PREY SELECTION OF THE LION (PANTHERA-LEO L) IN THE MANOVO-GOUNDA-ST-FLORIS-NATIONAL-PARK, CENTRAL-AFRICAN-REPUBLIC

Carcass analysis and behavioral observations are used to investigate prey selection by lions in a major conservation area for which data were previously unavailable. One hundred eleven lion kills belonging to 16 species were observed. Four ungulate species, Buffon's kob, bubal hartebeest, African buffalo and warthog, contributed about 70% to both the number and total prey biomass taken by lions. Buffalo and warthog, two of the most susceptible species to the rinderpest virus, showed the highest preference ratings. The frequency of predation on elephant calves was much higher than previously reported in the scientific literature. Grazing ungulates were taken more frequently than were browsers or mixed-feeders, and the majority of kills occurred on rivers floodplains or the surrounding woodlands. Suggestions for a conservation strategy based on these observations may be useful in developing management plans in national parks and reserves where the needs of tourism or large game hunting must be balanced with the conservation aim of preserving biodiversity.