Quantifying the ecological success of a community-based wildlife conservation area in Tanzania
In Tanzania, community-based natural resource management of wildlife occurs through the creation of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). WMAs consist of multiple villages designating land for wildlife conservation, and sharing a portion of subsequent tourism revenues. Nineteen WMAs are currently operating, encompassing 7% of Tanzania’s land area, with 19 more WMAs planned. The ecological success or […]
Spatial variation in giraffe demography: a test of 2 paradigms
Examination of spatial variation in demography among or within populations of the same species is a topic of growing interest in ecology. We examined whether spatial variation in demography of a tropical megaherbivore followed the “temporal paradigm” or the “adult survival paradigm” of ungulate population dynamics formulated from temperate-zone studies. We quantified spatial variation in […]
Seeing spots: quantifying mother-offspring similarity and assessing fitness consequences of coat pattern traits in a wild population of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Polymorphic phenotypes of mammalian coat coloration have been important to the study of genetics and evolution, but less is known about the inheritance and fitness consequences of individual variation in complex coat pattern traits such as spots and stripes. Giraffe coat markings are highly complex and variable and it has been hypothesized that variation in […]
Fission–fusion dynamics of a megaherbivore are driven by ecological, anthropogenic, temporal, and social factors
Fission–fusion dynamics hypothetically enable animals to exploit dispersed and ephemeral food resources while minimizing predation risk. Disentangling factors affecting group size and composition of fission–fusion species facilitates their management and conservation. We used a 6-year data set of 2888 group formations of Masai giraffes in Tanzania to investigate determinants of social group size and structure. […]
Correlates of home range sizes of giraffes, Giraffa camelopardalis
Abiotic, biotic and human influences are factors that can affect animal home ranges. We calculated home range sizes of adult giraffes in the Tarangire-Manyara region of northern Tanzania (N ¼ 132 giraffes with data collected over 6 years), and investigated correlations between home range sizes and environmental and anthropogenic factors (for a subset of N […]
The role of nursery group guardian is not shared equally by female giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
Giraffe usually give birth to a single calf throughout the year, although some locations report that conceptions are more likely during the wet season (Shorrocks, 2016). Several mother‐calf pairs will gather to form a nursery group in which all calves and their mothers are all together (Foster & Dagg, 1972; Langman, 1977). In general, lactating […]
Antipredator behaviour of African ungulates around human settlements
As human populations grow and come into more frequent contact with wildlife, it is important to understand how anthropogenic disturbance alters wildlife behaviour. Using fine-scale spatial analyses, we examined how proximity to human settlements affects antipredator responses of ungulates. We studied seven common ungulate species (Kirk’s dik-dik, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, common warthog, common wildebeest, common […]
Giraffe mother–calf relationships in the miombo woodland of Katavi National Park, Tanzania
Both predator pressure and habitat type influence mother–offspring relationship. Giraffe’s herd size and herd composition can be influenced by these two environmental factors. We sought to uncover whether predator pressure and habitat type also have an impact on giraffe mother–calf proximity and time spent together. We studied giraffe mother–calf relationships to compare mother–calf dyadic relationships […]
Suckling and allosuckling behavior in wild giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
Allosuckling has been reported in many mammalian species. In giraffe, allosuckling has been observed in captivity, and the milk theft hypothesis with reciprocity is regarded as the likeliest explanation for this behavior. However, reports of such behavior in the wild remain sparse to non-existent. Here, we studied the suckling and allosuckling behaviors of three nursing […]
Seasonal ungulate distribution and densities on Manyara ranch 2012-13
The northern Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem in Tanzania is among the richest areas in the world for large mammal diversity and abundance, and Manyara Ranch provides crucial wildlife habitat for migratory and resident species between the Tarangire River and Lake Natron. This area is essential to the survival of migratory wildlife populations in the area, and sustains […]