Abstract
Panthera pardus is a widespread mammalian carnivore, with a very broad diet range. Therefore, it is often seen as needing less protection as compared with some other predator species. However, with a 37% reduction in historic range and some subspecies critically endangered, the leopard is a species that does indeed require certain conservation attention. In Southern Africa, there are several threats facing the leopard: habitat loss, poaching, as well as killings associated with leopard-human conflict (the latter being aggravated by poorly-stocked reserves where the animals reside). In setting aside formal protected areas for the leopard and its prey, it is important to plan and stock these reserves in such a manner so as to limit potential conflict with owners of surrounding farmlands or tribal land. Focusing on the average daily energetic consumption and expenditure of the leopard in Southern Africa, this paper seeks to determine how regular successful hunts can help maintain the animal. It was found from the study that there is a very close balance between the energy consumption and expenditure of the leopard. Depopulation of a varying intensity may result from a hunting success probability below 0.5. Leopards are unlikely to persist where hunting success is reduced to 0.1 due to prey shortage. This finding is believed to provide some preliminary guidance for leopard prey stocking rates in the future. Key words: African leopard, energy expenditure, prey stocking rate, leopard-farmer conflict, conservation, predator-prey interaction.
Highlights
IntroductionOne of the biggest conservation concerns, and one that is very often implicated in extinctions of species in modern times, is habitat loss (Simberloff, 1984; Tilman et al, 1994)
There are a wide suite of conservation issues in the modern age (Gurevitch and Padilla, 2004; Giam et al, 2010; Bellard et al, 2012), each having a variety of often negative implications on global biodiversity, and each demanding attention (Sheil, 2001), research, and funding to address
One of the main factors involved in energy expenditure, is that required for the correct functioning of internal organs such as the heart, the lungs, liver, etc
Summary
One of the biggest conservation concerns, and one that is very often implicated in extinctions of species in modern times, is habitat loss (Simberloff, 1984; Tilman et al, 1994). Panthera pardus is classified as a vulnerable predatory species according to the latest IUCN Red List (Stein et al, 2016). It has a wide distribution comprising a broad region in Africa (with the Sahara Desert excluded from its range), the Arabian Peninsula, southwest Asia, as well as a small population maintained in the Russian Far-East (Nowell and Jackson, 1996). While some estimates show its Southern African range as being in no immediate danger of a severe decline (Martin and de Meulenaer, 1988), there have been criticisms of these estimates (Norton, 1990), as there are marked reductions in areas of encroaching human settlement and other habitat conversions, with range decline for the species being as high as 37% in a period of 100 years (Ray et al, 2005)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
