owners. Naturally colored cattle were significantly preferred by leopards at all scales in comparison with black and black‐and‐white cattle, and there was also a preference for males and juveniles at the study area level. More research is needed to see whether cattle losses would decrease if the share of naturally colored individuals in local holdings was reduced and males and juveniles had limited access to forest. We conclude that phenotypic and biologic characteristics of livestock can affect depredation and appeal for more research in this direction, particularly within the predator–prey framework.     

Dissatisfaction with Veterinary Services Is Associated with Leopard (Panthera pardus) Predation on Domestic Animals

Human-carnivore conflicts challenge biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods, but the role of diseases of domestic animals in their predation by carnivores is poorly understood. We conducted a human-leopard (Panthera pardus) conflict study throughout all 34 villages around Golestan National Park, Iran in order to find the most important conflict determinants and to use them in predicting the probabilities of conflict and killing of cattle, sheep and goats, and dogs. We found that the more villagers were dissatisfied with veterinary services, the more likely they were to lose livestock and dogs to leopard predation. Dissatisfaction occurred when vaccination crews failed to visit villages at all or, in most cases, arrived too late to prevent diseases from spreading. We suggest that increased morbidity of livestock makes them particularly vulnerable to leopard attacks. Moreover, conflicts and dog killing were higher in villages located closer to the boundaries of the protected area than in distant villages. Therefore, we appeal for improved enforcement and coordination of veterinary services in our study area, and propose several priority research topics such as veterinarian studies, role of wild prey in diseases of domestic animals, and further analysis of potential conflict predictors.     

Patterns of co-existence between humans and mammals in Yemen: some species thrive while others are nearly extinct

This paper describes the results of a camera-trapping study in Hawf, eastern Yemen, of the relationships between human presence and the richness, diversity and distribution of wild medium-sized and large mammals. The study comprised 3,351 trap-nights over 225.3 km² during which 963 captures of 14 mammalian species and 985 captures of humans were obtained. Human presence was positively linked with species richness and diversity, but only when the number of human captures was ≤100 captures/site. At higher numbers of human captures, the positive trend reversed and only three species (wolf, fox and porcupine) succeeded in dominating their communities. Human presence was also strongly and positively associated with colonization and occupancy of some species, but decreased their detection probabilities. Contrary to expectations, human presence did not affect activity patterns of species. Co-existence between human presence and mammals caused by resource sharing, viz. establishment and use of same trails and water sources, attraction to livestock, garbage and food leftovers, is discussed. In contrast, the leopard, wild cat, Nubian ibex and mountain gazelle are severely depleted. Co-existence between humans and mammals has significant implications for proper management and wildlife conservation in unprotected human-dominated landscapes, protected areas and buffer zones of developing countries such as Yemen.     

Assessing the Role of Livestock in Big Cat Prey Choice Using Spatiotemporal Availability Patterns

Livestock is represented in big cat diets throughout the world. Husbandry approaches aim to reduce depredation, which may influence patterns of prey choice, but whether felids have a preference for livestock or not often remains unclear as most studies ignore livestock availability. We assessed prey choice of the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Golestan National Park, Iran, where conflict over livestock depredation occurs. We analyzed leopard diet (77 scats) and assessed wild and domestic prey abundance by line transect sampling (186 km), camera-trapping (2777 camera days), double-observer point-counts (64 scans) and questionnaire surveys (136 respondents). Based on interviews with 18 shepherds, we estimated monthly grazing time outside six villages with 96 conflict cases to obtain a small livestock (domestic sheep and goat) availability coefficient. Using this coefficient, which ranged between 0.40 and 0.63 for different villages, we estimated the numbers of sheep and goats available to leopard depredation. Leopard diet consisted mainly of wild boar (Sus scrofa) (50.2% biomass consumed), but bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus) was the most preferred prey species (I_j = 0.73), whereas sheep and goats were avoided (I_j = -0.54). When absolute sheep and goat numbers (~11250) were used instead of the corrected ones (~6392), avoidance of small livestock appeared to be even stronger (I_j = -0.71). We suggest that future assessments of livestock choice by felids should incorporate such case-specific corrections for spatiotemporal patterns of availability, which may vary with husbandry methods. Such an approach increases our understanding of human-felid conflict dynamics and the role of livestock in felid diets.     

In the shadows of snow leopards and the Himalayas: density and habitat selection of blue sheep in Manang,Nepal

There is a growing agreement that conservation needs to be proactive and pay increased attention to common species and to the threats they face. The blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) plays a key ecological role in sensitive high‐altitude ecosystems of Central Asia and is among the main prey species for the globally vulnerable snow leopard (Panthera uncia). As the blue sheep has been increasingly exposed to human pressures, it is vital to estimate its population dynamics, protect the key populations, identify important habitats, and secure a balance between conservation and local livelihoods. We conducted a study in Manang, Annapurna Conservation Area (Nepal), to survey blue sheep on 60 transects in spring (127.9 km) and 61 transects in autumn (134.7 km) of 2019, estimate their minimum densities from total counts, compare these densities with previous estimates, and assess blue sheep habitat selection by the application of generalized additive models (GAMs). Total counts yielded minimum density estimates of 6.0–7.7 and 6.9–7.8 individuals/km² in spring and autumn, respectively, which are relatively high compared to other areas. Elevation and, to a lesser extent, land cover indicated by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) strongly affected habitat selection by blue sheep, whereas the effects of anthropogenic variables were insignificant. Animals were found mainly in habitats associated with grasslands and shrublands at elevations between 4,200 and 4,700 m. We show that the blue sheep population size in Manang has been largely maintained over the past three decades, indicating the success of the integrated conservation and development efforts in this area. Considering a strong dependence of snow leopards on blue sheep, these findings give hope for the long‐term conservation of this big cat in Manang. We suggest that long‐term population monitoring and a better understanding of blue sheep–livestock interactions are crucial to maintain healthy populations of blue sheep and, as a consequence, of snow leopards.