Abstract:
Prey availability and human-carnivore conflict are strong determinants that govern
the spatial distribution and abundance of large carnivore species and determine the
suitability of areas for their conservation. For wide-ranging large carnivores such as
cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), additional conservation areas beyond protected area
boundaries are crucial to effectively conserve themboth inside and outside protected
areas. Although cheetahs prefer preying on wild prey, they also cause conflict with
people by predating on especially small livestock. We investigated whether the
distribution of cheetahs’ preferred prey and small livestock biomass could be used to
explore the potential suitability of agricultural areas in Botswana for the long-term
persistence of its cheetah population. We found it gave a good point of departure
for identifying priority areas for land management, the threat to connectivity
between cheetah populations, and areas where the reduction and mitigation of
human-cheetah conflict is critical. Our analysis showed the existence of a wide prey
base for cheetahs across large parts of Botswana’s agricultural areas, which provide
additional large areas with high conservation potential. Twenty percent of wild prey
biomass appears to be the critical point to distinguish between high and low probable
levels of human-cheetah conflict.We identified focal areas in the agricultural zones
where restoring wild prey numbers in concurrence with effective human-cheetah
conflict mitigation efforts are the most immediate conservation strategies needed to
maintain Botswana’s still large and contiguous cheetah population.
