Verbreitung und Nahrungsökologie des Afrikanischen ...

9. Summary
The African wild dog has declined dramatically during the last decades in the
whole of southern Africa. Not much information is known on wild dogs in
Central Africa especially the population in northern Cameroon. Human and
ecological factors limiting wild dogs in and around Faro NP were investigated
in the dry season 2001.
Feeding ecology of wild dog (N=13) and major antagonists (lion (Panthera
leo) (N=119) and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) (N=148)) was determined
from scat analysis. Carnivores consumed only mammalian prey. 388 prey
items were identified giving an average of 1.4 prey items/sample. Buffon’s
kob (Kobus kob) accounted for 56% and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsipymnus) for
17% of the wild dogs’ diet. In spotted hyena faeces 59% of identified prey
items were kob and 9% bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). Kobs comprised
35%, bushbucks 9% and waterbucks, porcupines (Hystrix cristata), red river
hogs (Potampchoerus porcus), baboons (Papio anubis) and roan antelopes
(Hippotragus equinus) 7% of prey items in lion faeces. No prey item of domestic
animal was found in the faeces. Two fresh faecal samples were collected
for genetic analysis.
Wild dogs in northern Cameroon show similar behaviour to other study
populations in Africa. Wild dogs’ numbers have been drastically reduced and
pack size has declined immensely in the last decades. Wild dogs are distributed
over the whole protected areas net in northern Cameroon in very low
density. The number of remaining wild dogs ranges between 50 and 100.
Interviews and literature review show that habitat loss, loss of prey and direct
persecution by Mbororo herdsmen have been the major causes for wild dogs’
decline, and these threats still exist today. All other factors keeping wild dogs’
numbers low, are the same than in other countries in Southern and East Africa,
namely snaring, road kills, diseases, and competition with other large
carnivores. The highest priority for wild dog conservation in northern Cameroon
is to maintain contiguity of wildlife areas and limiting direct persecution.
Radio telemetry studies are highly recommended to increase knowledge of
wild dogs’ behavioural ecology.
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