Large-scale distribution patterns of carnivores in northern South Africa: implications for conservation and monitoring M ichelle T horn,Matthew G reen,Mark K eith,Kelly M arnewick P hilip W. Bateman,Elissa Z. Cameron and D awn M. Scott Abstract Accurate assessment of carnivore population Introduction status is frequently hindered by insufficient distribution data. For northern South Africa we address this deficit by ccurate knowledge of spatial and temporal distribu- mapping new records from landscape-scale sign surveys, Ation patterns is fundamental to species management questionnaire interviews, problem animal records and and conservation, and assessment of extinction risks 2009 47 camera trapping. The black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas (Gaston & Fuller, ). For example, $ % of threatened and caracal Caracal caracal remain common and wide- species in groups that have been assessed for the IUCN Red spread. Ranges of the serval Leptailurus serval and brown List were categorized solely on the basis of range measures 2009 hyaena Hyaena brunnea were much larger than previous (Gaston & Fuller, ). These measures include extent of estimates, reducing the risk of simultaneous extirpation occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). EOO is across all occupied locations. The proportion of range area the geographical area bounded by the outermost known or occupied was larger for several species, notably the leopard projected contemporary species’ records, and is often 2001 Panthera pardus, cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and serval. We considered the species’ range (IUCN, ; Hartley & 2003 2009 conclude that the serval continues to recover from histor- Kunin, ; Gaston & Fuller, ). It is used in assessing ical threats and is expanding into new areas. A larger the likelihood of simultaneous extinction in all areas brown hyaena range and less fragmented pattern of occupied by the species, with the assumption that extinc- occurrence probably confers greater resilience to threats tion risk is inversely related to range size (Gaston & Fuller, 2009 than was suggested by previous data. Reduced extinction ). AOO is a finer scale measure comprising specific risk arising from the increased area occupied by the locations within the EOO where species’ occurrence has cheetah and leopard is tempered by probable local range been recorded, generalized to an appropriate spatial reso- 2001 2003 contraction. Our maps provide baseline information for lution (IUCN, ; Hartley & Kunin, ; Gaston & 2009 monitoring the distribution of these six species, which is Fuller, ). It reflects the rarity and fragmentation of essential in managing ecological issues that have a spatial occupied locations and thus the likely resilience of the component such as responses to changing land use. Our distribution to threats from stochastic and directional 2003 results also demonstrate the utility of detection/non- processes (Hartley & Kunin, ; Gaston & Fuller, 2009 detection surveys in rapid assessment of carnivore ). Occupancy is another measure that expresses the populations at large spatial scales. proportion of an area or collection of sampling sites that are occupied and is frequently used in monitoring programmes Keywords Black-backed jackal, brown hyaena, caracal, as a surrogate for abundance (MacKenzie et al., 2006). cheetah, distribution, leopard, serval, South Africa Unfortunately, such information is often lacking for terrestrial carnivores because they are notoriously difficult and labour intensive to detect (Nowell & Jackson, 1996; Sillero-Zubiri et al., 2004). This data deficit was highlighted MICHELLE THORN (Corresponding author) and DAWN M. SCOTT University by a South African Conservation Assessment and Manage- of Brighton, Biology Division, Huxley Building, Lewes Road, Moulsecoomb, ment Plan (Friedmann & Daly, 2004) to update the Brighton, BN24GJ, UK. E-mail [email protected] evaluation conducted nearly 20 years previously (Smithers, MATTHEW GREEN, PHILIP W. BATEMAN and ELISSA Z. CAMERON Mammal 1986 35 Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of ). As a result of this process % of South Africa’s Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa terrestrial carnivores were categorized nationally MARK KEITH School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, Univer- as threatened, Near Threatened or Data Deficient sity of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (Friedmann & Daly, 2004). This includes the brown hyaena KELLY MARNEWICK* Endangered Wildlife Trust, Carnivore Conservation Hyaena brunnea and serval Leptailurus serval, categorized Group, Johannesburg, South Africa as Near Threatened, and the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus, *Also at: Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomol- ogy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa categorized as Vulnerable. However, insufficient data on Received 11 November 2010. Revision requested 13 December 2010. trends and contemporary distributions hindered accurate Accepted 18 January 2010. assessment of many species (Friedmann & Daly, 2004). ª 2011 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 45(4), 579–586 doi:10.1017/S0030605311000123 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.42, on 27 Sep 2021 at 05:37:22, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605311000123 580 M. Thorn et al. Here we address this problem by mapping new data from focal species occur within and outside protected areas, most large-scale surveys in northern South Africa. We compare of which have fences that are permeable to free-ranging current and historical distributions so as to extract spatial animals. Historical and contemporary provincial bound- and temporal patterns that elucidate the present conserva- aries relevant to the discussion are shown in Fig. 1. tion status of the brown hyaena, serval and cheetah, and the black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas, caracal Caracal Methods caracal and leopard Panthera pardus, categorized as Least Concern (i.e. not currently in danger of extinction) in We collected the data presented here during an intensive South Africa (Friedmann & Daly, 2004). study of the Thabazimbi district in 2000 and a large- scale study of the North West province during 2006–2008. Study area The cheetah was the focal species for the Thabazimbi study but we also collected data on the brown hyaena and The study area is the North West province of South Africa leopard. The focal species for the study in the North West and the adjoining Thabazimbi district of the Limpopo province were the brown hyaena, caracal, black-backed province, which border Botswana to the north. All six of the jackal, leopard, serval and cheetah. We carried out a number FIG. 1 (a) Current provincial boundaries and location of the study area, which comprised the North West province and Thabazimbi district, an adjoining area of Limpopo province, and (b) historical provincial boundaries in South Africa. ª 2011 Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 45(4), 579–586 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.42, on 27 Sep 2021 at 05:37:22, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605311000123 Carnivore populations in South Africa 581 of systematic, random and opportunistic surveys through- available to us, restricting effort to $ 5 camera days per site. out the study area. Sampling methods included socio- Seasonal replicates were completed at nine of the 13 sites. economic interviews using questionnaires, sign surveys We positioned single camera traps in locations where and camera trapping. We also included records of verified carnivore signs had been previously observed, to maximize complaints of problem animals lodged by landowners with detection probability (Karanth & Nichols, 2002). They the Nature Conservation Department during the same were secured to a suitable tree or bush at a height of period. All observers were appropriately trained and c. 45 cm from the ground (Karanth & Nichols, 2002) and experienced and any records with dubious reliability were baited daily with offal or animal carcasses. We set cameras excluded from analysis to minimize the likelihood of to operate only at night, with time and date automatically records of false presence (Karanth et al., 2009). imprinted on photographs. Questionnaire surveys involved semi-structured inter- Later camera-trap surveys used 35 mm passive infrared views with private landowners and managers. In the units set for 24 hour operation, fixed to trees, positioned to Thabazimbi district all contactable agricultural landowners maximize detection probability, and set to imprint time and were interviewed. In the North West province the primary date, as in preliminary work. We carried out seven surveys 2 2 sampling units were 25 randomly selected 415 km grid in the randomly selected 415 km grid cells where we cells covering 16.9% of agricultural land in the province. We completed questionnaire and sign surveys in the North surveyed $ 2 landowners per sampling cell but, although West province. As in initial sign surveys we chose sites that the majority of interviews (64%) were conducted in the were representative of a range of climactic conditions and randomly selected survey cells, we also recruited additional mammal community composition. We used 11–25 camera participants at livestock auctions and farmers’ meetings. traps per grid cell (scaling effort in the same way as for sign We conducted preliminary