Nightly selection of resting sites and group behavior reveal antipredator strategies in giraffe

Burger, Anna Lena; Fennessy, Julian; Fennessy, Stephanie; Dierkes, Paul Wilhelm

doi:10.1002/ece3.6106

Cited by 33 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 69 publications

(136 reference statements)

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“…While zoos provide good conditions for observing and collecting data on nocturnal behavior, greater difficulties arise in the field (e.g., lack of information regarding age, biography and social relationships of the observed animals, unpredictability of encountering animals, high costs, etc.). Nevertheless, there are initial studies that have taken up these challenges and are using state‐of‐the‐art technology and innovative approaches to gain knowledge of the nocturnal behavior of wild large herbivores (e.g., Burger,Fennessy, et al, 2020; Davimes et al, 2018; Gravett et al, 2017; Pellew, 1984; Santymire et al, 2012). Among species, nocturnal activity budgets are quite diverse.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bashaw et al (2007) and Horova et al (2015) describe an adaptation to a herd structure in zoos where giraffe developed affiliative social bonds and dominance hierarchies. Furthermore, studies on African large herbivores showed a great variance in activity depending on season, temperature, habitat, vegetation, and food availability (Berger et al, 2003; Burger, Fennessy, et al, 2020; Deacon & Smit, 2017; Gravett et al, 2017). Understanding how various endogenous and exogenous factors affect the nocturnal activity and sleep behavior of captive giraffe was the aim of our research project.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biological and environmental factors as sources of variation in nocturnal behavior of giraffe

2021

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Upon a drastic decline of the giraffe population in the wild, conservation efforts and therefore the role of zoos have become more important than ever. With their unique opportunities, zoos provide excellent conditions to study animal behavior, expanding the knowledge about the giraffe's behavior repertoire and their ability to adapt. This study therefore examined the nocturnal behavior of 63 giraffe living in 13 different EAZA zoos across Germany and the Netherlands. Giraffe were observed and videos recorded via infrared sensitive cameras during the winter seasons 2015–2018. The observation period spanned nightly from 17:00 to 7:00. Thus, 198 nights, with a total of 2772 h were recorded and analyzed. Linear mixed models were then used to assess potential biological and environmental factors influencing behavior during the dark phase. Results show that individual variables such as age, subspecies and motherhood determined nocturnal activity and sleep behavior most. Among the variables studied, husbandry conditions and environmental factors complying with EAZA standards had no influence on the giraffe's nocturnal behavior. By combining nocturnal activity analyses and an assessment of potential influencing factors, our findings present a holistic approach to a better understanding of captive giraffe behavior and allow for management implications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological and environmental factors as sources of variation in nocturnal behavior of giraffe

2021

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“…An ability to determine sleep in a giraffe could be key for this species’ conservation [ 68 ]. During the phase of REM sleep a giraffe is fully unprotected [ 4 ] and the sleep duration can depict its stress exposure and be a response to a changing food quality/availability or to other stressors [ 69 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In conclusion, where direct behavior observations of wild giraffes face restrictions caused by darkness or rough terrain, as in a recent study about the sleep of Angolan giraffes ( Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) [ 68 ], the use of accelerometers is a helpful tool to observe giraffe behavior continuously. Combining different methods—such as recording the GPS location, acceleration data, conducting observations where possible—and different studies’ results can gather the needed information about the giraffe biology in order to protect and conserve the species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behaviour Classification on Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) Using Machine Learning Algorithms on Triaxial Acceleration Data of Two Commonly Used GPS Devices and Its Possible Application for Their Management and Conservation

Brandes

Sicks

Berger

2021

Sensors

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Averting today’s loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services can be achieved through conservation efforts, especially of keystone species. Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) play an important role in sustaining Africa’s ecosystems, but are ‘vulnerable’ according to the IUCN Red List since 2016. Monitoring an animal’s behavior in the wild helps to develop and assess their conservation management. One mechanism for remote tracking of wildlife behavior is to attach accelerometers to animals to record their body movement. We tested two different commercially available high-resolution accelerometers, e-obs and Africa Wildlife Tracking (AWT), attached to the top of the heads of three captive giraffes and analyzed the accuracy of automatic behavior classifications, focused on the Random Forests algorithm. For both accelerometers, behaviors of lower variety in head and neck movements could be better predicted (i.e., feeding above eye level, mean prediction accuracy e-obs/AWT: 97.6%/99.7%; drinking: 96.7%/97.0%) than those with a higher variety of body postures (such as standing: 90.7–91.0%/75.2–76.7%; rumination: 89.6–91.6%/53.5–86.5%). Nonetheless both devices come with limitations and especially the AWT needs technological adaptations before applying it on animals in the wild. Nevertheless, looking at the prediction results, both are promising accelerometers for behavioral classification of giraffes. Therefore, these devices when applied to free-ranging animals, in combination with GPS tracking, can contribute greatly to the conservation of giraffes.

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“…In captive adult giraffe, a nocturnal recumbency bout lasts 2.5 h on average in both males and females, and individuals display a recumbent posture an average of 3.11 times per night (Takagi et al ., 2019). Wild giraffe also spend part of the night in a recumbent posture (Pellew, 1984; Burger et al ., 2020), but the characteristics of their diurnal recumbent behavior, such as duration or frequency, are poorly understood. Additionally, while habitat utilization has been studied in the contexts of feeding, herding, seasonality, and anthropogenic influences (Le Pendu & Ciofolo, 1999; Brand, 2007; Bercovitch & Berry, 2010 a ), little is known about the habitat utilization of wild giraffe for diurnal recumbent behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Giraffe diurnal recumbent behavior and habitat utilization in Katavi National Park, Tanzania

Saito

Idani

2020

Journal of Zoology

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Resting behaviors play an important role in animals’ daily activities by minimizing energy consumption. Although this may be equally important to other behavioral states for sustaining life, it has not been well studied in the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). This study characterized the bout duration, frequency, and age–sex class differences in diurnal recumbent behavior of free‐ranging giraffe. Additionally, it is currently unknown whether giraffe utilize shady or safe areas for diurnal recumbency, as many other animals do. Therefore, we also investigated this in the present study. Data were collected in Katavi National Park, Tanzania, during four time periods. The duration of recumbency bouts was calculated from 170 episodes, and the frequency of recumbency was determined by following 24 individuals for more than 10 h each. Habitat type was categorized into wooded grassland or miombo woodland, and habitat preference was analyzed based on 173.6 h of observations. We found no significant difference in the duration of recumbency bouts among the four age‐classes and between sexes in adults. On the other hand, calves (n = 2) rested more frequently than did other age‐groups, possibly due to differences in predation risk or activity budgets. Adult males had a higher frequency of recumbency compared to adult females, possibly because pregnant/nursing females were hindered in adopting this posture. We also found that giraffe primarily utilized the miombo woodland for daytime recumbency, likely because the high tree density reduces heat stress, and its seclusion from the river reduces predation risk.

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Nightly selection of resting sites and group behavior reveal antipredator strategies in giraffe

Cited by 33 publications

References 69 publications

Biological and environmental factors as sources of variation in nocturnal behavior of giraffe

Biological and environmental factors as sources of variation in nocturnal behavior of giraffe

Behaviour Classification on Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) Using Machine Learning Algorithms on Triaxial Acceleration Data of Two Commonly Used GPS Devices and Its Possible Application for Their Management and Conservation

Giraffe diurnal recumbent behavior and habitat utilization in Katavi National Park, Tanzania

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