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Resource selection modeling reveals potential conflicts involving reintroduced lions in T embe E lephant P ark, S outh A frica
Author(s) -
Millspaugh J. J.,
Rittenhouse C. D.,
Montgomery R. A.,
Matthews W. S.,
Slotow R.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/jzo.12224
Subject(s) - habitat , ecology , grassland , herbivore , limiting , ecological niche , biology , geography , mechanical engineering , engineering
Ecotourism has motivated efforts to reintroduce lions ( P anthera leo ) to landscapes where they were not previously common. In 2002, four lions were reintroduced into the fenced T embe E lephant P ark, S outh A frica to improve ecotourism opportunities, but lions potentially compete for habitat with humans and endemic herbivores of conservation concern. We developed a population‐level resource selection function to map the relative probability of lion occurrence throughout T embe E lephant P ark to predict the spatial distribution of potential conflicts. In winter, high relative probability of lion occurrence spatially overlapped with M uzi reedbeds/hygrophilous grassland habitat, which is where humans gather natural resources. Comparatively, we found no spatial overlap with sand forest habitat used by endemic herbivores. The results were opposite in summer, with lion occurrence overlapping sand forest habitat and no predicted overlap with M uzi reedbeds/hygrophilous grassland habitat. During spring and autumn, the highest relative probability of lion occurrence spatially overlapped both M uzi reedbeds/hygrophilous grassland and sand forest habitats. These results show that lions might compete with humans in winter, spring and autumn and with endemic herbivores in all seasons but winter. Despite the success of reserve fencing in limiting human–lion conflicts, we show that communities that reintroduce carnivores continue to balance relative reward, associated with ecotourism, and risks to human safety and species of conservation concern. We discuss the importance of dynamic management practices that ensure temporal segregation between humans and lions within specific habitat types.