Accessing mesocarnivores activity and co-occurrence at carcass sites in Gorongosa National Park

Abstract

Our study found evidence of resource partitioning among the mesocarnivores at Gorongosa National Park, which could be predicted by the relative abundance of a species in the park as their body size. Using camera traps, set up at naturally occurring carcasses, we found that only 7 of the confirmed 13 mesocarnivore species at the park utilized 24 carcasses sites. The three most common mesocarnivores were civets, marsh mongoose, and side stripped jackals. The use of carcass was dominated by the largest mesocarnivore civet. We found a positive correlation between the proportion of civets and carcass decay. We did not find a correlation between carcass size and decay, however, unlike in landscape rich with apex predators, such as hyena, mesocarnivores were not excluded from the larger carcass. We found that tree coverage was an indicate of spatial partitioning. And mesocarnivores spent less time and visited less often carcass sites that were in open landscapes. There was large hourly temporal overlap, however the mesocarnivores were found to be activity only during the evening. By integrating our results with the current body of research, we understand the multifaceted nature of scavenger interactions at carcasses, driven by a combination of competitive, temporal, and spatial partitioning strategies.