Predator-Prey Relationships

Predator-prey Relationships help determine the dependency of two species on one another. Predator-prey relationships not only list who is eating whom, but also describe what happens to one species if the other were to leave or go extinct. Below are two predator prey relationships specific to Kruger National Park: Lions & Zebras and Leopards & Impalas. All data from these two relationships came from a study that took place between February 1966 and January 1968. 

Lion vs Zebra

Statistical Data
  • 20.12% of animals the lions killed were zebras
  • 58.72% of zebras killed by lions were adults
  • 7.3% of zebras killed by lions were juveniles
  • 8.4% of all zebras killed by lions between between May and July were juveniles, which is the highest juvenile kill rate out of all other times of the year
  • 7.1% of zebras killed by lions were infants
  • 11.85% of zebras killed by lions between November and January were infants, which is the highest infant kill rate out of all other times of the year
  • lions killed males and females relatively equally
Analyzing the Relationship
Zebras breed year round, so that does not explain why more infants and juveniles are killed in certain months than in others. Because lions are the predators for many species, zebras included, the populations of these species would dramatically increase if lions were to go extinct. Conversely, if zebras were to go extinct, the effect on lions would not be as detrimental because although zebras make up a decent part of a lion's diet, lions have a large range of prey so they still have many other sources of food.
Photo Sources:
Left - http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2011/entries/65522/view/
Right - http://animalstime.com/what-leopards-eat-leopards-diet/

Leopard vs Impala

Statistical Data
  • 81.35% of animals the leopards killed were impalas
  • 75.84% of impalas killed by leopards were adults
  • 9.62% of impalas killed by leopards were juveniles
  • 7.21% of impalas killed by leopards were infants
  • 16.23% of impalas killed between February and April were infants, which is the highest infant kill rate out of all other times of the year
  • for the most part, leopards killed female impalas a bit more than female impalas, although males were consistently killed more often from May to July
Analyzing the Relationship
The breeding season for impalas is between March and May, which may explain why the February through April time period had a significantly higher proportion of infant kills than other times of the year. If leopards went extinct in Kruger National Park, impala populations would increase a bit, but impalas have many other predators that contribute to population control. However, if impalas went extinct, leopard populations would greatly suffer because impalas serve as a main source of food for the leopard.