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Effects of land use changes on herbivores of Masai Mara ecosystem

The Narok District has undergone rapid changes in land use patterns from nomadic pastoralism to a sedentary and farming lifestyle. In this study we describe wildlife and livestock numbers and past and present land-use patterns in three group ranches from 1975 to 1997. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of land-use changes on herbivore populations. Research methods included observation and interpretation of satellite imageries and aerial photographs, field checks, participant observation and secondary data. Results indicate

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Ecology Of African Grazing And Browsing Mammals

Africa is the earth’s second largest continent, comprising 20% of its surface. Largely tropical, Africa extends as well into temperate zones to 37°N and 35°S. Eastern and southern Africa display steep elevation gradients due to the prevalence there of volcanic orogeny and rifting (29). Local landscapes are distinguished by substantial geological heterogeneity, dissected land forms, and resultant steep gradients of precipitation and vegetation. The consequent pronounced fragmentation of habitats and sharp juxtaposition of distinct vegetation types, combined with climatic oscillations

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Large herbivore dynamics in northern Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

We compared densities and distribution of wild ungulates and domestic livestock based on aerial surveys conducted during 1991 – 2010 in northern parts of Gonarezhou National Park (GNP), Zimbabwe. The sampled area covered approximately 320 km2 (Chipinda Pools area) representing ca. 27 % of the GNP, which was colonized by a few herder families along with their cattle in the year 2000. We hypothesized that (1) human and livestock encroachment in the park would lead to decline in densities of

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Between overstocking and extinction: conservation and the intensification of uneven wildlife geographies in Africa

Conservation news from Africa generally seems to exude crisis. Over the last decade, especially, we have witnessed the increasingly visible decline of charismatic species such as the rhino, elephant, cheetah, lion, giraffe and others, coupled with an ongoing defaunation of many forested areas. What is much less visible is that in certain areas an important countertrend is also occurring: the growth of wildlife species, most notably through the stocking of private lands and initiatives to develop broader wildlife economies. This

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Taxonomy and Translocations of African Mammals: A Plea for a Cautionary Approach

Ecotourism can fuel an important source of financial income for African countries and can therefore help biodiversity policies in the continent. Translocations can be a powerful tool to spread economic benefits among countries and communities; yet, to be positive for biodiversity conservation, they require a basic knowledge of conservation units through appropriate taxonomic research. This is not always the case, as taxonomy was considered an outdated discipline for almost a century, and some plurality in taxonomic approaches is incorrectly considered

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The large fossil mammals from Buia (Eritrea): Systematics, Biochronology and paleoenvironments

This paper offers a preliminary overview on the large fossil mammals (Primates, Hyaenidae, Proboscidea, Rhinocerotidae, Equidae, Hippopotamidae, Suidae, Giraffidae, and Bovidae) from the Early Plestocene sedimentary succession of the Dandiero (Buia) Basin (Danakil Depression, Eritrea). The 1995-1997 Eritrean-Italian fossil collection has been revised and studied. A few significant remains collected during the 2022-2004 field activities have also been included. Eighteen species of mammals have been identified, described and illustrated in the principal specimens. The systematic study allows general conclusions on

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Comparing an automated high-definition oblique camera system to rearseat-observers in a wildlife survey in Tsavo, Kenya: Taking multi-species aerial counts to the next level

In aerial wildlife counts, human observers often fail to detect animals. We conducted a multi-species sample count in Tsavo National Park, Kenya, with traditional rear-seat-observers (RSOs) and an automated ‘oblique-camera-count’ (OCC) imaging system to compare estimates of 23 wildlife species derived from these two survey methods. An aerial Total Count of elephant, buffalo and giraffe, conducted a month previously, provided a further comparison. In the Tsavo Core (9560 km2), which harbours 80% of Tsavo’s elephants, the OCC system acquired 81

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Spatial and temporal dynamics of human–wildlife conflicts in the Kenya Greater Tsavo Ecosystem

Biodiversity conservation in developing countries is faced with many and mounting challenges, including increasing human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs). In Africa and other developing countries, increasing HWCs, particularly those adjacent to protected areas, can adversely affect local stakeholder perceptions and support for conservation. We analyzed HWC reports for multiple wildlife species compiled >23 years (1995–2017) from the Greater Tsavo Ecosystem (GTE) in Kenya to determine HWC trends. The GTE is the largest protected area in Kenya, covering 22,681 km2. Overall, 39,022 HWC

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What are the parameters that influence giraffe population decline in Africa and which solutions are practicable?

Giraffes are internationally popular in zoos and represent an emblem of the ecosystems and countries in which they live. However, despite this iconic status, giraffes are relatively poorly studied and there is a general lack of knowledge on the key factors affecting their demographic rates. In the last thirty years, giraffe populations across Africa have declined by 40%. However, this demographic decline is not homogeneous across the African continent. According to the latest IUCN red list, the nine subspecies of

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Giraffe and okapi: Africa’s forgotten megafauna

The Giraffidae family includes only two living species of ungulates: the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and the okapi (Okapia johnstoni), both restricted to the African continent. Taxonomically, the Giraffa and Okapia genera separated from each other approximately 16 million years ago (Hassanin et al., 2012), and they now exhibit as many differences as similarities. Today Okapia is represented by one species (Okapia johnstoni; Hart, 2013), though with surprisingly high genetic variation (Stanton et al., 2014), whereas nine subspecies of giraffe are

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