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Reproductive Strategy and Behaviour of Male Asiatic Lions

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Reproductive Strategy and Behaviour of Male Asiatic Lions Reproductive Strategy and Behaviour of Male Asiatic Lions THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (UNIVERSITY) DEHRA DUN, UTTARAKHAND For THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN FORESTRY (Forest Ecology and Environment) By V. MEENA Wildlife Institute of India Dehra Dun 2008 Contents List of Maps and Figures List of Tables List of Appendices List of Plates Abstract i Acknowledgement iii Summary vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE 1-31 1.1 Evolution of Carnivora 1 1.2 Classification of Carnivora 2 1.3 Lions - Early evolution 3 1.4 Distribution of Panthera leo 5 1.4.1. Asiatic lions: Distribution and status 5 1.4.2. African lions: Distribution and status 7 1.5. Sociality in competing species 8 1.5.1. Leopard (Panthera pardus) 12 1.5.2. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) 15 1.5.3. Tiger (Panthera tigris) 16 1.5.4 Hyaena 17 1.5.5. Lions 19 1.6 Lion sociality: Not as ‘plain’ as it seems 23 1.7. Male strategies and social organization 25 1.8. Justification of study 25 1.9 Review of literature 30 1.10 Objectives of the study 31 CHAPTER 2: STUDY AREA 32-43 2.1 Location and size 32 2.2 Climate 32 2.3 Topography and geology 34 2.4 Drainage 34 2.5 Fauna 36 2.6 Flora 36 2.7 History of management 40 2.8 Administration 40 2.9 People 41 2.10 Current use of the forest 42 CHAPTER 3: DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION STRUCTURE 44-71 3.1 Introduction 44 3.2 Asiatic lion: Conservation Status and Conflict Issues 46 3.3 Objectives 51 3.4 Methods 51 3.5 Data Analysis 52 3.6 Results 56 3.6.1 Encounter rate 56 3.6.2 Population number and density 57 3.6.3 Age- Sex composition 58 3.6.4 Social Organization 59 3.6.5 Seasonality of mating and birth 59 3.6.6 Cub Survival and recruitment 60 3.6.7 Mortality and adult survival 61 3.7 Discussion 63 3.8 Conclusion 68 3.9 Conservation implication 69 CHAPTER 4: HOME RANGE AND HABITAT USE 72-115 4.1 Introduction 72 4.2 Objectives 74 4.3 Methods 74 4.3.1 Home range and space use mechanisms 74 4.3.2 Habitat Analysis 76 4.3.2.1 Use and availability 77 4.3.2.2 Ranking of habitat preference 77 4.3.2.3 Lion habitat use in relation to chosen habitat covariates 78 i) Lion distribution 80 ii) EGVs: Data collection, source and data processing 81 iii) EGVs: Description of vegetation, topography and ungulate distribution in Gir 85 4.4 Results 92 4.4.1 Land tenure system and ranging patterns i) Adult male lions 92 ii) Adult female lions 100 iii) Sub adults 102 4.4.2 Habitat-Use 103 4.4.2.1 Lion habitat use-availability 103 4.4.2.2 Habitat Preference ranking 105 4.4.2.3 Lion habitat preference model based on habitat covariates 105 4.5 Discussion 108 4.5.1 Home range and territoriality 108 4.5.2 Habitat- use 111 4.5.3 Conservation implications 112 CHAPTER 5: MOVEMENT, ACTIVITY AND DIET 116-146 5.1 Activity in relation to diet 116 5.2 Activity in relation to reproduction 117 5.3 Objectives 118 5.4 Methods 5.4.1 Diet assessment 118 5.4.2 Lion movement and patrolling behaviour 121 5.5 Results 5.5.1 Diet 123 5.5.2 Movement and territory defense 134 5.6 Discussion 138 CHAPTER 6: MALE STRATEGIES 147-152 6.1. Male Reproductive Strategy 146 6.2. Conclusion 152 CHAPTER 7: SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION 153 - 158 REFERENCE 159-175 ***** LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Historical range of Panthera leo persica 1.2 Population distribution of African lions (Panthera leo leo) 1.3 Phylogenetic tree showing social behaviour in different groups of Carnivora Chapter 2: Study Area 2.1 Location of the Gir Sanctuary and National Park in north western India 2.2 Rainfall between the period 1982 -2002 recorded in Gir-west (Sasan-Gir) and Gir – East (Dhari) within the Gir Sanctuary and National Park 2.3 Topography and altitudinal ranges within the Gir Protected Area 2.4 Distribution of perennial rivers, Dams, artificial and natural water-sources within the Gir Protected Area 2.5 Vegetation types of Gir Protected Area (Source: Qureshi and Shah 2004). 2.6 Management Units of Gir Protected Area:Blocks are shown with boundaries and ranges in different colours 2.7 Locations of Ness-sites and forest settlements within the Gir Protected Area, the boundary of the National Park within the protected area is shown Chapter 3: Demography and Population structure 3.1 Past population estimates of Asiatic lion in Gir PA 3.2 Incidence of human injury by lion and leopard in Gir 3.3 Incidence of human mortality caused by lion and leopard in Gir 3.4 Carnivore rescue operation undertaken by management in Gir 3.5 Map showing intensive study area 3.6 Age-sex composition of lions in Gir west and National park 3.7 Seasonality and record of mating events in Gir west and National park 3.8 Seasonality and record of cub birth in Gir west and National park 3.9 Cub and adult (male and female) mortality records in Gir PA for five year period between 2001 to 2005 3.10 Comparison of causes of mortality of adult lions within and outside Gir PA for five year period between 2001 to 2005 Chapter 4: Home range and habitat use 4.1 Brief overview of ENFA model 4.2 Flow chart showing the ENFA model procedure 4.3 Percent area under different vegetation classes within Gir PA 4.4 Percent area under different elevation classes within Gir PA 4.5 Percent area under different elevation classes within Gir PA 4.6 Distribution of ungulates in study area 4.6.a Distribution of Chital based on interpolation of pellet count data 4.6.b Distribution of Sambar based on interpolation of pellet count data 4.6.cDistribution of Nilgai based on interpolation of pellet count data 4.7 Home range (100% MCP) of Kamleswar male from 2001 – 2005 based on day locations 4.8 Home range (100% MCP) of Kheramba male from 2002 – 2005 based on day locations 4.9 Home range (100% MCP) of Pilipat male from 2002 – 2006 based on day locations 4.10 Home range (100% MCP) of Janvadla and Kokra male from 2002 – 2005 based on day locations 4.11 Home range (100% MCP) of radio-collared K-male from 2005 – 2007 based on day-night locations 4.12 Home range (100% MCP) of radio-collared Buathirth male from 2005 – 2007 based on day-night locations 4.13 Overlap of home range of Kamleswar, Pilipat and Kheramba male coalitions 4.14 Overlap of home range (100%) MCP of Ramzana, Raidi & Hathodia females 4.15 Home range (100% MCP) of radio-collared sub adult Patriyala male from 2005 – 2007 based on day-night locations 4.16 Proportion of different vegetation types within intensive study area and the Gir PA 4.17 Habitat suitability map of lions in the Gir Sanctuary and National Park 4.18 Area adjusted frequency showing the mean and standard deviation of Boyce index values 4.19 Cumulative area curve of two collared males showing increase in home range estimation with increase in sample size 4.20 Range of three males occupied by K-males in 2006 Chapter 5: Movement, Activity and Diet 5.1 Frequency of occurrence of prey species and diet composition of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo) from scat analysis (N = 314) and lion kill data (N = 258)in the Gir PA based on analysis of scat (2002 -2006) 5.2.a Diet composition and seasonal consumption of domestic and wild prey species based on lion kill data (N = 258) by Asiatic lions (Panthera leo) in Gir-west and National park (2002 -2006) 5.2.b Age-Sex composition of domestic prey species based on lion kill data of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo) in Gir-west and National park (2002 -2006) 5.2.c Diet composition and seasonal consumption of wild prey species based on lion kill data of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo) in Gir-west and National park (2002 - 2006) 5.3.a Proportion of wild and livestock consumed by Asiatic lions (Panthera leo) in different management zones in the Gir PA based on analysis of scat 5.3.b Proportion of wild and livestock consumed by Asiatic lions (Panthera leo) during summer, winter and monsoon in the Gir PA based on analysis of scat 5.4 Proportion of livestock attacks by Asiatic lions in different times of day: within (N = 436) as well as outside (N = 1130) the Gir PA in the year 2007 5.5 Proportion of time spent in various activities in the day by three collared males including two adult males, K-male (N = 360), Buathirth male (N =669) and sub adult Patriyala male (N =327) based on scan samples during continuous monitoring 5.6 Proportion of time spent ‘sleeping’ by two adult males- K-male (N = 189) and Buathirth male (N =295) and one sub adult Patriyala male (N =188) based on scan samples during continuous monitoring in different times of day - early morning (0:00- 5:30), morning (6:00 -11:30), afternoon (12:00 -16:00), evening (16:30 – 20:00) and night (20:30 – 23:30) 5.7 Proportion of time spent ‘sitting’ by two adult males- K-male (N = 72) and Buathirth male (N = 198) and one sub adult Patriyala male (N = 91) based on scan samples during continuous monitoring in different times of day - early morning (0:00- 5:30), morning (6:00 -11:30), afternoon (12:00 -16:00), evening (16:30 – 20:00) and night (20:30 – 23:30) 5.8 Proportion of time spent ‘moving’ by two adult males- K-male (N = 36) and Buathirth male (N = 113) and one sub adult Patriyala male (N = 32) based on scan samples during continuous monitoring in different times of day - early morning (0:00- 5:30), morning (6:00 -11:30), afternoon (12:00 -16:00), evening (16:30 – 20:00) and night (20:30 – 23:30) 5.9 Proportion of time spent ‘patrolling’ by the two adult territorial males, K-male (N=26), Buathirth male (N = 33) based on scan samples during continuous monitoring in different times of day - early morning (0:00- 5:30), morning (6:00 -11:30), afternoon (12:00 -16:00), evening (16:30 – 20:00) and night (20:30 – 23:30) 5.10 Nomadic movement of radio collared Buathirth male following dispersal to Gir –East from 29.04.07 to 13.05.07 Chapter 6: Male Strategies 6.1 Home-range of two males and three female lions showing range and core area overlaps.
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