Title
Diet, prey selection and ecological relations of leopard and golden cat in the Ituri Forest, Zaire
Author(s)
Hart J.A., Katembo M., Punga K.
Published
1996
Publisher
African Journal of Ecology
Abstract
Diets of leopard and African golden cat were studied in the Ituri Forest of Zaire by means of scat contents (N=336) and prey carcass finds (N=91). Felids consumed predominantly mammalian prey (464 of 482 prey items in scats). Ungulates comprised 53.5% and primates 25.4% of prey items identified in leopard scats; mean prey weight estimated from scats was 24.6 kg. In golden cat scats 50.9% of identified prey items were rodents and 20.2% were ungulates: mean prey weight estimated from scats was 1.4 kg. Leopards accounted for 79% of recovered scats and for 74% of tracks recorded on systematic counts along paths. Golden cats accounted for 18% of recovered scats and for 15% of track counts. Sixteen percent of felid scats recovered and 11% of track counts could not be attributed to one species or the other with certainty. Among prey species = 5.0 kg, felid predation is selective for five species of nocturnal ungulates and one species of diurnal, terrestrial primate. Arboreal primates comprised 9% of prey items in scats. Scavenged crowned eagle kills may be an important source of arboreal primates in forest felid diets. Golden cats may be limited by low rodent densities and by competition with and predation by leopards. Leopards may be limited by competition with human hunters for ungulate prey in many areas of forested Africa.
Keywords
African golden cat; competition; diet; leopard; predation; prey selection; Zaire, Ituri Forest; Felis aurata; Panthera pardus

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PUB12965