Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between environmental conditions, the time of the day and cattle predation by African lions (Panthera leo) at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in Kenya, from February 2017 to October 2023. The African lion is classified as vulnerable due to ongoing population decline following losses of habitats and conflicts with humans over livestock. Human-wildlife conflicts constitute a significant challenge to biodiversity conservation and human livelihoods.

Predation patterns were investigated by using incident reports of cattle predation at Ol Pejeta Conservancy during the night, day and in total combined with environmental data of (1) daily rainfall, (2) rainfall for the preceding 90-, 60-, 30- and 7-days, (3) cloud cover, (4) moon phases and (5) remotely sensed estimates of grassland biomass (MSAVI2) as a proxy for grass heights.

Overall, no difference in cattle predation was found between the night and day. The results further revealed that tall grass was associated with a higher number of cattle killed during nights and in total, whereas shorter grass was associated with a higher number of cattle killed during daytime. Furthermore, heavier daily rainfall was associated with more cattle killed during nights and in total. Nights with higher rainfall levels for the preceding 90-days was associated with a higher number of cattle killed. This pattern was also found with higher rainfall levels for the preceding 60-days during night and in total. Contrariwise, lower rainfall levels for the preceding 60-days, resulted in a higher number of cattle killed during the day. Lastly, first quarter moon resulted in more killed cattle during nights, whereas lighter moonlight levels, specifically full moon, was associated with more cattle killed during the day.

Cattle predation is reported to increase during rainier conditions, denser vegetation and darker conditions, most likely as lions can stay undetected from prey or that wild prey is more dispersed, causing lions to switch to domestic prey. However, the findings of this study suggest that it is of importance of taking the time of the day into consideration, as the impact of the environmental conditions on cattle predation varied during the night, day and in total. By including the time of the day, a better insight of how especially different moon phases influence predation was captured. Around days with full moon, increased predation was observed during the day, most likely as lion are unsuccessful hunting with more luminosity during the night. Thus, by including the time of the day, a more nuanced understanding of how environmental conditions influence predation may be obtained. Importantly, variations in climatic conditions due to climate change is expected to intensify human-wildlife conflicts. Understanding the ecological part of human-wildlife conflicts is therefore highly important. The findings of this study can be used by farmers, conservation practitioners or other involved parts into tailoring mitigation strategies and promote long-term co-existence of lions and humans.