Title:
Caught on camera: The impacts of urban domestic cats on wild prey in an African city and neighbouring protected areas
Authors:
Colleen L.Seymour, Robert E.Simmons, FrancesMorlinga, Sharon T.George, Koebraa Peters, M. Justin O’Riain
Published:
Global Ecology and Conservation, 20 July 2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420307393?via%3Dihub
From the article:
GPS-tracked cats within our study area have been recorded within the park boundaries (George, 2010), thus, cats for which TMNP is within their home range may take animals from protected areas. Here, we ask: 1. Is there a difference in prey species (abundance and species composition) caught by cats living on the edge of urban areas (i.e. ≤ 150m from the urban edge - UE) compared to those living in deep urban environments (>500m from urban edge - DU) in Cape Town? 2. Are there significant differences in prey species (abundance and composition) recorded by cat-borne videos (KittyCams) vs. those brought home? 3. What is the estimated predation impact of Cape Town’s domestic cats on local fauna in Table Mountain National Park and city-wide, after accounting for reporting rate biases?