Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya
The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) has lost more than 50 % of its range to human civilisation. The remaining lands still used by the elephants are fragmented into smaller blocks with or without connection between them (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). The loss of available lands a...
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| Formato: | H2 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
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SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231)
2016
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855571626081386496 |
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| author | Sernert, Henriette |
| author_browse | Sernert, Henriette |
| author_facet | Sernert, Henriette |
| author_sort | Sernert, Henriette |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) has lost more than 50 % of its range to human civilisation. The remaining lands still used by the elephants are fragmented into smaller blocks with or without connection between them (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). The loss of available lands and the settlement of humans in previous elephant areas has resulted in conflict between the species. Elephants can destroy water supplies, ruin houses, raid and ruin crops and grain stores. They are also known to kill livestock and injuring or killing people. Elephants are hunted and killed both because these conflicts and because of their tusks that is sold as ivory on the black market (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015).
In order to protect the elephant population and minimise the conflicts with humans knowledge of elephant requirements and movements are crucial (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). In Africa there are many protected areas of varying sizes. Several of these protected areas are fences and some have wildlife corridors in their fences allowing different species to freely enter or exit the area. The aim of this study is to examine the elephant’s usage and what influences the usage of the wildlife corridors in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the Laikipia District, Kenya. Furthermore to evaluate the planned methods of data collection with camera traps at the corridors.
The elephants used the corridors frequently and their preferred time of traveling through the corridors were during the dark hours of the day when 60% of the passages were made. Single elephants used the corridors with a higher frequency than Family Groups and Adult Groups. A correlation of the corridor use and moon phase was found but no correlation with precip. The camera traps where used for collection of data on all animals using the corridors and therefore the cameras was set too low to give a clear view when elephants passed too close to the camera. |
| format | H2 |
| id | RepoSLU10030 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés swe |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231) |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231) |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU100302017-03-07T10:06:44Z Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya Pilotstudie för Afrikanska Elefanters (Loxodonta africana) användande av korridorer i Ol Pejeta reservatet i Laikipia distriktet i Kenya Sernert, Henriette African elephant loxodonta africana corridor Ol Pejeta Concervancy The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) has lost more than 50 % of its range to human civilisation. The remaining lands still used by the elephants are fragmented into smaller blocks with or without connection between them (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). The loss of available lands and the settlement of humans in previous elephant areas has resulted in conflict between the species. Elephants can destroy water supplies, ruin houses, raid and ruin crops and grain stores. They are also known to kill livestock and injuring or killing people. Elephants are hunted and killed both because these conflicts and because of their tusks that is sold as ivory on the black market (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). In order to protect the elephant population and minimise the conflicts with humans knowledge of elephant requirements and movements are crucial (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). In Africa there are many protected areas of varying sizes. Several of these protected areas are fences and some have wildlife corridors in their fences allowing different species to freely enter or exit the area. The aim of this study is to examine the elephant’s usage and what influences the usage of the wildlife corridors in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the Laikipia District, Kenya. Furthermore to evaluate the planned methods of data collection with camera traps at the corridors. The elephants used the corridors frequently and their preferred time of traveling through the corridors were during the dark hours of the day when 60% of the passages were made. Single elephants used the corridors with a higher frequency than Family Groups and Adult Groups. A correlation of the corridor use and moon phase was found but no correlation with precip. The camera traps where used for collection of data on all animals using the corridors and therefore the cameras was set too low to give a clear view when elephants passed too close to the camera. Den Afrikanska elefanten (Loxodonta africana) har förlorat mer är 50 % av sitt utbredningsområde på grund av människan. De landområden som finns kvar av elefanternas ursprungliga utbredningsområde är fragmenterat i mindre områden (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). En del områden är sammanlänkade genom mindre partier vildmark medan vissa områden nästan är helt avskilda. Denna fragmentering och minskning av utbredningsområden för elefanterna har lett till konflikter mellan elefanter och människor. Elefanter kan förstöra vattencisterner, hus, plundra och förstöra odlingar samt sädesförråd. De kan även döda boskap och skada eller döda människor. Elefanter jagas och dödas både på grund av dessa konflikter och på grund av deras betar som säljs på den svarta marknaden (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). För att kunna bevara och skydda elefantpopulationen samt minska konflikterna med människor behövs kunskap om elefanters olika behov och deras förflyttningar (IUCN, 2011; IEF, 2014; IUCN Red List, 2015). I Afrika finns det många skyddade områden av varierande storlek. Många av dessa är inhägnade, med eller utan viltpassager som tillåter vissa djurarter att fritt röra sig in och ut ur parken. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka elefanternas användande, och vad som påverkar deras användande av dessa passager i Ol Pejeta reservatet, i Laikipia distriktet i Kenya. Även att utvärdera de planerade metoderna att samla in data med hjälp av kamerafällor vid parkens viltpassager. Elefanterna färdades genom passagerna nästan dagligen och främst under dygnets mörka timmar då 60 % av passagerna gjordes. Ensamma elefanter använde passagerna oftare än familjegrupper och grupper med endast vuxna elefanter. En svag korrelation mellan passagerna och månens bana hittades men ingen korrelation med nederbörd. Att använda de befintliga kamerafällorna till att samla in data för elefanterna var inte helt optimalt eftersom kamerorna var placerade så att alla djur som passerar dokumenteras. Detta resulterade i att kamerorna satt för lågt för att kunna ge en optimal bild av elefanter. SLU/Dept. of Animal Environment and Health (until 231231) 2016 H2 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/10030/ |
| spellingShingle | African elephant loxodonta africana corridor Ol Pejeta Concervancy Sernert, Henriette Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya |
| title | Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya |
| title_full | Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya |
| title_short | Pilot study of Corridor use by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia District, Kenya |
| title_sort | pilot study of corridor use by african elephants (loxodonta africana) in ol pejeta conservancy, laikipia district, kenya |
| topic | African elephant loxodonta africana corridor Ol Pejeta Concervancy |