The Ecology and Management of Kalahari lions in a Conflict Area in Central Botswana
Date
2014
Authors
MacFarlane, Kevin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
African Lions (Panthera leo) are an keys species in many natural
ecosystems in Africa and provide income and ecosystem services to
many human communities. They directly limit herbivore
populations, which in turn maintain grasslands and associated
systems. Those ecosystems have degraded in recent decades and the
concurrent decline in lion population is believed to play a role.
I investigated factors affecting lion behaviour and ecology
including the effect of seasonal variation in wild prey herd
size. Current levels of herbivore prey are significantly lower
than before the creation of countrywide veterinary cordon fences
and total lean season biomass was estimated at 375.5 kg.km-2. I
placed GPS position locating radio collars on 13 lions in 6
prides in a study area of approximately 9,911 square kilometres
in the north of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), in
central Botswana. The collars acquired total of 241,858 usable
GPS fixes and I visited each lion monthly. Lion spatial behaviour
appears to have changed in response to the decline in herbivores,
although there is only a small amount of historical data. Lion
home ranges were large (mean home range = 2116.5 km2, range
798.3- 4243.7 km2) compared to two prides from a study in the
1970s in the same area which had home ranges of approximately 337
km2. Those prides increased their range to today’s sizes only
in severe drought years, but rainfall during the study period was
high. I interpret this as evidence that seasonal lower herbivore
densities have increased lion ranges, and reduced the number of
lions in the CKGR. I estimate the current population in the study
area at 307 adult lions, or 3.1 lions per 100km2. During months
of high herbivore group densities, lions travelled further on a
daily basis (mean daily movement distance of 7,160 m at lowest
density, to 8,616 m at the highest density), and males on average
travelled significantly further each day than females (mean of
10,071.6m per day for male, SD = 7099.4, maximum 48,462m and a
mean of 7,633.6m per day for females, SD= 5,069.3m, maximum
29,470m). Females moved similar distances daily even while
supporting cubs under 3 months old. Lions significantly preferred
hunting prey species above 90kg, but also hunted the smaller
warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) and African porcupine (Hystrix
africaeaustralis). This has implications for conflict mitigation
and lion conservation. I investigate the economics and extent of
the lion livestock conflict in Central Botswana and explore
potential management options in light of this new data.
Management options should be carefully selected with
consideration for economics, politics and local conditions, and
should target locations where conflict mitigation can have the
greatest benefit for both lion conservation and economic
improvement of stakeholders in order to have the best chance for
success.
not a change in reserve management. After carefully examining the
ecology of the Central Kalahari lions and the management of the
reserve and farms in the area, I conclude that mitigating
lion-livestock conflict is best achieved through improving
grazing practices and not a change in reserve management.
Description
Keywords
Africa, Lions, Panthera leo, Human-wildlife conflict, Conservation, Botswana
Citation
Collections
Source
Type
Thesis (PhD)
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
License Rights
Restricted until
Downloads
File
Description