Translocation of stock-raiding leopards into a protected area with resident conspecifics

Is translocation of stock-raiding leopards into a protected area with resident conspecifics an effective management tool?
Maja Weilenmann  , Markus Gusset , David R. Mills , Tefo Gabanapelo and Monika Schiess-Meier 

Journal Wildlife Research

Last month we had discussed here a paper on human leopard conflict titled “Translocation as a Tool for Mitigating Conflict with Leopards in Human-Dominated Landscapes of India”   authored by VIDYA ATHREYA, MORTEN ODDEN, JOHN D. C. LINNELL K. ULLAS KARANTH. The study emphasized the potential ineffectiveness of translocation to reduce human–carnivore conflict. The authors suggested that making improvements to the administration of compensation programme for wildlife attacks and linking this to some form of insurance scheme that can be administered by local communities might help increase tolerance for low intensity, chronic predation on livestock by leopards. They have contended that this is likely to decrease the demand for management action to remove leopards.

Now here comes another paper from Botswana authored by Maja Weilenmann, Markus Gusset, David R. Mills, Tefo Gabanapelo and Monika Schiess-Meier titled “Is translocation of stock-raiding leopards into a protected area with resident conspecifics an effective management tool?” Here also the conclusions mirror what had been expressed in paper by VIDYA ATHREYA, MORTEN ODDEN, JOHN D. C. LINNELL K and ULLAS KARANTH.

In this new paper the researchers sought to evaluate whether translocating stock-raiding leopards (Panthera pardus) into a protected area with resident conspecifics in Botswana is effective in dealing with ‘problem’ carnivores.

In the investigation none of the translocated leopards showed release-site fidelity; they either returned to the trap site or showed extensive roaming behaviour after release. Three of the four translocated leopards reportedly resumed stock-raiding and were shot when ranging outside of protected areas, which apparently was a consequence of being released into an area already occupied by territorial conspecifics. On the basis of satellite telemetry, the linear movement distance of one translocated leopard (1249 km) and the range size of three resident female leopards (513 ± 124 km²) are the largest on record.

The researchers’ compared the survival and ranging behaviour of translocated leopards with that of resident conspecifics, and conclude that translocation is not an effective management tool for dealing with stock-raiding leopards. They conclude that rather than translocating ‘problem’ carnivores, efforts should focus on reducing the potential for problems to develop, most importantly on improving livestock-husbandry practices.

I thank Maja Weilenmann for graciously sending me a copy of the paper.