Abundance and distribution of mammals in Katavi National Park, Tanzania
Ground transects were used to determine densities of 24 larger mammals in Katavi National Park. The Park consists of miombo woodland habitat and two seasonal lakes. Mammalian biomass was extremely high due primarily to large numbers of buffalo. The highest mammal densities were found around Lake Chada to the southeast of the Park. Contrary to […]
GIRAFFES
The giraffe, Girafa camelopardalis, is distributed widely in Africa, although in many territories numbers have decreased greatly during the past century. In West Africa, a few are said to live in the Ferlo district, but there are none in Gambia, Sierra Leone or Liberia. In French West Africa, the once extensive range of the giraffe […]
Distribution and status of the desert-dwelling giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) in northwestern Namibia
The population density and distribution of desert-dwelling giraffes was estimated in three study areas in the Hoanib River catchment, northwestern Namibia. Giraffe population densities (0.01 giraffe/km^2) were equal to the lowest recorded in Africa with population numbers fluctuating over past decades. Sex ratios, herd sizes and age categories differed between all the study areas, while […]
The past and present distribution of some African ungulates
Synopsis: A comparison has been made between the recent densities and distributions of African mammals of the genera: Equus, Ceratotherium, Diceros, Hippopotamus, Choeropsis, Hyemoschus, Giraffa, Okapia, Damaliscus, Alcelaphus, Connochaetes, Taurotragus, Tragelaphus, Boocercus, Strepsiceros, Limnotragus, Syncerus, with those at the turn of the present century. Information has been obtained from literature, by personal contact, and in […]
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 […]
Giraffe birth locations in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia: site fidelity or microhabitat selection?
Birth site location can have enormous implications for female reproductive success. Some ungulate species demonstrate consistent birth site fidelity, while others shift birth locations during their lifetimes as a function of ecological and social factors. We plotted 39 years of birth records from a wild population of Thornicroft’s giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti, to test the […]
Foraging ecologies of giraffe and camels in Northern Kenya: Effects of habitat structure and possibilities for competition?
Domestic camels (Camelus dromedarius) have become increasingly popular livestock in arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about the environmental impacts of these animals, and concern has been mounting about possible competition with wild native ungulates. Unlike the more traditional pastoralist livestock species, camels are large-bodied, long-necked browsers which increases the potential to […]
Regional variation of the manifestation, prevalence, and severity of giraffe skin disease: A review of an emerging disease in wild and captive giraffe populations
Large mammals have drastically declined in the past few decades yet we know little about their ecology. Giraffe numbers for instance, have dropped by more than 40% in the last 15 years and recently, a skin disease, has been observed in numerous giraffe populations across Africa. The disease(s), commonly referred to as giraffe skin disease […]
Mapping the spatial configuration and severity of giraffe skin disease in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Giraffe numbers, have dropped by about 40% in the last 20 years, making giraffes a species of conservation concern. In the same period of time, a skin disease has been observed in numerous giraffe populations across Africa. The disease, commonly referred to as giraffe skin disease (GSD), manifests as lesions, wrinkled skin, and encrustations that […]
A Note on the Seasonal Utilisation of Different Vegetation types by Giraffe
Key Words: Seasonal Utilisation, Giraffa Camelopardis, Giraffe, Diet, Transvaal lowveld