Dynamics of direct inter-pack encounters in endangered African wild dogs

Jordan, N R; Buse, C; Wilson, A M; Golabek, K A; Apps, P J; Lowe, J C; Van Der Weyde, L K; McNutt, J W

Abstract

Aggressive encounters may have important life history consequences due to the potential for injury and death, disease transmission, dispersal opportunities or exclusion from key areas of the home range. Despite this, little is known of their detailed dynamics, mainly due to the difficulties of directly observing encounters in detail. Here, we describe detailed spatial dynamics of inter-pack encounters in African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), using data from custom-built high-resolution GPS collars in 11 free-ranging packs. On average, each pack encountered another pack approximately every 7 weeks and met each neighbour twice each year. Surprisingly, intruders were more likely to win encounters (winning 78.6% of encounters by remaining closer to the site in the short term). However, intruders did tend to move farther than residents toward their own range core in the short-term (1 h) post-encounter, and if this were used to indicate losing an encounter, then the majority (73.3%) of encounters were won by residents. Surprisingly, relative pack size had little effect on encounter outcome, and injuries were rare (

Citation

Jordan, N. R., Buse, C., Wilson, A. M., Golabek, K. A., Apps, P. J., Lowe, J. C., Van Der Weyde, L. K., & McNutt, J. W. (2017). Dynamics of direct inter-pack encounters in endangered African wild dogs. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-017-2338-9

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 1, 2017
• Publication Date: Jul 13, 2017
• Deposit Date: Feb 14, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 1, 2018
• Journal: Behavioural Ecology & Sociobiology
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 71
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 115
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-017-2338-9
• Public URL: https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1391257