Cannibalism Among Jaguars (Panthera Onca) Author(S) :Fernando C

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Cannibalism Among Jaguars (Panthera onca) Author(s) :Fernando C. C. Azevedo, Ricardo L. Costa, Henrique V. B. Concone, André Pires-da Silva, and Luciano M. Verdade Source: The Southwestern Naturalist, 55(4):597-599. 2010. Published By: Southwestern Association of Naturalists DOI: 10.1894/RTS-10.1 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1894/RTS-10.1

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CANNIBALISM AMONG JAGUARS (PANTHERA ONCA)

FERNANDO C. C. AZEVEDO,* RICARDO L. COSTA,HENRIQUE V. B. CONCONE,ANDRE´ PIRES-DA SILVA, AND LUCIANO M. VERDADE

Instituto Pro´-Carnı´voros, Atibaia, SP 12945-010, Brazil, and Departamento de Cieˆncias Naturais, Universidade Federal de Saõ Joaõ del Rei, Saõ Joaõ del Rei, MG 36301-160, Brazil (FCCA) Projeto Gadonça, Fazenda San Francisco, Miranda, MS 79380-000, Brazil (RLC) Projeto Onça-Pantaneira, Fazenda Real/Filial Saõ Bento, Miranda, MS 79380-000, Brazil (FCCA, HVBC) Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 (APDS) Laborato´rio de Ecologia Isoto´pica/USP, Caixa Postal 09, Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil (LMV) * Correspondent: [email protected]

ABSTRACT—This is the first report of cannibalism in a free-ranging population of jaguars (Panthera onca). An encounter among unfamiliar jaguars may have provoked social stress, a behavior reported in other free-ranging carnivores.

RESUMEN—Este es el primer reporte de canibalismo en una poblacio´n de jaguares (Panthera onca)de vida libre. Un encuentro entre jaguares desconocidos pudo haber provocado estre´s social, un comportamiento reportado en otros carnı´voros de vida libre.

Among most free-ranging carnivores, popula- use of food resources, and predation on livestock tions seem to be regulated by social interactions by jaguars in the southern part of the Pantanal manifested through territoriality and aggression region of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (Lindzey et al., 1994; Pierce et al., 2000; Adams, (20u059S, 56u369W; Azevedo and Murray, 2007). 2001). Instances of aggression and killing of The Pantanal is a floodplain covering ca. conspecifics have been reported mostly as cases 140,000 km2 of land on the border of Bolivia and of interspecific killings (Palomares and Caro, Paraguay, and is characterized by an annual regime 1999) or infanticide (Agrell et al., 1998; Soares et of flooding and low land relief, with a landscape al., 2006), which significantly contributes to comprised of wetlands, seasonally inundated grass- mortality of juveniles (Packer and Pusey, 1984; lands and woodlands, and non-flooding forests. Balme and Hunter, 2004). Although less com- The study site is a 150-km2 cattle ranch and wildlife mon than infanticide, intraspecific aggression reserve in the southern region of the state. resulting in death and consumption of an adult On 24 November 2007, a jaguar was found ca. conspecific, i.e., cannibalism, has been reported 3 days post-mortem in a dense semi-deciduous among large terrestrial carnivores (Hunter and forest on the western border of the ranch. The Skinner, 1995; Logan and Sweanor, 2001; carcass was lying on the ground, uncovered, Amstrup et al., 2006; Galentine and Swift, 2007). under the shade of a tree and not yet consumed Among adult felids, factors that lead to cannibal- by scavengers. The carcass was a fully grown adult ism may include defense of cubs (Logan and female jaguar, in apparent good nutritional Sweanor, 2001), defense of prey (Galentine and condition (body weight 5 ca. 60 kg) and, based Swift, 2007), and apparent competition (Hunter on wear and staining of dentition, ca. 3–4 years and Skinner, 1995). Although much has been old. Necropsy revealed multiple wounds inflicted reported regarding agonistic behavior within on the throat and forelegs, deep punctures at the felids, incidents of cannibalism among jaguars first, second, and third cervical vertebrae and (Panthera onca) are rare and, so far, restricted to scapulas, and the abdominal cavity was opened. infanticide (Soares et al., 2006). Here, we docu- Multiple wounds matched the size and shape of a ment an observation of cannibalism of an adult bite by a large carnivore. The left forequarter, female jaguar by two adult male jaguars. left forepaw, and distal portions of some ribs had Our research is part of an ongoing project been partially consumed. We did not find initiated in 2003 to examine spatial organization, fractures on the skull or other bones.

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We searched for evidence of other jaguars We thank J. Aycrigg and W. Seybold for constructive around the carcass. Along an unpaved road comments on an early draft of the manuscript. We 500 m away from the killing site, we found large thank San Francisco Ranch for support and permission tracks of jaguars. Based on shape and size, tracks to conduct research. We also thank the National Center for the Research and Conservation of Preda- likely belonged to two males. These two males tors/Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservaçaõ da were first observed together at the end of 2006 Biodiversidade (CENAP/ICMBio) for the support. This and remained in the region. It is uncommon for work was financed by San Francisco Ranch, Fundaçaõ male jaguars to associate for this length of time. de Amparo a`PesquisadoEstadodeSaõ Paulo In addition to tracks of two male jaguars, we (FAPESP), Premier Pet and World Wildlife Fund-Brazil found a scat ca. 550 m from the carcass. Program Pantanal para Sempre. Institutional support Laboratory analysis of the scat indicated pres- was provided by Instituto Pro´-Carnı´voros. ence of hairs, a partially digested toe, and one claw of a jaguar. An adult female jaguar (radio- LITERATURE CITED collared female 03; Azevedo and Murray, 2007) also was in the vicinity where the carcass was ADAMS, E. S. 2001. Approaches to the study of territory found for $2 days prior to the mortality event. size and shape. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 32:277–303. She had defended that territory since 2004 and AGRELL, J., J. O. WOLFF, AND H. YLO¨ NEN. 1998. Counter- $ she was observed near the killing site for 2 days strategies to infanticide in mammals: costs and prior to occurrence of the death. We did not consequences. Oikos 83:507–517. observe cuts or injuries on female 03. Her AMSTRUP, S. C., I. STIRLING,T.S.SMITH,C.PERHAM, AND G. possible role in the cannibalism incident is W. THIEMANN. 2006. Recent observations of intra- uncertain, as only tracks of males were around specific predation and cannibalism among polar the carcass. bears in the southern Beaufort Sea. Polar Biology A potential explanation for the cannibalism we 29:997–1002. report may be the presence of two male jaguars AZEVEDO, F. C. C., AND D. L. MURRAY. 2007. Spatial and the dead female inside the territory of organization and food habits of jaguars (Panthera onca) in a floodplain forest. Biological Conservation female 03. We speculate that the encounter 137:391–402. among these unfamiliar jaguars might have BALME, G., AND L. T. B. HUNTER. 2004. Mortality in a provoked social stress, a behavior reported in protected leopard population, Phinda Private other free-ranging carnivores (Robbins and Game Reserve, South Africa: a population in McCreery, 2000; Amstrup et al., 2006). Depriva- decline? Ecological Journal 6:1–6. tion of food seems an unlikely cause for the GALANTINE, S. P., AND P. K. SWIFT. 2007. Instraspecific cannibalism, because abundance of prey is killing among mountain lions (Puma concolor). adequate to support the population of jaguars Southwestern Naturalist 52:161–164. in the area (Azevedo and Murray, 2007). HUNTER, L. T. B., AND J. D. SKINNER. 1995. A case of Due to scarcity of reports in the literature on cannibalism in cheetahs. African Journal of Ecology 33:169–171. cannibalism, reasons for such behavior remain LINDZEY, F. G., V. SICKLE,B.B.ACKERMAN,D.BARNHURST, unclear and are based on isolated incidents. The T. P. HEMKER, AND S. P. LAING. 1994. Cougar population of jaguars in our study area has been population dynamics in southern Utah. Journal of studied since 2003 and its spatial organization Wildlife Management 58:619–624. was characterized by the presence of distinct LOGAN, K. A., AND L. L. SWEANOR. 2001. Desert puma: territories with a low degree of spatial overlap evolutionary ecology and conservation of an endur- and exclusive areas inside home ranges. These ing carnivore. Island Press, Washington, D.C. regions of exclusivity apparently were main- PACKER,C.,AND A. E. PUSEY. 1984. Infanticide in carnivores. tained passively, with little or no active avoidance Pages 31–42 in Infanticide: comparative and evolu- or overt defense of areas between pairs of jaguars tionary perspectives (G. Hausfater and S. B. Hardy, that had overlapping or adjacent home ranges editors). Aldine Publishing Company, New York. PALOMARES, E., AND M. CARO. 1999. Interspecific killing (Azevedo and Murray, 2007). This is the first among mammalian carnivores. American Naturalist report of cannibalism in free-ranging jaguars. 153:492–508. Behavior of jaguars and the difficulty of observ- PIERCE, B. M., V. C. BLEICH, AND R. T. BOWYER. 2000. ing individual interactions preclude further Social organization of mountain lions: does a land- understanding of the motivation for such behav- tenure system regulate population size? Ecology 91: ior. 1533–1543. December 2010 Notes 599

ROBBINS, R. L., AND E. K. MCCREERY. 2000. Dominant study of jaguars (Panthera onca) in Emas National female cannibalism in the African wild dog. African Park, central Brazil. Genetics and Molecular Biology Journal of Ecology 38:91–92. 29:735–740. SOARES, T. N., M. P. C. TELLES,L.V.RESENDE,L.SILVEIRA, A. T. JA´ COMO,R.G.MORATO,J.A.F.DINIZ-FILHO,E. EIZIRIK,R.P.V.BRONDANI, AND C. BRONDANI. 2006. Submitted 20 June 2009. Accepted 20 March 2010. Paternity testing and behavioral ecology: a case Associate Editor was Richard T. Stevens.

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