Ecology and population status and the impact of trophy hunting of the leopard Panthera pardus (LINNAEUS, 1758) in the Luambe National Park and surrounding Game Management Areas in Zambia [Elektronische Ressource] / Rena-Rebecca Ray. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät

Rena-Rebecca Ray

Sujets

• Biologie

Informations

• Publié par: rheinische_friedrich-wilhelms-universitat_bonn
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 30
• Langue: Deutsch
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

Ecology and population status and the impact of trophy hunting of the
leopard Panthera pardus (LINNAEUS, 1758) in the Luambe National Park
and surrounding Game Management Areas in Zambia
















By
Rena-Rebecca Ray


Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Sciene (Dr. rer. nat.) in Zoology of the
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn

Bonn, August 2011

Erklärung

Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich diese Dissertation persönlich, selbständig und unter Offenlegung der
erhaltenen Hilfen angefertigt habe und, dass diese Arbeit noch nicht anderweitig als Dissertation
eingereicht wurde. Stellen der Arbeit, die anderen Werken dem Wortlaut oder Sinn entnommen
wurden, sind unter Angabe der Quellen als Entlehnung kenntlich gemacht.



Rena-Rebecca Ray
Bonn, August 2011





This dissertation was supported by:


Alexander
Koenig Stiftung


Luawata
conservation










Ecology and population status and the impact of trophy hunting of the
leopard Panthera pardus (LINNAEUS, 1758) in the
Luambe National Park
and surrounding Game Management Areas in Zambia


Dissertation
zur
Erlangung des Doktorgrades (Dr. rer. nat.)
an der
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät
der
Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn


Vorgelegt von

Rena-Rebecca Ray
aus
Düsseldorf


Bonn, August 2011








Angefertigt mit Genehmigung der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der
Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn


1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Böhme
2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Horst Bleckmann
Tag der Promotion: 30.11.2011
Erscheinungsjahr: 2011









Table of contents



Table of contents

Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... I
Zusammenfassung ..................................................................................................................... III
Acknowledgement...................... V
Table of figures ........................ VIII
List of tables .............................................................................................................................. XI
List of Abbreviations ................. XII
1 General Introduction .................................................................. 1
1.1 The conservation status of leopards in Zambia and concern of this study .................... 1
1.2 The primary objectives of this study ............................................... 3
1.3 The Leopard - background .............................................................................................. 5
1.3.1 Description and taxonomy .................... 5
1.3.2 Distribution ........................................................................................................... 7
1.3.3 Life history ............. 9
1.3.4 Reproduction....... 10
1.3.5 Trophy hunting .................................................................................................... 10
1.4. The study area ............... 11
1.4.1 Zambia and its Geography .................................................................................. 11
1.4.2 The Luangwa Valley............................. 13
1.4.3 The Game Management Areas ........... 15
1.4.4 The Luambe National Park and the bordering GMA-Chanjuzi ........................... 16
1.4.5 Fauna ................................................................................................................... 19
1.4.7 Vegetation ........... 20
2 Population estimate of the leopard (Panthera pardus) in Luambe National Park and a
bordering Game Management Area in the Luangwa Valley of Zambia ....................... 21
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 21
2.1.1 Study area ........... 22
2.2 Methods ........................ 22
2.2.1 Camera trapping ................................................................................................. 22
2.2.2 Identification of single individuals ...... 26
2.2.3 Analyses of population estimates ....... 27
2.2.4 Calculating relative abundance indices of prey species and species of inter-
specific competition ............................................................................................ 28
2.2.5 Statistical methods .............................. 29



Table of contents


2.3 Results ........................................................................................................................... 30
2.3.1 Camera trapping and identification of individual leopards ................................ 30
2.3.2 Relative abundance indices (RAI) ........................................ 35
2.4 Discussion ...................................................................................... 38
2.4.1 Estimate of leopard population abundance and density by camera trapping ... 38
2.4.2 Relative Abundance Indices (RAI) and inter-specific competition ..................... 41
2.5 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 44
3 Home ranges, activity patterns and habitat preferences of leopards in an undisturbed
area (Luambe National Park) and a disturbed area (Game Management Area) in the
Luangwa Valley in Zambia ........................................................................................ 45
3.1 Introduction ................................................... 45
3.1.1 Study area ........................................................................... 46
3.2 Methods ........................ 51
3.2.1 Baiting and collaring of the leopards .. 51
3.2.2 Locations through VHF tracking .......................................................................... 53
3.2.3 Home ranges ....................................... 55
3.2.4 Activity pattern ... 56
3.2.5 Analysis of habitat use ........................................................................................ 57
3.2.5.1 Comparison of habitat availability and habitat use .............................. 58
3.2.6 Statistical methods 58
3.3 Results ........................................................................................................................... 59
3.3.1 Baiting and information collected during collaring procedure 59
3.3.2 Home ranges ....................................................................................................... 60
3.3.3 Home ranges in and outside the National Park .................. 62
3.3.4 Tendencies of certain factors in relation to home range size ............................ 65
3.3.5 Activity pattern ................................................................................................... 66
3.3.5.1 Comparison of mobility and immobility ............... 67
3.3.5.2 Activity pattern in the course of the day .............................................. 68
3.3.6 Habitat composition of the different leopard home ranges .............................. 72
3.3.7 Habitat availability versus habitat use ................................................................ 76
3.3.8 Habitat preferences according to JACOBS (1974) ................................................. 80
3.4 Discussion ...................................................................................... 84
3.4.1 Baiting and information collected during collaring procedure........................... 84
3.4.2 Home ranges in and outside the National Park .................................................. 85
3.4.3 Factors in relation to home range size ............................... 87
3.4.4 Activity pattern ................................................................................................... 88



Table of contents


3.4.4.1 Comparison of mobility and immobility ............................................... 88
3.4.4.2 Activity pattern in the course of the day .............. 89
3.4.5 Habitat composition of the different leopard home ranges and comparison of
availability and use .............................................................................................. 91
3.4.6 Habitat preferences ............................ 93
3.5 Summary ....................................................... 94
4 The leopard’s prey spectrum and preferences in the Luambe National Park and the
surrounding Game Management Areas (GMA’s) ....................................................... 95
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................... 95
4.2 Methods ......