Browsing by Subject "Crocuta crocuta"

Carnivores all around the world are struggling as a result of increased anthropogenic activity. In many areas, human-carnivore conflict is a main driver of this struggle, driven by environmental challenges and leading to negative results for both people and the wildlife. The natural habitat of most carnivore species is also disappearing fast, which can lead to population decreases and even local or global extinctions of some of the world’s most recognised carnivores. Carnivores have high ecological and cultural significance, and therefore it is vital to understand how these challenges are affecting the different species in various environments. Even though the struggle of carnivores is widely recognised, it has not been widely studied in all parts of the world. In my thesis I study how large carnivores in Sibiloi National Park, northern Kenya, are responding to a quickly increasing anthropogenic pressure in the area. Together with the Daasanach, camera traps were used near bomas for a timespan of three years to discover which species are still habiting this rapidly evolving landscape. I assumed that because of the different robustness at which different carnivore species are able to respond to environmental changes, the most commonly observed species would be the ones that have previously been often seen in the area by the Daasanach and researchers and exhibit a generalist behaviour towards prey and habitat preferences, such as the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). In total I observed over 20 different mammal species out of which 6 were chosen as the focal carnivore species due to the higher amount of interactions they typically have with the people and their livestock. In addition I focus on the possible ecological and behavioural adaptations of the focal species, especially daily activity patterns near the bomas and seasonal variation of encounter rates. These results help us understand how carnivores have adapted to the changing landscape of Sibiloi where human-carnivore conflict has been increasing in recent years. My first hypothesis is that carnivores have become more nocturnal around the bomas than they would be in a completely natural habitat with little anthropogenic pressure to reduce the risk of being harmed by humans. I also hypothesise that there are more carnivores present during the dry seasons (June-September and January-February) due to the decrease in wild herbivores that forces the carnivores near the bomas. Through statistical analysis I will also study the probability of meeting a carnivore near the bomas. I predict that the frequency at which carnivores approach humans and their livestock will depend on the season and if there are either wild herbivores or livestock nearby. In the end I will discuss what implications the study results can have for the future conservation of Sibiloi National Park and why the discoveries of this study are important for mitigating the increasing conflict between the Daasanach and carnivores.