Meeting Abstract
In a country renown for its national parks, game reserves and conservation areas, little is known about the free ranging, non-conserved, carnivores living in and around the major metropolitan areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa. The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, an area of approximately 180 square miles, is 40 minutes north of central Johannesburg and 30 minutes west of central Pretoria. Known for its plethora of fossil sites, recent work has shown that a number of carnivore species are making this region their home, and from this region foraging into the fringes of the cities themselves. Some of the species identified via camera traps include black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas), brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea) and leopard (Panthera pardus). Additional photographic evidence indicates that the brown hyaena are actively breading in the Cradle of Humankind, and the capture of a juvenile in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg in 2013 illustrates they are actively foraging within the city limits. While other small carnivores are living within the vast green belts that transect the city of Johannesburg, larger carnivores such as leopard and brown hyaena are sporadic nighttime visitors.
