Feeding behaviour of lions (Panthera leo) on a small reserve
The prey selection and predatory behaviour of a single pride of lions (Panthera leo) was studied in the 8500 ha Karongwe Game Reserve from 1999–2005. The study focused on the difference between prey selection in the first three years when a two-male coalition was present with a similar period thereafter when one of the males […]
Assessment of giraffe populations and conservation status in East Africa
Populations of giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis are declining in the wild, with some populations having suffered an 80% decline in the past ten years. In comparison to other large African mammals, giraffes have been largely overlooked in terms of research attention and conservation action. In recent years, the extent to which giraffe populations have declined across […]
Collapse of the world’s largest herbivores
Large wild herbivores are crucial to ecosystems and human societies. We highlight the 74 largest terrestrial herbivore species on Earth (body mass>–100 kg), the threats they face, their important and often overlooked ecosystem effects, and the conservation efforts needed to save them and their predators from extinction. Large herbivores are generally facing dramatic population declines […]
Large-scale ruminant genome sequencing provides insights into their evolution and distinct traits
The ruminants are one of the most successful mammalian lineages, exhibiting morphological and habitat diversity and containing several key livestock species. To better understand their evolution, we generated and analyzed de novo assembled genomes of 44 ruminant species, representing all six Ruminantia families. We used these genomes to create a time-calibrated phylogeny to resolve topological […]
Protect giraffes from wildlife trade
The number of giraffes in Africa has plunged by 36 to 40% in only three decades, mainly due to habitat loss, human conflicts, and poaching (1). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List recently listed giraffes as Vulnerable to becoming endangered (1). Out of nine recognized giraffe subspecies, four are decreasing (1). […]
Towards understanding large mammal population declines in Africa’s protected areas: A West-Central African perspective
A raft of recent studies has highlighted a major decline in large mammal populations in many of Africa’s protected areas. A recent continent-wide assessment represented a major step forward also in terms of quantifying the decline on a regional basis, but fell short in its sampling and analysis. In this paper, a way out of […]
Extreme Wildlife Declines and Concurrent Increase in Livestock Numbers in Kenya: What Are the Causes?
There is growing evidence of escalating wildlife losses worldwide. Extreme wildlife losses have recently been documented for large parts of Africa, including western, Central and Eastern Africa. Here, we report extreme declines in wildlife and contemporaneous increase in livestock numbers in Kenya rangelands between 1977 and 2016. Our analysis uses systematic aerial monitoring survey data […]
Giraffe south of the Niger-Benue river system
Although giraffes have been seen occasionally south of the Niger river, there is no evidence that permanent populations occur in this area) and presumably the giraffes either die or return to the northern side. The southern habitats may be unsuitable for two reasons. First, human harassment and habitat modification may prevent the establishment of viable […]
Updated geographic range maps for giraffe, Giraffa spp., throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and implications of changing distributions for conservation
Giraffe populations have declined in abundance by almost 40% over the last three decades, and the geographic ranges of the species (previously believed to be one, now defined as four species) have been significantly reduced or altered. With substantial changes in land uses, loss of habitat, declining abundance, translocations, and data gaps, the existing geographic […]
Letter From Namibia
The modern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the world’s tallest animal and its largest ruminant. It is also among the most quintessentially African of animals, being found throughout most of the continent—the greatest concentrations in eastern and southern Africa. Yet, since the dawn of the new millennium, a combination of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, civil unrest, […]