IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Cheraghi, F.; Delavar, M.R.; Amiraslani, F.; Alavipanah, K. | |
| Asiatic cheetah behavioral estimation from telemetry data using Bayesian statistics | |
| 2017 Full Book | |
In this paper we study the movement behavior of Asiatic cheetah (_Acinonyx jubatus venaticus_), a highly endangered cat found in Iran. At first, we fitted the differenced correlated random walk model to the data to estimate the probability of the behavior of the animal in two distinctive states. The moving state can be interpreted as the state when the animal had higher mobility and the resting state in which the animal had small step movements and constantly changes its direction. We considered a movement and observation model; we used the observation model to model the error associated with the GPS sensors. We employed the Bayesian framework for the model fitting in which the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation enabled us to estimate as many parameters found in the posterior distribution. The movement track was collected spanning four and a half months in 2007; probably, the cheetah was predated by a leopard after that period. The animal was monitored in Bafq area, a region in the central Iran with an arid environment. Plotting the animal track symbolized by the two behavioral modes revealed that the cheetah had more mobility between four clusters of resting phases. Applying the k-means clustering to the cheetah's resting locations, revealed that the cheetah had more mobility between eight clusters of resting phases. One speculation was that, these resting clusters were associated with the highest likelihood of prey concentration as cheetahs major preys, wild sheep, and goat, reside in these regions. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |