Felids Interactions - Interspecific Conflicts

[Styx38]

Here is a case of a Leopard and a Changeable Hawk-Eagle eating from the same kill.

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'In this note, we report on an incident of interspecific association in which both the Changeable Hawk-eagle and Leopard were recorded feeding on a fresh dead Spotted Deer (Axix axis), which was hidden by a Leopard in a tree.'

'Thereafter, almost after a decade, on 16 May 2018 (240 hrs), while transversing across the Gohri forest of the RNP, an individual of Changeable Hawk-eagle was observed feeding on the carcass of Spotted Deer, which was hidden in a tree (Indian Cherry (Cordia dichotoma)) by a Leopard (30.001°N, 78.288°E) (photo 2). We watched the incident for a while and continued to our trail. Since we were aware that the Leopard had killed the animal and hidden its remains, we were curious to observe the spot again. On way back, we recorded an adult Leopard feeding on the same carcass (740 hrs) sitting on the same tree (photo 3). It was noteworthy to record such a scavenging behaviour of Changeable Hawk-eagle on the feed of Leopard, which reveals on the interspecific interactions (passive symbiosis) among both the species. 

Although Changeable Hawk-eagle is known as a bird of prey who attacks and kills small mammalian species and some records of species’ scavenging on remains of carcass of wild animals exist, this account constitutes the first ever documentation of interspecific association, which reveals on the passive symbiosis between Changeable Hawk-eagle and Leopard.'


source: Joshi, Ritesh, and Kanchan Puri. "FIRST DOCUMENTED INTERSPECIFIC ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CHANGEABLE HAWK-EAGLE (NISAETUS CIRRHATUS) AND LEOPARD (PANTHERA PARDUS) IN RAJAJI NATIONAL PARK, NORTH INDIA." (2019). Reply