Mamadou D. Kane

Population abundance, density, and habitat analysis of the large carnivore

species of the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityCollege of Natural Resources and Environment

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation

Study area

Study area

Study area Created in 1954, extended 4

times to its current size :

913,000 ha

Topography: Valleys, plateaus

and hills, max elevation 311 m

(Mount Assirik)

Climate: Sudanian

Rainfall : 900-1200 mm/year,

June to October

Mean temperatures: 25C–35C

Streams: Gambia river and its 3

tributaries: Niokolo,

Koulountou and Nieriko +

numerous ponds and pools

Study area Vegetation: transition between

Sudano-Guinean savanna and Guinean savanna:

1. Grassland or opened savanna: continuous herbaceous strata

2. Bushland: in the plateaus and hill slopes with a continuous herbaceous strata scattered with shrubs

3. Savanna: in the plateaus and hill slopes with a tree cover of 5 to 25% and a continuous closed herbaceous layer

4. Woodland: in the depressions between the hills and along the valleys, trees and shrubs cover 25 to 50%.

5. Open forest: soil coverage of 50 to 75% located in floodplains of some rivers

6. Gallery forest: represents 78% of the Senegalese gallery forest in the wet valleys with good soil and hydrologic conditions

7. Marshes: in the ponds and pools in the banks of the Gambia river. Annual and perennial grasses over 25 cm high and below 150 cm.

Study areaNKNP: in situ repository on animal diversity…

• Double international recognition in 1981 as a Biosphere

Reserve of UNESCO and as a World Heritage site under

Criteria X

• 80 mammal species, 330 bird species, 60 fish species and

36 reptile species (MEPN, 1998)

• Last refuge for large mammal species of the country:

elephant (Loxodonta africana), the Derby eland

(Taurotragus derbianus derbianus), chimpanzee (Pan

troglodytes), etc. (MEPN, 1998)

Study areaNKNP: in situ repository on animal diversity…

• Westernmost and northernmost limit of distribution of

some mammal species in Africa: African wild dog (Lycaon

pictus), Derby eland, chimpanzee, lion (Panthera leo),

leopard (P. pardus), etc..

• Carnivore population: 23 species out of 75 carnivore

species in Africa (31%) (Sillero-Zubiri et al., 1997)

Study areaNKNP: in situ repository on animal diversity…

• 4 of 5 largest African carnivores species: lion, leopard,

African wild dog, spotted hyena

• However, status of these species unknown, like most of

the carnivores of the West African protected areas

• Populations occur at lower densities compared to

Southern and East African Protected Areas, Ex: lion : ‘EN’

in W. Africa, ‘VU’ in Southern and East Africa

In Niokolo Koba National Park, few estimates of carnivores population were conducted

First actual estimate (herbivores and carnivores) : 1990 From 1990 to 1998: periodic censuses

◦ Method : line transects by vehicle and on foot, during daylight hours, 3 days each year on February

◦ Results analyzed with program Distance◦ Results: (Galat et al., 1998)

Lion : 165 (62 – 441) African wild dog : 347 (90 – 1337)

Review of the carnivore estimates

1997: Focus on carnivores species◦ Method :

Line transects by vehicle during daylight and night hours Broadcast stations with taped carnivore calls

◦ Results: 21,668 km covered (1,292 hours) including 1,419 km(106 hours)

of night searches◦ Estimates (Sillero-Zubiri et al, 1997)

Lion : 50 - 150 African wild dog : 50 - 200 Leopard : 100 - 300 Spotted hyena : 200 - 500

Review of the carnivore estimates

2001: Terrestrial and aerial counts◦ Method:

Line transects by vehicle, plane and on foot, Daylight hours, January to June, 5 days each month

◦ Results: (Ndiaye, 2001) African wild dog : (a group of 9 sighted)

Review of the carnivore estimates

2006: African Park Foundation census◦ Method:

Line transects by plane and on foot, during Daylight hours, 10 days

◦ Results: 40.3% of the park covered by plane (3,335km2) 83 line transects on foot (1,979 km) No carnivore sighted by plane Terrestrial count recorded 5 species

Review of the carnivore estimates

Species Number of contacts (direct and indirect)

Number of contacts/100 km

Jackal 120 7.1Lion 5 0.3Leopard 19 1.1Spotted Hyena

43 2.6

African wild dog

9 0.5

Renaud et al., 2006

2006: African Park Foundation census◦ Consequence:

Inscription of the park in the List of Word Heritage Sites in Danger in 2007 mainly because of “the critically low mammal populations” (World Heritage Committee, 2007)

Review of the carnivore estimates

2011: NGO Panthera and DPNS◦ Focus on carnivores species, specifically lions◦ Method:

Line transects by vehicle for track survey during daylight and night hours (March – April, 40 days)

Camera trapping Broadcast stations Scat sampling for DNA analysis

◦ Estimates: (Henschel and Ndao, 2011) based only on track survey

Review of the carnivore estimates

SpeciesIndex of

abundance (tracks/100km)

Density  (n/100km2)

Population size (n)

Lion 1.0 0.2 17Leopard 14.29 4.4 403African wild dog 1.66 0.4 37Hyena 23.6 7.4 679

Methods: Except the 1997 and 2011 counts, method used (line

transect during daytime) unsuitable for carnivore species estimates

Time frame very short for all the counts (max 40 days) Results

Not precise (wide confidence intervals) Indices of abundance not calibrated Analyses focus mainly on direct sightings (1990 – 1999 and

2001) Consequences

Large carnivore population size is still unknown

Discussion of the carnivore estimates

Focus on lion, leopard, hyena and African wild dog

Kane et al., 2012-2013…

Methods: more suitable techniques for carnivore estimates◦ Camera trapping◦ Scat collection

Time frame:◦ Pilot study: 2 month (May – July 2012)◦ Field study : January – May 2013

Expected outcomes◦ Density, abundance and occupancy estimation coupled with

habitat analysis and predictive modeling◦ Presence and habitat use for herbivores and smaller

carnivores

Kane et al., 2012-2013…

CAMERA TRAPPING for density estimation Target species: Leopard, African wild dog Grids that take into account the home range sizes of the

carnivores

Methods (pilot study)

Abundance estimation with traditional CMR then density estimation

Habitat features analysis and predictive modeling

SCAT COLLECTION Non invasive genetic sampling DNA source: scat Sampling design: opportunistic search : several field

staff

Methods (pilot study)

Genetic analysis for 4 carnivore species◦ Species (mtDNA analysis )◦ Sex and Individuals (nuclear DNA-microsatellite primers)

Data Analysis: density estimation (traditional CMR and Spatial Explicit Analysis)

Density estimates – compare results from genetic and camera density analysis

Methods (pilot study)

Advisors: Dr. M. Kelly and Dr. P. Henschel (external Committee Member)

Committee Members: Dr. W. M. Ford, Dr. S. Karpanty WHAPA Lab (318 Cheatham), specially Claudia Wultsch

and Christine Proctor Sponsors: USAID – Senegalese Gov. International Student Scholarship

Acknowledgements

MERCI BEAUCOUP

Questions ?