Spatial and social behaviour of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum) in Garamba National Park, DRC

Mathias D'haen

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Population numbers of Kordofan giraffe in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are decreasing. From an academic perspective but with attention for its status and conservation measurements this thesis tried to answer some critical questions. Most importantly: what are the population dynamics? what are the movement and distribution patterns? And, what is the home range size of giraffe in Garamba National Park?With 45 giraffe assumed to be alive at the end of the research, a sex ratio of 35% male and 65% female giraffe in the population and an age class ratio of 11.2% juveniles to 17.7% subadults and 71.1% adults, a framework for future research and conservation activities is established. Furthermore, it is found that giraffe’s distribution is limited to the south-central sector of the Park and that giraffe are divided in different subpopulations of which some are connected through movement patterns whereas others are assumed to be isolated.Finally, research on home range size of six giraffe that were fitted with a GPS satellite collar in early 2016 using the Minimal Convex Polygon (95% MCP) and Kernel Density Estimation (95% KDE) methods estimated an average home range of 445.0 km2 and 268.8 km2 respectively. Home range sizes are, when compared to other research, relatively large, even more so if we take in account the fact that the Garamba National Park complex is much more humid (found to be negatively related with home range size) than other research sites.Based on the outcomes of this research further questions are raised and important conservation management decisions will hopefully be made to protect Garamba’s giraffe.

Keywords

population dynamics, GIS, Social network, Minimum Convex Polygon, Kernel Density Estimation, Democratic Republic of Congo, Giraffe

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 29. 3. 2018

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. Ing. Karolína Brandlová, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / Wildlife Management in the Tropics and Subtropics