Abstract:
Population viability is driven by individual survival, which in turn depends on individuals
balancing energy budgets. As carnivores may function close to maximum sustained power
outputs, decreased food availability or increased activity may render some populations
energetically vulnerable. Prey theft may compromise energetic budgets of mesopredators,
such as cheetahs and wild dogs, which are susceptible to competition from larger
carnivores. We show that daily energy expenditures (DEE) of cheetahs were similar to sizebased
predictions and positively related to distance travelled. Theft at 25% only requires
cheetahs to hunt for an extra 1.1h/day, increasing DEE by just 12%. Therefore, not all
mesopredators are energetically constrained by direct competition. Other factors that
increase DEE, such as those that increase travel, may be more important for population
viability.
