Trends in seasonal population densities of wildlife species in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Kiffner ◽  
Ryan Hopper ◽  
John Kioko
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Tarangire National Park ◽  
Seasonal Population

scholarly journals Changes in number and distribution of hippoptamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the Sabie River, Kruger National Park, during the 1992 drought

Koedoe ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P.C. Viljoen
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
National Park ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
Hippopotamus Amphibius ◽  
Reduced Flow

The 1991/92 drought in Southern Africa and the effect of the resultant reduced flow of the Sabie River on hippopotami was investigated. Hippopotami are counted annually in the Kruger National Park's (KNP) major rivers as part of the park's monitoring pro- gramme. Two additional aerial surveys were conducted to document changes in hippopotamus population densities in the Sabie River during the drought period. The hippopotamus population decreased during the drought by 12.6 to 672 animals between July 1991 and October 1992. The highest and lowest hippopotamus densities recorded were 11.6 and 2.2 animals/km river length respectively in different river sections. Only 12 hippopotamus mortalities were recorded at the end of the 1992 dry season (October).

scholarly journals Habitat use by mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni determined using stem bite diameters at point of browse, bite rates, and time budgets in the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 707-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon A. Tadesse ◽  
Burt P. Kotler
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
National Park ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Time Budgets ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Focal Animal ◽  
Northern Edge ◽  
Browse Species ◽  
Invasive Techniques

Abstract We studied the habitat use of mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni in the northern edge of the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. The aims of this study were to: (1) measure and quantify habitat-specific stem bite diameters of mountain nyala foraging on common natural plant species in two major habitat types (i.e. grasslands versus woodlands), and (2) quantify the bite rates (number of bites per minute) and the activity time budgets of mountain nyala as functions of habitat type and sex-age category. We randomly laid out three transects in each habitat type. Following each transect, through focal animal observations, we assessed and quantified stem diameters at point of browse (dpb), bite rates, and time budgets of mountain nyala in grasslands versus woodlands. Stem dpb provide a measure of natural giving-up densities (GUDs) and can be used to assess foraging costs and efficiencies, with greater stem dpb corresponding to lower costs and greater efficiencies. The results showed that stem dpb, bite rates, induced vigilance, and proportion of time spent in feeding differed between habitats. In particular, mountain nyala had greater stem dpb, higher bite rates, and spent a greater proportion of their time in feeding and less in induced vigilance in the grasslands. In addition, adult females had the highest bite rates, and the browse species Solanum marginatum had the greatest stem dpb. Generally, grasslands provide the mountain nyala with several advantages over the woodlands, including offering lower foraging costs, greater safety, and more time for foraging. The study advocates how behavioural indicators and natural GUDs are used to examine the habitat use of the endangered mountain nyala through applying non-invasive techniques. We conclude that the resulting measures are helpful for guiding conservation and management efforts and could be applicable to a number of endangered wildlife species including the mountain nyala.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Rift Valley fever in cattle and selected wildlife species at the livestock/wildlife interface areas of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masimba Ndengu ◽  
Gift Matope ◽  
Musavengana Tivapasi ◽  
Davies M. Pfukenyi ◽  
Catherine Cetre-Sossah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Rift Valley ◽  
National Park ◽  
Rift Valley Fever ◽  
Rift Valley Fever Virus ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Valley Fever ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Porous Interface ◽  
Associated Risk Factors

A study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Rift Valley fever (RVF) infection in cattle and some selected wildlife species at selected interface areas at the periphery of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area in Zimbabwe. Three study sites were selected based on the type of livestock–wildlife interface: porous livestock–wildlife interface (unrestricted); non-porous livestock–wildlife interface (restricted by fencing) and livestock–wildlife non-interface (totally absent contact or control). Sera were collected from cattle aged ≥ 2 years representing both female and intact male. Sera were also collected from selected wild ungulates from Mabalauta (porous interface) and Chipinda Pools (non-interface) areas of the Gonarezhou National Park. Sera were tested for antibodies to Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. AX2 test was used to assess differences between categories, and p 0.05 was considered as significant. In cattle, the overall seroprevalence was 1.7% (17/1011) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–2.7). The porous interface recorded a seroprevalence of 2.3% (95% CI: 1.2–4.3), the non-porous interface recorded a prevalence of 1.8% (95% CI: 0.7–4.3) and the non-interface area recorded a seroprevalence of 0.4% (955 CI: 0.02–2.5), but the difference in seroprevalence according to site was not significant (p 0.05). All impala and kudu samples tested negative. The overall seroprevalence in buffaloes was 11.7% (95% CI: 6.6–19.5), and there was no significant (p = 0.38) difference between the sites (Mabalauta, 4.4% [95% CI: 0.2–24] vs. Chipinda, 13.6% [95% CI: 7.6–23]). The overall seroprevalence in buffaloes (11.7%, 13/111) was significantly (p 0.0001) higher than in cattle (1.7%, 17/1011). The results established the presence of RVFV in cattle and selected wildlife and that sylvatic infections may be present in buffalo populations. Further studies are required to investigate if the virus is circulating between cattle and wildlife.

Vegetation structure and ungulate abundance over a period of increasing elephant abundance in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Valeix ◽  
Hervé Fritz ◽  
Ségolène Dubois ◽  
Kwanele Kanengoni ◽  
Samuel Alleaume ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Elephant Population ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Herbivore Species ◽  
Hwange National Park

This study investigates whether increases in elephant populations may influence the structure of African savannas, and consequently may affect other herbivores through changes in habitats. Two contrasting periods in terms of elephant population densities were compared in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe: the early 1980s and the late 1990s. Elephant population density and other ungulate population densities were estimated for a c. 400-km2 area from road counts. Vegetation structure at the landscape scale was assessed using aerial photographs for the same area. All browsers and grazers declined between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, whereas elephants experienced a 16-fold increase. At the landscape scale, vegetation structure changed little with no evidence of an opening of the habitats. These results do not support any kind of medium-term facilitation between elephants and other herbivores. They rather suggest a negative effect of elephants on other herbivore species when elephants are present at high densities. This study rules out a scenario where the decrease of the different herbivore populations was caused by large changes in vegetation structure due to elephant activity.

scholarly journals Leaving Habitat of Wild Animals in Gir National Park : a Critical Scenario and a Possible Solution

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1101-1105
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Biotic Factors ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Asiatic Lion ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government

Wild animals are the ecosystem's main link. Wildlife is important to humans because it maintains a balance between the active environment and biotic factors. It plays an important role in making the various natural processes of nature stable. The tradition of protecting wildlife species and their ecosystems is wildlife conservation. In India the Asiatic lion is the wild animals species which has lowest population in the world. The government established Gir National Park to protect the Asiatic lion and start various programs through in which the population of Asiatic lion should increase. Even other such programs this wild animals faces lots of problem in the national park. This paper addresses the wild animals in India relevant issues and concerns. After the problems we have found, we have suggested a potential solution to these problems. The system uses the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) platform. This shows how WSN can be seamlessly integrated into the wildlife habitats / national park located in India to enhance the wildlife design.

scholarly journals No island-effect on glucocorticoid levels for a rodent from a near-shore archipelago

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan D. Stewart ◽  
Gabriela F. Mastromonaco ◽  
Gary Burness
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Stress Physiology ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Thousand Islands ◽  
Island Syndrome ◽  
Corticosterone Metabolites ◽  
Stress Biomarker ◽  
Fecal Corticosterone Metabolites

Island rodents are often larger and live at higher population densities than their mainland counterparts, characteristics that have been referred to as “island syndrome”. Island syndrome has been well studied, but few studies have tested for island-mainland differences in stress physiology. We evaluated island syndrome within the context of stress physiology of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) captured from 11 islands and five mainland sites in Thousand Islands National Park, Ontario, Canada. Stress physiology was evaluated by quantifying corticosterone (a stress biomarker), the primary glucocorticoid in mice, from hair and its related metabolites from fecal samples. White-footed mice captured in this near-shore archipelago did not display characteristics of island syndrome, nor differences in levels of hair corticosterone or fecal corticosterone metabolites compared with mainland mice. We suggest that island white-footed mice experience similar degrees of stress in the Thousand Islands compared with the mainland. Although we did not find evidence of island syndrome or differences in glucocorticoid levels, we identified relationships between internal (sex, body mass) and external (season) factors and our hormonal indices of stress in white-footed mice.

scholarly journals Wildlife hunting by indigenous people in a Philippine protected area: a perspective from Mt. Apo National Park, Mindanao Island

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 10307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krizler Cejuela Tanalgo
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
National Park ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Monitor Lizard ◽  
Palm Civet ◽  
Varanus Salvator

Indigenous people play a major role in the conservation of wildlife species in protected areas.  This paper provides an insight on the involvement of indigenous people in protecting and hunting of wildlife species in Mt. Apo National Park, Mindanao Island, Philippines.  Here, I assessed indigenous knowledge and practices towards wildlife hunting from three villages from Mt. Apo through immersions, interviews, and focus group discussion between May 2014 and January 2015.  The majority of wildlife hunters I encountered were male and married between the ages of 35–60 years old.  Commonly hunted wildlife species from the national park included large wildlife species such as the endemic and threatened Philippine Warty Pig Sus philippensis, Philippine Brown Deer Rusa marianna, Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Reticulated Python Malayopython reticulatus, Common Monitor Lizard Varanus salvator and other large birds such as Rufous Hornbills Buceros hydrocorax, large dove species (i.e., Dacula spp.).  In the past, wildlife hunting was most commonly done for sustenance and culture.  But, poverty and the lack of alternative livelihoods have become a recent motivation to hunt wildlife.  This current findings in this study suggest that wildlife are essential for indigenous people in protected areas, however, hunting practices should be monitored and provide alternative livelihood options to reduce threats.  This study introduced the vital links between local communities and wildlife in protected areas.  Thus, engaging and empowering indigenous people and local communities in wildlife protection combined with appropriate conservation planning are the first steps forward in attaining sustainable and effective local conservation in protected areas. 

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