Thesis (MTech (Nature Conservation))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Lions are threatened across their natural range. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP), comprising the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (KGNP; South Africa) and Gemsbok National Park (GNP; Botswana), is a stronghold for the species. Population size and demography of lions in the KGNP has been addressed in four historic studies. Studies in mid-1970 and 1990 reported a female biased population whereas in 2010 the sex structure was skewed towards males (56%). The bias in sex ratios towards males was first observed in cubs and sub-adults in 2001 and later, in 2010, throughout the population. Furthermore, in the 2010 assessment of the lion population, a smaller proportion of cubs (< 2 yrs) were observed in comparisons to the preceding studies (10% vs. ≥ 23%). The skew in age and sex structures that were observed in the KGNP led to concerns over the long-term sustainability of the greater KTP lion population. The lion population carries further risks associated with the stochastic, arid environment, in which the KTP lion population persists. Human-lion conflict on the borders of the KTP and anthropogenic alterations of the environment further threaten lion demographic stability.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/2346 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Beukes, Barend Otto |
| Contributors | Radloff, FGT, Ferreira, SM, Radloff, FGT, Ferreira, SM |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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