Niche Partitioning Between the African Leopard (Panthera Pardus Pardus) and Olive Baboon (Papio Anubis) in Loisaba Conservancy, Laikipia County

Abstract

Predator-prey dynamics are an important driver of population trends. For carnivores that are not well studied, such as the African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), interactions with prey, like olive baboon (Papio anubis), are key to understanding population trends and conservation strategies. Studying leopard-baboon interactions can be challenging due to the elusive and solitary nature of leopards and the rarity of primate predation events often occurring at night. Using camera traps, distance sampling, and baboon sleeping sites surveys, leopard-baboon population densities and interactions in Loisaba Conservancy was investigated. The spatially explicit capture-recapture model revealed a leopard density of 11 leopards/100km2 (95% CI 8 - 17) and an estimated population size of 25 leopards (95% CI 17 - 37). While the distance sampling survey estimated the baboon density at 3 baboons/km2 (95% CI 2 - 5), with an estimated population size of 655 baboons (95% CI 409 - 1049). Baboons preferred trees with a mean height of 16.8 ± 3.2m, a mean percent crown density of 72.9 ± 12.2, and 87% with overlapping canopies as sleeping sites. The generalized linear model (“GLM”) showed that both tree height and tree canopy overlap had a statistically significant and positive effect on baboon sleeping site choice (tree height: beta = 0.19, 95% CI [0.008.6, 0.38], p = 0.046, Std. beta = 0.60; overlap: beta = 2.34, 95% CI [1.13, 3.76], p < .001, Std. beta = 2.34). Baboons preferred cliffs with a mean height of 19.7 ± 4.9 m and a width of 61.3 ± 43.8 m, and used 96% of cliffs with ledges. The GLM results showed that both cliff height and ledge presence had statistically significant and positive effects on baboon sleeping site choice (cliff height: beta = 7.21, 95% CI [2.65, 13.85], p = 0.010, Std. beta = 2.75; ledges: beta = 2.92, 95% CI [0.69, 6.04], p = 0.020, Std. beta = 2.92). At baboon sleeping sites, the GLM results indicated that leopard presence had a statistically non-significant effect on baboon presence (beta = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.82, 0.59], p = 0.211, Std. beta = -0.02). Leopards exhibited 49% nocturnal activity, 28% crepuscular, and 23% diurnal activity while baboons were 84% diurnal and 16% crepuscular. The diel cycle of leopards and baboons differed significantly (χ2 = 87.05, df = 2, p < 0.05), with a temporal overlap of (Δ=0.32 (0.26-0.37)) and a spatial overlap of 55%. The study provides leopard population density complementing the national goal of estimating leopard density, an identified need for the country’s wildlife conservation and management. Further, providing evidence of leopard night predation risk and the spatiotemporal overlap demonstrates the prey-predator activity patterns critical to population dynamics.