Abstract
Leopards (Panthera pardus) are the most widespread large felid, yet comparatively little is
known about their fine-scale movement patterns and how these affect the risks they face.
There has been much debate on the conservation status and management needs for
leopards with much extrapolation from limited data. In order to gather more information on
leopard movements in Botswana’s Northern Tuli Game Reserve, seven leopards were
collared between February 2005 and August 2006. This allowed key aspects that affect
demography, and thus resilience to anthropogenic effects, to be investigated. Generally,
home ranges were typical for breeding females in woodland savanna (32.9 ± 7.3 km²)
with substantial overlap (average 26.0%). Core areas though were independent and
extremely small (1.9 ± 2.2 km²). These were used primarily for young cub rearing, and were
characterized by rugged terrain along riverbeds. This highly localized use places leopards at
potential risk of snaring as snares tend to be concentrated along these landscape features.
Furthermore, hunters can conceal blinds from which to shoot leopards more easily in
these areas. Further risk to adult female survival came from excursions outside the reserve
boundary during which livestock was predated. Three incidences of cannibalism by adult
territorial males on adult females are also reported, suggesting significant intra-specific
competition.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1001723 |
| Date | 30 September 2009 |
| Creators | Steyn, V, Funston, PJ |
| Publisher | Southern African Wildlife Management Association |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | Southern African Wildlife Management Association |
| Relation | South African Journal of Wildlife Research |
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