Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dynamics of direct inter-pack encounters in endangered African wild dogs

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aggressive encounters may have important life history consequences due to the potential for injury and death, disease transmission, dispersal opportunities or exclusion from key areas of the home range. Despite this, little is known of their detailed dynamics, mainly due to the difficulties of directly observing encounters in detail. Here, we describe detailed spatial dynamics of inter-pack encounters in African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), using data from custom-built high-resolution GPS collars in 11 free-ranging packs. On average, each pack encountered another pack approximately every 7 weeks and met each neighbour twice each year. Surprisingly, intruders were more likely to win encounters (winning 78.6% of encounters by remaining closer to the site in the short term). However, intruders did tend to move farther than residents toward their own range core in the short-term (1 h) post-encounter, and if this were used to indicate losing an encounter, then the majority (73.3%) of encounters were won by residents. Surprisingly, relative pack size had little effect on encounter outcome, and injuries were rare (<15% of encounters). These results highlight the difficulty of remotely scoring encounters involving mobile participants away from static defendable food resources. Although inter-pack range overlap was reduced following an encounter, encounter outcome did not seem to drive this, as both packs shifted their ranges post-encounter. Our results indicate that inter-pack encounters may be lower risk than previously suggested and do not appear to influence long-term movement and ranging.

Significance statement

Direct aggressive encounters between competitors are an important and potentially dangerous aspect of territoriality. In spite of this, detailed data on movements in response to encounters are lacking, especially for large mammals. Collecting observational data on competitors leaving an encounter site in different directions is logistically challenging, and radiocollar technology has previously been ineffective in this regard due to low temporal resolution. We overcame these issues by using custom-built high-resolution GPS collars, showing that intruding African wild dog packs were more likely to win inter-pack encounters (residents initially moved further away from the encounter). Inter-pack encounters appeared to have only short-term impacts on movement, with their outcome having no discernible impact on the long-term ranging patterns of African wild dog packs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander KA, Kat PW, Munson LA, Kalake A, Appel MJ (1996) Canine distemper-related mortality among wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Chobe National Park, Botswana. 27:426–427

  • ASAB/ABS (2012) Guidelines for the use of animals. Anim Behav 83:301–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barton K (2016) MuMIn: multi-model inference. R package version 1(15):6 https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=MuMIn

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates D, Maechler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2015) Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. J Stat Softw 67:1–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calenge C (2006) The package adehabitat for the R software: a tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals. Ecol Model 197:516–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cant M, Otali E, Mwanguhya F (2002) Fighting and mating between groups in a cooperatively breeding mammal, the banded mongoose. Ethology 108:541–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassidy KA, MacNulty DR, Stahler DR, Smith DW, Mech LD (2015) Group composition effects on aggressive interpack interactions of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Behav Ecol 26:1352–1360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheney DL (1987) Interactions and relationships between groups. In: Smuts BB, Cheney DL, Seyfarth RM, Wrangham RW, Struhsaker TT (eds) Primate societies. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp 267–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Craft ME, Volz E, Packer C, Meyers LA (2011) Disease transmission in territorial populations: the small-world network of Serengeti lions. J R Soc Interface 8:776–786

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Creel S, Creel NM (2002) The African wild dog: behavior, ecology, and conservation. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Creel S, Creel NM, Mills MG, Monfort SL (1997) Rank and reproduction in cooperatively breeding African wild dogs: behavioral and endocrine correlates. Behav Ecol 8:298–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crofoot MC, Gilby IC, Wikelski MC, Kays RW (2008) Interaction location outweighs the competitive advantage of numerical superiority in Cebus capucinus intergroup contests. P Natl Acad Sci USA105:577-581

  • Drewe JA (2010) Who infects whom? Social networks and tuberculosis transmission in wild meerkats. Proc R Soc Lond B 277:633–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ewing LS (1972) Hierarchy and its relation to territory in the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea. Behaviour 42:152–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furrer RD, Kyabulima S, Willems EP, Cant MA, Manser MB (2011) Location and group size influence decisions in simulated intergroup encounters in banded mongooses. Behav Ecol 22:493–500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grueber CE, Nakagawa S, Laws RJ, Jamieson IG (2011) Multimodel inference in ecology and evolution: challenges and solutions. J Evol Biol 24:699–711

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton WJ, Buskirk RE, Buskirk WH (1975) Chacma baboon tactics during intertroop encounters. J Mammal 56:857–870

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton WJ, Buskirk RE, Buskirk WH (1976) Defense of space and resources by chacma (Papio ursinus) baboon troops in an African desert and swamp. Ecology 57:1264–1272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubel TY, Myatt JP, Jordan NR, Dewhirst OP, McNutt JW, Wilson AM (2016a) Additive opportunistic capture explains group hunting benefits in African wild dogs. Nat Commun 7:11033

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hubel TY, Myatt JP, Jordan NR, Dewhirst OP, McNutt JW, Wilson AM (2016b) Energy cost and return for hunting in African wild dogs and cheetahs. Nat Commun 7:11034

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kat PW, Alexander KA, Smith JS, Munson L (1995) Rabies and African wild dogs in Kenya. Proc R Soc Lond B 262:229–233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kitchen DM (2004) Alpha male black howler monkey responses to loud calls: effect of numeric odds, male companion behaviour and reproductive investment. Anim Behav 67:125–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitchen DM, Beehner JC (2007) Factors affecting individual participation in group-level aggression among non-human primates. Behaviour 144:1551–1581

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitchen DM, Cheney DL, Seyfarth RM (2004) Factors mediating inter-group encounters in savannah baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus). Behaviour 141:197–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koch F, Signer J, Kappeler PM, Fichtel C (2016) The role of the residence-effect on the outcome of intergroup encounters in Verreaux’s sifakas. Sci Rep 6:28457

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Markham AC, Alberts SC, Altmann J (2012) Intergroup conflict: ecological predictors of winning and consequences of defeat in a wild primate population. Anim Behav 8:399–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McComb K, Packer C, Pusey A (1994) Roaring and numerical assessment in contests between groups of female lions, Panthera leo. Anim Behav 47:379–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNutt JW (1996) Sex-biased dispersal in African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus. Anim Behav 52:1067–1077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mech LD (1994) Buffer zones of territories of gray wolves as regions of intraspecific strife. J Mammal 75:199–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mills MG, Gorman ML (1997) Factors affecting the density and distribution of wild dogs in the Kruger National Park. Conserv Biol 11:1397–1406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mosser A, Packer C (2009) Group territoriality and the benefits of sociality in the African lion, Panthera leo. Anim Behav 78:359–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osofsky SA, McNutt JW, Hirsch KJ (1996) Immobilization of free-ranging African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) using a ketamine/xylazine/atropine combination. J Zoo Wildl Med 27:528–532

    Google Scholar 

  • Pomilia MA, McNutt JW, Jordan NR (2015) Ecological predictors of African wild dog ranging patterns in northern Botswana. J Mammal 96:1214–1223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2015) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria, http://www.Rproject.org

  • Rachlow JL, Berkeley EV, Berger J (1998) Correlates of male mating strategies in white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum). J Mammal 79:1317–1324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Radford AN, du Plessis MA (2004) Territorial vocal rallying in the green wood hoopoe: factors affecting contest length and outcome. Anim Behav 68:803–810

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reich A (1981) The behavior and ecology of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) in the Kruger National Park. PhD thesis, Yale University

  • Rood JP (1975) Population dynamics and food habits of the banded mongoose. Afr J Ecol 13:89–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shopland JM (1982) An inter-group encounter with fatal consequences in yellow baboons, Papio cynocephalus. Am J Primatol 3:263–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sicotte P (1993) Inter-group encounters and female transfer in mountain gorillas: influence of group composition on male behavior. Am J Primatol 30:21–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sillero-Zubiri C, Macdonald DW (1998) Scent-marking and territorial behaviour of Ethiopian wolves Canis simensis. J Zool 245:351–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith JM (1982) Evolution and the theory of games. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Townsend SW, Slocombe KE, Thompson ME, Zuberbühler K (2007) Female-led infanticide in wild chimpanzees. Curr Biol 17:R355–R356

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson ML, Hauser MD, Wrangham RW (2001) Does participation in intergroup conflict depend on numerical assessment, range location, or rank for wild chimpanzees? Anim Behav 61:1203–1216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson AM, Lowe JC, Roskilly K, Hudson PE, Golabek KA, McNutt JW (2013) Locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs. Nature 498:185–189

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R (2011) Demography of a recovering African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) population. J Mammal 92:305–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R, Donnelly CA (2011) Risk of contact between endangered African wild dogs Lycaon pictus and domestic dogs: opportunities for pathogen transmission. J Appl Ecol 48:1345–1354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodroffe R, Sillero-Zubiri C (2012) Lycaon pictus. The IUCN red list of threatened species 2012: e.T12436A16711116, http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T12436A16711116.en. Downloaded on 12 June 2017.

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Office of the President of Botswana and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks for permission to conduct research in Botswana, and to various leaseholders for permission to work in the areas that they are responsible for, in particular the Sankuyo community. Pack composition data were collected in the field by some of the authors and Briana Abrahms, Arjun Dheer, Roman Furrer, Geoff Gilfillan, Dikatholo Kedikilwe, Kasim Rafiq, Drew Vanetsky, Jessica Vitale, Reena Hallelujah Walker and Ari Whiteman. The photograph in Fig. 1 was taken by Roman Furrer. We would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their constructive comments which improved the manuscript, and Leesa Keogh who helped with edits.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Neil R Jordan & Krystyna A Golabek

  2. Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Applied Eco-Logic Group, Obley Road, Dubbo, NSW, 2830, Australia

    Neil R Jordan

  3. Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana

    Neil R Jordan, Krystyna A Golabek, Peter J Apps, Leanne K Van der Weyde & J Weldon McNutt

  4. Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK

    Christopher Buse, Alan M Wilson & John C Lowe

Authors
  1. Neil R Jordan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christopher Buse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alan M Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Krystyna A Golabek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Peter J Apps
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. John C Lowe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Leanne K Van der Weyde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. J Weldon McNutt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Neil R Jordan.

Ethics declarations

Funding

This research was supported by grants from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/H013016/1), the European Research Council (323041), the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Wild Entrust International and additional private donors.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This work was approved by the Royal Veterinary College Ethics and Welfare Committee, and adhered to the ASAB/ABS Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Research (ASAB/ABS 2012). This work was undertaken under research permits from the Botswana Ministry of Environment Wildlife and Tourism, Department of Wildlife and National Parks held by JWM and AMW.

Informed consent

This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available as they contain potentially sensitive information on the den site locations of an endangered species. Data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Communicated by M. Festa-Bianchet

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 4554 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jordan, N.R., Buse, C., Wilson, A.M. et al. Dynamics of direct inter-pack encounters in endangered African wild dogs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 71, 115 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-017-2338-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-017-2338-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation