Large carnivores around the world are increasingly at risk of going hungry as the prey species they depend on for survival decline, research has shown.
The tiger is one of five land predators with the greatest proportions of threatened prey whose plight was highlighted by researchers.
Half of the animals it hunts in the wild are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.
The other most at-risk carnivores were the clouded leopard, with 60 per cent of its prey threatened, the Sunda clouded leopard (50 per cent), an Asian wild dog, the dhole (42 per cent) and the Ethiopian wolf (40 per cent).
Danger list
The scientists compiled a list of 494 prey species that provided food for 17 large carnivores – including the lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, grey wolf, Eurasian lynx and spotted hyena.
Of the prey species, a quarter were on the IUCN Red List. Of these, 14 per cent were classified as vulnerable, 9 per cent endangered and 2 per cent critically endangered.
Large carnivores that were themselves on the Red List were more likely to have threatened prey. On average, 27 per cent of their prey was threatened compared with 19 per cent for non-Red List carnivores.
“Abundant terrestrial mammalian prey are required for the survival of large carnivores,” wrote the researchers, led by Christopher Wolf from Oregon State University College of Forestry, in the US.
“In fact, there is a strong relationship between prey and carnivore abundance – approximately 10,000 kg of prey supports about 90 kg of large carnivore biomass, regardless of species.”
“When sufficient prey is unavailable, large carnivore populations will decline, possibly becoming locally extinct.”
Carnivores deprived of prey may come into conflict with humans as they raid farms for livestock or stray into highly populated areas, said the scientists.
Large predators were said to be “ecologically important” as a group of species. As well as keeping crop-damaging herbivores in check, they played a vital role in attracting tourists to developing countries.
The scientists concluded: “These results show the importance of a holistic approach to conservation that involves protecting both large carnivores directly and the prey upon which they depend.” (New Scientist)
PHOTO CREDIT: Aditya Singh/imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock.