A Preliminary Assessment of the Carnivore Community Outside Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The UNESCO Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Evirons World Heritage Site, known as the Cradle of Humankind (–25.948938°S;27.784395°E) in South Africa, is known for its numerous fossil sites (Hilton-Barber & Berger 2002; Dirks et al. 2010) but little is known regarding its current carnivore diversity. Occasionally a leopard (Panthera pardus) attack will make the news and a leopard den was examined in 2000 (de Ruiter & Berger 2000;de Ruiter & Berger 2001), while local ranchers and farm managers report a high number of black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) in the area (H. Visser & T. Nash, pers.comm.). In addition, brown hyaenas (Hyaena brunnea) are frequently sighted by locals (H. Visser & T. Nash, pers. comm.). Thorn et al. (2011) suggested that servals (Leptailurus serval ) no longer occur in the North West Province region of the Cradle of Humankind but that black-backed jackals, brown hyaenas, leopards and caracals (Caracal caracal ) still occur in the area. Other reviews (Friedmann & Daly 2004; Skinner & Chimimba 2005) indicate that the study area is within the ranges of the various carnivores identified in this study. The carnivore community in the fossil record of the region is very diverse with a greater biodiversity than found today. The site of Cooper’s Cave has 17 identified carnivore species, including seven felids (including leopard), four hyaenids (including brown hyaena), two canids (including black-backed jackal), three viverrids and one mustelid (de Ruiter et al. 2009). The site of Malapa has yielded specimens from both brown hyaena and leopard, which date to 1.977 Mya (Kuhn et al. 2011). In addition, brown hyaena have been identified from the sites of Plovers Lake, Kromdraai, Sterkfontein and Swartkrans; leopard have been identified from Drimolen, Kromdraai, Sterkfontein and Swartkrans; large-spotted genets (Genetta tigrina) have been identified from Plovers Lake and Swartkrans; small-spotted genets (Genetta genetta) from Sterkfontein; honey badger (Mellivora capensis), African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and black-backed jackal all from Plovers Lake (Werdelin & Peigne 2010). This illustrates the resilience of these species in the region. To gain a better understanding of the current carnivore community inhabiting the Cradle of Humankind we used camera traps to investigate the presence of carnivores in the Malapa Nature Reserve and John Nash Nature Reserve.We report on the number of species detected and frequency of detection.