The influence of anthropogenic activities on cheetah space use and hunting success across a landscape of coexistence

Minja, Dennis Goodluck (2025) The influence of anthropogenic activities on cheetah space use and hunting success across a landscape of coexistence. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) occupy vast landscapes shaped by natural ecological processes and increasing anthropogenic pressures. Understanding how cheetahs navigate these environments is critical for their conservation, particularly in ecosystems like the Serengeti, where human activities and infrastructure continually expand. This synthesis integrates findings from three key studies conducted within the Serengeti ecosystem, investigating habitat selection, movement patterns, and hunting success in response to human and environmental factors. Using GPS collar data collected from ten cheetahs between 2022 and 2024, along with over 24,300 recorded locations and 110 hours of behavioural observations, we explore how cheetahs adapt to dynamic landscapes while balancing resource acquisition with risk avoidance.

Cheetahs demonstrated selective use of habitats influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) revealed that proximity to bomas, roads, and lodges, as well as environmental features like woody cover, slope, elevation, NDVI, and distance to rivers, significantly affected their habitat selection. During the wet season, cheetahs avoided areas near tourist lodges and roads, likely due to increased human activity, while in the dry season, they avoided occupied Maasai bomas, highlighting seasonal variations in space use. Environmental preferences showed the selection for areas with higher woody cover, flatter terrains, lower elevations, less green vegetation, and proximity to rivers, which may provide critical resources while avoiding other large carnivores.

Cheetahs’ movement patterns further underscored their adaptability and individual variation in how they responded to anthropogenic and environmental pressures at the local scale. Using Integrated Step Selection Functions (iSSFs), we assessed how proximity to human infrastructure influenced step lengths and turn angles of each collared cheetah, revealing complex responses. While bomas and roads generally deterred selection and changed the tortuosity of movement, some variability emerged, with cheetahs occasionally selecting areas near lodges during the dry season, potentially due to decreased human disturbance during this period of low tourism. Proximity to rivers was a consistent driver of movement across seasons, emphasizing the role of water availability in shaping cheetah movement decisions. These strategies illustrate how cheetahs navigate fragmented landscapes while mitigating risks from human activities.

Tourism, a cornerstone of Serengeti conservation, presents dual challenges and opportunities for wildlife. Our observational study of cheetah hunting behaviour revealed significant disruptions caused by tourist vehicles. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) indicated a strong negative relationship between vehicle presence and hunting decisions, with hunting probabilities dropping from 20% in vehicle-free conditions to nearly 0% in the presence of vehicles. Engine noise and the number of running engines further exacerbated these disturbances, prompting cheetahs to adopt passive behaviours such as lying down or sitting up, reminiscent of risk-avoidance strategies employed around dominant predators. These behavioural shifts have cascading demographic consequences, including reduced hunting opportunities and potential impacts on cub recruitment, threatening cheetah population viability.

This integrated understanding of cheetah space use, movement, and behaviour highlights critical areas for conservation focus. To mitigate the impacts of human activities, strategies should prioritize reducing human densities as well as activities that may directly and indirectly affect cheetahs’ survival, maintaining habitat connectivity, and managing tourism practices to minimize disturbances. Specific measures include establishing buffer zones around bomas and lodges, enforcing regulations on tourist vehicle numbers and engine noise near cheetahs, and implementing robust reporting systems for wildlife harassment. Collaborative approaches that engage local communities, park authorities, and stakeholders are essential to balancing conservation goals with human land-use needs.

Cheetahs exemplify the resilience required to navigate increasingly anthropogenic landscapes. However, their survival depends on proactive conservation strategies that address the dual pressures of habitat loss and human-wildlife interactions. By integrating insights from habitat selection, movement patterns, and hunting behaviour, this research provides actionable recommendations to safeguard cheetah populations in the Serengeti ecosystem especially those individuals that live along the park borderlands.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences; Q Science > QL Zoology
• Colleges/Schools: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
• Supervisor's Name: Morrison, Dr. Thomas and Hopcraft, Professor Grant
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85393
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 18 Aug 2025 15:29
• Last Modified: 18 Aug 2025 15:34
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85393
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85393