Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, sometimes referred to as "the greyhound of the cats", is probably the most elegant member of the cat family. Formerly widespread in southern Africa it is now threatened with extinction. It occurs in open savanna and light woodland, but also hilly country on occasion. The cheetah is a predator that can reach speeds of more then 110 km/h in short bursts. With a mass of between only 40 to 60 kg, it is not very powerful and cannot defend itself very effectively against carnivores such as the lion and hyaena, for example. This might be the reason why, in order not to advertise its presence, the urine of this animal is practically odourless. In turn, this might explain why no research has so far been devoted to the urine of this animal. In contrast extensive work has been done on the chemical characterisation of the urine of many other carnivores, notably the lion. Extraction of the urine with dichloromethane gave too little material for GC-MS. SPME sampling of the urine itself gave insufficient sample enrichment. Better results were obtained when an SPME-type of headspace sampling, using a larger mass of polydimethylsiloxane, was employed although many of the constituents of the urine could still barely be detected. The compounds identified include a large number of ketones, aldehydes, cyclic and acyclic ethers, carboxylic acids, amides two sulphur compounds in barely detectable quantities, and elemental sulphur. Perhaps the most remarkable result of this thesis is that it was found that the urine of the cheetah, although it is a carnivore, does not contain several sulphur compounds in relatively high concentrations. However, it does contain elemental sulphur. Perhaps a mechanism exists by which the cheetah can convert strongly odorous sulphur containing compounds into the less strongly smelling sulphur. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die jagluiperd, Acinonyx jubatus, 'n roofdier wat tydens 'n jagtog vir kort tye snelhede van meer as 110 km/h kan bereik, is waarskynlik die elegantste lid van die katfamilie. Met sy vaartbelynde liggaam weeg die dier egter slegs tussen 40 en 60 kg kan hy homself nie doeltreffend teen groter roofdiere verdedig nie. Chemiese verbindings, sogenaamde feromone, wat onder andere in die uriene uitgeskei word, word dikwels deur diere gebruik vir gebiedsafbakening en om met ander lede van die spesie te kommunikeer. Die uriene van die jadluiperd is egter feitlik reukloos. Tot dusver is die chemiese samestelling van die uriene van die jagluiperd nog nie ondersoek nie. Ekstraksie van die uriene met dichlorometaan het te min materiaal vir gaschromatografies-massaspektrometriese analise opgelewer, maar bevredigende resultate is verkry deur van 'n verbeterde monsternemingsmetode gebruik te maak. 'n Groot aantal organiese verbindings en twee swawelbevattende verbindings in skaars waarneembare hoeveelhede is in die uriene geïdentifiseer. Daar is egter 'n aansienlike hoeveelheid van die element swawel is in die uriene gevind. Laasgenoemde ontdekking, is die mees verbasende resultaat van hierdie navorsing. Die uitskeiding van swawel in uriene is, sover bekend, eenmalig in die soogdierwêreld. Dit is moontlik dat die jagluiperd oor 'n meganisme beskik om swawelverbindings wat baie sterk ruik om te sit na swawel wat nie so sterk ruik nie. Hierdie meganisme sal die dier se kanse op oorlewing verbeter deur van die swawelbevattende verbindings in sy dieet ontslae te raak sonder om sy teenwoordigheid in die omgewing te adverteer.

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The re-introduction of cheetah onto small reserves in the Eastern Cape Province has created the opportunity to study this species in an environment (Valley Bushveld) in which it has not previously been studied and which is quite different from the less wooded habitats in which previous studies have occurred. Thus the aim of this study is to add to the growing number of studies of cheetah in more wooded habitats and to contribute a better understanding of the level of specialization or adaptability in space use, habitat selection, diet and hunting behaviour that the cheetah possesses. The research was conducted on Kwandwe Private Game Reserve from February 2003 to August 2004. Direct observations, scat analysis and continuous observations were used to avoid bias towards large sized prey found when only using direct observations to study diet. The cheetah killed 15 species and four of the five most important prey species (kudu, springbok, grey duiker and bushbuck) were hunted according to their abundance on the reserve, while impala, the fifth most important prey species, was avoided (i.e. preference index less than one) by the cheetah. The cheetah’s main prey was medium sized ungulates, although the three male coalition killed larger prey than females and females with cubs. The daily food intake per cheetah per day was calculated to range from 5.3kg/cheetah/day for the coalition to 8kg/cheetah/day for a solitary female. Home range areas ranged from 11.1 km² for female cheetah with cubs in a den to 65.6 km² for single female cheetah and core areas ranged from 6 km² for the three male coalition to 26.5 km² for independent cubs. Habitat selection by cheetah on Kwandwe varied between the social groups depending on their susceptibility to predation by lions, their need for cover and need for water, and was similar to what has been previously reported. The home range of the coalition incorporated the most open vegetation type (karroid shrubland) with surrounding denser vegetation, while females occupied areas of denser vegetation. Activity patterns and hunting behaviour varied between different cheetah social groups with female cheetah being more active during day light hours compared to males which made 38% of their kills after dark. The average chase distances for the various cheetah groups varied considerably, and the chase distance for successful hunts was longer than for unsuccessful for all groups except single female cheetah. The percentage of kills’ kleptoparasitised on Kwandwe was very low compared to other studies possibly due to the low density of direct competitors, which in turn lead to longer mean kill retention times. These results suggest that cheetah are more adaptable than previously thought and this adaptability may have important implications for their conservation.

The reintroduction of lions, cheetahs and African wild dogs to Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa created the opportunity to study the biology and behaviour of these large carnivores in an enclosed system. The research focused on space utilisation and feeding ecology of the predators, using standard observational methods. Changes in the structure of the carnivore guild, and changes in the prey base that occurred during the study were used as natural experiments to examine factors affecting space use and diet. In general, the diets of the predators were similar to previous studies and prey abundance was more important than prey species size in determining prey selection. Changes in the abundance of certain prey species was matched by a dietary switch in lions from kudu to warthog and an increase in the proportion of springbok kills by the cheetahs. There was no significant difference in the proportions of prey species detected by ad hoc or continuous observations. Core areas occupied by the predators were significantly smaller than home ranges except when females were denning. Home ranges overlapped both within and between species, but there was very little overlap of core areas. An increase in the number of lion prides in the area during the study resulted in an increase in overlap of home ranges of lions and cheetahs, but did not result in a change in home range size. Space use by female cheetahs with cubs increased as the cubs grew older. The use of thicket vegetation by cheetahs decreased with an increase in the number of lion prides. Minimum Daily Energy Expenditure, energy intake and net benefit were calculated for the predators using data from continuous observations. All predators exhibited a large net benefit and the net benefit for single female cheetahs was greater than for the members of the coalition. Net benefit for the alpha pair of African wild dogs was lower than that of the pack.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has experienced a drastic decline in numbers over the last 20 years globally and is currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In South Africa, there are only an estimated 763 free-ranging cheetahs and conflict with humans is arguably the most significant reason for this low number. The aim of my study was to determine the population size and demographic characteristics of the cheetah population within the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve (TPNR), South Africa, and to contribute to a better understanding of cheetah space use and habitat selection. The research was conducted on TPNR between November 2009 and June 2011 and I used a photographic survey to assess cheetah population size and demographic characteristics. Location data was obtained by collaring two adult male cheetahs with GPS/GSM collars and ad hoc sightings data from across the reserve for an adult female with cubs and three adolescent females. A relatively high minimum population density of 4.46 cheetahs/100km² was estimated, signifying a relatively healthy cheetah population. The sex ratio data indicated a higher male to female ratio and an average litter size of three cubs. The relatively high cub survival rate and density is promising in terms of the status of species within the area, as the data denote the success and potential persistence of the species. Cheetah home ranges varied between 20.97km² for the female with cubs and 659.65km² for the younger collared male. Season did not appear to be a determining factor in terms of home range sizes for the three social groups within the TPNR. However, the males did show a slight increase in their home range sizes during the dry season when resources where presumably more widespread. My results indicate that the cheetah is an adaptable species, flexible in behaviour and able to tolerate a variety of habitat types. Such knowledge is fundamental for planning and implementing the effective management and conservation of cheetahs in South Africa.

The re-introduction of large carnivores into relatively small conservation areas that fall within the historic distribution range of the species is becoming an increasingly common occurrence. The success of such re-introductions depends very much on the quality of the information that is available to guide management decisions, but in many cases, little information is available. The re-introduction of lions and cheetahs to Sanbona created the opportunity to monitor the behaviour of re-introduced predators to a relatively large system that was characterised by a low ungulate stocking density and little standing water. The broad aims were to study the feeding and spatial ecologies of the lions and cheetahs, to collect standard base-line data, and to examine the effects of the low prey density and limited standing water on habitat selection, range size and diet. The diet (data collected from direct observation and faecal analysis) was similar to that reported in previous studies, and lions and cheetahs preferred greater kudu, black wildebeest and springbok. Lions preferred medium to large prey items, and cheetahs preferred medium to small prey items. The hilly and mountainous terrain of much of the reserve meant that only 50% of the total space was available to the predators. Home ranges of most of the predators were focused around the single large body of standing water. This is likely to have been a response to the water, the vegetation, and the prey that was attracted to these. Habitat selection was also influenced by inter and intra-specific interactions at least for a solitary male lion and female cheetahs. Range sizes were larger than on some other reserves and it is suggested that this was a result of the low prey density. These results form the basis for management recommendations including the importance of continuing to monitor the system and opening up additional parts of the reserve to the predators.

Shamwari Game Reserve was the first enclosed conservation area in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to reintroduce free ranging lions, cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs back into their historic range. At that time (2000 – 2001), little information was available on the ecology and behaviour of these predators in the habitats of the Eastern Cape, and management decisions were based on assumptions and unfounded comparisons with extant populations but from quite different habitats. The aim of this study was therefore to obtain a better understanding of the feeding ecology and space use of the predator guild, and the carrying capacity of Shamwari Game Reserve to enable more informed management decisions. In addition, the reserve is a photographic based tourism venture and understanding both the ecological and financial sustainability of the predator guild was important. The diets of the predators were similar to those reported in other studies; larger predators killed a greater range of prey species than did smaller predators and a small number of prey species made up the majority of the kills. The larger predators had a higher mean kill mass than the smaller species and prey selection was influenced by prey size, prey abundance and prey habitat preference, and risk associated with hunting the species. Diet was flexible and responded to natural and management induced changes in prey abundance. There was a considerable overlap in space use by the lions, cheetahs and leopards with their core areas being centred on and around the Bushmans River. Space use was driven by resource distribution and landscape attributes, and by the presence of other predators of the same or different species. The long term viability of wild dog within the reserve was explored and the results confirmed that there was neither the required space nor the ecological processes and the wild dogs were removed from the reserve. A carrying capacity of the reserve for the predator guild was determined using the Maximum Sustainable Yield method to assess the potential prey species off take and a resultant density of 3.3 to 6.6 lion female equivalent units per 10 000 ha was established. The natural carrying capacity of the reserve with respect to predators will not sustain the tourism objectives and consequently prey supplementation was necessary to maintain predator density at levels high enough to sustain tourism. Under these conditions the large predator guild is still sustainable financially although careful, responsible management is needed to provide ecological sustainability.