1 INTRODUCTION

The black‐backed jackal (Canis mesomelas), hereafter referred to as jackal, is a common mesocarnivore throughout southern and eastern Africa. This species is a generalist omnivore, and research has shown it is very adaptable to different ecosystems, including both natural and anthropogenically modified habitats (Minnie, Avenant, et al., 2016). Historically, they occurred in ecosystems dominated by up to six species of large (>20 kg) carnivores, along with several other mesocarnivores. Under such natural conditions, jackals typically feed on prey ranging from small rodents to small antelope and scavenge on large carnivore kills (Minnie, Avenant, et al., 2016; Skinner & Chimimba, 2005). However, most of the arable land in South Africa has been transformed into agricultural farms and extensive livestock farms, and large carnivores have been extirpated over most of the country (van Sittert, 1998). Under such human‐dominated conditions, jackals appear to thrive, and they have become the dominant predator on farmland throughout most of South Africa (Klare, Kamler, Stenkewitz, & Macdonald, 2010; Minnie, Avenant, Drouilly, & Samuels, 2018; Minnie, Avenant, et al., 2016). Consequently, jackals prey heavily on ungulates in game farms (Klare et al., 2010), and prey heavily on sheep on livestock farms (Kamler, Klare, & Macdonald, 2012; Minnie, Avenant, et al., 2018). In response, human persecution of jackals typically is high on farmland and game farms, and jackal control activities are a standard management practice on most farms (Drouilly, Nattrass, & O’Riain, 2018; Kamler, Stenkewitz, & Macdonald, 2013; Minnie, Avenant, et al., 2016; Minnie, Zalewski, Zalewska, & Kerley, 2018).

The high level of persecution of jackals in South Africa is controversial (Nattrass, Drouilly, & O’Riain, 2019). Although intensive jackal control can significantly reduce jackal densities on livestock farms compared to nearby reserves (Kamler et al., 2013), others believe persecution does not affect jackal densities due to compensatory mechanisms and immigration (Minnie, Gaylard, & Kerley, 2016; Minnie, Zalewski, et al., 2018). Nonetheless, under natural condition with large carnivores present, jackals might experience high mortality levels similar to those in human‐hunted populations. For example, jackals have reportedly been killed or consumed by lions (Panthera leo; Schaller, 1972; Stander, 1992), spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta; van Lawick & van Lawick‐Goodall, 1970), brown hyaenas (Hyaena brunnea; Mills, 1982), leopards (P. pardus; Schaller, 1972; Estes, 1991), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus; Hayward, Hofmeyr, O’Brien, & Kerley, 2006) and African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus; Kamler, Davies‐Mostert, Hunter, & Macdonald, 2007), yet the effects of these natural mortalities on jackal populations have never been quantified. Similarly, although the effects of human‐caused mortalities on the genetic and population structure of jackals have been reported (Minnie, Gaylard, et al., 2016; Minnie, Zalewski, et al., 2018; Tensen, Drouilly, & van Vuuren, 2018), the effects of human‐caused mortalities on the annual survival of a jackal population have never been determined.

This study aimed to compare the annual survival of two populations of jackals, which included a natural site with an intact large carnivore guild with no human hunting, and a game farm surrounded by small‐livestock farms where large carnivores were absent and human hunting of mesopredators occurred. The goal was to compare the effects of natural top‐down mortalities versus human‐caused mortalities on the survival in these two jackal populations. To our knowledge, these are first estimates of annual survival for jackals, and therefore our results also provide a baseline for future studies in other jackal populations.

中文翻译：

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人类和大型食肉动物对黑背狐狼存活的影响

1引言

黑背狐狼（Canis mesomelas），以下简称狐狼，是整个南部和东部非洲常见的中食肉动物。该物种是多用途杂食动物，研究表明它非常适应不同的生态系统，包括自然和人为改变的栖息地（Minnie，Avenant等，2016）。从历史上看，它们发生在最多六种大型食肉动物（> 20千克）以及其他中食食动物的生态系统中。在这样的自然条件下，jack狼通常捕食从小型啮齿动物到小型羚羊的猎物，并捕食大型食肉动物（Minnie，Avenant等人，2016； Skinner和Chimimba，  2005年）。）。然而，南非的大部分耕地已转变为农业农场和广泛的牲畜农场，并且大型食肉动物已在该国大部分地区灭绝（van Sittert，  1998年）。在这种人类主导的条件下，jack狼似乎繁衍生息，它们已成为整个南非大部分地区农田的主要掠食者（Klare，Kamler，Stenkewitz和Macdonald，  2010年; Minnie，Avenant，Drouilly和Samuels，2018年; Minnie ，Avenant等人，2016年）。因此，jack狼在猎场中大量捕食有蹄类动物（Klare等，  2010），并在牧场中大量捕食绵羊（Kamler，Klare和Macdonald，  2012； Minnie，Avenant等，）。2018）。作为回应，对als狼的迫害通常在农田和狩猎场上很高，而jack狼控制活动是大多数农场的标准管理做法（Drouilly，Nattrass和O'Riain，  2018年； Kamler，Stenkewitz和Macdonald，  2013年； Minnie ，Avenant等人，2016； Minnie，Zalewski，Zalewska和Kerley，2018年）。

南非对jack狼的高度迫害是有争议的（Nattrass，Drouilly和O'Riain，  2019年）。尽管与附近的保护区相比，密集的jack节控制可以大大降低牲畜场的jack密度（Kamler等，  2013），但其他人则认为，由于补偿机制和移民，迫害不会影响affect密度（Minnie，Gaylard和Kerley，2016； Minnie ，Zalewski等，2018）。但是，在自然条件下，存在大量食肉动物时，als狼可能会经历与人类狩猎种群相似的高死亡率。例如，据报道jack狼被狮子杀死或消耗（Panthera leo ; Schaller，  1972; Stander，  1992），斑点鬣狗（Crocuta crocuta ; van Lawick＆van Lawick‐Goodall，  1970），棕色鬣狗（Hyaena brunnea ; Mills，  1982），豹（P. pardus ; Schaller，  1972 ; Estes，  1991），猎豹（Acinonyx jubatus； Hayward，Hofmeyr，O'Brien和Kerley，  2006年）和非洲野狗（Lycaon pictus； Kamler，Davies-Mostert，Hunter和Macdonald，  2007年）），但这些自然死亡率对jack狼种群的影响尚未量化。同样，尽管已经报道了人为死亡对of的遗传和种群结构的影响（Minnie，Gaylard，et al。，2016 ; Minnie，Zalewski，et al。，2018 ; Tensen，Drouilly，＆van Vuuren，  2018年），人类致死率对a狼种群年生存的影响尚未确定。

这项研究的目的是比较两个the狼种群的年生存率，其中包括一个自然地点，一个完整的大型食肉动物行会，没有人类的猎杀；一个游戏场，周围是小型畜牧场，那里没有大型食肉动物，而人类则捕食了中食者发生。目的是比较自然自上而下的死亡率与人为造成的死亡率对这两个jack狼种群的存活率的影响。据我们所知，这些是jack狼的年生存率的第一个估计值，因此我们的结果也为将来在其他jack狼种群中的研究提供了基线。