Hunting success

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Thread to share information about success rates of predators and also what kind of information can be found behind percentages. This thread is meant for terrestrial predators.

I start with observations and thoughts from Londolozi guide James Tyrrell. I found it interesting.

Quote: 
"Are Leopards Successful Hunters?

Most of what I’m about to type is purely anecdotal evidence.

It comes from years of game drives and walks in the field, but given that A) we only witness less than 10% of a leopard’s daily routine (and that’s as a Londolozi team, rather than for an individual ranger or tracker), and B) I’m not running any statistical analyses on my personal observations, none of this is gospel, it’s merely the initiation of what I consider to be an interesting conservation stream.

The established fact is that leopards don’t have a particularly high success rate in hunts. I’m sure the figure varies somewhat between areas, and maybe even between individual leopards, but as it’s roughly 20% – or maybe even less –  I’ll agree that they don’t score well in the hunt-conversion ratio. Certainly not when you compare them to Wild Dogs, which are up above 70% in their hunting success rate. Of course the dogs have a different hunting strategy and they operate as a pack, so it’s like comparing apples and oranges, but I’m merely giving an appreciation for where these solitary spotted cats sit."

*This image is copyright of its original author

Whole story and more photos:

https://blog.londolozi.com/2019/08/10/le...the-stalk/ Reply