Desert Lions
Dispersal |
Dispersal & expansion
Home
range expansion
Intensive monitoring of the Hoaruseb lionesses during 2006
produced valuable data on patterns of dispersal and home range
expansion. Data collected using a GPS radio-collar and from
direct observations (Figure 34) show continuous nightly movements
between March and September 2006. Up to April 2006 the lionesses
moved only in the Hoaruseb River and in the northern section
between the two rivers. During May 2006 they moved to the
Hoanib River for the first time and also spent time in the
southern and northern sections between the two rivers. In
June and July 2006 they returned to the Hoanib River for longer
periods, moving quickly between the rivers. On 21 September
2006 the lionesses settled in the Hoanib floodplain and were
still there at the end of February 2007 (Figure 35).
Figure 34. Consecutive nocturnal movements of Hoaruseb lionesses between March and September 2006.Click to view enlargement.
April 2006 - 41 days |
May 2006 - 37 days |
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July 2006 - 50 days |
September 2006 - 50 days |
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Figure
35. A schematic layout of the days, from March 2006 to February
2007, that the Hoaruseb lionesses moved in. and between, the
Hoaruseb and Hoanib Rivers. An imaginary line that runs halfway
between the two rivers separates the northern and southern
sections.
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Habitat
expansion
With the rapid growth of the Kunene lion population
in the core study area, especially between 2000 and 2004,
dispersal of individual lions and the expansion of the range
of the population are expected. Intensive monitoring, between
2000 and 2005, of habitat utilisation (Fig. 18) by the core
study group of 18 radio-collared lions and their offspring,
initiated in 1999, illustrates a striking increase in their
range. Reliable estimates of the size of this lion population
were calculated, independently of the habitat data, at the
end of each year. An analysis of these data show that there
is a significant relationship between the number of lions
and the size of the habitat they occupy (Fig. 19). Range size
can be expressed as a linear function of lion numbers. This
finding has important relevance to conservation strategies
and when developing human-lion conflict management plans.
** If you have Flash Player watch the animated
simulation at the end of this section **
Fig. 18. A schematic layout of the range occupied by Kunene lions, between 2000 and 2005.
2000 |
2001 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
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Fig.
19. The relationship between lion numbers and the size of
the range (km2) they occupied from 2000 - 2005.
Dispersal
Dispersal of individual lions, and small groups,
is an important mechanism in the ecology and self-regulation
of the Kunene lion population. Following a sharp population
growth between 2000 and 2004, several individual lions, and
some small groups, dispersed from their natal prides in 2004
and 2005, presumably in search for new habitats (Table A7).
Radio-collared lions were monitored and 12 incidents of dispersal
were recorded. During five events, lions moved deep into unknown
territory (N = 176 km, range 92-343) to established new home
ranges.
Table
A7. Dispersal by 12 lions during 2004 and 2005 in the Kunene
Region.
Simulated animation of the increase & expansion of the Kunene lions between 1999 and 2006
Last data analysis & update - March 2007