bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Movements and patterns of habitat utilization of elephants in Tsavo National Park, Kenya
Authors: LEUTHOLD WALTER , SALE JOHN B. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryFollowing the 1970‐71 drought, which resulted in heavy elephant mortality, a long‐term study was initiated in Tsavo National Park to determine movements and home ranges of individual elephants and their relations to overall distribution patterns and environmental factors such as rainfall. The preliminary results presented show the post‐drought situation but it is recognized that they may not represent normality. Methods used were radio‐tracking and observations of visually identifiable individuals. Two aerial counts provided data on overall distribution.Two bulls and two cows were radio‐tagged in Tsavo West and two bulls and four cows in Tsavo East, providing home range and movement data. Home ranges in Tsavo West (mean = 350 km2) were considerably smaller than in Tsavo East (mean = 1580 km2).The differences between Tsavo West and Tsavo East are probably related to habitat quality, Tsavo East receiving less rainfall than Tsavo West. This view is supported by the fact that the 1970‐71 mortality was largely confined to Tsavo East.The movements of individuals were useful in interpreting relatively major shifts in elephant distribution that occurred within a 4‐month period.The following preliminary conclusions emerge from the results obtained so far:(1) Elephants in the Tsavo area, particularly Tsavo East, were more mobile during the study period than was assumed from earlier studies, undertaking long‐distance movements in fairly direct response to localized rainfall.(2) A subdivision of the overall population into locally distinct units may exist during the dry season but did not obtain after significant rainfall, when the elephants ranged over wide areas and came into contact with animals from other dry‐season units.(3) Circumstantial evidence suggests that food is the primary proximal factor governing movements and distribution of elephants in the area. Food availability, in turn, is determined largely by the spatial and temporal pattern of rainfall.
The Seronera bull problem: The elephants
Authors: CROZE HARVEY 
Published: April 2008

Summary(1) The activities of bull elephants in the vicinity of the Serengeti National Park headquarters at Seronera was monitored from 1968 to 1971.(2) Elephant bulls congregate in small groups of ever–changing composition; a dominance heirarchy cuts across group integrity.(3) Occupancy of the drainage area of the Seronera river is predictable by rainfall; changes in occupancy level are a question of duration rather than amplitude.(4) The feeding behaviour of the bulls is described. It is argued that large Acacia trees are uprooted for nutritional rather than social reasons. The effects of the bulls on the Seronera woodlands will be analysed in Part II (Croze, 1974).
Utilization of the grazing resources by buffaloes in the Arusha National Park, Tanzania
Authors: VESEY‐FITZGERALD D. F. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe purpose of the survey was to develop a meaningful method for assessing the utilization of the existing edaphic and serai grasslands in the park. Particular attention was given to the effect of grazing on the growth of different species of grasses, the course of plant succession and the fire hazard, in relation to the productivity and diversity of the environment. The distribution and composition of the different types of grassland are described and their suitability as pasture at different seasons is discussed.Utilization was assessed by recording the extent of short grass that is maintained by grazing in relation to the unused mature grass at different seasons of the year. Near optimum utilization of the edaphic (high water‐table) grasslands in the bottom lands takes place over a prolonged period. Utilization of the derived grasslands on the hills and uplands is increasing as the buffalo herds benefit by protection in the park. It is estimated that the available pastures can still accommodate an increased population of buffaloes and other grazing animals. Furthermore, advantages to the environment will accrue as a result of the reduced fire hazard.Buffaloes are the dominant grazing animals throughout and so mainly their impact on the vegetation is considered. The distribution and density of the buffalo population is recorded, and it is concluded that the existing number is well within the carrying capacity of the park. It is suggested that under‐grazing could be serious because of the increased fire risk that would result. In order to improve the grazing in the secondary grasslands preliminary trials for managing fire by patch burning have been successfully initiated.
The daily activity of the elephant in the Rwenzori National Park, Uganda
Authors: WYATT J. R. , ELTRINGHAM S. K. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryEighteen elephants were followed individually in the Rwenzori National Park, Uganda for varying periods and their activity noted at 4‐min intervals. Continuous data extending over 24 h or more were collected from seven of these elephants. About 75% of the total time was spent in feeding and about 75% of the feeding activity consisted of grazing or feeding at ground level. There were three feeding peaks, one in the morning, another in the afternoon and the third around midnight. The feeding rate tended to increase during the day. The proportion of the total feeding time spent in browsing increased in the dry season. Walking took place mainly at dusk. The principal sleeping period occurred during the small hours of the morning with a shorter rest period in the early afternoon. The elephants defaecated about eleven times in the 24 h and drank an average of 1–3 times. The rate of progress through the bush averaged 0–5 km/h. Comparisons are made with published data concerning the activity patterns of waterbuck and warthog in the Rwenzori Park and of elephants in the Tsavo National Park, Kenya.
The ecology of the Kafue lechwe population of Zambia before the operation of hydro‐electric dams on the Kafue River
Authors: SAYER J. A. , LAVIEREN L. P. VAN 
Published: April 2008

SummaryAerial surveys from 1970 onwards suggest a stable Kafue lechwe population of 94 000±9% on the Kafue Flats. The present distribution shows a contraction in dry and wet season range in comparison with 1953/54.Sex ratios of populations on both the North and South banks of the Kafue river do not differ significantly from unity. North bank males have a higher survival rate than South bank males. Survival curves for males and females on the South bank show the same pattern. For both the 1971 and 1972 breeding seasons 73% of South bank females older than 1½ years are expected to have bred successfully. The peaks of conceptions for both seasons are from mid‐December to mid‐March, suggesting a main lambing period from mid‐July until mid‐October. Present sex ratio, age structure, reproductive status and the reproductive cycle have been compared with 1961/62 data.Variation in physical condition, based on monthly measurements of the kidney fat percentage, dressing‐out percentage and live weight, although influenced by the physiological demands of rut and pregnancy, is correlated with the availability of flood‐plain grazing. The lowest values of condition parameters are found during the period of maximum flood, after the end of the rains (April/May), until the receding flood makes flood‐plain grazing available, usually in early June. A high level of tuberculosis, lungworm infection and many other pathogens amongst the South bank population are reported. Animals from the North bank are thought to be in better physical condition.The Kafue Gorge dam, completed in 1971, and the Iteshi‐teshi dam, at present under construction, will prolong the high flood period in wet years and prevent most flooding in dry years, both of these effects will reduce the carrying capacity of the flood plain for lechwe and a large reduction of the size of the population is expected to result from the operation of the dams.
Abundance and distribution of elephants in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia
Authors: CAUGHLEY GRAEME , GODDARD JOHN 
Published: April 2008

SummaryElephant density over 40 000 km2 of the Luangwa Valley was estimated as 2–17 km‐2 to give a population size of around 86 000 in that area, a tally that would probably top 100 000 if unsurveyed areas within the drainage had been included. Seasonal movement is largely restricted to a migration on to the riverine strip during the wet season and reciprocal dispersal across the valley thereafter. The mean annual range of movement is about 25 km.
Population dynamics and food habits of the banded mongoose
Authors: ROOD JON P. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryA population of approximately 100 banded mongooses living in six packs was studied for over 2 years in Rwenzori National Park, Uganda. The packs were relatively stable, cohesive social units composed of approximately equal numbers of males and females and varied in size from six to thirty‐five adults and subadults.Breeding was synchronized within the packs with several females producing their litters at approximately the same time. The packs bred up to four times per year. Mortality of animals over 6 months old was approximately 10% annually. Less than 50% of juveniles survived to the age of 3 months.The banded mongoose feeds primarily on invertebrates, particularly millipedes and beetles. Ants, crickets, termites and earwigs are also important elements of the diet. Vertebrate remains were found in 12% of the droppings analysed. Although the pack forages as a unit each individual finds its own food.The mean home range size of five of the packs was 80‐4 ha; the two largest packs had ranges exceeding 1 km2. The banded mongoose is strictly diurnal typically leaving a den in the hour following sunrise and returning a few minutes before sunset with a prolonged rest during the heat of the day. Dens were in termite mounds (usually in thicket clumps), erosion gullies, aardvark holes and occasionally in man‐made structures. Most were used for only a few days and then abandoned but a few preferred dens were occupied for periods up to 54 days and re‐used repeatedly.Interactions between packs were aggressive and appeared to function in spacing the packs. The result of an encounter depended upon pack size with larger packs dominating smaller ones; the area of occurrence did not appear to affect the outcome. Mating between packs was observed during aggressive encounters.Group life is of adaptive significance in protecting the individual from predators and in care of the young. The pack bunches around young mongooses when disturbed and also bunches to attack certain predators and competitors. One or more adults remain at the den to guard the young when the pack forages.
A technique for the capture of the warthog, Phacochoerus aethiopicus Pallas
Authors: CUMMING D. H. M. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryWarthog were captured at holes in which they sleep at night, using a tunnel shaped net which was set at the entrance to occupied holes at dawn. Construction of the net and the manner in which it was set are described. The results of 125 successful captures involving 426 warthog are presented. Percentage of successful capture days was 72%, success per hole attempted was 68% with a mean (± one S.D.) of 3–4±2‐0 warthog captured per hole. The largest single catch was of eleven warthog. Mortality due to capture was 1–2%. Times at which holes were blocked, times spent waiting for warthog to emerge and times taken to handle catches are also presented. The method proved to be safe and no injuries were incurred by members of the catching team which usually comprised twelve to fifteen men. The technique was used primarily to mark animals for later identification but was also used successfully as a management tool. No tranquillizing or immobilizing drugs were used on captured animals. Alternative techniques for catching warthog are discussed briefly.
Seasonal changes in reproduction, diet and body composition of two equatorial rodents
Authors: FIELD ALISON C. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe stomach contents of Lemniscomys striatus and Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis, caught in the Rwenzori National Park over a period of one year (1965‐66), were analysed. In Lemniscomys the percentage by weight of insects (mainly termites) in the stomachs increased during the wet seasons, while termites were consumed by Praomys throughout the year. Qualitative analysis showed that the fruits of the woody shrub Erythrococcus formed an important part of the diet of Praomys during the rains. Both species ate grass leaves and stems in varying amounts throughout the year and both utilized seeds of legumes and other herbs towards the end of the wet seasons.In both Lemniscomys and Praomys collected between January and June 1972 liver and total body fat levels appeared to be related to rainfall and to reproductive state. There was a peak in fat levels during the high rainfall period in April. Pregnant and lactating females were caught mostly in May and June towards the end of the wet season; they had higher fat levels than males caught in the same period, but lower fat levels than non‐breeding mature or immature females and males caught in April.The possible significance of seasonal changes in diet and in body composition in the timing and duration of the breeding season is discussed.
Monthly variations in feeding and activity patterns of the mangabey, Cercocebus albigena (Lydekker)
Authors: WASER PETER 
Published: April 2008

SummaryRanging patterns, feeding activity, and time budgets of a group of gray‐cheeked mangabeys in the Kibale Forest, western Uganda, were studied in May‐June 1971 and from March 1972 to April 1973. Locations and activities of individuals in a fifteen‐member group of this arboreal primate were systematically recorded at half‐hourly intervals during continuous following of the group. Phenological data were concurrently collected for eleven species of intensively used trees. Mangabeys are primarily frugivores, although leaves and flowers of some species are eaten and substantial time was devoted to insect foraging.Although a typical twice‐yearly alternation of wet and dry periods exists in this forest, strongly seasonal trends are the exception in the following aspects of mangabey behaviour: (1) extent and location of areas used, (2) distance moved daily, (3) percentage of time spent feeding or moving, (4) percentage of time spent feeding on different food types. An explanation may be provided by the phenological data, which indicate that many species of tree used by mangabeys fruit either asynchronously and nonseasonally or synchronously but at very long and possibly irregular intervals. Thus mangabeys are faced with foods which fluctuate widely in availability, particularly within a small area, but which are not seasonal in their fluctuations.
Water availability and its influence on the structure and dynamics of a savannah large mammal community
Authors: WESTERN DAVID 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe Amboseli ecosystem is in a semi‐arid savannah environment in which water availability is highly seasonal, a feature which has an important bearing on the structure and efficiency of the large mammal community.Data are presented to show that the seasonal movements, a wet season dispersal and dry season concentration of water‐dependent species (obligate drinkers) can be related to the seasonality of rainfall and water availability, but that similar patterns do not prevail in the water‐independent species.Evidence suggests that water availability is a crucial parameter in calculating the carrying capacity of a range, and that the duration of ephemeral supplies, which reflect rainfall seasonality, evapotranspiration, and soil water storage capacity, is equally important. A simplified model is presented which calculates the carrying capacity of water‐bound communities–taking into account these two limiting factors.There appears to be a physiological barrier to a heavy utilization of the low water content grasses beyond reach of the water‐dependent species, since most water‐independent species select high water content browse in order to maintain a positive water balance. Significantly, while the water‐independent community is almost exclusively composed of browsers, most water‐dependent species are grazers. The biomass density of large mammals beyond 15 km from water, a radius which encloses 99‐5% of the biomass of water‐dependent species, is extremely low compared to areas within 10 km of water.As a consequence of the physiological barrier to a heavy utilization of low water content forage in water‐deficient areas, the food chain efficiencies are appreciably lower than those with permanent water sources. Livestock development programmes have long appreciated this constraint and employed water development schemes to increase range‐carrying capacity.Seasonality in the movement patterns of Amboseli is compared to other large mammal communities and management implications are discussed.
The patterns of rainfall in the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania
Authors: NORTON‐GRIFFITHS M. , HERLOCKER D. , PENNYCUICK LINDA 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThis paper presents a description of the temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall within the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania. Ecosystem and Regional patterns are discussed with respect to synoptic processes, vegetation zonation, phases of primary production and the distribution and migrations of large mammals.
The elephant problem–an alternative hypothesis
Authors: CAUGHLEY GRAEME 
Published: April 2008

SummaryPublished hypotheses to account for habitat changes wrought by elephants begin from the assumption that elephant‐forest systems possess a stable equilibrium point. The ‘elephant problem’ is conceived as a displacement of this equilibrium by man. Controversy centres around which human activities caused the dislocation of equilibrium and by which mechanisms these activities resulted in local high densities of the elephant Loxodonta africana. A study on elephant‐forest relationships in the Luangwa Valley of Zambia casts doubt upon the basic assumption of these hypotheses and an alternative hypothesis is therefore offered. It begins from the opposite assumption–that there is no attainable natural equilibrium between elephants and forests in eastern and southern Africa. The relationship is viewed instead as a stable limit cycle in which elephants increase while thinning the forest and decline until reaching a low density that allows resurgence of the forest. This in turn triggers an increase of elephants and the cycle repeats. The period of the cycle, if the hypothesis is correct, is in the order of 200 years in the Luangwa Valley.The activities of man can impose an artificial equilibrium on the system such that trees and elephants are trapped at the low density phase of the cycle. When interference is relaxed, as with the conversion of an area to a national park, the cyclic relationship reasserts.The parameters of a system possessing a stable limit cycle need not differ in kind or interrelationship from those of a system with a stable equilibrium. Whether one or other outcome manifests may depend only on the numerical values of the parameters. If the elephant‐forest system is characterized by a stable limit cycle the period and amplitude should change along a climatic gradient and may contract to a stable equilibrium in some climatic zones. A set of predictions is offered to facilitate rejection of the hypothesis.
The role of termites in the removal of elephant dung in the Tsavo (East) National Park Kenya
Authors: COE MALCOLM 
Published: April 2008

SummaryIt has been noted that during the dry season the activity of coprophagous beetles on elephant dung decreases as that of termites increases. The action of termites on seventy plots provided with fresh (wet) dung, dry dung, water, dung liquid and con trols was investigated over a period of 38 days in August‐September 1973. The rate at which termites attack dung is shown to differ significantly from other treatments. It is calculated that all the dung deposited during the period of the study can potentially be removed in 85 days. Measurements of termite foraging activity on the surface of the ground concludes that galleries (<5 days old) cover 0.96% of the surface.
Haematozoa of East African birds: II. Redescription of Haemoproteus centropi, a parasite of the Cuculidae
Authors: PEIRCE M. A. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryThe avian haemoproteid, Haemoproteus centropi de Mello, a blood parasite found in members of the family Cuculidae, is redescribed from Clamator jacobinus Boddaert from Ngulia in Kenya. Haemoproteus froilanoi Tendeiro is considered to be a synonym of H. centropi. The reasons for this are discussed.
Changes in tree populations of Tsavo East National Park, Kenya*
Authors: LEUTHOLD WALTER 
Published: April 2008

SummaryTo assess distribution, density and population trends under the impact of elephants and other browsing herbivores, trees of four common species were counted in belt transects along existing roads in Tsavo East National Park in 1970 and 1974. In three of the four species, mature and recruitment‐age trees declined substantially during this period. The reduction can be attributed almost entirely to utilization by elephants. The fourth species showed a slight increase in mature and recruitment‐age trees; significantly, it is not eaten by elephants. A high regeneration potential (trees <1 m high) still exists, even in the worst‐affected species. However, most of the young in dividuals do not reach recruitment age due to the heavy browsing to which they are subjected. Whether the recent reduction of the elephant population has been sufficient to reverse this trend, remains to be seen; much depends on rainfall, too, which was below average during the period considered.
A mass capture technique for lions
Authors: SMUTS G. L. , WHYTE I. J. , DEARLOVE T. W. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryDuring a 13 month survey over 600 lions were lured to capture sites and of these 488 were captured and 409 marked in 158 effort nights (two teams worked for 79 nights). Lions were captured in 96 effort nights out of the 158. Groups of up to 16 were captured per effort night with 80% of all observed lions captured. Seasonal capture rates indicated that there was an inverse relationship between rainfall and capture success, the greatest success being recorded during the dry season. Lions were lured to a game carcass with tape recordings of lions and spotted hyaena calls, and scent trails. All lions were darted at night from the back of a parked vehicle. Record ings were audible to 7 km, the effective luring range with regard to lions being about 4 km. Lions and hyaenas also responded to the sounds in the absence of a carcass or scent trails and approached the sound at a brisk walk. Playing roars often caused lions to move away. Recordings used in conjunction with a carcass and scent trails reduced the time lions took to arrive by a factor of 2.7 when compared to using only a carcass and scent trails. Eighty‐three per cent of the darted lions remained within 10 m of the carcass. Both sexes and all age classes except cubs under about 1 month were captured by the technique. The mortality rate was 0.82%.