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Brown Hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) diet composition from Zingela Game Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Faure, J.P.B.; Holmes, N.J.; Watson, L.H.; Hill, R.A.

Brown Hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) diet composition from Zingela Game Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa Thumbnail


Authors

J.P.B. Faure

N.J. Holmes

L.H. Watson



Abstract

Brown hyaenas Parahyaena brunnea are classified as ‘Near Threatened’. Although predominantly scavengers, they are frequently blamed for livestock depredations leading to persecution. Information on brown hyaena diets is important for understanding the degree of potential conflict with farming livelihoods and exploring diet variation across their range and how this might shift in response to land use change. Here we explore the diet of brown hyaena on a game reserve in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. We collected scats in 2013 (n = 55) and 2018 (n = 73) from Zingela Game Reserve to identify mammalian prey based on the cuticular scale imprints and cross-sectional appearance of hairs found in scat. Artiodactyls were most frequently consumed (total relative frequency of occurrence = 69.6%), dominated by common duiker Sylvicapra grimmia and steenbok Raphicerus campestris. Smaller prey were also common with Rodentia appearing in 15.8% of scats, although for all prey items there was some variation between years. We found only one occurrence of a domestic species in scats (donkey Equus asinus). Set alongside other studies from across southern Africa the results illustrate that brown hyaena are flexible in their diet and that domestic animals generally only represent a very small proportion of their diet.

Citation

Faure, J., Holmes, N., Watson, L., & Hill, R. (2019). Brown Hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea) diet composition from Zingela Game Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa. African Zoology, 54(2), 119-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2019.1600430

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 20, 2019
Online Publication Date Jun 24, 2019
Publication Date 2019
Deposit Date Mar 22, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal African Zoology
Print ISSN 1562-7020
Electronic ISSN 2224-073X
Publisher National Inquiry Services Centre (NISC)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 54
Issue 2
Pages 119-124
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2019.1600430

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