Conserving Leopards and Monkeys in South Africa 2012 FIELD REPORT

Transcription

1 Conserving Leopards and Monkeys in South Africa 2012 FIELD REPORT Background Information Lead PI: Russell Hill Report completed by: Russell Hill Period Covered by this report: Mar Feb 2013 Date report completed: :25:27

2 Dear Earthwatch Volunteers Thank you for another fantastic field season with Earthwatch. This has again been an important year for our project as we have continued to expand our activities at Lajuma. A major new development has been the use of GPS telemetry, and Earthwatch volunteers have played a key role in clearing the 18 trap sites for leopards, as well as preparing our new primate cages. As a result of these efforts we have been successful in deploying collars on 4 leopards, as well as on two brown hyaenas and two baboons in the last two months. These activities will continue into 2013 and beyond, but the data are already providing us with some fascinating new insights into the behaviour and ecology of our study animals. In particular the animals have been found to range in areas we didn't anticipate, and for the leopards in particular, it is clear they are using the human-dominated landscapes at the base of the mountains far more than we anticipated. These insights are critical to helping us to develop strategies for promoting human-wildlife coexistence in this part of Africa. Our baseline activities remain as important as ever in examining the long-term changes and conservation status of the mammalian communities within the Soutpansberg Mountains. As Earthwatch volunteers you have processed 165,081 camera trap images, collected 24 predator scats and washed and prepared 170, assessed 413 trees for phenology, conducted 8 vegetation plots and collected 8 days of samango behavioural data. We also had 6 successful days teaching environmental education to school children through the Eco-schools programme. With your help we have also started a programme of removal of alien vegetation and so far 140 invasive trees have been removed. This is all incredibly important work that plays a key role in our research and conservation activities and we value your efforts enormously. Thank you! The last twelve months have thrown up a few surprises but also served to highlight many of the challenges we face. In June we were surprised to detect a pack of African wild dogs on our cameras; they had never been recorded in the area before. Although not resident in the Soutpansberg it seems likely the mountains serve a valuable role as a dispersal corridor linking populations of this endangered carnivore.

3 At the same time we remain acutely aware of the challenges facing large carnivores. Two of our collared leopards have already died as a direct result of human activity and as I write we have not been able to detect the VHF signal of a third animal for many weeks. Levels of human-induced mortality may thus be greater than we had envisaged and the Soutpansberg leopard population could be at risk despite the high density of animals in the region. There is thus still much work for us to do, but we could not have achieved what we did this year without the contributions of your Earthwatch teams and we are incredibly grateful for your efforts. Best wishes Russell Hill

4 SECTION ONE: Scientific research achievements Top highlight from the past season In June 2012 I would have stated that the discovery of wild dogs on our cameras would be the highlight of the year, since these had never been recorded in the area. However, as the year has developed it is clear that the most significant finding has been the realisation that levels of human persecution of carnivores may be far higher than expected within the Soutpansberg Mountains. Of the four leopards we have collared, two have died, one having succumbed to injuries from a snare and the second having been shot by a farmer. With the signal from a third collar also disappearing in the last month it is clear that levels of human activity may be a significant cause of mortality and we now urgently need to assess how this may impact the stability of the leopard population. Reporting against research objectives Our project has four long-term objectives, and progress is reviewed under each objective heading. 1. Evaluating the role of the Soutpansberg Mountains in conserving flagship mammalian species 2012 has seen the first complete annual cycle of our array of 48 Reconyx Hyperfire HC500 wildlife cameras set in 24 paired camera stations within the western Soutpansberg Mountains. Downloading and monitoring of the images has been an ongoing activity and Earthwatch volunteers have processed over images in The photos reveal a large diversity of species within the region, with a high diversity of carnivore species - Table 1 below.

5 Species No. photos Africa Civet 8025 Africa Wild Dog 149 African Wild Cat 43 Banded Mongoose 3408 Black Backed Jackal 13 Brown Hyaena 2153 Cape Clawless Otter 23 Caracal 588 Cheetah 13 Dwarf Mongoose 455 Honey Badger 2259 Large Spotted Genet 3724 Leopard 6202 Serval 140 Slender Mongoose 1007 Spotted Hyaena 23 Table 1: Number of photos captured of 16 carnivore species in We reported last year that stable populations of rare species such as black-backed jackal, Cape clawless otter, caracal, and African Wild cat had been recorded, with large populations of leopards and brown hyaena also present. Serval and spotted hyaena, previously thought to be absent from the area, were also recorded for the first time in 2011 and captured again this year. More significantly, however, we detected wild dogs on our cameras for the first and only time in June Figure 1 below.

6 Figure 1: Camera trap photo of wild dogs in the Soutpansberg Mountains. (Copyright R Hill) The species is not known to be resident in the area, and none of the documentation relating to the biodiversity planning or the establishment of the Vhembe Biosphere reserve suggested it had ever been recorded in the past. It is likely that the pack was dispersing and that the Soutpansberg Mountains serves as a valuable wildlife corridor linking wild dog populations in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Since there are probably fewer than 5000 wild dogs remaining in the wild this serves to highlight the significance of these montane refugia in wildlife conservation. The fact that we also photographed a cheetah on our cameras for the first time in the same month - Figure 2 below - further supports this fact.

7 Figure 2: Camera trap photo of a cheetah in the Soutpansberg Mountains. (Copyright R Hill) An examination of the seasonal capture rates of the different species - Figure 3 below - illustrates that along with African wild dogs and cheetah, spotted hyaena and African wild cat are only sporadically encountered within our camera array. This suggests these species are transient, while the majority of other species are resident within the region.

8 Figure 3: Monthly photographic capture rates for 16 carnivore species within the Soutpansberg Mountains in A key objective for 2013 is to formally assess the significance of the Soutpansberg Mountains for mammalian biodiversity, both as a dispersal corridor for certain species and a refuge for stable populations of other species. Integral to this will be establishing how the region can support such high densities of certain species such as leopard and brown hyaena and to determine the extent to which these serve as source populations for surrounding lower lying areas. 2. To assess the extent of actual and perceived human-leopard conflict and the viability of the Soutpansberg leopard population A recent analysis of our original camera data using spatially explicit capture-recapture methods (SPACECAP) has confirmed that the Lajuma region hosts a very healthy leopard population with a density estimate of 10.7 leopards per 100 km2 (Chase Grey et al, under review).

9 A key facet of our onging research is to now determine the stability of the population over time in the face of hunting, illegal persecution and habitat loss. A series of closed population sampling periods (3-month intervals) have now been obtained that will allow ongoing assessment of the population density for leopards which is vital in our long-term monitoring of the viability of the Soutpansberg leopard population. During 2012 we deployed GPS collars of 3 leopards (2 male, 1 female) with a further male trapped in February Earthwatch volunteers were instrumental in preparing the trapping sites as part of their research activities. The GPS collars have provided a wealth of ranging data - Figure 4 below - with one resident male (blue polygon) having a home range of 120km2 that encompassed large areas of low-lying farmland. Furthermore, the data had started to reveal how a second male (yellow polygon) was displacing the resident male from the east of his range. Unfortunately, the collared female (pink polygon) disappeared from our camera stations in October 2012 and we finally located her collar and remains in February 2013; these indicated that she had been caught in a snare and that the ensuing infection had ultimately proved fatal. In January 2013 the collar of the resident male stopped moving; the leopard had been shot by an irate farmer in retaliation for perceived cattle losses. These events have given us a strong indication that levels of mortality within the Soutpansberg Mountains may be far higher than we originally thought. During 2013 we will be redeploying the retrieved collars onto new animals and a key question will be in determining the precise levels of human-induced mortality within the Soutpansberg leopard population. Since the start of our involvement with Earthwatch we have now collected over 250 new leopard scats for analysis, with Earthwatch volunteers collecting 24 last year and washing and preparing 170 scats for analysis. Detailed analysis is planned for 2013 to build on the earlier work we reported last year suggesting that leopards hunt natural prey almost exclusively, with no evidence of them incorporating livestock or expensive game species in their diets. Further data are required from peripheral regions within our sampling area with a particular focus on areas where cattle and goats are more prevalent. Nevertheless, the current evidence suggests a significant mismatch between landowner perceptions and predator behaviour such that education and awareness are likely to be key strategies for reducing human-wildlife conflict in the region.

10 From 2012 we started to incorporate brown hyaena more formally into our population analyses, and this is a primary focus of the PhD research of Katy Williams. Detailed analyses have been complicated by the fact that individual identification from leg stripes is more challenging with our Reconyx cameras (that use infrared) than on our former Cuddeback (flash) cameras, although the frequency of photographs is greater on our new models. Work to identify the animals is ongoing. In the meantime information from local landowners suggests that brown hyaena are considered a bigger problem animal than leopards, even though they are rarely observed and are widely acknowledged to be scavengers. Two brown hyaena were fitted with GPS collars in February 2012 as part of our ongoing research on the species. Figure 4: Minimum convex polygons of the home range area of three collard leopards within the Soutpansberg Mountains (blue - Male 1; yellow - male 2; pink - female 1). 3. To evaluate the nature and extent of human-primate conflict within the Soutpansberg mountains There are number of components to this objective. The first is to conduct behavioural observations on habituated troops for the three diurnal primate species resident at Lajuma (chacma baboons, Papio cynocephalus ursinus; vervet monkeys, Cercopithecus aethiops; samango monkeys, Cercopithecus mitis) to assess behaviour, diet and ranging patterns in

11 natural habitat. One group of chacma baboons has been the focus on detailed data collection led by a PhD student (Pete Tomlin) with over 1200 hours of behavioural data collected by the end of Furthermore, two groups of samango monkeys have been the focus of observations and Earthwatch volunteers have contributed over 100hrs of behavioural data on one of our habituated study groups - the ranging patterns of this group are in Figure 5 below. Figure 5: Ranging behaviour of the barn group of samango monkeys at Lajuma. We now have sufficient data on the ranging behaviour of our two study groups to permit detailed seasonal analyses linked to our new phenology data (see below). During 2012 we also successfully captured a number of samangos as part of a collaborative project with Cape Town University examining the health of natural populations; as a result we were able to ear tag individuals to aid with identification for future research - Figure 6 below.

12 Figure 6: Samango monkey with ear tag. During 2012 we completed the first full cycle of phenological data collection. The phenological sampling includes 20 individuals from 23 tree species every month. Earthwatch volunteers assessed 413 final focal trees during their teams and so contributed significantly to the data set. Earthwatch volunteers also completed 43 vegetation plots across Lajuma to establish the plant and food species in different habitat types. These measurements allow us to calculate food availability across the home ranges of the different primate species and so understand seasonal patterns of behaviour. Measures are also taken of habitat visibility and structural habitat characteristics to produce a more comprehensive picture of the vegetation structure at Lajuma. Plans to habituate groups of vervet monkeys were delayed by difficulties in trapping females to deploy VHF collars to aid with this process - this will remain an objective for 2013 (Figure 7 below) with Earthwatch volunteer involvement. One baboon was fitted with a GPS collar in early 2013 to provide detailed ranging data with an animal also fitted with a proximity tag in this group. A further 3 GPS collars will be deployed at Lajuma during 2013 to provide a

13 comprehensive understanding of the ranging behaviour of the baboons foraging on natural vegetation. Figure 7: Vervet monkey feeding at trap During 2013 we will commence a series detailed trials of crop-raiding mitigation strategies led by a PhD student (Leah Findlay) in a low-lying farming district near to the Soutpansberg Mountains. At the same time we will also deploy two GPS collars within crop-raiding baboon groups within the next few months to determine their ranging patterns within this farming landscape for direct comparison with our naturally foraging groups. Collectively these data will be combined with habitat and land use surveys coupled with landowner interviews to determine the broader context of crop-raiding and human-primate conflict. In turn, these data will be used to develop a standard epidemiological model within GIS that predicts the relative risk of primate crop raiding based on crops grown, their availability within farms and patterns of primate selectivity. The model will help identify areas for mitigation experiments, an essential precursor to addressing Objective To evaluate and mitigate the environmental risks from land reform and land use change Although this remains an important long-term objective, there has been little direct progress on this element of our research in the past year. During 2012 we have established relationships with two communities living at the base of the Soutpansberg Mountains, one of whom has recently taken back ownership of the land following a successful land claim.

14 During we aim to conduct camera trapping surveys within these communities to assess carnivore densities alongside studies of stock losses and management techniques. We will integrate these data with the findings of Natasha Constant's PhD (due for completion in 2013) that examined management recommendations and mitigation strategies for minimising stock losses to leopards in the neighbouring Blouberg Mountains. In the longer term we will look to integrate these findings with our own research within the Soutpansberg to develop more comprehensive management recommendations for the region.

15 SECTION TWO: Impacts Partnerships Our project continues to work in collaboration with a number of partners to maximise the potential and success of our research 1. Soutpansberg-Mapungupwe Leopard Forum: Ian Gaigher is currently the chair of the group which provides an important forum for discussing issues relating to leopards (and other large carnivores) with local stakeholders and for disseminating our results and recommendations. 2. Eco-schools, South Africa: Judy van Schalkwyk is responsible for the Blouberg-Bochum Eco-schools Node providing environmental education to teachers and schools in the region. Earthwatch volunteers contribute to the Eco-schools project through assisting with educational visits at a local school. 3. South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON): Lajuma Research Centre is an affiliated site of the SAEON network with Oldrich van Schakwyk and Ian Gaigher maintaining on-site weather stations and downloading and transmitting the data. Our project retains the on-site weather data for our use. 4. Vhembe Biosphere Reserve: Ian Gaigher is chair of the biosphere research subcommittee and as a consequence our research feeds directly into the developing research objectives for the biosphere. Contributions to conventions, agendas, policies, management plans There have been no specific contributions to management plans this year, although our research work has been influential in guiding the research priorities for the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve since the research sub-committee is chaired by Ian Gaigher. At the same time, we are seeking to address and incorporate the emerging research objectives of the new Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Once our current paper on the population status of leopards within the Soutpansberg is published we will provide recommendations to Limpopo Nature Conservation on areas that should be protected from hunting. Our ongoing research looking at methods to mitigate crop losses to primates will feed into the local farmers association as a means of disseminating good practice.

16 Developing Environmental Leaders Earthwatch teams have been working Eco-Schools, an international programme which promotes environmental awareness and citizenship in young people. Earthwatch volunteers have visited a local school, although two groups were not able to undertake this activity due to the school holidays. On those occasions we were able to welcome schools groups to Lajuma itself, which was an incredibly rewarding experience and led to some of the more memorable images from the year. The volunteers taught the children about environmental issues in a fun and interactive way. Until recently many of the children had no awareness of their nearby nature reserve or the environmental and conservation issues facing the reserve and the broader region. Volunteers have also donated vital equipment such as books, pencils and cameras these are invaluable since many parents cannot afford to provide their children with these simple yet essential items. Actions or activities that enhance natural and/or social capital In 2012 we started a new activity with our Earthwatch teams to remove invasive vegetation from Lajuma and the surrounding regions. To date, 140 guava, macadamia and loquat trees have been removed and in 2013 we will be extending this activity onto the neighbouring properties around Lajuma. In May 2013 we are holding a landowners braai and one objective is to identify pockets of alien vegetation for removal by Earthwatch teams in Conservation of Taxa For most species of conservation significance within the Soutpansberg Mountains little is known beyond their presence or absence, and there are certainly insufficient data to assess population trends and rates of growth or decline. Our earlier work has shown that leopards (Panthera pardus; CITES Appendix 1; IUCN near threatened) are present at one of the highest densities ever recorded in sub-saharan Africa (10.7 leopards per 100 km2: Chase Grey et al, under review) and we are currently working to establish the stability of this estimate over time and a broader sampling area. The recent deaths of some of our collared animals suggests that human pressure on the population is much greater than previously thought and may undermine the stability of the population. Our camera data suggests a healthy population of brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea; IUCN near threatened) and although density estimates are more challenging for this species, this is a current focus of the work of Katy Williams. Her interviews with local landowners

17 certainly suggest that brown hyaenas are reviled and persecuted in our study area, but that methods centred on anthropomorphism may offer a novel conservation tool. Our focus is not restricted to these two species, however, and long-term goal is to obtain detailed information on the status of a range of species of local conservation concern: samango monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis erythrarchus), caracal (Caracal caracal), civet (Civettictis civetta), large spotted genet (Genetta tigrina), pangolin (Manis temminckii), aardvark (Orycteropus afer), bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus), red duiker (Cephalophus natalensis) and giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus). This will allow us to monitor population trends and examine strategies to conserve and restore species recorded as experiencing significant population declines due to human activity. Our recent discovery of wild dogs (Lycaon pictus; IUCN endangered) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus; IUCN vulnerable) highlight the significance of mountainous regions in providing dispersal corridors for some of Africa's most endangered carnivores. Conservation of Habitats The physical conservation of habitats is not a current focus of our project although the maintenance of local habitats and the broader ecoregion is critical to our conservation objectives. Indeed, we have started a process of removing invasive guava, macadamia, and loquat trees from Lajuma to preserve the natural vegetation and will extend this activity to neighbouring properties in future years. In the long-term our camera-trap data will provide an important baseline measure for assessing changes in population numbers for a variety of species. These data will also be particularly important in identifying key habitats and in assessing the significance of human activity to mammalian biodiversity within the Soutpansberg Mountains. Ecosystem Services An ecosystem services perspective is not a formal component of our project. In the longterm, however, we do anticipate contributing to reductions in livestock losses to predators in certain areas (following on from the work of Julia Chase Grey and Natasha Constant), and through a reduction of crop losses to primates in other regions (currently led by Leah Findlay). A detailed understanding of the conservation significance of the Soutpansberg Mountains could also enhance the ecotourism potential in the region, particularly in the context of the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, although we will not specifically examine or measure this as part of our work.

18 Conservation of Cultural Heritage This is not an element of our project, although on the recreational day we do support local artisans on a culture day. Impacting Local Livelihoods Our involvement with Earthwatch over the past year has helped offer employment opportunities for the catering staff and also has added additional income for the staff working at Lajuma that help with the laundry and camp maintenance. The project has also helped to sustain employment through the Eco-Schools programme and we also support local artisans on our culture day. Local community activities Collaboration with the local landowners is essential to the success of our research, particularly since many host cameras on their property. We send out an annual newsletter to all landowners involved in the study to keep them informed of our activities. We will also be holding a landowners braai in May 2013 where we will be giving talks on our research and work out how we can work with them more closely in our future research (such as in alien vegetation removal). We also encourage them to follow our blog ( to obtain more regular updates. We also provide them with copies of all camera trap photos taken on their properties so that they have full access to the data collected on their land. In 2013 we are also planning a camera-trapping survey within some of the community areas at the foot of the mountain, and particularly within land owned by the Baysdorp communities. This work will form part of Katy Williams's PhD and the communities will be fully integrated into the research. Their support is vital and we will also provide them with information on the major results and findings. Community members will also be invited to provide information and feedback to help shape the research as we look to establish a formal conservation centre in the region. Again, their engagement will be essential. We are delighted to be welcoming community volunteers onto our teams in Dissemination of research results Scientific peer-reviewed publications The following outputs arising from research at Lajuma are in preparation or under review:

19 Chase Grey, J., Kent, V.T. & Hill, R.A. (under review) Mountainous regions as source populations in leopard conservation: a case study of the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa. Coleman, B.T. & Hill R.A. (under review) Landscapes of fear, food and habitat structure and their impact on samango monkey range use. Coleman, B.T. & Hill R.A. (under review) Biogeographic variation in the behavioural ecology of samango monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis). Williams, K.S, Williams, S.T & Hill, R.A. (in preparation) The impact of human activity on leopard and brown hyaena space use in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa. Williams, S.T., Williams, K.S., Kent, V.T., van Schalkwyk, O., Gaigher, I.G. & Hill, R.A. (in preparation) Carnivore diversity in the Soutpansberg Mountains and the significance of mountain refugia in animal conservation. Relevant outputs by current and former project staff and students have also been submitted, although the research does not relate to Lajuma directly: Kent, V.T. & Hill, R.A. (in press) The importance of farmland for the conservation of brown hyaena, Parahyaena brunnea, in Botswana. Oryx Williams, S.T., Williams. K.S., Groom, R., Joubert, C.J. & Hill, R.A. (in review) Impact of Zimbabwe s Fast-Track Land Reform Programme on carnivore conservation. Grey literature and other dissemination Postgraduate theses: During 2012, the following research thesis was completed based on research at Lajuma: : Ben Coleman, PhD student (self funded) Landscapes of fear and vigilance in samango monkeys in South Africa - passed with minor corrections : Caroline Howlett, MSc by research (self-funded) 2D:4D ratio and dominance behaviour in baboons - passed with minor corrections : Rachel Sassoon, MSc by research (self-funded) Giving up densities and landscapes of fear in samango monkeys. Awaiting examiners comments

20 Furthermore, the following postgraduate projects are ongoing, with Earthwatch volunteers involved with field activities associated with the most recent students: present: Katy Williams, PhD student (Faculty Studentship) Human-brown hyaena relationships and the use of anthropomorphism as a conservation tool 2011 present: Leah Findlay, PhD Student (NERC studentship) Human-primate conflict in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa 2010 present: Peter Tomlin, PhD Student (Leverhulme Trust Study Abroad Fellowship) The ontogeny of sociality and referential communication in non-human primates 2009 present: Natasha Constant, PhD student (ESRC/NERC studentship) Socialecological approach to understanding conflict between leopards and humans in South Africa: implications for leopard conservation and community livelihoods Although some of this research pre-dates our association with Earthwatch, a number of these projects form the basis for our Earthwatch activities. Information booklets: During December 2012 we produced an annual report for my Primate & Predator Project outlining all of our research activities for local landowners that also include information on how they could become more involved with our Earthwatch activities. Web sites: We maintain three web sites as part of our broader Primate & Predator Project, all of which highlight the significance of our association with Earthwatch: 1. Primate and Predator Project home pages: 2. Primate and Predator Project blog: 3. Mammal Conservation in South Africa Facebook Page:

21 SECTION THREE: Anything else Is there anything else you would like to tell us? Our relationship with Earthwatch is exceptionally valuable and it would be impossible for us to maintain the scope of our current research activities without Earthwatch s involvement and the contributions of the volunteers. We look forward to this being a long-term relationship since we are confident that the partnership has the potential to lead to significant conservation outcomes, particularly in relation to managing human-wildlife conflict. Acknowledgements We are grateful to Durham University for financial support, particularly in funding the equipment that underpins much of this research and also for the development of the Anthropology Field Station. We would like to thank the research assistants who helped support Earthwatch Teams in 2012 and to all of the researchers at Lajuma who gave presentations about their work for the Earthwatch teams.