From big spots to little spots: Influence of camera trap deployment on spatial capture-recapture estimates of servals (Leptailurus serval) in Ithala Game Reserve Johanna Taylor [email protected] Supervisors: Prof. M. Justin O’Riain1, Dr Gareth Mann2 1. Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 2. Panthera, 8 West 40th Street, 18th Floor, New York, New York 10018 February 2020 University of Cape Town Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Conservation Biology by dissertation. The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town Acknowledgements The contributions of the following individuals and organisations to this study are gratefully acknowledged: • First and foremost, I need to acknowledge my supervisors, Prof. M. Justin O’Riain and Dr Gareth Mann, for their constructive criticism, enthusiasm and unrestricted patience and efficiency at wading through my many, many, many drafts. To Justin, phone calls from the other side of the country in my greatest hours of need helped to strike down my doubts, structure my focus and get my butt back on track. To Gareth, for initiating the project and setting me on the path into the incredible world of servals. • Panthera’s Small Cats Action Fund for financial support, without which my work would not have been possible. • Panthera’s Leopard Program, for access to their vast camera-based data collection and for the field experience (and so much more) while working as a research technician as part of their leopard team. • Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild) at the University of Cape Town. I am also very thankful to all the staff, and to my fellow graduate students of the Department for their educational and social support and rounds of very “academic” discussions around the lunch table and the UCT pub. • The provincial conservation agency, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) for the opportunity to work in such an incredible part of South Africa. • SANBI and Peace Parks for financial assistance of Panthera’s Leopard Program projects, including the collection of the data used in this dissertation. • WildlifeACT for assisting with the set up and camera maintenance of the camera trap surveys. Especially to Thandi Knutson, Lauren Offord, Anel Olivier and Rae Chandlay who bounced around in the back of a bakkie through some very cold and wet downpours, changed a flat tyre in a very precarious situation, and hiked deep down into and back out of a massive valley with me while still managing to crack jokes and make the set up one of the best in my books! • Philip Faure, who ‘cracked the R code’ for me and taught me that statistics in R is not as terrifyingly daunting as it initially looked (I mean, you can even play Pacman in R!) I was lost until he showed me the light! • Matt Rogan, Dr Guy Balme, Dr Ross Pitman, Gareth Whittington-Jones and the whole Panthera team who have generously contributed their data to further my research and always made themselves available to help answer questions along with constant support and encouragement throughout. • Becca, my whisker-sister, who I need to thank for nearly everything from a support standpoint. She has always been my rock through thick and thin and has always been my number one supporter. • Ellery Worth for giving me that final push to the finish line, for believing in me and for showing me how bright and beautiful that light is at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for being my brilliant light. Apples and bananas. • Lisa and Gareth (and Jayden and Bradley) Thomas-Carter for their unwavering support in a manner that only family can provide during the many ups and downs of the dissertation process. For feeding me incredible meals and for putting up with me and my pup under their roof for so long. • Vincent Naude for all of the advice helping me bring this thesis to completion and for the hours of phone conversations at ungodly hours of the night (and sometimes from various parts of the world) to help to descramble the ideas in my head and get them on paper. • I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my own personal cheering squad who gave me that extra push when I needed it, listened to my venting when models were not playing nice, countless advice, persistent enthusiasm and encouragement throughout this journey: Erin, Blair, BerBer and Atlas Dial, my parents Pamela (I know you would be proud, mom) and Jeffery Taylor, Joselyn Mormile, Shannon Dubay, “da boiz” (you know who you are, and Kels too!), the Rietmann family, Byron Grobler, Laura and Graeme Hiestermann, Graham, Wiley and Gil Grosvenor, John Power, Peter Lindsey, Vincent van der Merwe, and to all of my family. • And a final acknowledgement to my dog, Ryno because, let’s be honest, he has been by my side the most throughout this dissertation and always encouraged much needed mental breaks to go play a game of fetch during days glued to my computer during write-up. ii Plagiarism declaration I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is using another's work and to pretend that it is one’s own. I have used the journal Conservation Biology format as the convention for citation and referencing. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this project from the work or works of other people has been attributed, cited, and referenced. This project is my own work. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work. Signed: Date: 08/10/2020 iii Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ i Plagiarism declaration .................................................................................................................................. iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................. vii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Description and Ecology ........................................................................................................................... 4 Distribution ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Diet ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 Conservation Status ................................................................................................................................ 10 Threats .................................................................................................................................................... 10 A review of the scientific literature on servals ........................................................................................ 13 Motivation for this study ........................................................................................................................ 19 2. Description of study site ....................................................................................................................... 21 Study Area ............................................................................................................................................... 21 History ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 Fauna ...................................................................................................................................................... 23 Topography and Geology ....................................................................................................................... 24 Precipitation and Temperature............................................................................................................... 25 Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................. 26 iv 3. Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 29 Camera trapping ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Survey Design .......................................................................................................................................... 30 Data processing and analysis ................................................................................................................