Pettifer HL. 1981. Aspects on the ecology of cheetahs on the ...
Pettifer HL. 1981. Aspects on the ecology of cheetahs on the ...
Pettifer HL. 1981. Aspects on the ecology of cheetahs on the ...
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PATTIEER<br />
;;;;;; """; *:'"'::'l:u -::,ilil"'ii"il;""'ll"ll.',ll;,'li,<br />
<strong>cheetahs</strong> corlP!l3lng 5 mel6s snd 3 femeles w€re trapped in llveBtoch<br />
populatl<strong>on</strong> ht'l rlsen to an ertrd|arsq<br />
:' l:-:-'*-,* ,^*to"t"." r"."ril,i,""""""<br />
dlsmstlc dtop ln ths blesbok and spltngbok (!g!g9lS-- -<br />
olalis) numbers' An intensrve research prog'am <strong>on</strong> relocsted <strong>cheetahs</strong><br />
t-#i;;;;;"<br />
launched with <strong>the</strong> maior obJectlves <strong>of</strong> studvlns <strong>the</strong> prealator-prey<br />
relatiotrships'<br />
gopulatt<strong>on</strong> dyn&rlcs' lmvementa and aocial<br />
st ruct ure <strong>of</strong> r€locat€d chsettha'<br />
Thls Pape! lopolts <strong>on</strong> certrln asPscts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>ecology</strong> <strong>of</strong>_th€ cheetah8 <strong>on</strong><br />
an"' "'"i*"to."tt"U Netu!6 ReBorve wlth particular eophasiB <strong>on</strong> homq renge<br />
qnal movementa '<br />
STUDY ARSA<br />
I'he Suikerbosrsn'l Nrture Reserve ls situated apploxlDately 40 ltxo south<br />
;;" ;;;;;;;""'. rn tho southcentrsr rrsns'aar (2602?t - 26034's'<br />
28o09' - 28o21r8). The re6erve' compfislng somerhat 13'tl00 ha' falIs<br />
lr,nrr ^"""*"' (1953) Brnkenv€ld' ls characterize'l by predoDinantlv open<br />
€rsssveld with 'lense thiclret! in 6<strong>on</strong>e ot <strong>the</strong> ravines' Bledenkamp and<br />
n."oo (rgzo) classrfied <strong>the</strong> gra.slan'ls tnto<br />
These<br />
-13 .c.drn]l:le^:'<br />
crossland codounlties are gr€atly affected by <strong>the</strong> divelslty <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> to-<br />
altltudes renge'froo 1's25 D<br />
i"".""i"-aa""<br />
- r'916 m)'<br />
The rese.ve ls blsect€'I Uy a'l ta"t-rtat rtdge' Ivo gsological forma-<br />
tl<strong>on</strong>s, namely <strong>the</strong> Vent€rsdolp Syst€o'ln <strong>the</strong> c€ntral and' $estcrn regi<strong>on</strong>g<br />
ina..;..;;. wltwstefsflnd syitgn |n <strong>the</strong> east, comprls€ <strong>the</strong> reserve.<br />
Tbe latter Syst€in has un'lorg<strong>on</strong>€ c<strong>on</strong>si'lerable faulting' loldlng and erosi<strong>on</strong><br />
(du Toit 1954) and is ret'tlv€ly g&!e-f!ee ttue to <strong>the</strong> sou' vegetati<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> qualtzlte aolls'<br />
fhe reserve lies withln <strong>the</strong> suitrner rf,intall regi<strong>on</strong>' l{inters ere cold<br />
$ith icy nountain winds' surners ale leoperate with frequent thunde!'<br />
li€htenlng an'l hall slortDs' Annual rainfall varles bett€en 650 nm _<br />
rso tlrn, <strong>the</strong> maio!ity falltng b€tween October and Malch (Pigue 1)<br />
M<strong>on</strong>thly mean tninlmurn telDperrrures sle normal ly below 5o C 'luring winter'<br />
wheless <strong>the</strong> nean n<strong>on</strong>thly maxltnl,'n ternperatu'es seldom exceed 2?o C dul_<br />
lng sulflrc! (Ftgure 1) '<br />
tl22
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