Spatially explicit population estimates of African leopards and spotted hyenas in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area of southwestern Uganda

Braczkowski，Alexander1,2,3,4,10; Gopalaswamy，Arjun M.5; Fattebert，Julien6,7; Isoke，Sam8; Bezzina，Alexander9; Maron，Martine1,2

2022-08-01

10.1007/s42991-022-00324-5

Mammalian Biology   Impact Factor & Quartile

1616-5047

1618-1476

African leopards (Panthera pardus pardus) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are data deficient across much of Africa, and there are only a handful of recent population estimates for these species from Uganda. This has conservation ramifications, as both species are important for wildlife tourism, and leopards are hunted for sport in several regions adjacent to national parks as part of a government-led revenue-sharing scheme to foster increased tolerance of wildlife. We ran a single-season camera-trap survey in each of the northern and southern sections of the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area (2400 km), Uganda’s second largest national park. We applied spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) models to estimate the population density and abundance of leopards and spotted hyenas in the northern Mweya and Kasenyi plains area, and the southern Ishasha sector. Leopard densities were estimated to be 5.03 (95% Highest Posterior Density, HPD = 2.80–7.63) and 4.31 (95% HPD = 1.95–6.88) individuals/100 km for the north and south of the conservation area, respectively, while spotted hyena densities were 13.44 (95% HPD = 9.01–18.81) and 14.07 individuals/100 km (95% HPD = 8.52–18.54) for the north and south, respectively. Leopard densities were in the middle range of those recorded in the literature, while sex ratios were what would be expected for this polygamous felid. Spotted hyena densities were on the higher end of those recorded for the species using spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) methods. Our work provides the first robust population estimate of leopards and spotted hyenas in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area of western Uganda.

Bayesian spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) model Big cat Crocuta crocuta Density East Africa Felids Hyaenids Panthera pardus Population size Uganda

SCI

English

Corresponding

WOS:000906106400001

PLANT & ANIMAL SCIENCE

2-s2.0-85145206939

Scopus

1.School of Earth and Environmental Sciences,The University of Queensland,Brisbane,4072,Australia
2.Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science,The University of Queensland,Brisbane,4072,Australia
3.School of Natural Resource Management,Nelson Mandela University,George,George Campus,6530,South Africa
4.Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security,Resilient Conservation,Griffith University,Nathan,411,Australia
5.Carnassials Global,Bangalore,44/1, 1st and 2nd Floor, KR Road, Supreme Overseas Building, Jayanagar,560070,India
6.Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit,Department of Zoology and Physiology,University of Wyoming,Laramie,1000 East University Avenue Dept.3166,82071,United States
7.Centre for Functional Biodiversity,School of Life Sciences,University of KwaZulu-Natal,Durban,Westville Campus,4000,South Africa
8.Independent Research Consultant,Fort Portal,Uganda
9.School of Biological Sciences,University of Queensland,Brisbane,4072,Australia
10.School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China

Braczkowski，Alexander,Gopalaswamy，Arjun M.,Fattebert，Julien,et al. Spatially explicit population estimates of African leopards and spotted hyenas in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area of southwestern Uganda[J]. Mammalian Biology,2022,102(4):1199-1213.

Braczkowski，Alexander,Gopalaswamy，Arjun M.,Fattebert，Julien,Isoke，Sam,Bezzina，Alexander,&Maron，Martine.(2022).Spatially explicit population estimates of African leopards and spotted hyenas in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area of southwestern Uganda.Mammalian Biology,102(4),1199-1213.

Braczkowski，Alexander,et al."Spatially explicit population estimates of African leopards and spotted hyenas in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area of southwestern Uganda".Mammalian Biology 102.4(2022):1199-1213.