Food habits and characteristics of livestock depredation by leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in human dominated landscape of South Gujarat, India

Abstract

Information on essential resource requirements and characteristics of livestock predation is crucial for formulating a better conservation strategy for leopards in a human-dominated landscape. We assessed food habits and characteristics of livestock predation in the human-dominated landscape of South Gujarat, India, using scat analysis (n = 350) and secondary information from forest department reports (n = 780). Leopards consumed 17 prey species, with pigs contributing the most (44%) to the leopards’ diet, while domestic horses contributed the least (1%). Leopards preyed upon four domestic species: goats (47%), cows (43%), buffaloes (6%), and horses (2%). Young individuals of livestock were most commonly targeted by leopards, and livestock species were predominantly preyed upon during the evening or night time. Livestock were most vulnerable to predation when tied in open areas and least vulnerable while grazing. Our results highlight the significant role of pigs as the main prey and their contribution to mitigating livestock predation. Additionally, improving cattle shed structures and implementing night guarding could help reduce livestock predation. This study also addresses the knowledge gap regarding leopard ecology in human-dominated landscapes.

KEY WORDS:

• leopard
• human dominated landscape
• food habits
• livestock depredation
• conservation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Authors are thankful to chief wildlife warden of Gujarat State, India for providing the necessary permission for field work. Authors are also thankful to Imran Vaid, Abrar Multani, Suraj Chaudhari, Aditya Patel, Hiren Joshi, Dharmesh Kadiwala, Himal Mehta, Jeeshan Contractor and Vaibhav Patel to assist in the field during the study. Thanks, are also dew to Dr T.G. Gohil, Head of Department, Biology Department, BKM Science College Valsad, Gujarat for permitting us to use the lab for the scat analysis.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION

Conceptualisation: R. Chaudhary, A. Kazi; methodology: R. Chaudhary, A. Kazi; data collection M. Navaz Dahya, R. Chaudhary; data analysis: R. Chaudhary; writing-original draft: R. Chaudhary, M. Navaz Dahya; writing-reviewing and editing: A. Kazi, A. Shah. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

DATA ACCESSIBILITY

The datasets generated or analysed during the current study will be available from the corresponding author on a reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.