Prey and estimated food consumption of African wild dogs in Kenya
Publication Date
1995
Journal or Book Title
South African Journal Of Wildlife Research
Abstract
During 1990, two radio-marked packs of Lycaon pictus were monitored at three different times for 6-25 days each in the Masai Mara area of SW Kenya to estimate prey consumption rates. Male Thomson's gazelles Gazella thomsoni and young wildebeests Connochaetes taurinus were the most common prey. During either a morning (n = 19) or evening (n = 26) monitoring session, some packs did not hunt (11-45% of sessions) or hunted unsuccessfully (60-100% success/session). Packs sometimes lost part or all of a kill (0-27% of kills) to avian or mammalian scavengers. Minimum estimated consumption rates for all three packs (0.08-0.20 kg prey/kg dog/day) seemed to reflect, at a minimum, variation in hunting success, age of pups, and competition with other species (related to pack size).
Volume
25
Issue
3
Pages
106-110
Recommended Citation
Fuller, TK; Nicholls, TH; and Kat, PW, "Prey and estimated food consumption of African wild dogs in Kenya" (1995). South African Journal Of Wildlife Research. 126.
Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/nrc_faculty_pubs/126