Dietary partitioning of three large carnivores in Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

Between 2011 and 2012, the carnivore guild in Majete Wildlife Reserve (MWR), Malawi, was restored following the reintroduction of lion (Panthera leo) and leopard (Panthera pardus). The aim of this study was to describe and compare the diet of lion, leopard and resident spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) using scat analysis. Lions and spotted hyaenas displayed the greatest dietary overlap (O-ab = 0.88) and selected mainly medium- to large-bodied prey species. Lions had a mean preferred prey weight of 120.33 +/- 42.14 kg (SE), with warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) making up 60.64% of relative biomass consumed. Spotted hyaenas had a mean preferred prey weight of 102.40 +/- 41.69 kg and had a more generalised diet (B-a = 0.46) compared to lions (B-a = 0.36). In contrast, leopards occupied a dietary niche substantially lower than that of lions and spotted hyaenas, selecting relatively smaller prey with a mean preferred prey weight of 27.50 +/- 6.74 kg. Our results suggest that coexistence between the resident hyaena and reintroduced lion and leopard in MWR is facilitated by dietary partitioning. We advise long-term monitoring of reintroduced carnivores in small, enclosed reserves to assess their impacts on predator and prey populations.