The Mystery of ‘Patchwork Grazing’ by Giraffes Giraffe Numbers Double in South Africa Even as They Decline on The Continent of Africa
The mystery of ‘patchwork grazing’ by giraffes may hold clues to why they are threatened with extinction say Scientists at the University of the Free State in South Africa who are using drones and GPS in their studies.
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o understand why giraffes have lost more than 80% of some of their subspecie populations in Africa and are facing extinction in the wild researchers at the University of the Free State in South Africa are looking into their strange ‘patchwork grazing’ habit – eating in one area but avoiding an identical area. Researchers at the University of the Free State in South Africa are using drones and GPS tracking devices to establish giraffe eating and movement patterns. This has
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shown that giraffes will eat in some areas and avoid others with exactly the same vegetation. This strange behaviour lies at the heart of the research and researchers hope it may offer insights into why giraffe numbers are plummeting. The UFS is the only Africa based institution that has contributed the most to giraffe research and conservation strategies in Africa. It is the leading university in the collection and analysis of information about giraffes and their habitats, increasing conservation education awareness about giraffes and African biodiversity and to develop national and/or regional plans aimed at giraffe conservation. On the UFS campus there are seven different departments involved with giraffe research or post graduate projects. These Departments include, Zoology, Chemistry, Food Science, Microbiology, Genetics, Physics, Animal, Grassland and Wildlife Sciences.
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
Dr Marietjie Schutte-Smith, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, says the unique collaborative research being done in South Africa could help save Giraffe subspecies from the brink of extinction – as South Africa has managed to double its giraffe numbers whilst subspecies have declined tremendously. REASONS FOR GIRAFFES STRANGE GRAZING PATTERNS Wildlife habitat expert, Dr Francois Deacon says until recently they have captured 70 giraffes and most were fitted with GPS satellite units to aid ecological research through remote collection of data on their movements and home ranges. “Giraffe numbers on the continent are declining fast, demonstrating the lack of knowledge about their required habitat needs, space use www.lancmag.com
