IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library
   

 

View printer friendly
Tortato, F.R.; Devlin, A.L.; Hoogesteijn, R.; May, J.A.; Frair, J.L.; Crawshaw Jr., P.G.; Izzo, T.J.; Quigley, H.B.
Infanticide in jaguar (_Panthera onca_) population - does the provision of livestock carcasses increase the risk
2017  Acta Ethologica (20): 69-73

Infanticide is an antagonistic behavior that may provide an evolutionary benefit for the perpetrator. Cases of infanticide have rarely been reported in Neotropical carnivores. The objective of this study was to provide empirical evidence of infanticide in a local jaguar (Panthera onca) population in the Brazilian Pantanal. We present infanticide data from opportunistic sampling. Each month, from 2013 to 2015, we monitored pastures for evidence of livestock carcasses. A remotely triggered camera trap was placed at encountered fresh cattle carcasses. Through this monitoring, two cases of infanticide were recorded. Both cases occurred in close proximity to a cattle carcass, a large prey item that may attract multiple jaguars including females with cubs around age of weaning and increase the risk of infanticide. Our observations provide new empirical evidence of jaguar social behavior and intraspecific competitive interactions, potentially driven by locally high population density and resource provision.

PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here

 

(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union)