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Comparative changes in adult vs. juvenile survival affecting population trends of African ungulates

Among large mammalian herbivores, juvenile survival tends to vary widely and may thus have a greater influence on population dynamics than the relatively constant survival rates typical of adults. However, previous studies yielding stage-specific survival rates have been mostly on temperate zone ungulates and in environments lacking large predators. Annual censuses coupled with assessments of population structure enabled annual survival rates to be estimated for the juvenile, yearling and adult segments of nine ungulate species in South Africa’s Kruger National

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Social influences on vigilance behaviour in giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis

Vigilance in ungulates is considered to have a predominantly antipredator function, with the frequency and duration of scans per individual decreasing with increasing group size. Social influences on vigilance scans have been overlooked in studies on ungulates, although studies in primates and birds show that conspecific scans are important determinants of vigilance behaviour. We investigated group size effects in giraffes and examined social influences on their scanning behaviour, as well as the influence of feeding posture. We found that group

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Protozoan and bacterial pathogens in tick salivary glands in wild and domestic animal environments in South Africa

A total of 7364 ticks belonging to 13 species was collected from 64 game animals (belonging to 11 species) and from 64 livestock animals (cattle and sheep) living in close vicinity at 6 localities in 3 South African Provinces (Free State, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo). The geographic distribution of all tick species was congruent with the literature except for Haemaphysalis silacea. From each infested host, a maximum of 10 males and 10 females of each tick species were dissected to isolate

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Oscillations in large mammal populations: are they related to predation or rainfall?

Cyclic population dynamics is relatively common among populations of small mammals in high latitudes but is not yet established among African savanna ungulates. However, oscillations may be expected in large mammal populations subject to quasi-periodic oscillations in regional rainfall. We evaluated evidence for environmentally entrained oscillations in a large-mammal predator–prey system in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, where rainfall exhibits quasi-periodic oscillations. The evaluation is based on analysis of comparative changes in the abundance of twelve ungulate species throughout

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Minimizing predation risk in a landscape of multiple predators: effects on the spatial distribution of African ungulates

Studies that focus on single predator–prey interactions can be inadequate for understanding antipredator responses in multi-predator systems. Yet there is still a general lack of information about the strategies of prey to minimize predation risk from multiple predators at the landscape level. Here we examined the distribution of seven African ungulate species in the fenced Karongwe Game Reserve (KGR), South Africa, as a function of predation risk from all large carnivore species (lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, and spotted

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Serum concentration comparisons of amino acids, fatty acids, lipoproteins, vitamins A and E, and minerals between zoo and free-ranging giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)

Serum concentrations of amino acids, fatty acids, lipoproteins, vitamins A and E, and minerals in zoo giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) were compared to values obtained from free-ranging giraffes in an effort to identify potential nutritional differences in the zoo population. Zoo giraffes have a specific set of maladies that may be nutritionally related, including peracute mortality, energy malnutrition, pancreatic disease, urolithiasis, hoof disease, and severe intestinal parasitism. Dietary requirements for giraffes are not known; invasive studies used with domestic animals cannot

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Giraffe Pica Behavior And Pathology As Indicators Of Nutritional Stress

Geophagia and osteophagia were a common feature of the feeding routine of the southern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) during the months from April to November. Osteophagia occurred at approximately the same frequency in adults and sub-adults. However, geophagia was primarily exhibited by sub-adult giraffe. The acts of geophagia and osteophagia were carried out by an identical set of search, accusative, and gratification behaviors. Kidney stones and associated cortical and medullary lesions were observed in 29 percent of the 75 adult

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The past distribution of giraffe in KwaZulu-Natal

Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) are though to be introduced aliens in KwaZulu-Natal, an area in which they flourish today. This perception was based on lack of reference to sightings of giraffe in early colonial literature and the lack of giraffe remains in archeological sites within KwaZulu-Natal. We have reviewed the literature and found no reliable reference to giraffe in early colonial writings and no reports of rock art featuring giraffe in the area. However, there are recent reports of the recovery

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