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| Leopard - Panthera pardus | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 7 2012, 08:52 PM (43,033 Views) | |
| Taipan | Jan 7 2012, 08:52 PM Post #1 |
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Leopard - Panthera pardus![]() Geographic Range Pantera pardus could at one time be found from British Isles to Japan and throughout most of Asia. Today they can still be found in Africa, except for the true deserts of Sahara and Kalahari, and some parts of Asia such as Sri Lanka. Leopards are more common in Eastern and Central Africa. Conversely, they are rare in Western and Northern Africa and most of Asia (Nowak, 1997; Sanderson, 1972). ![]() Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (native ); oriental (native ); ethiopian (native ). Habitat Elevation : up to 5638 m (high) (18492.64 ft) Leopards live in highly variable habitats. They feel just as secure in swampy tropical forests as in rugged mountains. They live in lowland forests, mountains, grasslands, brush country, and deserts. A corpse of a leopard was once found at an elevation of 5,630 meters on Kilimanjaro, and not frozen into the ice as some people had suggested (Guggisberg, 1975; Nowak, 1997). These animals are found in the following types of habitat: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial . Physical Description Mass : 28 to 90 kg; avg. 59 kg (61.6 to 198 lbs; avg. 129.8 lbs) Length : 910 to 2920 mm; avg. 1915 mm (35.83 to 114.96 in; avg. 75.39 in) These cats have an elongate and muscular body. Their paws are broad and their ears are short. In tropical regions their coats tend to be shorter and sleeker, whereas in colder climates their fur is longer and denser. The coloration varies from the color of straw to grayish to even chesnut. The backs of the ears are black except for a spot either located centrally or near the tips. These appear to other animals as eyes. The throat, chest, belly, and the insides of the limbs are white. The rest of the head, throat, chest, and limbs all have small black spots. The belly has larger black spots, almost like blotches. Region and habitat have an affect on the appearance of P. pardus. In Africa, leopards living in hilly areas tend to be larger than those living in lowlands. There is a tendency to melanism (black coloration) in this species. This characteristic is more frequent in densely forested areas where being darker is probably beneficial in remaining unseen as compared to open areas. Whether spotted or black, leopards' coloration is extrememly effective. Scientists have been unable to spot these cats just a few yards away even knowing that they were present. Leopards have been recorded as long as 2.92 meters but that is extreme, 1.37-1.67 is more commom(Guggisberg, 1975; Nowak, 1997). Reproduction Males may follow a female. Eventually fighting for reproductive rights can take place (Nowak, 1997). ![]() Depending on the region, leopards may mate all year round (India and Africa) or seasonally during January to February (Manchuria and Siberia). The estrous cycle lasts about 46 days and the female usually isin heat for 6-7 days. Cubs are usually born in a litter of 2-3, but infant mortality is high and mothers are not commonly seen with more than 1-2 cubs. The pregnant females find a cave, crevice among boulders, hollow tree, or thicket to give birth and make a den. Cubs open their eyes after a period of 10 days. The fur of the young tends to be longer and thicker than that of adults. Their pelage is also more gray in color with less defined spots. Around 3 months the infants begin to follow the mother out on hunts. At one year of age leopard young can probably fend for themselves but they remain with the mother for 18-24 months (Nowak, 1997, Guggisberg, 1975). The females of this species tend to take care of the young but there have been reports of males helping the nursing mother and child, by bringing them kills for example (Guggisberg, 1975). ![]() Parental investment: male parental care ; female parental care . Lifespan/Longevity Leopards live 21-23 years in captivity. In the wild, life span is not exactly known. It can be approximated from reports of "man-eaters" (see negative effects), which are easier to follow; from the beginnings of their attacks until the end, lifespan in the wild can be estimated around to be 7-9 years (Guggisberg, 1975). Behavior Leopards are famous for their ability to go undetected. They may live practically among humans and still be tough to spot. They are graceful and stealthy. Amongst the big cats they are probably the most accomplished stalkers. They are good, agile climbers and can descend from a tree headfirst. Along with climbing, they are strong swimmers but not as fond of water as tigers; for example, leopards will not lay in water. They are mainly nocturnal but can be seen at any time of day and will even hunt during daytime on overcast days. In regions where they are hunted, nocturnal behavior is more common. These cats are solitary, avoiding one another. However, 3 or 4 are sometimes seen together. Hearing and eyesight are the strongest of these cats' senses and are extremely acute. Olfaction is relied upon as well, but not for hunting. When making a threat, leopards stretch their backs, depress their ribcages between their shoulder blades so they stick out, and lower their heads (similar to domestic cats). During the day they may lie in bush, on rocks, or in a tree with their tails hanging below the treetops and giving them away (Nowak, 1997; Guggisberg, 1975; Leyhausen and Tonkin, 1979). ![]() Food Habits The diet of these big cats is surprisingly varied. Prey for this species includes: wildebeest, impalas, reed-bucks, Thomson's gazelles, jackals, baboons, antelopes and storks. These are the most common food sources with Thomson's gazelles and reed-bucks making up the majority. However, other prey are included in leopards' diet. At times they seem to show a preference for canines, even attempting in the past to snatch dogs right from the feet of their masters. They will eat fish and domestic stock such as goats. Droppings in Kilimanjaro were studied and revealed that leopards eat small rodents as well. They are capable of killing apes. They will even eat carrion, scavenging tiger kills. These cats are capable of sneaking right up next to the prey before being spotted, almost appearing from nowhere. Bite marks occur on the nape of the neck and the throat. The bite on the back of the neck often occurs when animals are attacked from behind. The marks on the throat indicate strangulation. These big cats are capable of carrying carcasses bigger than themselves and dragging them up trees to avoid losing prey to other carnivores. They may also store kills in trees for later use (Nowak, 1997; Guggisberg, 1975). Predation Known predators lions tigers crocodiles wild dogs Its best defense against predators is simply its spotted or black coloration. Leopards are known for their ability to go undetected; nevertheless, lions, tigers, and crocodiles will hunt these cats. Occasionally packs of Indian wild dogs or African hunting dogs also attack leopards (Guggisberg, 1975). ![]() Economic Importance for Humans: Negative When living near populated areas these cats will attack and kill domestic stock such as goats and pigs. Where this prey is provided leopards will achieve unusually high densities and the problem persists. They will also attack and kill humans. One particular leopard in India, known as "Kahani man-eater" killed over 200 people although this behavior is not the norm. (Nowak, 1997; Guggisberg, 1975; Mizutani and Jewell, 1998). Panthera pardus (leopard) |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:40 PM Post #2 |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:41 PM Post #3 |
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Additional Info - Diet - The known prey of the leopard ranges from dung beetles (Fey 1964) to adult male eland (Kingdon 1977), which can reach 900 kg (Stuart and Stuart 1992a). Bailey (1993) found that at least 92 prey species have been documented in the leopard’s diet in sub-Saharan Africa. The flexibility of the diet is illustrated by Hamilton’s (1976) analysis of leopard scats from Kenya’s Tsavo West National Park, of which 35% contained rodents, 27% birds, 27% small antelopes, 12% large antelopes, 10% hyraxes and hares, and 18% arthropods. Seidensticker (1991a) and Bailey (1993) reviewed the literature, and concluded that leopards generally focus their hunting activity on locally abundant medium-sized ungulate species in the 20-80 kg range, while opportunistically taking other prey. For example, analysis of leopard scats from a Kruger NP study area found that 67% contained ungulate remains, of which 60% were impala, the most abundant antelope, with adult weights of 40-60 kg. Small mammal remains were found most often in scats of sub-adult leopards, especially females (Bailey 1993). Studies have found average intervals between ungulate kills to range from seven (Bailey 1993) to 12-13 days (Hamilton 1976, Le Roux and Skinner 1989). Bailey (1993) estimated average daily consumption rates at 3.5 kg for adult males and 2.8 kg for females. ![]() Colour Variations In general, the coat color varies from pale yellow to deep gold or tawny, and is patterned with black rosettes. The head, lower limbs and belly are spotted with solid black. Coat color and patterning are broadly associated with habitat type. Pocock (1932a) found the following trends in coloration for leopards in Africa: savannah leopards - rufous to ochraceous in color; desert leopards - pale cream to yellow-brown in color, with those from cooler regions being more grey; rainforest leopards - dark, deep gold in color; high mountain leopards - even darker in color than 3). Black leopards (the so-called "black panthers") occur most frequently in humid forest habitats (Kingdon 1977), but are merely a color variation, not a subspecies. ![]() |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:42 PM Post #4 |
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Mortality in a protected Leopard population, Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa: A population in decline? Guy Balme & Luke Hunter Abstract We investigated the causes and rates of mortality in a protected Leopard population in the Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa. Data from 16 radio-tagged Leopards and their cubs were used to determine the causes of mortality and annual mortality rates for various age and sex classes in the population. Intra-specific strife accounted for the greatest number of deaths followed by human-related mortality. Males died mainly as a result of human activity whereas females died from natural causes. The mortality rate for males was significantly higher than for females, and the annual mortality rate for the population was higher than any previously recorded in Leopards. Rapid turnover of adult males due to human persecution may have reduced recruitment into the population because social instability prevented females from raising cubs. If the present rates of mortality and recruitment are maintained, Phinda may represent a population sink for Leopards with poor conservation and tourism prospects. Introduction Leopards are often killed as perceived or real problem animals, or by commercial trophy hunting operations. Despite electrified game-fencing along most borders, Leopards move freely between adjacent properties and, because Phinda is long and narrow, few individual Leopards have their entire home range within the boundaries of the reserve (Balme & Hunter, unpub. data). The result is that most individual Leopards considered protected on Phinda are actually exposed to high levels of hunting due to frequent movements off the reserve. In this paper, we present the results of the first 29 months of the study, addressing three main questions: 1. What are the causes of mortality to Leopards in the Phinda population? 2. What is the annual mortality rate of the Phinda Leopard population for different age and sex classes? 3. Does Phinda effectively protect Leopards? Results: Causes of mortality Eight radio-collared Leopards died during the study, for which the cause of death was certain or probable in seven cases (Table 1). Intra-specific conflict and anthropogenic deaths were equally important causes of mortality for adults and sub-adults combined, both claiming three individuals. Natural causes (excluding other Leopards) were responsible for one and possibly two additional deaths. ![]() Intra-specific clashes killed one adult male and two sub-adult females. M1 was a resident territorial male when killed by the adult male, M5. The sub-adult female F10 was killed by an uncollared adult female leopard when almost three years old and displaying the first signs of territorial behaviour (‘sawing’ and scentmarking). The sub-adult female F15 was 20 months of age when killed by a male Leopard, the sub-adult M14. Additionally, although we have not included juvenile deaths in the estimation of mortality rates, three juveniles were killed by the adult male M13 that had recently become established and was not their sire. Human-related deaths killed three males. Two adult males M5 and M13 were established territorial males at the time of their disappearance on properties adjacent to Phinda. The sub-adult male, M7 was last located on private property near the town of Hluhluwe, approximately 11km south of Phinda’s southern boundary, when his signal disappeared. One Leopard was killed by another carnivore. The subadult male, M4 died from septicemia arising from severe bite wounds on the neck, shoulders and hindquarters. We found evidence at the site of a prolonged fight between the Leopard and an adult Spotted Hyaena Crocuta crocuta which was consistent with the bite marks. We do not know the cause of death of the adult female F2 whose carcass we examined approximately two weeks after death when decomposition was advanced. Mortality rates The average annual mortality rate (AMR) of the population between April 2002 and August 2004 was 0.447 (Table 2). The mortality rate for males was significantly higher than for females (p = 0.004, df = 1). Sub-adult males (0.968) had the greatest annual mortality of any cohort, followed by adult males (0.745). Adult females had the lowest mortality rate (0.160) with only one death recorded for the study period. Causes of mortality Leopards at Phinda were killed chiefly by other Leopards. Two deaths (M1 and F10) were the result of territorial clashes between same-sex pairs. Leopards are known to defend their territories from same-sex intruders sometimes leading to fatalities (Le Roux & Skinner, 1989) though the proportion of deaths here caused by other Leopards is higher than reported in other detailed studies (Bailey, 1993; Stander et al., 1997). The killing of sub-adult female F15 by a subadult male (M14) is unusual, particularly as these animals had met on previous occasions. F15 was not reproductively mature and M14 typically rebuffed curious approaches from her in past encounters we observed, but his aggression was largely demonstrative and never escalated to physical contact. A similar instance of a male Leopard killing a younger female was documented at Londolozi Private Game Reserve, South Africa (Hes, 1991). Males might regard young, reproductively unavailable females as competitors for food resources and attack them as such, though it is unclear why it happened later rather than sooner in this case. All radio-tagged Leopards that died due to humanrelated causes were males. Males are more desirable to trophy hunters due to their larger size, and males also utilise larger home ranges and cover greater daily distances than females, increasing their chances of moving off the reserve into areas where they can be hunted (Mizutani & Jewel, 1998; Hunter & Balme, unpubl. data). Importantly, as far as we know, males killed outside Phinda were not shot legally by international hunters with CITES permits. Nonetheless, all three deaths occurred during the legal trophy hunting season between April to November. This may be due to Leopards being mistaken for another legally hunted species but more likely they are killed intentionally by South Africans. Leopards are persecuted intensely by various landowners in the region and there is little chance of prosecution for illegal killing. We do not know whether the risks for Leopards are elevated during the legal hunting season. It is likely that opportunistic killing of Leopards occurs year-round though increased numbers of local hunters seeking other species in the area during the legal season might result in more Leopards killed then. Bailey (1993) reported that starvation (mainly of subadults) accounted for the greatest proportion of Leopard deaths in Kruger National Park (KNP). He suggested that sub-adults were more likely to starve due to a related set of factors that included a lack of hunting experience, loss of condition due to increased parasitic infestations, competition for resources with other predators, and seasonal changes in prey abundance and availability of cover. We found no evidence of starvation contributing to Leopard deaths at Phinda. One individual, M7 was emaciated at capture but this was due to serious injuries, probably incurred from a conspecific. His condition improved dramatically post-capture and he made a full recovery. He was clearly foraging successfully for 12 months following capture until February 2004 when he was killed outside Phinda. The only adult female to die during the study probably succumbed to natural causes. At the time of her death, she was due to give birth and we made no effort to approach her, assuming she was localised with newborn cubs. By the time we decided to investigate, autolysis of the carcass was too advanced to determine a cause but there was no evidence to suggest her death was related to human activity. We found no snares and the site was not close to a boundary where the risk of snaring at Phinda is greatest. She may have died due to complications arising from birth. This is considered unusual in felids (Apps & Du Toit, 2000) but is occasionally recorded: for example, an otherwise healthy Lioness Panthera leo in Pilanesberg National Park died from secondary septicemia due to dystocia (G. van Dyk, Pers. comm.). Implications High levels of mortality among adult males at Phinda may have had an additive effect on mortality in the population by lowering the reproductive success of females. Although male Leopards provide no parental care to cubs, the presence of the sire allows mothers to raise cubs with a reduced risk of infanticide by foreign males (Hunter et al., in press). There are few reliable observations of infanticide in leopards (see: Ilani, 1986; 1990; Scott & Scott, 2003) but new males entering the population are likely to kill existing cubs. We saw this once during the study period, following the illegal killing of M5. The resulting vacancy was rapidly filled by the male M13 who killed the 4-month old cubs of F12 (which M5 probably sired). Although we observed infanticide only on this occasion, there was limited evidence of successful reproduction in general. During the 29-month study, we observed consorting pairs on 18 occasions involving seven adult females, multiple males and 305 actual matings, yet only seven cubs in three litters were born. Only two cubs are still alive at the time of writing, one of them still dependent on its mother. That few cubs were produced during the study may be a further consequence of high turnover among males. In Lions, high levels of infanticide further impact reproductive output by reducing the rate at which females conceive (Packer & Pusey, 1983). Lionesses display a period of reduced fertility immediately following the take-over of a pride by a new male coalition. This presumably allows females to assess the fitness of new males and postpone conception until the males are established and the threat of another takeover is reduced. Rapid turnover of male Leopards at Phinda might be driving female Leopards into a reproductive dead-end in which cubs are killed at high rates and subsequent conception is delayed. In an isolated Leopard population in the Judean Desert, Israel, infanticide was the chief reason that not a single individual was recruited into the adult population during a five-year period (Ilani, 1986; 1990). |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:43 PM Post #5 |
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Leopard savaging a crocodile caught on camera Last Updated: 6:01pm BST 18/07/2008 The astonishing spectacle of a leopard savaging a crocodile has been captured for the first time on camera. ![]() A series of incredible pictures taken at a South African game reserve document the first known time that a leopard has taken on and defeated one of the fearsome reptiles. ![]() The photographs were taken by Hal Brindley, an American wildlife photographer, who was supposed to be taking pictures of hippos from his car in the Kruger National Park. ![]() The giant cat raced out of cover provided by scrub and bushes to surprise the crocodile, which was swimming nearby. A terrible and bloody struggle ensued. Eventually, onlookers were amazed to see the leopard drag the crocodile from the water as the reptile fought back. ![]() With the crocodile snapping its powerful jaws furiously, the two animals somersaulted and grappled. Despite the crocodile's huge weight and strength, the leopard had the upper hand catching its prey by the throat. ![]() Eventually the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it. In the past, there have been reports of crocodiles killing leopards, but this is believed to the first time that the reverse scenario has been observed. ![]() Mr Brindley said: 'I asked many rangers in South Africa if they had ever heard of anything like this and they all said no. ![]() "It just doesn't make sense. The meat you get out of a crocodile is just not worth the risk it takes a predator to acquire. The whole scene happened in the course of about 5 minutes. Then the leopard was gone. ![]() "I drove away, elated in disbelief. It may have been the most amazing thing I've ever seen." Ellie Rose, a reptile keeper at London Zoo, said: "Normally, crocodiles are well able to defend themselves against attack. I can't think of any examples of this happening before." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/18/ealeopard118.xml |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:44 PM Post #6 |
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Leopard Prey Preference
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:45 PM Post #7 |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:47 PM Post #8 |
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Leopard Predation on Gorillas & Chimpanzees 2 relevant studies from Gato
[quote author=gatogordo board=zoological thread=1191 post=17302 time=1182177124] ARTICLE ON LEOPARD PREDATION ON FOREST CHIMPANZEES I posted this review of an article about 2 years ago in AVA. I'm reposting it now here in Carnivora. Years ago I wrote to a primate research organization that I found in the web requesting a published reference on leopard predation on large apes, gorillas or chimps. Three weeks ago, I received from them a couple of references, one of which the librarian at my work place was able to get for me. The article is: ![]() whose abstract (summary) reads Summary During a 5-year period, 29interactions between chimpanzees and leopards have been observed or inferred in the tropical rainforest of the Taï National Park, Cote de Ivoire. Chimpanzees chased away leopards in 9 cases, rescued alarm calling chimpanzees in 11 cases (in 4 of these footprints or growls of leopards were noted), 9 times leopards attacked chimpanzees, injuring 6 of them and killing 4. Two of the latter were most certainly eaten by the leopard later. Predation by leopards is estimated to be the first cause of mortality in the Taï chimpanzees and individual chimpanzees may experience a risk of predatory attack of 0.30 per year and mortality risk of 0.055 per year. Taï chimpamzees adapt specifically their grouping patterns to food availability and to predation: with abundant food and low predation, party size increases and mixed parties are more frequent, whereas with the same food condition but higher predation, party size decreases and all-male party types increases. Comparisons with data on grouping patterns from Gombe and Mahale chimpanzees living in more open habitats support the hypothesis that this species adapts itself to leopard predation which is known to be lower in savanna habitats. The grouping patterns of the bonobo in Lomako forest seem more similar to Taï than to Gombe or Mahale chimpanzees, suggesting an analogous adaptation to high predation pressure[/i ] The paper explains why leopard predation in previous studies of chimpanzees reported leopard predation as rare: ![]() The article reports two cases of chimpanzees (one involving two adult males and one a whole group) chasing away leopards. In one of the cases (the group), the leopard was forced to hide in an enclosure and was attacked by chimps wielding clubs as weapons. The leopard escaped. No leopard was reported killed by chimps. The article also describes 3 examples of leopard attack. Seven chimps (including two adult males) were wounded and one of these males (Falstaff) died from these wounds. Three cases are described of a juvenile and two adult females killed. The observations show that leopard predation is the principal cause of mortality for all sex/age categories (39% of total dead in a 5 year period) and that all sex and age classes are killed by leopards. The author argues that the high mortality rate from predation in this chimpanzee community shows that the defense of the chimps might not be very efficient, he even suspects that perhaps it is due (in this case) to a leopard that has become specialized as a "chimp-killer". The article also discusses, using available data, how the grouping patterns of Taï chimpanzees reflect the impact of this predation. These patterns differ from those of other habitats, which are subjected to much less predation pressure (leopard density is much lower). In the case of bonobos, their more arboreal habits shield them from leopard predation. I will discuss the paper in more detail, posting various interesting extracts. I can email the full text of the paper (23 jpg files, one per page). If anybody is interested, just send a message to my ezInbox providing an email address. Before looking at excerpts from the paper, notice the following illustrative comments made by the author on the effects of leopard’s attacks:
------------------------------------------------------ LEOPARD PREDATION IS THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF MORTALITY AMONG TAI FOREST CHIMPANZEES ![]() This predation affects chimpanzees of BOTH SEXES & ALL AGES. This is known from looking at the vital statistics and migration patterns of the whole community over 5 years of observation. ![]() Even if only 9-18 percent of leopard’s attacks end in a death fatality, this is a very successful predation that calls into question the ability of the chimps in defending themselves. ![]() The autor suspects that such succesfull predation might be the work of a leopard that specializes in chimps (a “chimp killer) ![]() ----------------------------------------------------------- METHODOLOGY The results are based on “confident” observations. Attacks also occur during day light. Notice that the presence of human observers might deter leopards. This factor must be taken into consideration when estimating the predation rates. ![]() Example 1: leopard attacks adult female: This was a non-fatal attack. The female (Ella) seems to have saved her 5 year old son by confronting the leopard (before the group came to aid her). Another attacked female (Hera) was not so lucky and lost her 2 yeard old son. ![]() Example 2: leopard kills adult female: The casualty was Salome. The leopard killed her by a chest bite and escaped as the group approached. Later came back to feed on the body. Notice the comment at the end of the excerpt. The jpg file wasn’t clear enough, so I typed this excerpt (page 228) Some comments on the attacks: Attacks are frequent (9 in a community of 60), even those not fatal lead occasionally to a death casualty (as with Falstaff). Notice comment at the end. ![]() How the rates of leopard predation are estimated? Notice correction for human disturbance and also the facy of day-light observation. ![]() Some results: Individual attacked on average once every 3 years and 4 months, one killed every 18 years. ![]() ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- CHIMPANZEES’ DEFENSES & USE OF WEAPONS Chimpanzees chase away every leopard they see. The article describes two such incidents. In one case two adult males pursue a elpard but it is not evident if they just wanted to drive it away or to harm it. In the second case, involving a whole group, the chimps clearly wanted to harm the cat, which hid in an enclosure. There is no record of any leopard being hurt or killed. What makes this incident particularly interesting is the fact that the chimps used clubs when they attacked. The author claims that no record of chimps doing so (with leopards) exist in other chimp societies. Example 1: A leopard is discovered by two adult males chimpanzees: ![]() Example 2: A leopard is discovered by a large group of chimpanzees: Here also the jpg file didn’t look clear, so I typed it (page 223-224)
COMMENTS ON THE CHIMPS ATTACK INCIDENTS ![]() COOMENTS ON THE USE OF TOOLS AS ATTACK WEAPONS ![]() ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- FURTHER COMMENTS, RELATION TO THE GORILLA CASE The results of this paper are not well known, since most people assume that leopard predation of chimps is a rare phenomenon. As this paper explains this is due to the fact that leopard density in other chimp societies is much lower than in the Taï forest (0.007 vs 1.0 leopards per square km). Bonobos, on the other hand, are more arboreal, so their risk of encounters with leopards is much less. Chimps driving away leopards and killing leopard kittens are known facts, but neither in the Taï forest nor in other habitats, there is NOT EVEN A SINGLE RECORD of chimps killing an adult leopard. From this article’s work, we can take evidence of leopard predation as a solid fact. This predation affects grouping patterns and vital population statistics. When recounting causes of death or disappearance it is evident that leopards must account for all cases not due to migration, since they are the only large predators in the forest, are high density and their attacks have been recorded. While only one adult female (Salome) was actually observed directly killed by a leopard, there are adult males among those not accounted for (including one who died from wounds, Falstaff). If we believe Josh’s account that adult male chimps are (up to) 6 times stronger than men, the apparent ease with which leopards ambush and kill chimps would imply that these cats would just as easy ambush and kill a strong man. (food for thought for those who keep peddling the famous “73 year old grampa who killed a leopard barehanded”) Also, the paper demolishes arguments raised against leopard predation on gorillas, based on comparison with chimps, such as: How came you say that leopards predate on gorillas if -Leopards already have a hard time predating chimps -Leopards are driven away by chimps Perhaps predation on gorillas is much harder for leopards, perhaps the success rate is less, perhaps the rate of killed gorillas in the leopard’s attacks is much smaller than the 9-18% for chimps, but the argument that chimps don’t suffer this predation cannot be used. Notice that the article reports of many non-fatal attacks (Hera) resulting in wounds, most of which heal but some resulting in death casualties afterwards (the case of Falstaff). In the fatal attack against Salome the leopard had to flee as the group was coming. These accounts paint an overall picture that could explain, more or less, what happens in the leopard-gorilla interaction. I know that what goes on with chimps doesn’t generalize automatically to gorillas, but some clues might emerge, since we may have the same process with lesser intensity (lesser killing ratios) for the larger apes. The picture is as follows: as with chimps, perhaps in most cases the leopard ambushes and just manages to inflict non-fatal wounds which occasionally result in a dead gorilla. As with the chimps, the leopards always manage to flee and there is no record of hurt or dead leopards. The cats are just too fast, too stealthy and too agile for the apes to catch. However, as with chimps, it is not impossible that in some cases the leopard does succeed to ambush-kill even a male silverback. Another interesting comparison comes with baboons: they also suffer heavy leopard predation, but (as opposed to chimps) there are cases on record of baboon male coalitions killing leopards.[/quote] |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:48 PM Post #9 |
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Edited by Taipan, Jun 28 2018, 07:56 PM.
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:49 PM Post #10 |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:50 PM Post #11 |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:51 PM Post #12 |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:52 PM Post #13 |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:53 PM Post #14 |
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| Taipan | Jan 10 2012, 07:54 PM Post #15 |
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2:05 AM Jul 14