Capture-mark-recapture modelling suggests an endangered status for the Mayotte Island (eastern Africa) population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins

We evaluated whether the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins around the fast-develop- ing island of Mayotte are threatened. We used opportunistic photo-identification data and cap- ture-mark-recapture models to estimate key demographic parameters and then assessed the con- servation status of the species using the IUCN Red List regional criteria. The population home range was estimated with the minimum convex polygon method as 978 km 2 , the annual abun- dance was estimated from closed population models as 82 ±19 SE individuals and the annual sur- vival rate was estimated using a Cormack-Jolly-Seber model as 0.937 ± 0.059 SE. From the data available, we believe migrations of individuals between Mayotte and its neighbouring islands are likely but would not exceed a few individuals per year. Based on IUCN guidelines for classifica- tion at local scales, we classified Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins around Mayotte as Endangered. We strongly recommend the establishment of a long-term population-monitoring program and the implementation of management measures.