Seasonal Diet and Prey Preference of the African Lion in a Waterhole-Driven Semi-Arid Savanna
Large carnivores inhabiting ecosystems with heterogeneously distributed environmental resources with strong seasonal variations frequently employ opportunistic foraging strategies, often typified by seasonal switches in diet. In semi-arid ecosystems, herbivore distribution is generally more homogeneous in the wet season, when surface water is abundant, than in the dry season when only permanent sources remain. Here, we […]
Food supply and poaching limit giraffe abundance in the Serengeti
The iconic giraffe, an ecologically important browser, has shown a substantial decline in numbers across Africa since the 1990s. In Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, giraffes reached densities of 1.5–2.6 individuals km-2 in the 1970s coincident with a pulse of Acacia tree recruitment. However, despite continued increases in woody cover between the 1980s and the 2000s, […]
A seasonal feast: long-term analysis of feeding behaviour in the spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)
The feeding behaviour of the Talek clan of spotted hyaenas in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, was monitored continuously for 7 years. Talek hyaenas adapted to large temporal variations in prey abundance by being opportunistic predators. During the first half of the year, the hyaenas fed on resident ungulates, and their diet consisted mainly […]
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) follow migratory prey. Seasonal expansion of a clan territory in Etosha, Namibia
The spatial organization of one clan of spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta in the centre of the Etosha National Park, Namibia, is described during the dry and the wet seasons. The clan comprised 11 adults and sub‐adults and occupied a territory of 160 km2 in the dry season and 320 km2 in the wet season. The dry season territory contained […]
African lion (Panthera leo) behavior, monitoring, and survival in human-dominated landscapes
Chapter 1, “Demography of a persecuted African lion population,” investigates the basic demographic characteristics of a lion population on human and livestock dominated lands where unregulated, retaliatory hunting of both sexes and all ages had occurred for centuries. I also examine the individual characteristics of stock-raiding lions. Chapter 2, “Participatory monitoring of an elusive carnivore […]
Prey preferences of the spotted hyaena ( Crocuta crocuta ) and degree of dietary overlap with the lion (Panthera leo)
Spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta were once considered mere scavengers; however, detailed research revealed that they are very efficient predators. Information on what spotted hyaenas actually prefer to prey on and what they avoid is lacking, as well as the factors that influence prey selection. Data from 14 published and one unpublished study from six countries […]
Factors affecting the hunting success of male and female lions in the Kruger National Park
Long-term continuous observations of hunting lions Panthera leo in the Kruger National Park were used to assess the variables affecting hunting success of male and female lions. Generalized linear models revealed that seven variables had significant independent influences on hunting success, with the most important being the prey species hunted. Three types of variables were […]
Correlates of survival rates for 10 African ungulate populations: density, rainfall and predation
1. Through reconciling census totals with population structure, annual survival rates were estimated for the juvenile, yearling and adult stages of 10 ungulate species over 14 years or longer in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. During this period four species maintained high abundance levels, while six species declined progressively in abundance. 2. Multiple regression models […]
Giraffe feeding on Acacia flowers: predation or pollination?
Consumption of flowers by the following four browsing ruminant species was monitored for two years in a southern African savannah: giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus), kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros Pallas), impala (Aepyceros melampus Lichtenstein) and steenbok (Raphicerus campestris Thunberg). Flowers of Acacia nigrescens Oliver are an important food resource to giraffe in the late dry season. This […]
Feeding habits of spotted hyaenas in a woodland habitat
The feeding habits of spotted hyaenas were recorded during a 2-year full-time study in the Lowveld of South Africa. The animals were observed for 335 h at night using artificial light. These results were supplemented by the analysis of 200 regurgitations and 527 scats collected on a monthly basis over 12 months, with a consideration […]