Coexistence of large carnivore species in relation to their major prey in Thailand

Spatial and temporal partitioning often facilitates species coexistence. We used camera traps to study habitat use and spatio-temporal interactions among three large carnivores-tiger, leopard, and dhole-in two national parks in Thailand where key prey species (sambar, gaur) were scarce from overhunting. The availability of remnant sambar was the strongest determinant of tiger occupancy. Leopard occupancy was positively related to the presence of wild pig. Dhole occupancy was negatively associated with sambar, opposite to tiger. Results of two-species occupancy modeling did not support our hypothesis that leopard would be excluded from tiger-occupied zones, but leopard detectability was seven times lower in the presence of tigers, indicative of fine-scale avoidance. Dhole avoidance of sambar might have been a tactic by which dhole avoided tigers. All three carnivores were mainly diurnal and thus had high temporal overlap (> 80%). Tiger density may have been too low (0.36/100 km2) to compel temporal avoidance by leopard and dhole where they overlapped. Our results suggest that low density populations of tigers and leopards can overlap in habitat use and temporal activity, despite the potential for intensified competition due to prey scarcity. Dholes were widespread despite scarcity of large ungulates, and seem more resilient to the loss of large-bodied prey than tigers. MWKL has an important role in conserving dholes, which are declining globally.

Automated summary

The study found that tiger occupancy was influenced by the availability of remnant sambar, while leopard occupancy was related to the presence of wild pig. Contrary to the hypothesis, leopards were not completely excluded from tiger-occupied zones, but their detectability was significantly lower, indicating fine-scale avoidance behavior.