Productivity indexing of wild herbivores on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Ol Pejeta Ranch in northern Kenya
A selected set of wild herbivores on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (LWC) and Ol Pejeta Ranch were evaluated for their utility value by productivity indexing based on a computer bio-economic model, Prying Livestock Productivity (PRY). PRY derives productivity of species based on feed energy efficiency (FEE). The respective FEE indices (Kenya shillings, Ksh, per kilogram dry […]
The first description of dominance hierarchy in captive giraffe: Not loose and egalitarian, but clear and linear
Wild giraffes live in extensive groups in the fission fusion system, maintaining long social distances and loose social bonds. Within these groups, resources are widely distributed, agonistic encounters are scarce and the dominance hierarchy was reported in males only, while never deeply analysed. In captivity, the possibility to maintain inter-individual distances is limited and part […]
The diet and ecological role of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) introduced to the Eastern Cape, South Africa
With an increase in the popularity of wildlife ranching in southern Africa has come the introduction of non-native (extralimital) mammalian herbivores. Financial gain has arguably been at the forefront of these introductions, with little or no assessment of the ecological consequences. The diet of three populations of introduced giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis was assessed by direct […]