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Browsing Lawns? Responses of Acacia Nigrescens to Ungulate Browsing in an African Savanna

We measured browsing-induced responses of Acacia trees to investigate ‘‘browsing lawns’’ as an analogy to grazing lawns in a semiarid eutrophic African savanna. During the two-year field study, we measured plant tolerance, resistance, and phenological traits, while comparing variation in leaf nitrogen and specific leaf area (SLA) across stands of Acacia nigrescens, Miller, that had experienced markedly different histories of attack from large herbivores. Trees in heavily browsed stands developed (1) tolerance traits such as high regrowth abilities in shoots

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Teaching young giraffe old tricks: Changing learned behaviors in a herd of captive giraffe

At Lion Country Safari (LCS) in Loxahatchee, FL, a sub-tropical climate and the adoption of unnatural behavior by the captive giraffe herd have collided to pose a threat to the health of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). In recent years, a resilient parasite known as Haemonchus contortus has become prevalent in the pastures where the giraffe are housed and has developed resistance to many standard de-worming drugs. H. contortus feeds on the host’s blood while residing in the abomasum of ruminants

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Subspecific assessment of the North American captive giraffe population compared to extant giraffe populations across Africa

Approximately 25% of the North American captive giraffe population (n = 125) was compared to a large data set of wild-sampled giraffe from 28 national parks, refuges, and protected areas in Africa (n = 403).  The wild-sampled individuals are a part of a larger study being conducted by the International Giraffe Specialist Group (IGSG) towards the resolution of questions regarding the evolution, population genetics, ecology, behavior, census, and ranges of extant populations of giraffe throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.  The samples were

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Spotlight on the Masai Giraffe

Thousands of years ago, the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)–whose exotic appearance led the ancients to speculate it was an unnatural cross between a camel and a leopard–was common throughout all of Africa, Southern Europe, and India, but later became restricted to Africa. As recently as 800 years ago, giraffe disappeared from North Africa as a result of creeping desertification and loss of woodlands. The ranges of giraffe populations have contracted even further during the past half-century due to agricultural land conversion,

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Nasal heat exchange in the giraffe and other large mammals

The respiratory air of the giraffe is exhaled at temperatures substantially below body core temperature. As a consequence, the water content of the exhaled air is reduced to levels below that in pulmonary air, resulting in substantial reductions in respiratory water loss. Measurements under outdoor conditions showed that at an ambient air temperature of 24 degrees C, the exhaled air was 7 degrees C below body core temperature, and at ambient air temperature of 17 degrees C, the exhaled air

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Mitochondrial DNA variability in Giraffa camelopardalis: consequences for taxonomy, phylogeography and conservation of giraffes in West and central Africa

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) still survives in four countries of West and central Africa. The populations of Niger and Cameroon are generally assigned to the subspecies peralta, but those of Chad and the Central African Republic are taxonomically problematic, as they are referred to as either peralta, or antiquorum, or congoensis. In this study, a mitochondrial fragment of 1765 nucleotide sites, covering the complete cytochrome b gene, three transfer RNAs and a large part of the control region, was sequenced

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Social behaviour in captive reticulated giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata): Analysis of enclosure use and social interactions between giraffes housed at Whipsnade Zoo

Wild giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) herds have been described as random associations of individuals, but recent research has suggested that giraffe do form social bonds and have a complex social structure. The aims of this investigation were to determine whether a group of three captive giraffe associated randomly or patterned their behaviour and proximity in a way that suggests social relationships. Also to analyse how the giraffe use their enclosure in order for the zoo to develop the enrichment program to

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The feeding biology and potential impact of introduced giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis) in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa

Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) are extralimital (non-native) to the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa yet they have and continue to be introduced to the region. Financial gain has arguably been the driving force behind these introductions as foreign tourists associate giraffe with Africa and the African wildlife experience. This raises a number of ethical, ecological and philosophical questions especially when it is considered that the impact of these browsers on the indigenous vegetation has remained largely unquantified. In this study I

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Why do some African thorn trees (Acacia spp.) have a flat-top: a grazer-plant mutualism hypothesis?

The quintessential African savanna tree is the flat-topped Acacia. However, the reason for the architecture occurring in sparse-canopied small-leafed tree species from well-lit, often mesic, environments is unclear. Brown (1960) suggested that it reduced feeding by the distinctly African herbivore, the giraffe. Escaping recaptured herbivore and/or fire damage is crucial for palatable savanna trees such as acacias. The impact of fire depends on the fire intensity (mainly due to under-canopy dead grass biomass and weather conditions) and on woody plant

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Seasonal density estimates of common large herbivores in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

The monitoring of ecosystem processes and states is a critical step in the management of protected areas. It allows for the assessment of the success or failure of practices ranging from ‘laissez-faire’ to strong hands-on policies. Much effort is for instance devoted to the monitoring of wildlife abundance, particularly when associated with large ecological influence or socio-economical values. In Africa, the diversity of large herbivores represents both a major asset of protected areas and a global conservation target as a

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