Individual encounter data of six African carnivore species optimized for multi-species density estimation

The ability to estimate abundances of multiple wildlife species within an area is valuable for both conservation and ecological inquiry. Spatially explicit capture-recapture (SCR) methods are commonly used to obtain reliable population size estimates, particularly for low-density and individually identifiable carnivore species. However, estimating abundance within multi-species communities poses a methodological challenge as survey designs and analytical tools are primarily tailored for single target species. Here, we present a dataset of spatially referenced individual encounter histories of six carnivore species with varying space requirements (lion, Panthera leo; leopard, Panthera pardus; spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta; cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus; serval, Leptailurus serval; large-spotted genet, Genetta tigrina). These data were collected in a South African game reserve using a camera trap array optimized for multi-species density estimation using SCR methods. This dataset will be a valuable resource for studying spatial processes among potentially interacting carnivores without the common pitfalls that come with by-catch data of non-target species, and will provide a much-needed case study for the further development of multi-species statistical method development.