Diet, prey selection and ecological relations of leopard and golden cat in the Ituri Forest, Zaire

Diets of leopard and African golden cat were studied in the Ituri Forest of Zaire by means of seat contents (N=336) and prey carcass finds (N=91). Felids consumed predominantly mammalian prey (464 of 482 prey items in seats). Ungulates comprised 53.5% and primates 25.4% of prey items identified in leopard seats; mean prey weight estimated from seats was 24.6 kg. In golden cat seats 50.9% of identified prey items were rodents and 20.2% were ungulates; mean prey weight estimated from seats was 1.4 kg. Leopards accounted for 79% of recovered seats and for 74% of tracks recorded on systematic counts along paths. Golden cats accounted for 18% of recovered seats and for 15% of track counts. Sixteen percent of felid seats recovered and 11% of track counts could not be attributed to one species or the other with certainty. Among prey species greater than or equal to 5.0 kg, felid predation is selective for five species of nocturnal ungulates and one species of diurnal, terrestrial primate, Arboreal primates comprised 9% of prey items in seats. Scavenged crowned eagle kills may be an important source of arboreal primates in forest felid diets. Golden cats may be limited by low rodent densities and by competition with and predation by leopards. Leopards may be limited by competition with human hunters for ungulate prey in many areas of forested Africa.