Group sizes of giraffes in Kenya: the influence of habitat, predation and the age and sex of individuals
Giraffe group sizes appear to vary in response to localized ecological and environmental factors, but there has been little investigation of how social factors or predation risk affect group size in giraffes. We studied two adjacent, enclosed populations of Rothschild’s giraffes in Kenya, and used 591 records of groups to determine the relative influence of […]
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 […]
Dynamics of ungulates in relation to climatic and land use changes in an insularized African savanna ecosystem
Land use change and human population growth are accelerating the fragmentation and insularization of wildlife habitats worldwide. The conservation and management of wildlife in the resultant ‘island’ ecosystems in the context of global warming is challenging due to the isolation and reduced size of the ecosystems and hence the scale over which ecosystem processes can […]
Structure and composition of Acacia xanthophloea woodland in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
The woody vegetation of Lake Nakuru National Park occurs along rivers, lakeshores and flood plains. Four different sites within the Acacia xanthophloea woodlands were selected for the study. Vegetation structure was not significantly different in the four woodlands used for the study, but these sites differed in the relative density of Acacia trees. Regeneration of […]