Organized by the Ministry of Interior with the cooperation of Frederick University and the Caprinae Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission of IUCN
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2016, Nicosia, Cyprus
http://www.mountainungulates.gov.cy/moa/symposium/symposium.nsf/index_en/index_en?opendocument
FOX PREDATION ON CYPRIAN MOUFLON AND MARINE TURTLES ON
CYPRUS
Constantinou G 1 and Hadjisterkotis Ε 2
1Association of Protection of Natural Ηeritage and Biodiversity of Cyprus, 2Ministry of the Interior, Nicosia, 1453,
Cyprus Mouflon. The only wild predator on the island of Cyprus is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The predatory effect of red fox on Cyprus mouflon, particularly at lambing sites when the lambs were small and vulnerable to predation, were studied by Hadjisterkotis (1993, 1996). In 140 days of observations at two lambing grounds (areas with sharp cliffs) red fox made five attempts to capture lambs. All attempts failed because the ewes protected their lambs by moving them to steeper parts of the cliffs, and defending the lambs by standing between the lambs and the fox, defending the lamb. Four other cases were reported by foresters who observed foxes entering lambing grounds but in all cases the foxes failed to capture lambs. There are no direct observations of foxes killing adult mouflon, although there are observations of foxes following mouflon from safe distance, as well as a report of a ram fatally injuring a fox. Foxes are the major scavenger of dead mouflon. More direct killings were reported by stray dogs than foxes (Hadjisterkotis and Bider 1992; Toumazos and Hadjisterkotis 1997; Hadjisterkotis 2002). A mouflon carcass can provide a fox with food for several days. Hadjisterkotis also reported two cases where foxes were observed killing juvenile mouflon away from cliffs. Turtles. Observations by C.G. on marine turtles during the nesting season at Lara Beach in Pafos district, revealed that a considerable number of nests were depredated by foxes. During the night, foxes were able to dig underneath the wire baskets which were placed over the nest by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research or volunteers to protect the nest from predators, and to dig out the eggs. We recommend a new design of basket which can be inserted partly in the sand, to prevent foxes from digging under the baskets.
References
Hadjisterkotis E (1993) The Cyprus mouflon Ovis gmelini ophion Management, conservation and evolution. Ph.D. thesis, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 1993: 385 pp
Hadjisterkotis E (1996) Fox and avian predation on Cyprus mouflon Ovis gmelini ophion. Abstracts of the 2nd International Symposium on Mediterranean mouflon. 17-20 April 1996, page 33.
Hadjisterkotis E, Bider RJ (1992) Dog predation on Cyprus mouflon. Caprinae News 6:17-20.
Hadjisterkotis E (2002) Seasonal and monthly distribution of deaths of Cyprus mouflon Ovis gmelini ophion. Pirineos, 157: 81 a 88, JACA; 2002:81-88.
Toumazos P, Hadjisterkotis E (1997) Diseases of the Cyprus mouflon as determined by standard gross and histopathological methods. Pages 150-161 in E. Hadjisterkotis (ed.). Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Mediterranean Mouflon. Game Fund, Nicosia, Cyprus.
A ten minute documentary (in wild) about endemic Cyprus Mouflon by George Konstantinou
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2016, Nicosia, Cyprus
http://www.mountainungulates.gov.cy/moa/symposium/symposium.nsf/index_en/index_en?opendocument
FW: first and second edition of the book of Abstracts
Constantinou G 1 and Hadjisterkotis Ε 2
1Association of Protection of Natural Ηeritage and Biodiversity of Cyprus, 2Ministry of the Interior, Nicosia, 1453,
Cyprus Mouflon. The only wild predator on the island of Cyprus is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The predatory effect of red fox on Cyprus mouflon, particularly at lambing sites when the lambs were small and vulnerable to predation, were studied by Hadjisterkotis (1993, 1996). In 140 days of observations at two lambing grounds (areas with sharp cliffs) red fox made five attempts to capture lambs. All attempts failed because the ewes protected their lambs by moving them to steeper parts of the cliffs, and defending the lambs by standing between the lambs and the fox, defending the lamb. Four other cases were reported by foresters who observed foxes entering lambing grounds but in all cases the foxes failed to capture lambs. There are no direct observations of foxes killing adult mouflon, although there are observations of foxes following mouflon from safe distance, as well as a report of a ram fatally injuring a fox. Foxes are the major scavenger of dead mouflon. More direct killings were reported by stray dogs than foxes (Hadjisterkotis and Bider 1992; Toumazos and Hadjisterkotis 1997; Hadjisterkotis 2002). A mouflon carcass can provide a fox with food for several days. Hadjisterkotis also reported two cases where foxes were observed killing juvenile mouflon away from cliffs. Turtles. Observations by C.G. on marine turtles during the nesting season at Lara Beach in Pafos district, revealed that a considerable number of nests were depredated by foxes. During the night, foxes were able to dig underneath the wire baskets which were placed over the nest by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research or volunteers to protect the nest from predators, and to dig out the eggs. We recommend a new design of basket which can be inserted partly in the sand, to prevent foxes from digging under the baskets.
References
Hadjisterkotis E (1993) The Cyprus mouflon Ovis gmelini ophion Management, conservation and evolution. Ph.D. thesis, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 1993: 385 pp
Hadjisterkotis E (1996) Fox and avian predation on Cyprus mouflon Ovis gmelini ophion. Abstracts of the 2nd International Symposium on Mediterranean mouflon. 17-20 April 1996, page 33.
Hadjisterkotis E, Bider RJ (1992) Dog predation on Cyprus mouflon. Caprinae News 6:17-20.
Hadjisterkotis E (2002) Seasonal and monthly distribution of deaths of Cyprus mouflon Ovis gmelini ophion. Pirineos, 157: 81 a 88, JACA; 2002:81-88.
Toumazos P, Hadjisterkotis E (1997) Diseases of the Cyprus mouflon as determined by standard gross and histopathological methods. Pages 150-161 in E. Hadjisterkotis (ed.). Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Mediterranean Mouflon. Game Fund, Nicosia, Cyprus.
A ten minute documentary (in wild) about endemic Cyprus Mouflon by George Konstantinou
for the 6th WORLD CONGRESS ON MOUNTAIN UNGULATES and 5th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON MOUFLON
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