Range contractions of the world's large carnivores

Christopher Wolf; William J. Ripple

doi:10.1098/rsos.170052

Range contractions of the world's large carnivores

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.170052 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (7) ◽

pp. 170052 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

Christopher Wolf ◽

William J. Ripple

Keyword(s):

Spatial Modelling ◽

Panthera Tigris ◽

Large Carnivores ◽

Land Area ◽

Canis Rufus ◽

Large Carnivore ◽

Red Wolf ◽

Historical Times ◽

Ecological Importance ◽

Contraction Maps

The majority of the world's terrestrial large carnivores have undergone substantial range contractions and many of these species are currently threatened with extinction. However, there has been little effort to fully quantify the extent of large carnivore range contractions, which hinders our ability to understand the roles and relative drivers of such trends. Here we present and analyse a newly constructed and comprehensive set of large carnivore range contraction maps. We reveal the extent to which ranges have contracted since historical times and identify regions and biomes where range contractions have been particularly large. In summary, large carnivores that have experienced the greatest range contractions include the red wolf ( Canis rufus ) (greater than 99%), Ethiopian wolf ( Canis simensis ) (99%), tiger ( Panthera tigris ) (95%) and lion ( Panthera leo ) (94%). In general, the greatest range contractions occurred in Southeastern Asia and Africa. Motivated by the ecological importance of intact large carnivore guilds, we also examined the spatial extent of intact large carnivore guilds both for the entire world and regionally. We found that intact carnivore guilds occupy just 34% of the world's land area. This compares to 96% in historic times. Spatial modelling of range contractions showed that contractions were significantly more likely in regions with high rural human population density, cattle density or cropland. Our results offer new insights into how best to prevent further range contractions for the world's largest carnivores, which will assist efforts to conserve these species and their important ecological effects.

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Prey depletion as a threat to the world's large carnivores

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.160252 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (8) ◽

pp. 160252 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Christopher Wolf ◽

William J. Ripple

Keyword(s):

Prey Species ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Panthera Tigris ◽

Large Carnivores ◽

Clouded Leopard ◽

Cuon Alpinus ◽

Large Carnivore ◽

Carnivore Species ◽

Prey Depletion

Large terrestrial carnivores are an ecologically important, charismatic and highly endangered group of species. Here, we assess the importance of prey depletion as a driver of large carnivore endangerment globally using lists of prey species for each large carnivore compiled from the literature. We consider spatial variation in prey endangerment, changes in endangerment over time and the causes of prey depletion, finding considerable evidence that loss of prey base is a major and wide-ranging threat among large carnivore species. In particular, the clouded leopard ( Neofelis nebulosa ), Sunda clouded leopard ( Neofelis diardi ), tiger ( Panthera tigris ), dhole ( Cuon alpinus ) and Ethiopian wolf ( Canis simensis ) all have at least 40% of their prey classified as threatened on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and, along with the leopard ( Panethra pardus ), all of these species except the Ethiopian wolf have at least 50% of their prey classified as declining. Of the 494 prey species in our analysis, an average of just 6.9% of their ranges overlap protected areas. Together these results show the importance of a holistic approach to conservation that involves protecting both large carnivores directly and the prey upon which they depend.

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Large carnivore attacks on humans in central India: a case study from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605311001803 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 221-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Harshawardhan S. Dhanwatey ◽

Joanne C. Crawford ◽

Leandro A. S. Abade ◽

Poonam H. Dhanwatey ◽

Clayton K. Nielsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Central India ◽

Forest Products ◽

Timber Harvesting ◽

Panthera Tigris ◽

Large Carnivores ◽

Panthera Pardus ◽

Large Carnivore ◽

Tiger Reserve ◽

North Eastern

AbstractWe examined human and ecological attributes of attacks by tigers Panthera tigris and leopards Panthera pardus on humans in and around the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in the Chandrapur District of central India to provide recommendations to prevent or mitigate conflicts between people and large carnivores. During 2005–2011 132 carnivore attacks on humans occurred, 71 (54%) of which were lethal to humans. Tigers and leopards were responsible for 78% and 22% of attacks, respectively. Significantly more victims were attacked while collecting minor forest products than during other activities. Probability of attack significantly decreased with increasing distance from forests and villages, and attacks occurred most frequently in the forested north-eastern corridor of the study area. Human activities near the Reserve need to be regulated and limited as much as possible to reduce human mortality and other conflicts. Increasing access to alternative fuel sources (e.g. biogas, solar) may reduce the pressure of timber harvesting on protected areas. Residents should be trained in identifying carnivore sign and in ways to reduce their vulnerability when working outdoors.

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The Return of Large Carnivores and Extensive Farming Systems: A Review of Stakeholders’ Perception at an EU Level

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11061735 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1735

Author(s):

Marcello Franchini ◽

Mirco Corazzin ◽

Stefano Bovolenta ◽

Stefano Filacorda

Keyword(s):

Negative Attitude ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Large Carnivores ◽

Direct Experience ◽

Large Carnivore ◽

Degree Of Acceptance ◽

Extensive Farming ◽

Over Time ◽

The Eu

Conflicts between large carnivores and human activities undermine both the maintenance of livestock practices as well as the conservation of carnivores across Europe. Because large carnivore management is driven by a common EU policy, the purpose of this research was to assess stakeholders’ perception towards bears and wolves at an EU level. We conducted a systematic search and subsequent analysis of 40 peer-reviewed studies collected from 1990 to September 2020 within Member States of the EU. Rural inhabitants and hunters exhibited the most negative attitude compared to urban inhabitants and conservationists, whose attitude was more positive. We showed that direct experience with predators as a consequence of ongoing re-colonization may have affected the degree of acceptance of certain categories and that the long-term coexistence between humans and carnivores does not necessarily imply increased tolerance. To encourage coexistence, we recommend monitoring changes in attitudes over time relative to carnivore population dynamics.

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Mitochondrial DNA analysis implying extensive hybridization of the endangered red wolf Canis rufus

Nature ◽

10.1038/351565a0 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 351 (6327) ◽

pp. 565-568 ◽

Cited By ~ 168

Author(s):

R. K. Wayne ◽

S. M. Jenks

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Dna Analysis ◽

Canis Rufus ◽

Red Wolf ◽

Mitochondrial Dna Analysis

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Do conservation strategies that increase tiger populations have consequences for other wild carnivores like leopards?

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-51213-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ujjwal Kumar ◽

Neha Awasthi ◽

Qamar Qureshi ◽

Yadvendradev Jhala

Keyword(s):

Species Conservation ◽

Camera Trap ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Large Carnivores ◽

Catchment Scale ◽

Large Carnivore ◽

Positive Growth ◽

Capture Recapture ◽

Very High

Abstract Most large carnivore populations are declining across their global range except in some well managed protected areas (PA’s). Investments for conserving charismatic apex carnivores are often justified due to their umbrella effect on biodiversity. We evaluate population trends of two large sympatric carnivores, the tiger and leopard through spatially-explicit-capture-recapture models from camera trap data in Kanha PA, India, from 2011 to 2016. Our results show that the overall density (100 km−2) of tigers ranged between 4.82 ± 0.33 to 5.21 ± 0.55SE and of leopards between 6.63 ± 0.71 to 8.64 ± 0.75SE, with no detectable trends at the PA scale. When evaluated at the catchment scale, Banjar catchment that had higher prey density and higher conservation investments, recorded significant growth of both carnivores. While Halon catchment, that had lower prey and conservation investments, populations of both carnivores remained stable. Sex ratio of both carnivores was female biased. As is typical with large carnivores, movement parameter sigma (an index for range size), was larger for males than for females. However, sigma was surprisingly similar for the same genders in both carnivores. At home-range scale, leopards achieved high densities and positive growth rates in areas that had low, medium or declining tiger density. Our results suggest that umbrella-species conservation value of tigers is likely to be compromised at very high densities and therefore should not be artificially inflated through targeted management.

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DNA profiles of the eastern Canadian wolf and the red wolf provide evidence for a common evolutionary history independent of the gray wolf

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z00-158 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 78 (12) ◽

pp. 2156-2166 ◽

Cited By ~ 86

Author(s):

Paul J Wilson ◽

Sonya Grewal ◽

Ian D Lawford ◽

Jennifer NM Heal ◽

Angela G Granacki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Material ◽

Gray Wolf ◽

Canis Rufus ◽

Red Wolf ◽

The Subject ◽

The 1960S ◽

Original Species ◽

Dna Profiles ◽

Microsatellite Alleles ◽

Red Wolves

The origin and taxonomy of the red wolf (Canis rufus) have been the subject of considerable debate and it has been suggested that this taxon was recently formed as a result of hybridization between the coyote and gray wolf. Like the red wolf, the eastern Canadian wolf has been characterized as a small "deer-eating" wolf that hybridizes with coyotes (Canis latrans). While studying the population of eastern Canadian wolves in Algonquin Provincial Park we recognized similarities to the red wolf, based on DNA profiles at 8 microsatellite loci. We examined whether this relationship was due to similar levels of introgressed coyote genetic material by comparing the microsatellite alleles with those of other North American populations of wolves and coyotes. These analyses indicated that it was not coyote genetic material which led to the close genetic affinity between red wolves and eastern Canadian wolves. We then examined the control region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and confirmed the presence of coyote sequences in both. However, we also found sequences in both that diverged by 150 000 - 300 000 years from sequences found in coyotes. None of the red wolves or eastern Canadian wolf samples from the 1960s contained gray wolf (Canis lupus) mtDNA sequences. The data are not consistent with the hypothesis that the eastern Canadian wolf is a subspecies of gray wolf as it is presently designated. We suggest that both the red wolf and the eastern Canadian wolf evolved in North America sharing a common lineage with the coyote until 150 000 - 300 000 years ago. We propose that it retain its original species designation, Canis lycaon.

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An efficient method for screening faecal DNA genotypes and detecting new individuals and hybrids in the red wolf (Canis rufus) experimental population area

Conservation Genetics ◽

10.1007/s10592-006-9154-5 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 123-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Jennifer R. Adams ◽

Lisette P. Waits

Keyword(s):

Efficient Method ◽

Experimental Population ◽

Faecal Dna ◽

Canis Rufus ◽

Red Wolf

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Cross-fostering as a conservation tool to augment endangered carnivore populations

Journal of Mammalogy ◽

10.1093/jmammal/gyy087 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 99 (5) ◽

pp. 1033-1041

Author(s):

Eric M Gese ◽

William T Waddell ◽

Patricia A Terletzky ◽

Chris F Lucash ◽

Scott R McLellan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Span ◽

Litter Size ◽

Average Life ◽

Canis Rufus ◽

Average Life Span ◽

Red Wolf ◽

In The Wild ◽

Red Wolves ◽

Cross Fostering

Abstract Cross-fostering offspring with nonbiological parents could prove useful to augment populations of endangered carnivores. We used cross-fostering to augment captive-born and wild-born litters for the endangered red wolf (Canis rufus). Between 1987 and 2016, 23 cross-fostering events occurred involving captive-born pups fostered into captive litters (n = 8 events) and captive-born pups fostered into wild recipient litters (n = 15 events). Percentage of pups surviving 3 and 12 months was 91.7% for captive-born pups fostered into captive recipient litters. For pups fostered into wild litters, percentage of pups surviving 5 months was > 94% among fostered pups (pups fostered into a wild red wolf litter or replaced a hybrid litter), pups in recipient litters (wild-born litters receiving fostered pups), and pups in control litters (wild-born litters not in a fostering event) when using pups with known fates. Including pups with unknown fates as deaths, percentage of pups surviving 5 months was > 54% among fostered pups, pups in recipient litters, and pups in control litters. Among wild litters, percentage of pups surviving 12 months was > 82% among fostered pups, pups in recipient litters, and pups in control litters when using pups with known fates. Including pups with unknown fates as deaths, percentage of pups surviving 12 months was > 48% among fostered pups, pups in recipient litters, and pups in control litters. Although survival to 12 months was similar among the groups, average life span was different with pups in control litters living 3.3 years, pups in recipient litters living 4.6 years, and fostered pups living 5.6 years. Of fostered pups surviving > 12 months in the wild, 9 animals whelped or sired 26 litters. Cross-fostering was successful at augmenting litter size for red wolves without any deleterious effects on recipient litters, illustrating fostering as a tool for increasing populations of endangered carnivores.

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