Assessing the Effectiveness of Wildlife Corridors in Facilitating Carnivore Movement in North Central Nigeria

Large carnivores require extensive habitat connectivity for population viability, yet landscape fragmentation across North Central Nigeria has severed many potential movement corridors. This study assessed the effectiveness of proposed wildlife corridors in facilitating carnivore movement between Kainji Lake National Park and Yankari Game Reserve, spanning portions of Niger, Kwara, and Bauchi States. Camera trap networks were deployed across three candidate corridor zones over eighteen months, supplemented by track surveys and community interview records of carnivore sightings. Occupancy modelling was applied to camera trap detection data to estimate corridor use probability for lion, leopard, and African wild dog. Corridor quality was characterised using resistance surfaces derived from land cover, road density, human settlement proximity, and livestock grazing intensity. Results confirmed active carnivore corridor use in two of three candidate zones, with leopard showing the highest corridor occupancy probability (0.62) and African wild dog the lowest (0.23). Human settlement proximity and paved road density were the strongest negative predictors of corridor occupancy. One candidate corridor zone showed insufficient habitat quality for regular carnivore movement. The study provides the first empirical evidence of carnivore corridor functionality between protected areas in North Central Nigeria and recommends formal corridor designation with community stewardship agreements to secure long-term connectivity between the two protected areas. Keywords: wildlife corridors, carnivores, connectivity, Kainji, North Central Nigeria.