Large Carnivores in the Tarangire Ecosystem

Abstract

AbstractWe synthesize data on the ecology of large carnivores in the Tarangire Ecosystem (TE). Despite anthropogenic pressures, all large carnivore species (lions Panthera leo, spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta, striped hyena Hyena hyena, leopard Panthera pardus, cheetah Acinonyx jubatus, and wild dog Lycaon pictus) have persisted in this fragmented ecosystem consisting of multiple protected areas among a matrix of village lands. The focal species were widely distributed across land-use gradients. While the comparatively abundant spotted hyena permanently occupied village lands, other species only sporadically used these human-dominated areas. Across species, carnivores used village lands more frequently during the rainy season, possibly following seasonal shifts in the movement of prey species. These processes can increase human-carnivore interactions, expanding the potential for conflict. In some areas, leopards, lions, and striped hyenas reached high densities, whereas cheetahs and wild dogs occurred patchily and at low densities. Our review suggests that the existence of diverse protected areas contribute to the persistence of the large carnivore community. The persistence of lions, cheetahs, and wild dogs appears dependent on human-induced mortality and prey depletion. Conserving large carnivores in TE requires the application of interventions that reduce human-induced mortality while simultaneously conserving the spatio-temporal distributions of prey species.KeywordsCarnivoraHuman-carnivore conflictLivestock depredationConservation effectivenessPopulation persistence