Open AccessCub mortality in the Kalahari Lion <i>Panthera Leo Vernayi</i> (Roberts, 1948)
Author(s) -
Fanie Eloff
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
koedoe
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 2071-0771
pISSN - 0075-6458
DOI - 10.4102/koedoe.v23i1.643
Subject(s) - abandonment (legal) , predation , starvation , panthera , ecology , biology , geography , desert (philosophy) , zoology , demography , philosophy , epistemology , political science , law , endocrinology , sociology
The extent and possible causes of cub mortality in the Kalahari lion are discussed. It is concluded that starvation is a major cause of death among cubs, largely due to the Kalahari lion's dependence on small mammals as a source of food. Other important mortality factors are abandonment of the cubs, dis- eases, the harsh desert environment and possibly predation