Hierarchical foraging by giraffe in a heterogeneous savannah, Tanzania

Understanding foraging decisions made by wildlife at different spatio-temporal scales is important for wildlife management and conservation. We tested whether foraging decisions by Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi Matschie) differed with scales; habitat, patch and tree in a heterogeneous savannah. We collected data from Arusha National Park, Tanzania, in March–May and August–October 2013. Visual observations […]

Giraffe browsing in response to plant traits

Intake rates by large herbivores are governed by among other things plant traits. We used Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi Matschie) as study animals, testing whether they as very large browsers would follow the Jarmane-Bell principle and maximize intake rate while tolerating low forage quality. We worked in Arusha National Park, Tanzania. We investigated how […]