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Carnivore Community identified from Drimolen, Kromdraai, Sterkfontein A preliminary and Swartkrans; large-spotted genets (Genetta assessment of the tigrina) have been identified from Plovers Lake and Swartkrans; small-spotted genets (Genetta carnivore community genetta) from Sterkfontein; honey badger (Mellivora outside Johannesburg, capensis), African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and black-backed jackal all from Plovers Lake South Africa (Werdelin & Peigné 2010). This illustrates the resilience of these species in the region. Brian F. Kuhn To gain a better understanding of the current Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, carnivore community inhabiting the Cradle of Johannesburg, WITS, 2050 South Africa Humankind we used camera traps to investigate E-mail: [email protected] the presence of carnivores in the Malapa Nature Received 8 May 2012. Accepted 21 January 2014 Reserve and John Nash Nature Reserve. We report INTRODUCTION on the number of species detected and frequency The UNESCO Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai of detection. and Evirons World Heritage Site, known as the Cradle of Humankind (–25.948938°S;27.784395°E) METHODS in South Africa, is known for its numerous fossil sites (Hilton-Barber & Berger 2002; Dirks et al. Study area 2010) but little is known regarding its current carni- The Malapa Nature Reserve and John Nash vore diversity. Occasionally a leopard (Panthera Nature Reserve are situated in the heart of the pardus) attack will make the news and a leopard Cradle of Humankind. The combined fenced den was examined in 2000 (de Ruiter & Berger reserves comprise approximately 6730 ha of 2000; de Ruiter & Berger 2001), while local ranchers privately owned land. The land consists of grass- and farm managers report a high number of lands, Backenveld vegetation and wetlands and black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) in the transitions between the Carletonvillle Dolomite area (H. Visser & T.Nash, pers.comm.).In addition, Grasslands and the Moot Plains Bushveld brown hyaenas (Hyaena brunnea) are frequently (Mucina & Rutherford 2006; Bamford et al. 2010). sighted by locals (H. Visser & T. Nash, pers. Several springs occur across the reserves. While comm.). the perimeter of the two reserves is fenced, photo- Thorn et al. (2011) suggested that servals graphic evidence indicates that the fence is easily (Leptailurus serval ) no longer occur in the North breached by species as large as gemsbok (Oryx West Province region of the Cradle of Humankind gazella) (pers. obs.). but that black-backed jackals, brown hyaenas, leopards and caracals (Caracal caracal ) still occur Camera trapping in the area. Other reviews (Friedmann & Daly Camera traps (a combination of Moultrie M50 2004; Skinner & Chimimba 2005) indicate that the Game Cameras, Bushnell Trail Sentry Cameras study area is within the ranges of the various carni- and Lynx Optics Ranger Trail Cameras) were vores identified in this study. placed at eight locations (sites) to photograph The carnivore community in the fossil record of various carnivores (Table 1). Five camera sites the region is very diverse with a greater bio- were located on the John Nash Nature Reserve and diversity than found today. The site of Cooper’s three sites were on the Malapa Nature Reserve. Cave has 17 identified carnivore species, includ- The sites used for camera placement were either ing seven felids (including leopard), four hyaenids on game trails, at cave entrances or near perma- (including brown hyaena), two canids (including nent water (i.e. sites that would be regularly used black-backed jackal), three viverrids and one by carnivores). mustelid (de Ruiter et al. 2009). The site of Malapa Initially (February 2009), a single camera trap (a has yielded specimens from both brown hyaena Moultrie M50) was placed at two cave sites, at and leopard, which date to 1.977 Mya (Kuhn et al. 30-day intervals, to monitor cave usage by mammals 2011).In addition, brown hyaena have been identi- as an independent study (Bountalis 2012). This fied from the sites of Plovers Lake, Kromdraai, was increased to four cameras, covering four sites, Sterkfontein and Swartkrans; leopard have been with the addition of three Bushnell Trail Sentry South African Journal of Wildlife Research 44(1): 95–98 (April 2014) 96 South African Journal of Wildlife Research Vol. 44, No. 1, April 2014 Table 1. Location of camera traps used in the study. otal Site S E Reserve Province 1 25°54’21.60” 27°46’01.43” John Nash Gauteng 2 25°52’29.12” 27°46’48.84” John Nash North West 3 25°51’51.17” 27°48’10.02” John Nash North West 4 25°54’52.21” 27°49’39.35” Malapa Gauteng 5 25°54’27.28” 27°49’18.69” Malapa Gauteng 6 25°53’46.77” 27°48’06.31” Malapa Gauteng 7 25°53’38.62” 27°45’53.82” John Nash Gauteng 8 25°53’05.99” 27°46’51.19” John Nash Gauteng cameras in January of 2010, and further increased to 12 cameras with the addition of eight Lynx Optics Ranger Trail cameras in April 2011. Eight sites were monitored, with the remaining four cameras held in reserve to replace cameras that needed maintenance or had failures. From January 2010 the images were downloaded every 20–30 days. None of the cameras were baited. Timing of camera placement varied on results obtained per location (Table 2).All cameras except for one were placed on tree trunks, ranging in height from 50 cm to 150 cm above the ground, and in one instance on a horizontal branch looking down into a cave (Site 6).The camera at Site 8 was placed on a metal pole left over from archaeologi- cal excavations inside the cave. Data are pre- sented as total number of images per 100 days (Table 2). RESULTS The cameras recorded 10 carnivore species from the families Felidae (3), Viverridae (2), Mustelidae (2), Hyaenidae (1), Canidae (1) and Herpestidae 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011 (game trail) (cave) (game trail) (game trail) (game trail) (cave) (near water) (cave) images trap days* (1). All locations produced photographs of carni- vores (Table 2). In total Site 1 produced 5234 photographs of various animals. Of these, 87 were 66443 Y3 Y2 Y1 Y N1 Y N1 Y N Y Y N Y Y N N N N N N N N N N Y N N Y N Y N Y N N Y N Y Y N Y N Y Y Y N N Y N N N N N Y N N Y Y N Y N N N N Y N Y Y Y N Y 397 N Y 319 N N N 47 N 11.09 N 22 N 20 8.91 N 19 1.31 N 15 0.61 9 0.56 4 0.53 2 0.42 0.25 0.11 0.06 of brown hyaena, 36 of black-backed jackal, 12 of serval, five of caracal, three of slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea), two of honey badger and a single leopard. The low number of photographs during the early stages of the study is attributed to technical difficulties with the solar panels failing to Hyaena brunnea Caracal caracal Mellivora capensis Panthera pardus Galerella sanguinea Leptailurus serval Aonyx capensis Genetta genetta Genetta tigrina recharge the batteries enough to last the entire Canis mesomelas 20–30-day period. Site 2 produced a total of 161 photographs of mammals including two im- ages of honey badgers and one of a leopard.Site 3 produced 23 photographs, of which 16 were of black-backed jackal. Site 4 produced 482 photo- . Presence (Y) and absence (N) of species by site, total number of images of each species, average number of images of each species over a 100-day cycle, t graphs of various species that included 55 number of images taken per site and the number of days that each site was monitored. Brown hyaena Caracal Honey badger Leopard Slender mongoose Serval African clawless otter Small-spotted genet Large-spotted genet Total number of imagesNumber of days monitored 5234 800 161 600 23 11 4821 600 5184 600 343 459 8750 310 118 200 Black-backed jackal black-backed jackal, 33 brown hyaena, 23 caracal, Table 2 Common name Species Locations Site 1 Site 2Date cameras Site placed 3*Total species images/total trap days /100. Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 7 3 Site Jan 8 Total 3 Jan Images/100 10 Jun 15 Jul 15 Jul 12 Apr 12 Apr 29 Jun Short communications 97 14 slender mongoose, seven honey badger and This project was supported by a grant from the Philip and four small-spotted genet images. Site 5 produced Melanie Nash Memorial Trust. I am grateful to the Nash 5184 photographs, which included 252 black- family for allowing me access to the reserves, to Hennie backed jackal, 134 brown hyaena, 13 caracal and Visser, Timothy Nash and Lee Berger for suggestions re- 11 honey badger images. Site 6 produced garding camera placement. Lee Berger donated the initial 343 photographs, of which five were of black- camera for the project. Comments and suggestion by two backed jackal, three of brown hyaena, three of anonymous reviewers and associate editor Michael slender mongoose and two of large-spotted genet. Somers greatly improved the manuscript. Site 7 produced 8750 photographs of various species. Of these, 60 were of brown hyaena, 33 of REFERENCES black-backed jackal, 18 of leopard, nine of African BAMFORD, M.K., NEUMANN, F.H., PEREIRA, L.M., SCOTT, L., DIRKS, P.H.G.M.& BERGER, L.R. 2010. clawless otter, six of caracal, three of serval and Botanical remains from the coprolite from the Pleisto- two of slender mongoose.
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