IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Breuer, T. | |
| _Distribution and feeding ecology of the African wild dog and other large carnivores in North Cameroon_ | |
| 2001 Full Book | |
The African wild dog has declined dramatically during the last decades in the whole of southern Africa. Not much information is known on wild dogs in Central Africa especially the population in northern Cameroon. Human and ecological factors limiting wild dogs in and around Faro NP were investigated in the dry season 2001. Feeding ecology of wild dog (N=13) and major antagonists (lion (_Panthera leo_) (N=119) and spotted hyena (_Crocuta crocuta_) (N=148)) was determined from scat analysis. Carnivores consumed only mammalian prey. 388 prey items were identified giving an average of 1.4 prey items/sample. Buffon's kob (_Kobus kob_) accounted for 56% and waterbuck (_Kobus ellipsipymnus) _for 17% of the wild dogs' diet. In spotted hyena faeces 59% of identified prey items were kob and 9% bushbuck (_Tragelaphus scriptus_). Kobs comprised 35%, bushbucks 9% and waterbucks, porcupines (_Hystrix cristata_), red river hogs (_Potampchoerus porcus_), baboons (_Papio anubis_) and roan antelopes (_Hippotragus equinus_) 7% of prey items in lion faeces. No prey item of domestic animal was found in the faeces. Two fresh faecal samples were collected for genetic analysis. Wild dogs in northern Cameroon show similar behaviour to other study populations in Africa. Wild dogs' numbers have been drastically reduced and pack size has declined immensely in the last decades. Wild dogs are distributed over the whole protected areas net in northern Cameroon in very low density. The number of remaining wild dogs ranges between 50 and 100. Interviews and literature review show that habitat loss, loss of prey and direct persecution by Mbororo herdsmen have been the major causes for wild dogs' decline, and these threats still exist today. All other factors keeping wild dogs' numbers low, are the same than in other countries in Southern and East Africa, namely snaring, road kills, diseases, and competition with other large carnivores. The highest priority for wild dog conservation in northern Cameroon is to maintain contiguity of wildlife areas and limiting direct persecution. Radio telemetry studies are highly recommended to increase knowledge of wild dogs' behavioural ecology. |
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