Abstract:
Transboundary protected areas may be important
for the conservation of large African carnivores
because these species require large tracts of habitat
to maintain viable population numbers and gene
flow. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus Schreber, 1775), is
a species that may benefit from transboundary
conservation agreements. It occurs at naturally low
population densities,makes use of largehomeranges,
and disperses over long distances, thus requiring
large tracts of suitable habitat to maintain viable
population numbers. Here we present the first scientific
evidence of a breeding population of cheetah in
Parque Nacional do Limpopo (PNL), Mozambique.
We obtained data from camera-traps deployed
during occupancy surveys conducted from 9 September
2011 to 31 August 2012 over a 3400 km2 study
area located within the central third of PNL. These
results highlight the importance of the Greater
Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTFP) to the overall
conservation of cheetah in Africa, and the potential
value of transboundary protected areas for the
conservation of wide-roaming terrestrial mammals.
