Counting the spots: The use of a spatially explicit capture-recapture technique and GPS data to estimate leopard (Panthera pardus) density in the Eastern and Western Cape, South Africa

Carolyn Devens; Thulani Tshabalala; Jeannine McManus; Bool Smuts

doi:10.1111/aje.12512

Population density estimate of leopards (Panthera pardus) in north-western Mpumalanga, South Africa, determined using spatially explicit capture–recapture methods

Mammalian Biology ◽

10.1007/s42991-021-00179-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Declan R. Morris ◽

Wayne S. J. Boardman ◽

Lourens H. Swanepoel ◽

Greg Simpson ◽

Jannie Coetzee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Population Density ◽

Density Estimate ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Panthera Pardus ◽

Capture Recapture ◽

Population Density Estimate ◽

North Western

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Estimating leopard density across the highly modified human-dominated landscape of the Western Cape, South Africa

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605318001473 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carolyn H. Devens ◽

Matt W. Hayward ◽

Thulani Tshabalala ◽

Amy Dickman ◽

Jeannine S. McManus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Critical Role ◽

Camera Trap ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Western Cape ◽

Apex Predators ◽

Capture Recapture

Abstract Apex predators play a critical role in maintaining the health of ecosystems but are highly susceptible to habitat degradation and loss caused by land-use changes, and to anthropogenic mortality. The leopard Panthera pardus is the last free-roaming large carnivore in the Western Cape province, South Africa. During 2011–2015, we carried out a camera-trap survey across three regions covering c. 30,000 km2 of the Western Cape. Our survey comprised 151 camera sites sampling nearly 14,000 camera-trap nights, resulting in the identification of 71 individuals. We used two spatially explicit capture–recapture methods (R programmes secr and SPACECAP) to provide a comprehensive density analysis capable of incorporating environmental and anthropogenic factors. Leopard density was estimated to be 0.35 and 1.18 leopards/100 km2, using secr and SPACECAP, respectively. Leopard population size was predicted to be 102–345 individuals for our three study regions. With these estimates and the predicted available leopard habitat for the province, we extrapolated that the Western Cape supports an estimated 175–588 individuals. Providing a comprehensive baseline population density estimate is critical to understanding population dynamics across a mixed landscape and helping to determine the most appropriate conservation actions. Spatially explicit capture–recapture methods are unbiased by edge effects and superior to traditional capture–mark–recapture methods when estimating animal densities. We therefore recommend further utilization of robust spatial methods as they continue to be advanced.

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Leopard Panthera pardus density in southern Mozambique: evidence from spatially explicit capture–recapture in Xonghile Game Reserve

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605318000121 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 405-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Paolo Strampelli ◽

Leah Andresen ◽

Kristoffer T. Everatt ◽

Michael J. Somers ◽

J. Marcus Rowcliffe

Keyword(s):

Conservation Status ◽

Density Estimate ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Panthera Pardus ◽

Anthropogenic Pressures ◽

Game Reserve ◽

Empirical Density ◽

Capture Recapture ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Hunting Quotas

AbstractRigorous status estimates of populations of large carnivores are necessary to inform their management and help evaluate the effectiveness of conservation interventions. The African leopard Panthera pardus faces rising anthropogenic pressures across most of its contracting sub-Saharan range, but the scarcity of reliable population estimates means that management decisions often have to rely on expert opinion rather than being based on sound evidence. This is particularly true for Mozambique, where little is known about the ecology or conservation status of leopard populations as a result of prolonged armed conflict. We used camera trapping and spatially explicit capture–recapture models to provide a leopard density estimate in Xonghile Game Reserve in southern Mozambique, which is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier conservation initiative. The estimated population density was 2.60 ± SE 0.96 leopards/100 km2. Our study provides a baseline leopard density for the region and the first empirical density estimate for southern Mozambique. Our results also suggest that current methods used to set trophy hunting quotas for leopards, both in Mozambique and elsewhere in Africa, may be leading to unsustainable quotas, which highlights the importance of robust empirical data in guiding conservation policy.

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High carnivore population density highlights the conservation value of industrialised sites

10.1101/260729 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daan J. E. Loock ◽

Samual T. Williams ◽

Kevin W. Emslie ◽

Wayne S. Matthews ◽

Lourens H. Swanepoel

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Population Density ◽

Human Development ◽

Camera Trap ◽

High Abundance ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Conservation Value ◽

Industrial Sites ◽

Capture Recapture ◽

Disturbed Habitats

AbstractAs the environment becomes increasingly altered by human development, the importance of understanding the ways in which wildlife interact with modified landscapes is becoming clear. Areas such as industrial sites are sometimes presumed to have little conservation value, but many of these sites have areas of less disturbed habitats around their core infrastructure, which could provide ideal conditions to support some species, such as mesocarnivores. We conducted the first assessments of the density of serval (Leptailurus serval) at the Secunda Synfuels Operations plant, South Africa. We ran three camera trap surveys to estimate serval density using a spatially explicit capture recapture framework. Servals occurred at densities of 76.20-101.21 animals per 100 km2, which are the highest recorded densities for this species, presumably due to high abundance of prey and the absence of persecution and/or competitor species. Our findings highlight the significant conservation potential of industrialised sites, and we suggest that such sites could help contribute towards meeting conservation goals.

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Abundance and density estimates for common leopard Panthera pardus and clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa in Manas National Park, Assam, India

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605312000373 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 149-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Jimmy Borah ◽

Tridip Sharma ◽

Dhritiman Das ◽

Nilmani Rabha ◽

Niraj Kakati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Camera Trapping ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Panthera Pardus ◽

Density Estimates ◽

Clouded Leopard ◽

Neofelis Nebulosa ◽

Capture Recapture ◽

The Common

AbstractEffective conservation of rare carnivores requires reliable estimates of population density for prioritizing investments and assessing the effectiveness of conservation interventions. We used camera traps and capture–recapture analysis to provide the first reliable abundance and density estimates for the common leopard Panthera pardus and clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa in Manas National Park, India. In 57 days of camera trapping, with a total of 4,275 camera-trap days, we photo-captured 27 individually identified common leopards (11 males, 13 females and three unidentified), and 16 clouded leopards (four males, five females and seven unidentified). The abundance estimates using the Mh jackknife and Pledger model Mh were 47.0 and 35.6, respectively, for the common leopard, and 21.0 and 25.0, respectively, for the clouded leopard. Density estimates using maximum likelihood spatially-explicit capture–recapture were 3.4 ± SE 0.82 and 4.73 ± SE 1.43 per 100 km2 for the common and clouded leopards, respectively. Spatially-explicit capture–recapture provided more realistic density estimates compared with those obtained from conventional methods. Our data indicates that camera trapping using a capture–recapture framework is an effective tool for assessing population sizes of cryptic and elusive carnivores such as the common and clouded leopards. The study has established a baseline for the long-term monitoring programme for large carnivores in Manas National Park.

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