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opencc-by-4.0Jan 2022View details →

The impacts of management interventions on the sociality of African lions (Panthera leo): implications for lion conservation

<ol> <li>African lion (Panthera leo) populations normally consist of several neighbouring prides and multiple adult males or groups of males that interact competitively. In large, open systems, cub defence from infanticidal males and territory defence drive group living in lions. However, in smaller (< 1,000 km2), fenced wildlife reserves, opportunities for natural immigration and emigration are limited which means that the evolutionary drivers of lion sociality may collapse.</li> <li>Here, we use lion behavioural data collected from 16 wildlife reserves across South Africa to test how management-induced ecological conditions alter lion social dynamics.</li> <li>The number of lionesses observed together was best predicted by pride size, prey biomass and biome. Lionesses were less likely to group together as pride size increased, but more likely to group together as prey biomass and habitat productivity increased. In addition, adult males were observed more frequently with prides that had young (< 12 months) cubs in reserves that had unfamiliar adult males present compared to reserves without any unfamiliar adult males.</li> </ol> Our results demonstrate how intra-specific competition between lions drives their sociality, and this may break down in small, fenced wildlife reserves where lions are actively managed. Although small, fenced reserves in South Africa have made a significant contribution to increasing lion numbers on the continent, our work highlights several important ecological implications of active lion management. For wildlife managers, mimicking the outcomes of different levels of intra-specific competition is likely a critical management tool for the persistence of lions in small reserves.

opencc-by-4.0Apr 2020View details →

Fig. 1. Linguatula nuttali female specimen collected from Panthera leo. A in Occurrence and characterisation of tongue worms, Linguatula spp., in South Africa

Fig. 1. Linguatula nuttali female specimen collected from Panthera leo. A) Anterior end, ventral surface. B) L. nuttali (on the right) compared to a specimen of L. serrata collected from a Canis familiaris in Australia (on the left). Note the differences in annuli and overall body shape. C) Posterior ends of L. nuttali (on the bottom) compared to a specimen of L. serrata collected from a C. familiaris in Australia (on the top). Note the deep cleft in the posterior end of L. nuttali compared to the posterior end of L. serrata. D) The posterior end of L. nuttali showing the deep cleft.

Figure 7 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 7. Original skull of the holotype of 'Felis spelaea Goldfuss, 1810' from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany (Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität Berlin No. MB.Ma.50948). A, frontal; B, occipital.

Figure 4 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 4. Original figure from Goldfuss (1810) of the holotype of 'Felis spelaea Goldfuss, 1810' from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany. The skull has a strong bite mark and pathology in the middle of the saggital crest (cf. Figs 6, 7).

Figure 6 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 6. Original skull of the holotype of 'Felis spelaea Goldfuss, 1810' from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany (Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität Berlin No. MB.Ma.50948). A, ventral with lower jaws; B, ventral without lower jaws.

Figure 3 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 3. Original skull of the holotype of 'Hyena spelaea Goldfuss, 1823' from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany (Goldfuss-Museum Bonn No. M2609). A, lateral right; B, ventral; C, occipital; D, dorsal.

Figure 5 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 5. Original skull of the holotype of 'Felis spelaea Goldfuss, 1810' from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany (Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität Berlin No. MB.Ma.50948). Skull with bite mark and pathology on the middle of the saggital crest (cf. Figs 4, 9). A, lateral left with lower jaws; B, dorsal view with lower jaws. The bite mark on the right parietal and pathology is characteristic of this skull.

Figure 9. A in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 9. A, male lion with strong bite damage, which died in an early stage of the callus-healing process [holotype of P. l. spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany]. B, skull of a lioness with a partially healed bite scratch or braincase fracture [original lioness skeleton of P. l. spelaea (cf. Diedrich & Žák, 2006) from Srbsko, central Czech Republic].

Figure 2 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 2. Original figure of the holotype of 'Hyaena spelaea Goldfuss, 1823' from Goldfuss (1810) from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany. Skull is damaged on the left side and lacks most teeth (cf. Fig. 3).

Figure 8 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 8. Original skull of the holotype of 'Felis spelaea Goldfuss, 1810' from Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany (Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität Berlin No. MB.Ma.50948). Skull with bite mark and pathology on the middle of the saggital crest (cf. Figs 6, 7). 1. lower jaw composed of two different individuals. The right mandible is much larger and from a very old male, whereas the smaller left one seems to be from a lioness. A, right mandible, lateral; B, jaws, dorsal. 2, bite mark in the saggital crest and long scratch groove on the right parietal. The callus indicates that the animal survived for a short time after the bite.

Figure 10 in The holotypes of the upper Pleistocene Crocuta crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823: Hyaenidae) and Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810: Felidae) of the Zoolithen Cave hyena den (South Germany) and their palaeo-ecological interpretation

Figure 10. Ice Age spotted hyenas hauling injured male steppe lion carcass into their cave den (Zoolithen Cave, southern Germany) (Illustration: Rinaldino, 2007).

FIG. 7 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 7. — Lion blessé d'une flèche. Crédit: M. Spruyt (d'après le relief du British Museum no 1992,0404.1).

FIG. 8 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 8. — Détail de la scène de chasse au lion montée (British Museum, relief no 1856,0909.48). Crédit photo: M. Spruyt.

FIG. 9 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 9. — Détail de la scène de chasse au lion menée à pied. (British Museum, relief no 1856,0909.48). Crédit photo: M. Spruyt.

FIG. 6 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 6. — Lionne blessée de trois flèches. Crédit: M. Spruyt (d'après le relief du British Museum no 1856,0909.15).

FIG. 4 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 4. — Relevé de la scène de chasse aux 18 lions. Crédit: Watanabe (2018: 222,fig. 238; d'après les reliefs du British Museum no 1856,0909.16 [BM 124862-124870]).

FIG. 5 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 5. — Lion libéré d'une cage. Crédit: M. Spruyt (d'après le relief du British Museum no 1856,0909.48).

FIG. 2 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 2. — Un soldat impassible muni d'un fouet et sa monture (British Museum, relief no 1856,0909.48). Crédit photo: M. Spruyt.

FIG. 3 in Un visage animal dans les reliefs ninivites d'Assurbanipal ( siècle av. J.-C.)? Le cas du cheval (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et du lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758)

FIG. 3. — Le roi suivi de deux soldats dont l'un menant une monture de remplacement. Crédit: Barnett (1976: pl. lii).