Powerpoint template for scientific posters Swarthmore College

1
The distribution, ecology and behaviour of
leopards in Sri Lanka
Does the absence of intra-guild competition
matter?
Andrew Kittle Anjali Watson - The Wilderness
Wildlife Conservation Trust, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Conclusions / Future directions Leopards are
more widely distributed across Sri Lanka than
previously perceived (see Santiapillai, 1986),
including in small, remote forest patches in the
Central Highlands. Investigating their status and
ecology in this highly fragmented region is our
next concern. These results are the most
detailed thus far available for the Sri Lankan
leopard. While it is acknowledged that they are
tentative and that more rigorous methods are
required to reach fully robust conclusions, they
do provide a much-needed foundation for a
sub-species about which very little is known.
Furthermore, in accordance with Marker Dickman
(2005), they provide a preliminary indication
that the long-term absence of intra-guild
competition has had a negligible effect on the
spatial structure, activity patterns and
behaviour of the Sri Lankan leopard.
However, prey selection data indicate that
leopards might be preferring larger ( 100 kg)
prey than those with which they are typically
associated (25 75 kg). Observations of
leopards in groups of 2 are more frequent in Sri
Lanka than where intra-guild competitors are
present, however this may be a function of
habituation. Ongoing investigations will help to
further clarify this.
Introduction The endangered Sri Lankan
leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), a distinct
sub-species (Miththapala et al.,1996), is under
increasing pressure from habitat destruction,
forest fragmentation, trapping and hunting. It
is one of the only leopard populations known to
have evolved as the top predatory carnivore in
its ecosystem, having been isolated from
intra-guild competition at least since Sri Lanka
split off from the Indian sub-continent
5,000-10,000 ybp (Miththapala et al., 1996).
Intra-guild competition is a form of
inter-specific competition which often leads to
aggressive encounters between species occupying
similar ecological niches and utilizing the same
resources in a similar manner (Simberloff
Dayan, 1991 Palomares Caro, 1999). When
competition is asymmetrical, the subordinate
competitor can be affected in various ways
including through direct mortality,
kleptoparasatism and behavioural adaptations
(Creel et al., 2001). These combined effects can
have a profound impact on the ecology and
evolution of sympatric carnivores. Despite its
conservation status and unusual evolutionary
history, very little is known about fundamental
ecological aspects of this sub-species, although
it is purported to be more diurnal and less
arboreal than other populations. The objective
of our research is to map the island-wide
distribution and investigate the spatial
dynamics, feeding ecology and behaviour of the
Sri Lankan leopard in the Ruhuna (Yala) National
Park, particularly in the context of its
evolution in the absence of dominant intra-guild
competition.
Results Distribution
Figure 1. Young male, W, atop leopard rock in
Ruhuna (Yala) N. P.
Figure 6. Average annual proportion of main prey
available to and killed (n 45) by leopards in
Ruhuna (Yala) N. P. between February 2001 and May
2002. Density individuals/km² and biomass
kg/km². Jacobs selectivity index shows
preferred (buffalo and sambhar) and avoided (axis
deer) prey.
Literature cited Bailey, T. N. (1993). The
African leopard ecology and behaviour of a
solitary felid. New York Columbia University
Press. Bothma, J. DuP. Le Riche, E. A. N.
(1984). Aspects of the ecology and behaviour of
the leopard Panthera pardus in the Kalahari
Desert. Koedoe (Suppl.) 27 259-279. Creel, S.,
Spong, G. Creel, N. (2001). Interspecific
competition and the population biology of
extinction-prone carnivores. Pages 35 60 in
Carnivore conservation, edited by Gittleman, J.
L., Funk, S. M., Macdonald, D. Wayne, R. K.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Dayan, T.
Simberloff, D. (1998). Size patterns among
competitors ecological character displacement
and character release in mammals, with special
reference to island populations. Mamm. Rev. 28
99-124. DeSilva, M. Jayaratne, B. V. R. (1994).
Aspects of population ecology of the leopard
(Panthera pardus) in Ruhuna National Park, Sri
Lanka. J. South Asian Nat. Hist. 1 3-13. Hirst,
S. M. (1969). Road-strip census techniques for
wild ungulates in African woodland. J. Wildl.
Manage. 33 40-48. Karanth, K. U. Sunquist, M.
(2000). Behavioral correlates of predation by
tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera
pardus) and dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Nagarahole,
India. J. Zool. (Lond.) 250 255-265. Marker, L.
L. Dickman, A. J. (2005). Factors affecting
leopard (Panthera pardus) spatial ecology, with
particular reference to Namibian farmlands. S.
Afr. J. Wildl. Res. 35 105-115. Miththapala, S.,
Seidensticker, J., OBrien, S. J. (1996).
Phylogeographic subspecies recognition in
leopards (Panthera pardus) molecular genetic
variation. Conserv. Biol. 4 1115-1132. Muckenhir
n, N. A. Eisenberg, J. F. (1973). Home ranges
and predation of the Ceylon leopard (Panthera
pardus fusca). Pages 142-175 in The Worlds Cats,
Vol 1, edited by R. L. Eaton. World wildlife
safari, Winston, Oregon. Norton-Griffiths, M.
(1978). Counting animals. 2nd edn. Serengeti
ecological monitoring program. Nairobi African
wildlife leadership foundation. Palomares, F.
Caro, T. M. (1999). Interspecific killing among
mammalian carnivores. Am. Nat. 153
492-508. Santiapillai, C., Chambers, M. R.
Ishwaran, N. (1982). The leopard Panthera pardus
fusca (Meyer 1794) in the Ruhuna National Park,
Sri Lanka, and observations relevant to its
conservation. Biol. Cons. 23 5-14. Santiapillai,
C. (1986). On the status and conservation of the
leopard (Panthera pardus) in Sri Lanka. 1986
International Leopard Studbook. Riverbanks
Zoological Park, Columbia, SC. Simberloff, D.
Dayan, T. (1991). The guild concept and the
structure of ecological communities. Ann. Rev.
Ecol. Sys. 22 115-143. Stander, P. E.,
Haden, P. J., Kaqece Ghau. (1997). The ecology
of asociality in Namibian leopards. J. Zool.
(Lond.) 242 343-364. Van Dyke, F. G., Brocke, R.
H. Shaw, H. G. (1986). Use of road track counts
as indices of mountain lion presence. J. Wildl.
Manage. 50102-109.
Ruhuna (Yala) National Park study
Methods We conducted presence-absence
surveys throughout Sri Lanka using sightings,
spoor and scat indicators. This ongoing process
is presently restricted by the conflict in the
north of the country. From February 2001 - May
2002, in the arid zone Ruhuna (Yala) National
Park (R.N.P - Figure 4) we used observations,
camera trap photographs and spoor analysis to map
the minimum home ranges of adult resident male
leopards, and observations and photographs to map
the minimum core areas of resident adult female
ranges. Leopards were individually identified by
their unique spot patterns and 5 adult male
residents were also discriminated by the gross
morphological differences in their pugmarks (Van
Dyke et al., 1986). Prey abundance was
determined from 30 road strip census transects
(Hirst, 1969) using a modified fixed visibility
profile (Norton-Griffiths, 1978) and compared
with identified kills to determine preliminary
feeding ecology. Birth months were determined
based on estimated age of cubs when first
observed.
Figure 2. Adult resident male BS captured in a
camera trap.
Figure 4. Estimated home ranges of 3 adult male
leopards (mean 22.5 1.7 km²) and their areas
of overlap, as well as the core areas of 4 adult
female leopards (1.58 0.33 km²). Male home
ranges are the minimum convex polygon (MCP) of
all sightings and verified spoor locations.
Female core ranges are the MCP of all sighting
locations ( 15) of individually identified
females and their dependent cubs. In total 5
adult resident males and 15 adult resident
females were identified within the study area,
resulting in a resident sex ratio of 1M 3F.
Acknowledgments The Ministry of Environment and
Natural Resources (MENR- biodiversity unit) and
Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) for
continued support and the trackers and staff at
Ruhuna (Yala) National Park (RNP) for tireless
assistance. Financial support was provided by the
MENR, Jetwing Research Initiative, Sri Lanka
Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) and Ranil
Peiris (Arpico).
For further information Please contact
aalanka_at_sltnet.lk More information on this and
related projects can be obtained at
www.wwct.org