Carnivore Detection at the Domestic/Wildlife Interface within Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The management of carnivore populations in protected areas includes disease management and census taking. The presence of prey species and environmental variables influence the detection of wild carnivore species. The aim of this study was to identify the important predictors of wild carnivore detection within two South African wildlife reserves using motion-detection camera traps. The study further investigated the difference between traditional census call-up surveys and camera traps within nearby locations. Buffalo, impala, and warthog were associated with lion and spotted hyena detections. Detections of lions and spotted hyenas and also leopards and spotted hyena were correlated, suggesting competition between these wild carnivore species. Competition among wild carnivore species has importance for implementing appropriate management procedures, including infectious disease prevention. ABSTRACT: South African protected areas account for 8% of the total landmass according to World Bank indicators. Effective conservation of biodiversity in protected areas requires the development of specific reserve management objectives addressing species and disease management. The primary objective of the current study was to identify predictors of carnivore detection in an effort to inform carnivore species management plans on Andover and Manyeleti nature reserves in South Africa. A limited number of camera traps were placed randomly using a grid system. Species detection data were analysed using mixed-effects logistic regression and Spearman’s correlation coefficients. Deterministic inverse distance weighted distribution maps were used to describe the spatial distribution of carnivore species. Camera traps identified similar species as traditional call-up surveys during the study and would be useful as an adjunct census method. Carnivore detection was associated with several variables, including the presence of specific prey species. The measured intra-and interspecies interactions suggested the risk of disease transmission among species, and vaccination for prevalent diseases should be considered to manage this risk.