The ranging patterns of elephants in Marsabit protected area,Kenya: the use of satellite‐linked GPS collars |
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| Authors: | Shadrack M. Ngene Hein Van Gils Sipke E. Van Wieren Henrik Rasmussen Andrew K. Skidmore Herbert H. T. Prins Albertus G. Toxopeus Patrick Omondi Iain Douglas‐Hamilton |
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| Affiliation: | 1. International Institute of Geo‐information Science and Earth Observation, Hengelosestraat 99, PO Box 6, 7500 AA Enschede, The Netherlands;2. Kenya Wildlife Service, Meru National Park, PO Box 11, Maua, Kenya;3. Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3A, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands;4. Kenya Widlife Service, PO Box 40241, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;5. Save the Elephant, PO Box 54667, Nairobi |
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| Abstract: | We investigated the ranging patterns of elephants in the Marsabit protected area, north eastern Kenya, to ascertain the range of bachelor and female family herds in different seasons, and to identify corridor and noncorridor areas. Data were acquired for five bachelor and four female family herds equipped with satellite‐linked geographical positioning system collars, and monitored from December 2005 to December 2007. Distinct dry (about 260 km2) and wet seasons (about 910 km2) ranges were observed, with connecting corridors (north‐eastern corridor: about 90 km long, about 2‐7 km wide; southern corridors: about 10‐20 km long, about 2‐3 km wide). The dry season range corresponded with Marsabit evergreen forest, while the wet season range matched with dry deciduous lowland shrubs. The ranging elephants moved at speed of about 0.2‐20 kmh?1. Bachelor herds moved faster than female family herds. Elephants moved fast during the intermediate and wet seasons than during the dry season. The speed of ranging elephants was over 1 kmh?1 in the corridor areas and about 0.2 to less than 1 kmh?1 in the non‐corridor areas. Expansion of settlements towards corridor areas needs to be controlled to avoid future blocking of connectivity between wet and dry season elephant ranges. |
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| Keywords: | conservation of connectivity corridor elephant migration GPS collars ranging patterns satellite speed |
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