Spatial ecology and habitat use of giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis ) in South Africa

Deacon, Francois; Smit, Nico J.

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2017.04.003

Cited by 22 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Vachelia nilotica is the most nutritive of the fourteen woody species with high IVGP, low ADF and CT concentrations, thus was frequently browsed by both browsers. Giraffe prefer browse with high CP, low ADF and CT concentrations (Pellew, ), although they may also forage on woody species with high fibre and CT (Deacon & Smit, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both giraffe and greater kudu use of a vegetation type are influenced by availability of acceptable browse (Deacon & Smit, ), with leaves, twigs, pods, seeds and fruits of a wide range of trees, shrubs, forbs and succulents preferred (Curlewis, ). Browsers select forage with high levels of nutrients (Pellew, ), low condensed tannins concentrations (van Hoven, ) and acid detergent fibre content (Demment & van Soest, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat use by giraffe and greater kudu in the Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe

Mandinyenya

Monks²,

Mundy

et al. 2019

Afr J Ecol

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat use by giraffe and greater kudu in the Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe

Mandinyenya

Monks²,

Mundy

et al. 2019

Afr J Ecol

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“…Giraffes forage on over 100 species of vegetation, and diet varies regionally and seasonally. There is a consistent preference for Acacia species (Berry & Bercovitch, ; Deacon & Smit, ; Pellew, ). Giraffes do not consume food in proportion to its availability (Dagg, ), rather plant species that giraffes preferred may comprise <5% of the total available biomass (Pellew, ).…”

Section: Release‐site Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Home range sizes of wild giraffes range from 5 to 1950 km 2 (Knüsel, Lee, König, & Bond, ). Space use is typically related to rainfall, habitat quality and forage availability (Deacon & Smit, ; Knüsel et al, ; Pellew, ), highlighting the importance of these factors when selecting release sites. Giraffe ranging and movement patterns are understudied (Lee & Bolger, ), but there is evidence that females show site fidelity (Bercovitch & Berry, ; Brand, ; Carter, ; Dagg & Foster, ; Langman, ).…”

Section: Release‐site Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are capable of surviving in areas with no open water sources, but will utilise water sources when available (Fennessy, ; Owen‐Smith, ). Waterholes play an important role in regulating animal behaviour and may influence giraffe herd distribution (Deacon & Smit, ; de Leeuw et al, ), which could be considered when predicting habitat use of translocated giraffes. We recommend that any release site includes easy water access uninhibited by the presence of livestock, as giraffes may avoid water points where livestock is present (de Leeuw et al, ).…”

Section: Release‐site Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Giraffe translocations: A review and discussion of considerations

et al. 2020

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Giraffe populations have declined dramatically in the last three decades. Giraffe translocations are likely to increase as wildlife managers seek to augment or re‐establish populations. Currently, formal practical guidance for giraffe translocations is limited. Here, we present a review of translocation guidelines emphasising planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and we review giraffe behaviour and ecology to provide recommendations specific to the translocation of giraffes. We also aim to stimulate discussion about best practices for giraffe translocations and further research into the ethical and practical considerations of moving giraffes.

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Activitybudget and foraging patterns ofNubian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis) in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Gitau,

Mbau,

Ngugi

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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The activity budget of giraffe in various African populations has been studied extensively, revealing that it is affected by body size, foraging patterns, and sex. Foraging patterns show an animal's feeding choices in its environment and are influenced by resource availability, competition, and predation risk. The ability of giraffe to survive and reproduce is significantly impacted by the variation in activity budget and foraging across different ecosystems. Our study focused on evaluating the seasonal activity budgets and foraging patterns of Nubian giraffe in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. We used the scan sampling method to record the activity budget of giraffe which included foraging, movement, resting, and drinking water. We then evaluated if activities varied with the seasons. A total of 11,280 activities were documented, with 4560 (40.4%) occurring during the dry season and 6720 (59.6%) during the wet season. Foraging accounted for 53% of the time budget during the dry season, but increased to 57% during the wet season. There was a slight drop in records of movement (22%; n = 995 of 4560) and resting (25%; n = 1145 of 4560) from the dry season to the wet season (20%; n = 1375 out of 6720 and 22%; n = 1515 of 6720). During the dry season, females (53%) foraged longer than males (47%), whereas males (44%) had longer resting periods than females (56%). Giraffe frequently fed on Vachellia xanthophloea (67%; n = 4136 of 6215 foraging records), Maytenus senegalensis (19%), and Solanum incanum (9%) over both seasons. Overall, seasons had little impact on giraffe activity time budgets and foraging patterns in Lake Nakuru National Park. A better insight into the behavioural patterns of this subspecies will allow managers to enhance the protection and conservation of the species and its habitat. Heavy foraging on Vachellia by giraffe at LNNP has been associated with a population decline in number, so perhaps planting more of this species in LNNP could promote a rebound in numbers.

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Spatial ecology and habitat use of giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis ) in South Africa

Cited by 22 publications

References 22 publications

Habitat use by giraffe and greater kudu in the Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe

Habitat use by giraffe and greater kudu in the Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe

Giraffe translocations: A review and discussion of considerations

Activitybudget and foraging patterns ofNubian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis) in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

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