Lion lords and sharing hyaenas: Carnivore guild dynamics around elephant carcasses

Area of Science:

• Wildlife ecology
• Carnivore behavior
• Scavenging dynamics

Background:

• Megaherbivore carcasses are crucial, unpredictable food sources for carnivores.
• High carnivore densities in protected areas can increase competition and conflict.
• Elephant carcasses offer significant carrion biomass, influencing predator interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate temporal partitioning and co-detection strategies of carnivores at elephant carcasses.
• To understand how carrion availability from elephants impacts carnivore coexistence.
• To analyze the influence of lions on the scavenging behavior of other carnivores.

Main Methods:

• Camera traps monitored six elephant carcasses over two years (2019-2020).
• Recorded occurrences of six carnivore species, focusing on lions, spotted hyenas, and black-backed jackals.
• Utilized pairwise co-detection analysis to assess species interactions and activity patterns.

Main Results:

• Lions, spotted hyenas, and black-backed jackals were the most frequent scavengers (56.7% of observations).
• Jackals and spotted hyenas showed consistent co-detection, suggesting resource sharing.
• Lions exhibited minimal co-detection, indicating resource monopolization; other carnivores showed temporal partitioning to avoid lions.

Conclusions:

• Elephant carcasses are vital resources supporting diverse carnivore guilds.
• Carnivores employ temporal partitioning and behavioral adaptations to coexist at carcasses.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for carnivore conservation in fenced protected areas.