IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Owen, C. | |
| Reproductive biology and population ecology of leopards (Panthera pardus) on Karongwe | |
| 2006 Full Book | |
The current study undertaken from 1999-2005, contributes to the science of biology in that it describes a method of immobilising and radio tagging leopards (Panthera pardus) that allowed rapid habituation. Extensive ecological and biological data were collected of which reproductive and population biology, are documented in this thesis. Nine leopards were darted from a vehicle and fitted with radio transitters. The average time it took to dart the leopards was 135ñ40.8 min (range 15-720, n=20) and the average cost of immobilising and fitting a radio transmitter costing $530.77 was $1076.47ñ116.97 (range = $732.13 - $2748.43, n=20). The implantation operation cost an additional ($ 328.77) and post operative feeding ($100.01ñ1.03 (range = $76.49 - $135.49, n=5). Internal transmitters had a range of 570ñ171 m (range 150-1100 m, n=5) while the collars range was 2766ñ283 m (range 1100-4100 m, n=9). Four adult female and two adult male leopards were habituated to a distance of 20 metres for 20 minutes. The first visual post immobilisation was achieved after 1ñ0.8 day (range 0-6, n=7). Habituation was achieved on average 17.3ñ6.3 hours (range 3-43, n=7) post immobilisation over 13ñ5 days (range 1-37, n=7) and cost on average $592.78ñ221.74 (range $44.62 - $1650.77, n=7). The ecology, reproductive biology and population biology of these six leopards as well as other leopards with no transmitters were studied. Leopard copulatory behaviour was observed in seven adult females and one adult male from 2001-2003. During 19 uninterrupted copulatory periods, 4855 copulations were recorded, 1809 copulations were observed and data were collected during 2449 hours (24 hours a day) of observations. Each copulatory period lasted on average 66.2ñ4.3 hours (range 32-99, n=19). The average number of copulations per copulatory period was 256ñ22 copulations (range 133-445, n=19) of which females performed a post copulatory roll only 59% of the time. Leopard reproductive biology was also studied from 2001-2004. Female leopards oestrus cycles occurred every 22.5ñ1.6 days (range 10-48, n=28) and gestation was 94.7ñ0.9 days (range 89-98, n=10). It took on average 2.7ñ0.4 copulatory periods (range 1-6, n=16) to result in conception. Inter-birth intervals were 14ñ0.6 months (range 12-16, n=5) with a sex ration of 75% female: 25% male (n=9 litters). Population biology was studied from 199^-2006 in the 85 km2 Karongwe reserve. Population size over seven years was on average 17ñ2.9 leopards (range 7-28, n=6) (20 leopards per 100 km2) with an average of 5ñ0.4 (range 4-7, n=6) breeding females and 2ñ0.3 adult males (range 1-3, n=6) of which only one was the breeding male. Population regulation was mainly the result of same species clashes (15 deaths). The population was reduced from 28 to just seven over a four-year period however the number breeding females remained stable (4-7). |
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