Density and Coexistence Patterns of an Apex Carnivore (Panthera pardus) and a Mesocarnivore (Caracal aurata) in Northern Congo Forests.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how carnivores coexist is central to ecological theory and conservation. Coexistence among sympatric species arises through niche partitioning across spatial, temporal, and trophic dimensions, yet these mechanisms remain poorly explored in Central African forests where leopards (Panthera pardus) and African golden cats (Caracal aurata) act as dominant and subordinate carnivores. Using camera trap data and molecular scat analyses from two sites in northern Congo, we provided the first robust leopard density estimates for the region (i.e., semideciduous forests in Central Africa) and assessed coexistence mechanisms between the two felids across spatial, temporal, and trophic axes. Spatially explicit capture-recapture models revealed comparable leopard densities ac

SUBMITTER: Tossens S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12837921 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature