Abstract
Human-carnivore conflict can threaten human life and livelihoods, leading to retaliation that negatively affects carnivore conservation. The endangered African wild dog Lycaon pictus is prone to human-carnivore conflict. Therefore, it is imperative to understand which landscape features are associated with African wild dog occurrence since selection or avoidance of these features could predict the levels of conflict. We investigated resource selection in the African wild dog in relation to four anthropogenic landscape features (livestock density, agriculture, roads and human land use) within the landscape that may pose a mortality risk, as well as one natural feature (nature reserves). We compared spatio-temporal space use patterns of four African wild dog packs in north-eastern South Africa. Data were collected from one collared individual per pack. These packs constituted approximately 10% of the total remaining African wild dog population in South Africa. Two packs occurred outside of the Kruger National Park and had access to multiple areas with farmland and other anthropogenic features, whereas the remaining two packs mainly occurred within the boundaries of the Kruger National Park but made occasional forays outside of park boundaries. Utilising Resource Selection Functions and GIS analyses, we found that agricultural landscape features, roads and nature reserves were important predictors of African wild dog occurrence for all four packs. In addition to potential conflict with farmers, high odds of occurrence on roads with fast-moving traffic and road mortality was highlighted as a concern for three of the packs. While farms and areas that house livestock were readily available, pack presence occurred in areas with few farms and low livestock densities, pointing to avoidance of areas where human-carnivore conflict and resulting mortality could occur. Our study highlights potential threats to the persistence of the African wild dog, which can be used to inform future conservation efforts of the species.
Highlights
Global expansions of anthropogenic activity have increased the occurrence and intensity of human-carnivore conflict and carnivore persecution worldwide [1]
Of the five landscape features tested in relation to each of the African wild dog packs, livestock density, agricultural features, roads, human land use and nature reserves were the best predictors of space use for the Waterberg and Bluebank packs (Table 2)
We considered four packs in our study, two of which occurred outside of formally protected nature reserves, and two packs occurred in the Skukuza and Orpen areas of the Kruger National Park (KNP), together comprising approximately 10% of the total African wild dog population in South Africa
Summary
The African wild dog data were obtained through a data-sharing collaboration (Ref. DSA1000) with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT): Carnivore Conservation Programme (CCP). The CCP is a registered project with South African National Parks (SANParks) (Ref. DMOHT804) and the ethics approval to conduct wild dog darting and collaring formed part of the project registration, facilitated by the SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Services under the following Standard Operating Procedures: a) 17/Pr-CSD/SOP/capture, transport, holding facilities (04–17) vs 1; and b) 17/Pr-CSD/pro/tracking + marking (12/16) v1. The welfare and safety of the animals during immobilisation events were the responsibility of the SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Services (standard operating procedures for the capture, transportation and maintenance in holding facilities of wildlife). The darting in Limpopo was conducted by Dr Peter Caldwell who is a TOPS registered veterinary surgeon. A waiver from the Animal Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Witwatersrand was obtained to cover the use of data obtained (Ref. no: AREC-101210-002)
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