Marker LL, Dickman AJ, Leo RM, Mills MGL, MacDonald DW. 2003. Demography of the Namibian ...

13 Pages·2004·0.58 MB·English

Marker LL, Dickman AJ, Leo RM, Mills MGL, MacDonald DW. 2003. Demography of the
Namibian cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus jubatus. Biol Conserv 114:413-25.

Keywords: 1NA/Acinonyx jubatus/Acinonyx jubatus jubatus/adult mortality/cheetah/conservation/
demography/farmer/human-predator conflict/killing/live-trap/mortality/radio-tracking/reproduction/
survival

Abstract: Namibian cheetahs have suffered, and continue to suffer, high levels of removal due to
conflict with local farmers, and it is important to understand the demography of this population in
order to determine its likely persistence. Examination of cheetahs reported live-trapped or killed
by local farmers, combined with subsequent information from radio-telemetry, allowed
demographic parameters such as sex ratios, age and social structure, litter size, interbirth
intervals and survivorship to be estimated for cheetahs on Namibian farmlands. Cub mortality
was relatively low, but adult mortality was high, particularly for males, and peaked at 5-6 years of
age. Neither marking nor relocating cheetahs seemed to affect survivorship, and there was no
difference in survivorship between the sexes. Time spent in captivity did not appear to affect
survival after release. These findings will be useful in formulating recommendations regarding the
conservation and sustainable utilization of cheetah populations outside protected areas.