The Impacts of a Human-Induced Landscape of Fear on Mesocarnivore Species in Makgadikgadi, Botswana

Mesocarnivores, or smaller animals at a lower trophic level, can be widely impacted by the growing population and livestock industry in Botswana. Human land-use can affect the way animals move through space, and it can cause an increase in human-wildlife conflict. In this study, I used camera trap data to analyze how four mesocarnivore species- the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus), black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas), caracal (Caracal caracal) and African wildcat (Felis silvestris libyca)- respond to cattle posts and villages in the Makgadikgadi desert during the wet and dry seasons. During both seasons, aardwolves and black-backed jackals avoided villages, and caracals were in areas of low cattle post densities. The wildcat and aardwolf avoided cattle posts during the wet season, and wildcats were in areas of low cattle post densities during the wet season as well. These results indicate that the landscape of fear plays a large role in mesocarnivore movement, with benefits from subsidies shaping the differences between the wet and dry seasons.