Intraspecific Conflicts - Leopard [Wild]

[TheHyenid76]

A big male leopard kills a young leopard

Intraspecific killing among Leopards (Panthera pardus) in Iran (Mammalia: Felidae) 

Intraspecific aggression is one of the most common causes of death in leopards. Here, we report  four cases of intraspecific killing amongst Persian Leopards (Panthera par-dus saxicolor) in Iran. A young male leopard was found on 7 June 2008 which, accord-ing to camera trap images, had been killed  by an adult male over a Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) kill,  with  trauma to  his neck  in Dorfak  No-Hunting Area.  A young  female that had been fitted with a satellite GPS collar on 6 December 2015 in Tandoureh Na-tional Park died on 29 January 2016  at  a  site  where  an  Urial Sheep  (Ovis orientalis) ram  had been  freshly killed.  Necropsy  results,  footprints  at  the  scene  of  death  and camera trap footage all  supported the deduction  that the animal was killed by a larger female  leopard  at  the kill  site. On  13  January 2017,  a young,  partially eaten  female leopard was found with double puncture on the side of her throat. Finally, a rehabilitat-ed adult female  fitted  with  a  satellite GPS collar found  on 19 December 2017 with  a double puncture on her head with several trauma and haemorrhages on her back. These instances seem to be the  first documented reports of  intraspecific  killing among free-ranging leopards in Asia.

Intraspecific killing among Leopards (Panthera pardus) in Iran (Mammalia: Felidae) Reply