TY - JOUR
T1 - Coexistence of African lions, livestock, and people in a landscape with variable human land use and seasonal movements
AU - Schuette, Paul
AU - Creel, Scott
AU - Christianson, David
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the Kenya Ministry of Science and Technology, the Kenya Wildlife Service, and the South Rift community for permission to conduct our research. All animal handling procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Montana State University and the Kenya Wildlife Service. We thank J. Kamanga, S. Russell, and D. Western for their coordination efforts, and E. Christianson, M. Kapoli, A. Kuseyo, A. Matole, P. Moikinyo, L. Mpukere, J. Njonjo, P. Oltubulai, C. Schuette, and the Maasai Resource Assessors for their assistance in the field. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Cincinnati Zoo, and Panthera.
PY - 2013/1
Y1 - 2013/1
N2 - Apex carnivores around the world have experienced rapid population declines and local extirpation due to anthropogenic pressures, and they are increasingly restricted to government-protected areas (GPAs). Though GPAs are critical for carnivore conservation, mixed-use landscapes may be crucial for sustaining viable populations. Few studies, particularly in Africa, have examined joint use of a landscape by people and conflict-prone carnivores, such as the African lion (Panthera leo), in a situation where conflict is low. In southern Kenya, we studied a lion population in an unfenced rangeland occupied by the Maasai people and their livestock. The Maasai shift their settlements and grazing areas seasonally across a permanent river, a practice we hypothesized might promote coexistence. We radio-collared lions (n=6) to determine density and document spatial patterns in response to seasonal movements of people in a Conservation Area and buffer zone (250km2). Despite high livestock density, lion density was comparable to many GPAs (0.136individuals/km2). Lion spatial distribution and habitat selection shifted in relation to seasonal movements of people and livestock. Conflict was low, likely because lions increased their use of the Conservation Area and dense habitats when people were nearby. Lion responses to human movements reduced access to permanent water, but not prey. A land use system based on temporary settlements and grazing areas allowed lions to co-occur with people and livestock at high density. These results suggest a general strategy for the conservation of apex carnivores outside of GPAs, focusing on areas that exhibit spatiotemporal variation in human land use.
AB - Apex carnivores around the world have experienced rapid population declines and local extirpation due to anthropogenic pressures, and they are increasingly restricted to government-protected areas (GPAs). Though GPAs are critical for carnivore conservation, mixed-use landscapes may be crucial for sustaining viable populations. Few studies, particularly in Africa, have examined joint use of a landscape by people and conflict-prone carnivores, such as the African lion (Panthera leo), in a situation where conflict is low. In southern Kenya, we studied a lion population in an unfenced rangeland occupied by the Maasai people and their livestock. The Maasai shift their settlements and grazing areas seasonally across a permanent river, a practice we hypothesized might promote coexistence. We radio-collared lions (n=6) to determine density and document spatial patterns in response to seasonal movements of people in a Conservation Area and buffer zone (250km2). Despite high livestock density, lion density was comparable to many GPAs (0.136individuals/km2). Lion spatial distribution and habitat selection shifted in relation to seasonal movements of people and livestock. Conflict was low, likely because lions increased their use of the Conservation Area and dense habitats when people were nearby. Lion responses to human movements reduced access to permanent water, but not prey. A land use system based on temporary settlements and grazing areas allowed lions to co-occur with people and livestock at high density. These results suggest a general strategy for the conservation of apex carnivores outside of GPAs, focusing on areas that exhibit spatiotemporal variation in human land use.
KW - African lion
KW - Apex carnivore
KW - Community Conservation Areas
KW - Conflict
KW - Human-carnivore interaction
KW - Panthera leo
KW - Rangeland
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U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2012.09.011
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2012.09.011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84870377024
SN - 0006-3207
VL - 157
SP - 148
EP - 154
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
ER -