HOPE report

Number: 23-008

Herd structure in Giraffe and developmental changes of social relationship

Report: MIHO SAITO

Date: 2011/7/1 - 2011/11/4

I conducted research about giraffe by foot along with rangers at Katavi National Parks, Tanzania. Mostly I walked around Park HQ and the vegetation of there is Miombo woodland. When I found herd of giraffe, I recorded giraffe's sex, herd size and individual identify by pattern of marking on their necks. Then I conducted focal animal sampling to record body contact duration and categories of social behavior and activities were recorded by 1-min intervals. When the car was available, the research was taken place in IKUU where the vegetation is Acacia savanna and 60km far from HQ. At there, I recorded herd size and age-sex class of each individual. From these data, I can compare the herd structure between other national parks and also it will be possible to reveal how giraffe's herd structure is changing among different vegetation in the Katavi National Park.

Calves are resting in the bush


Suckling behavior of giraffe

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