Food preferences of giraffe in Transvaal Lowveld Mopane Woodland
The trees and shrubs browsed by giraffe in Transvaal Lowveld Mopane Woodland were recorded by direct observation. A preference rating for the different plant species was calculated by correlating these data with the percentage frequency occurrence of the plants in the field. Giraffe were found to clearly prefer some species and avoid others. The reason for this is not clear and may possibly be attributable to the chemical composition of the leaves of different plant species.