Data from: Leopard distribution and abundance is unaffected by interference competition with lions

Competition can have profound impacts on the structure and function of
ecological communities. Despite this, the population-level effects of
intraguild competition on large carnivores remain largely unknown, due to
a paucity of long-term studies that focus simultaneously on competing
species. Here, we comprehensively examine competitive interactions,
including their demographic consequences, between 2 top predators, lions
Panthera leo and leopards P. pardus. We tested the hypothesis that lions,
as the dominant competitor, limit the distribution and abundance of
leopards, using dietary, spatial, and life-history data collected
concurrently on the 2 species. Dietary overlap between lions and leopards
was limited, with lions targeting large- to very large-sized prey and
leopards small- to medium-sized prey. Leopards did not actively avoid
lions, either predictively or reactively, except in riparian woodland
where the likelihood of encountering lions was highest. Lions accounted
for more than 20% of leopard mortality, but this appeared to be
compensatory. Observed and modeled population growth was similar between
the 2 species, with both exhibiting net emigration. Our findings suggest
that lions do not suppress leopard populations or limit their
distribution, at least in our study area. Adequate availability of
suitably-sized prey apparently enabled resource partitioning between lions
and leopards, facilitating their coexistence. The potential for
competition increases in areas devoid of large prey and should be
considered in recovery efforts for the 2 species. Our study provides novel
empirical evidence that intraguild competition does not always have
population-level consequences for subordinates, even if they suffer from
strong inference competition with dominant competitors.