Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystem
Human-carnivore encounters are common where humans and wild carnivores share the same landscape. The frequency of such encounters gives insight regarding carnivore density and might correlate with human-carnivore conflict incidences. We interviewed livestock owners in the eastern Serengeti ecosystem...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420308659 |
| _version_ | 1819077347851108352 |
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| author | Franco P. Mbise Craig R. Jackson Richard Lyamuya Robert Fyumagwa Peter S. Ranke Eivin Røskaft |
| author_facet | Franco P. Mbise Craig R. Jackson Richard Lyamuya Robert Fyumagwa Peter S. Ranke Eivin Røskaft |
| author_sort | Franco P. Mbise |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human-carnivore encounters are common where humans and wild carnivores share the same landscape. The frequency of such encounters gives insight regarding carnivore density and might correlate with human-carnivore conflict incidences. We interviewed livestock owners in the eastern Serengeti ecosystem and recorded reported carnivore presence and relative abundance. We simultaneously conducted a carnivore survey to assess the potential variability of reported carnivore presence that was recorded during the surveys. The playback surveys attracted 9 lions (Panthera leo), 88 spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and 47 black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas schmidti) to 12 call-in stations which were resurveyed three times (36 playbacks in total). Reported encounters with lions, leopards (Panthera pardus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), spotted hyenas, African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and jackals were higher closer to the Serengeti National Park (SNP). Data from carnivore surveys were positively correlated with what people reported in questionnaires. These results indicate that local reports of encounters with wild carnivores may act as an important indicator of carnivore presence. Combining observational data through surveys with data reported by local people in areas where humans and wild carnivores coexist may improve existing data on carnivore abundance and distribution in such areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T18:55:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1c03f51ece6847a08a3f9443fb9d7e95 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T18:55:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-1c03f51ece6847a08a3f9443fb9d7e952022-12-21T18:53:37ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942020-12-0124e01324Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystemFranco P. Mbise0Craig R. Jackson1Richard Lyamuya2Robert Fyumagwa3Peter S. Ranke4Eivin Røskaft5Department of Biology, University of Dodoma, P.O. BOX 338, Dodoma, Tanzania; Corresponding author.Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 10, 7491, Trondheim, NorwayTanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P.O. Box 661, Arusha, TanzaniaTanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P.O. Box 661, Arusha, TanzaniaDepartment of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Realfagbygget, NO-7491, Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Realfagbygget, NO-7491, Trondheim, NorwayHuman-carnivore encounters are common where humans and wild carnivores share the same landscape. The frequency of such encounters gives insight regarding carnivore density and might correlate with human-carnivore conflict incidences. We interviewed livestock owners in the eastern Serengeti ecosystem and recorded reported carnivore presence and relative abundance. We simultaneously conducted a carnivore survey to assess the potential variability of reported carnivore presence that was recorded during the surveys. The playback surveys attracted 9 lions (Panthera leo), 88 spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and 47 black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas schmidti) to 12 call-in stations which were resurveyed three times (36 playbacks in total). Reported encounters with lions, leopards (Panthera pardus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), spotted hyenas, African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and jackals were higher closer to the Serengeti National Park (SNP). Data from carnivore surveys were positively correlated with what people reported in questionnaires. These results indicate that local reports of encounters with wild carnivores may act as an important indicator of carnivore presence. Combining observational data through surveys with data reported by local people in areas where humans and wild carnivores coexist may improve existing data on carnivore abundance and distribution in such areas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420308659CoexistenceDistanceEncounterObservationPlaybacksSerengeti |
| spellingShingle | Franco P. Mbise Craig R. Jackson Richard Lyamuya Robert Fyumagwa Peter S. Ranke Eivin Røskaft Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystem Global Ecology and Conservation Coexistence Distance Encounter Observation Playbacks Serengeti |
| title | Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystem |
| title_full | Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystem |
| title_fullStr | Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystem |
| title_short | Do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists? A case of the eastern Serengeti ecosystem |
| title_sort | do carnivore surveys match reports of carnivore presence by pastoralists a case of the eastern serengeti ecosystem |
| topic | Coexistence Distance Encounter Observation Playbacks Serengeti |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420308659 |
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