Buffalo, cattle and their interactions at the edge of transfrontier conservation areas: synthesis of research carried out 2008-2015 in Hwange NP, Gonarezhou NP and their peripheries (Zimbabwe) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Habitat preferences of the secretive forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) in Central Africa
Journal of Zoology, 2007
The forest buffalo Syncerus caffer nanus is one of the three subspecies of African buffalo inhabiting the rainforests of Western and Central Africa. Because of its secretive behaviour and main habitat (dense rainforests), there is little quantitative information on the habitat preferences of this buffalo. We present here the first data on the frequencies of this species along a habitat gradient ranging from clearings and rivers to forests, as well as the characteristics of the buffalo's resting places. We recorded information from a buffalo herd during the period January 2002-January 2004 in the Bai-Hokou area (Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic). Resting places were firstly compared with available habitat (i.e. resting vs. random sites) and, successively, comparisons were made between diurnal versus nocturnal and wet versus dry season resting places. Forest buffalos were found to be highly dependent on clearings, as well as on the more open forest stands, characterized by large trees and open canopy. Such preferences could be due to the tendency of the buffalos to rest all together; open patches are likely to facilitate social interactions between the members of the herd.
African Journal of Ecology, 2016
We test the extent to which fence damage or fence permeability (resulting from human and elephant damage) influences patterns of cattle and buffalo movement at the periphery of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe. We used spoor data to detect and compare the frequency of cattle and buffalo movement across the fence boundary. Results show that spoor proportions for cattle were significantly higher on fence partially damaged by humans than buffalo spoor. Conversely, buffalo spoor proportions were significantly higher on sections with totally removed fence as a result of elephant damage. Results suggest that cattle and buffalo use different sections of the damaged fence.
Evaluating the protection of wildlife in parks: the case of African buffalo in Serengeti
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2010
Human population growth rates on the borders of protected areas in Africa are nearly double the average rural growth, suggesting that protected areas attract human settlement. Increasing human populations could be a threat to biodiversity through increases in illegal hunting. In the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, there have been marked declines in black rhino (Diceros bicornis), elephant (Loxodonta africana) and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) inside the protected area during a period when there was a reduction of protection through anti-poaching effort . Subsequently, protection effort has increased and has remained stable. During both periods there were major differences in population decline and recovery in different areas. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the possible causes of the spatial differences. We used a spatially structured population model to analyze the impacts of three factors-(i) hunting, (ii) food shortage and (iii) natural predation. Population changes were best explained by illegal hunting but model fit improved with the addition of predation mortality and the effect of food supply in areas where hunting was least. We used a GIS analysis to determine variation in human settlement rates and related those rates to intrinsic population changes in buffalo. Buffalo populations in close proximity to areas with higher rates of human settlement had low or negative rates of increase and were slowest to recover or failed to recover at all. The increase in human populations along the western boundary of the Serengeti ecosystem has led to negative consequences for wildlife populations, pointing to the need for enforcement of wildlife laws to mitigate these effects.
Distribution of Buffaloes in the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve, Ghana
A survey of buffaloes in the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve, Ghana was conducted to assess their distribution in the dry season month of January 2013. Forty line transects were systematically distributed in the various vegetation types and a team of four persons led by a compass man recorded direct sightings of buffaloes along the transects. Coordinates of all buffalo sightings were marked using a Global Positioning System and then digitized into a Geographic Information System to yield a buffalo distribution map. Regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between the distribution of buffaloes and hunting activity recorded on transects. Results indicated that buffaloes were confined to the northern section of Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve, which constituted an existing protected zone, whilst no record of buffaloes were made south of Kogyae in the recovery and special use zones. Regression analysis indicated that hunting activity may be the most important variable influenci...
Proceeding of the 1st Symposium on African Buffalo
2015
ANTELOPE SPECIALIST GROUP GNUSLETTER ASG News • The IUCN SSC ASG Position Statement on the Intentional Genetic Manipulation of Antelopes, which also applies to the African buffalo Book • Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour of Wild Cattle-Implications for Conservation African buffalo symposium • Summaries of communications Original publications • Update on buffalo in the Volcanoes NP, Rwanda. Apio et al. • Status of buffalo in Akagera National Park. Apio et al. • Movements of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation area. Naidoo et al. • Drivers of the South African Buffalo Ranching Industry. Peter Oberem. Summaries of recent publications • Ecology o Home on the Range: Factors Explaining Partial Migration of African Buffalo in a Tropical Environment. Naidoo et al. o Habitat Selection by African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in Response to Landscape-Level Fluctuations in Water Availability on Two Temporal Scales. Bennitt et al. o Potential effects of prescribed savannah burning on the diet selection of forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) in Lopé National Park, Gabon. Hoek et al. o Spatial and temporal changes in group dynamics and range use enable anti-predator responses in African buffalo. Tambling et al. o Spatiotemporal dynamics of forage and water resources shape space use of West African savanna buffaloes. Cornélis et al.
wildlife/livestock interface in a semi-arid savanna of Southern Africa
2013
Based on wildlife and domestic herbivore waterhole use count data collected in the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe between 2008 and 2011, we tested whether there was any significant overlap by wild and domestic herbivores in the use of waterholes located; 1) inside a wildlife protected area, 2) at the boundary of the protected and agricultural areas and 3) in the agricultural areas. We also explored whether species diversity at these three land uses vary significantly. Our results showed overlap in place and time between wild and domestic herbivores especially in the use of waterholes located at the boundary of the protected areas and at one waterhole located in the agricultural areas. Results also indicated that overall, 95% of wild herbivores prefered using waterholes located inside the protected area.Results of this study further demonstrated that animal species diversity declines significantly along a gradient from protected areas to agricultural areas. Overall, results of this study imply that the current emerging disease interface between wildlife and livestock may not necessarily be due to direct physical interaction between disease reservoir hosts or even sharing of same waterholes at the same time but rather an indirect contact. These findings could provide an important avenue of investigating livestock and wildlife disease outbreaks at the domestic-wildlife interface which are disturbing current efforts to improve livestock production as well as biodiversity conservation in African savannas.
Population regulation of African buffalo in the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem
Wildlife Research, 2015
Context The processes regulating ungulate populations have been the focus of numerous studies. For the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer Sparrman) population inhabiting the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem, rinderpest was the primary regulatory factor up to the mid-1960s. Following reduction of rinderpest and buffalo population increase, interspecific competition for food, notably with cattle and wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus Burchell), was thought to be the primary regulatory factor in the ecosystem. Aims We analysed buffalo population trends and the relationship between buffalo population growth and rainfall and density dependence in the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem and discuss the findings in the context of the key ecosystem processes governing buffalo population dynamics in African savannas, namely, food limitation, competition, predation, disease and land use changes. Methods We analysed buffalo population dynamics in the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem in relation to rainfall and density depe...