RT Journal T1 VIGILANCE BEHAVIOR AND POPULATION DENSITY OF COMMON LARGE HERBIVORES IN A SOUTHERN AFRICAN SAVANNA A1 Thabisile Ndiweni A1 Patience Zisadza-Gandiwa A1 Hlengisizwe Ncube A1 Clayton Mashapa A1 Edson Gandiwa JF Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences JO JAPS SN 1018-7081 VO 25 IS 3 SP 876 OP 883 YR 2015 FD 2015/06/01 DO DOI NA AB

The study assessed flight behavioural responses of impala (Aepyceros melampus) and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) to human disturbance and compared densities of common large herbivores across Gonarezhou National Park (non-consumptive land use) and the adjacent Malipati Safari Area (consumptive land use) in southeast Zimbabwe. Animal vigilance was measured by flight behaviour and compared in terms of area and group size. Distance sampling method was used to collect data on densities of large herbivores including namely;impala,kudu, zebra (Equus quagga), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis),waterbuck(Kobus ellipsiprymnus), elephant (Loxodonta africana), warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), steenbok (Raphicerus campestris), common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) and nyala (Tragelaphus angasii), and in both study sites. The vigilance of impala and kudu were higher in Malipati than Gonarezhou (p < 0.001). Vigilance in impala was not significantly different with increasing animal group sizes in both Gonarezhou and Malipati (p > 0.05). Densities of common large herbivores were marginally different with Gonarezhou having higher animal densities than Malipati (p ≤ 0.05). Our results suggest that hunting is important in triggering increased vigilance behaviour of herbivores as well as influencing animal densities. Thus, it is important to monitor and reduce negative human activities on animal populations in the study area for enhancing tourism activities and conservation.

K1 density, herbivore, hunting, sink, source, vigilance, Gonarezhou, Malipati PB Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum LK https://thejaps.org.pk/AbstractView.aspx?mid=2015-JAPS-118