Brayan Morera, Víctor Montalvo, Jairo Moya, Javier Obando, Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños, Todd K. Fuller, Eduardo Carrillo
{"title":"Jaguar predation on domestic horses in the dry forest of northwestern Costa Rica","authors":"Brayan Morera, Víctor Montalvo, Jairo Moya, Javier Obando, Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños, Todd K. Fuller, Eduardo Carrillo","doi":"10.1002/jwmg.22637","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Depredation of domestic horses (<i>Equus caballus</i>) by jaguars (<i>Panthera onca</i>) is an example of human–wildlife conflict that has not received much attention. We monitored spatio-temporal activity and distribution of horses in a 2.64-km<sup>2</sup> fenced area in the dry forest of northwestern Costa Rica in response to 16 jaguar killings of horses during January-November 2017. We monitored 4 horses (2 males, 2 females) equipped with global positioning system transmitters from February-September 2018 to identify daily and seasonal patterns of use of cover types and a water source by horses. We then compared these results to the previous locations where jaguars killed horses to identify the circumstances under which horses seemed more vulnerable to jaguar predation. Based on 1,693 locations, horses spent most time in grassland (92%) rather than forest and edge vegetation (8%) and used a core area of 0.74 km<sup>2</sup> (kernel density estimation) to 0.86 km<sup>2</sup> (minimum convex polygon). Of 16 horse predation events by jaguars, 9 events (56%) occurred in grasslands, 4 in forested areas (25%), and 3 in the forest edge (19%), indicating predation events occurred disproportionately from expected counts based on horse use of vegetation. The predation sites were characterized by a higher proportion of edge and a lower proportion of forest compared to a random points. We suggest that when horses explored areas near the edge of forested areas, the chances of being preyed on by jaguars increased.</p>","PeriodicalId":17504,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Wildlife Management","volume":"88 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Wildlife Management","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.22637","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Depredation of domestic horses (Equus caballus) by jaguars (Panthera onca) is an example of human–wildlife conflict that has not received much attention. We monitored spatio-temporal activity and distribution of horses in a 2.64-km2 fenced area in the dry forest of northwestern Costa Rica in response to 16 jaguar killings of horses during January-November 2017. We monitored 4 horses (2 males, 2 females) equipped with global positioning system transmitters from February-September 2018 to identify daily and seasonal patterns of use of cover types and a water source by horses. We then compared these results to the previous locations where jaguars killed horses to identify the circumstances under which horses seemed more vulnerable to jaguar predation. Based on 1,693 locations, horses spent most time in grassland (92%) rather than forest and edge vegetation (8%) and used a core area of 0.74 km2 (kernel density estimation) to 0.86 km2 (minimum convex polygon). Of 16 horse predation events by jaguars, 9 events (56%) occurred in grasslands, 4 in forested areas (25%), and 3 in the forest edge (19%), indicating predation events occurred disproportionately from expected counts based on horse use of vegetation. The predation sites were characterized by a higher proportion of edge and a lower proportion of forest compared to a random points. We suggest that when horses explored areas near the edge of forested areas, the chances of being preyed on by jaguars increased.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Wildlife Management publishes manuscripts containing information from original research that contributes to basic wildlife science. Suitable topics include investigations into the biology and ecology of wildlife and their habitats that has direct or indirect implications for wildlife management and conservation. This includes basic information on wildlife habitat use, reproduction, genetics, demographics, viability, predator-prey relationships, space-use, movements, behavior, and physiology; but within the context of contemporary management and conservation issues such that the knowledge may ultimately be useful to wildlife practitioners. Also considered are theoretical and conceptual aspects of wildlife science, including development of new approaches to quantitative analyses, modeling of wildlife populations and habitats, and other topics that are germane to advancing wildlife science. Limited reviews or meta analyses will be considered if they provide a meaningful new synthesis or perspective on an appropriate subject. Direct evaluation of management practices or policies should be sent to the Wildlife Society Bulletin, as should papers reporting new tools or techniques. However, papers that report new tools or techniques, or effects of management practices, within the context of a broader study investigating basic wildlife biology and ecology will be considered by The Journal of Wildlife Management. Book reviews of relevant topics in basic wildlife research and biology.