The population of birds at one roost monitored in the northern Ghana study increased from a total of 85,000 at the end of April when the birds started arriving in the area to over 400,000 within one month. The major vertebrate pests of Africa. W Jirds Meriones spp. Cereals, ground nuts Sandy areas N Giant Rat Cricetomys sp Cocoa, oil palm Forest W Squirrels Oenomys, Stochomys, Funisciurus spp Cocoa, oil palm Forest W Gerbils Gerbillus, Tatera, Taterillus spp. S Crops destroyed by rodents include rice, maize, sorghum, millet, wheat, cocoa, oil palms and coconut.
Sugar cane is particularly susceptible to rodent damage.
The gnawing of the rodents opens the rind and the subsequent fermentation reduces the sugar content so dramatically that often the entire stalk is rendered useless. Rodent damage is not limited to field crops as considerable damage is also caused to stored products. A wide range of other mammalian animal species including bats, baboons, monkeys and elephants can also cause significant damage locally to food crops such as plantains, bananas, cocoyam as well as cocoa and oil palm plantations. Table 3.14 Wild animals as pests in the Upper Lupande Game Management Area, Zambia . 126 rice Elephant Loxodonta africana 121 maize, sorghum.