The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus is an endangered seabird endemic to southern Africa, and killing sprees by terrestrial predators have been one of the main threats for its mainland colonies. The methods employed to manage predators may differ depending on the species involved, therefore the implementation of strategies to limit the impacts of predation relies on the correct identification of the culprit predator. We report and quantify the lesions seen in African Penguins killed by four species of terrestrial predators: Caracal Caracal caracal (52 kills), Leopard Panthera pardus (27 kills), Domestic Dog Canis lupus familiaris (10 kills), and Cape Grey Mongoose Galerella pulverulenta (4 kills). We discuss patterns of necropsy findings that can be used to identify the predator species involved. Traditional forensic methods are useful tools to direct species-specific management actions for the conservation of the African Penguin and other seabirds so that effective mitigating measures can be deployed quickly to prevent further losses. It should be borne in mind, however, that the age, size and previous hunting experience of the predator are likely to influence the pattern of lesions that will be observed, and not all carcasses will have hallmark lesions or recognisable bite marks.

非洲企鹅Spheniscus demersus是南部非洲特有的濒临灭绝的海鸟，而陆地掠食者杀死鱼群一直是其大陆殖民地的主要威胁之一。用于管理掠食者的方法可能会根据所涉及的物种而有所不同，因此限制捕食影响的策略的实施取决于对罪犯的正确识别。我们报告和量化非洲企鹅看到的病灶杀害四种陆地食肉动物体内的：狞狞卡拉卡尔（52名杀害），豹金钱豹（27名杀害），家养狗家犬（10名杀害）和Cape灰色猫鼬貂獴属pulverulenta（4杀）。我们讨论了尸检结果的模式，可用于识别所涉及的捕食物种。传统的取证方法是指导针对非洲企鹅和其他海鸟的特定物种管理行动的有用工具，因此可以迅速采取有效的缓解措施，以防止进一步的损失。但是，应该记住，捕食者的年龄，大小和以前的狩猎经历可能会影响将要观察到的病变的模式，并且并非所有的car体都会有明显的病变或可识别的咬痕。