The reintroduction of large carnivores to the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an assessment M.W. Hayward, John Adendorff, John O’Brien, Angus Sholto-Douglas, Charlene Bissett, Lucius C. Moolman, Peter Bean, Alan Fogarty, Dale Howarth, Richard Slater and Graham I.H. Kerley Abstract Recently, conservation estate in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province has increased 10-fold resulting in large predators being increasingly reintro- duced to restore ecological integrity and maximize tourism. We describe the reintroductions of large carnivores (.10 kg) that have occurred in the Eastern Cape and use various criteria to assess their success. Lion Panthera leo reintroduction has been highly successful with a population of 56 currently extant in the region and problems of overpopulation arising. The African wild dog Lycaon pictus population has increased to 24 from a founder population of 11. Preliminary results for spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta also indicate success. Wild populations of leopards Panthera pardus exist on several reserves and have been supplemented by translocated individuals, although deaths of known individuals have occurred and no estimate of reproduc- tion is available. Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus reintroduction has also been less successful with 36 individuals reintro- duced and 23 cubs being born but only 41 individuals surviving in 2005. Criteria for assessing the success of reintroductions of species that naturally occur in low densities, such as top predators, generally have limited value. Carrying capacity for large predators is unknown and continued monitoring and intensive management will be necessary in enclosed, and possibly all, conserva- tion areas in the Eastern Cape to ensure conservation success. Keywords Acinonyx jubatus, carnivores, Crocuta crocuta, Eastern Cape, Lycaon pictus, management, Panthera leo, Panthera pardus, reintroduction, South Africa. This paper contains supplementary material that can only be found online at http://journals.cambridge.org Introduction Breitenmoser et al. (2001) lamented the dearth of published studies documenting the reintroduction of large predators in Africa; in 30 large carnivore reintro- ductions reported from Africa where the final outcome was known only nine were considered successful. However, many more translocations of large predators have occurred in Africa and this lack of published information is not a result of a lack of translocations but rather that conservation managers have been busy implementing translocations rather than writing about them. The translocation of large carnivores is common (Rowe-Rowe, 1992; Hofmeyr & van Dyk, 1998; Hofmeyr et al., 2003) yet post-release monitoring has rarely occurred and, where it has, the results suggest a low success rate with the causes of failures poorly understood (Hunter, 1998a). This has led several authors to conclude that the factors affecting translocation success of large carnivores are too poorly understood to justify this as a conservation strategy (Wemmer & Sunquist, 1988; Mills, 1991). Carnivore reintroductions are considered fundamentally more difficult than those of herbivores or omnivores (Griffith et al., 1989). Here we document the large, terrestrial predator reintroductions that have recently occurred in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province (Fig. 1). We define large Matt W. Hayward (Corresponding author) and Graham I.H. Kerley Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, Eastern Cape, South Africa. E-mail hayers111@aol.com John Adendorff and Lucius C. Moolman Addo Elephant National Park, PO Box 52, Addo, 6105, Eastern Cape, South Africa. John O’Brien Shamwari Game Reserve, PO Box 91, Paterson, 6130, and Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Angus Sholto-Douglas and Charlene Bissett Kwandwe Game Reserve, PO Box 448, Grahamstown, 6140, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Peter Bean Scotia Safaris, Paterson, 6130, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Alan Fogarty Kariega Game Reserve, PO Box 13900, Humewood, 6013, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Dale Howarth Pumba Private Game Reserve, 29-10th Avenue, Walmer, 6070, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Richard Slater Samara Game Reserve, Graaff Reinet, South Africa. Received 17 August 2006. Revision requested 29 September 2006. Accepted 19 October 2006. Oryx Vol 41 No 2 April 2007 ß 2007 FFI, Oryx, 41(2), 205–214 doi:10.1017/S0030605307001767 Printed in the United Kingdom 205