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s z Available online at http://www.journalcra.com INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT RESEARCH International Journal of Current Research Vol. 12, Issue, 07, pp.12906-12915, July, 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24941/ijcr.39174.07.2020 ISSN: 0975-833X RESEARCH ARTICLE ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIAL AND REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR OF THE WEST AFRICAN GIRAFFE (GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS PERALTA) FOR OPTIMAL POPULATION MANAGEMENT 1,*Hamadou O., 1Amadou Oumani A., 1Morou B. and 2Mahamane A. 1Dan Dicko Dankoulodo University of Maradi, P.O Box 465 Maradi, Niger 2University of Diffa, P.O Box 78 Diffa, Niger ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: This study aims to understand the biology of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) and its Received 07th April, 2020 ethological characteristics for optimal management. Little is known about the social and reproductive Received in revised form behaviour of the Niger giraffe. This information enables conservation measures to be adapted for the 25th May , 2020 sustainable management of the giraffe. The present study was conducted in the area between 13°00' Accepted 21st June, 2020 th and 14°30' north latitude and 2°30' and 3°30' east longitude. Direct daily observations of the giraffe Published online 30 July, 2020 were conducted from 0800 pm to 0700 am for 111 days, from April 2018 to March 2019 on the trays of Kouré, Fakara, Fabidji, Falmey, Northern Dallol Bosso, Fandou, Dingazi-banda and Simiri. It Key Words: appears from this study that adult females are more numerous; are always accompanied either by a Biology, Ethology, Giraffe, giraffe or by other giraffes of different classes and or sexes. The average herd size is 5.59±3.49 Sustainable Management, individuals in the cold dry season, 3.96±1.42 individuals in the hot dry season and 7.58±5.20 Cohabitation, Niger. individuals in the rainy season. All combinations are possible, except groups of young and giraffe only. After 243 observations, only 21 individuals were observed solitary and all of them are adult males, so, no solitary females. There are several types of associations between individuals of the same class and/or different sexes. The average birth rate is 0.13±0.08 individuals and a proportion of 32.93% for breeding females. The rate of increase is 11% and the mortality rate is close to 2% by year. The causes of death are mainly natural. The distance between individuals in a group is about 121.19±80.02 meters. There is an important social connection between the mother and the giraffe baby. Copyright © 2020, Hamadou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Citation: Hamadou O., Amadou Oumani A., Morou B. and Mahamane A. 2020. “Analysis of the social and reproductive behaviour of the West African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) for optimal population management”, International Journal of Current Research, 12, (07), 12906-12915. INTRODUCTION This can be explained by the relative peace and quiet it enjoys in the study area as a result of awareness-raising efforts and the various actions carried out by development projects, the The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) from Niger is the services in charge of protecting the giraffe and certain last in West Africa and the only representative of the peralta associations. T he breeding system is polygynous, where only a subspecies in Africa. It frequents several habitats depending on small number of males seem to have access to reproduction, the season; these are the forest trays in the rainy season, the often the largest and most aggressive (Dagg & Foster, 1976). Dallol Bosso in the hot dry season and the intermediate zone in Female sexual activity is limited to a few days every two the cold dry season (Ciofolo, 1995; Le Pendu and Ciofolo, weeks (Pratt & Anderson 1985). The male determines whether 1999; Ambouta, 2006). The giraffe appears on the list of taxa the female is in estrus by tasting the female's urine (Leuthold that are fully protected in Niger (Law n°98-07 of 29 April 1977). If the female is receptive, the male stays close to the 1998) and is classi fied as "Vulnerable" on the Red List of the female, attempts to mate with her (Leuthold, 1979; Pratt & International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2018. This Anderson, 1985), and moves away or fights with competing category includes species facing a threat in the wild. For this males. During this period, the male decreases his feeding time reason, various conservation operations have been undertaken (Bercovitch, 2006). These fights between males, called in the area where the giraffe lives. There is a clear evolution of "necking", are often ritualised, but sometimes violent: males the giraffe population from 50 individuals en 1996 (Ciofolo, hit each other on the neck and head. Very rarely in the 1998) to 633 individuals in 2018 (DFC/PR report, 2018). literature, the death of a male following a fight has been reported (Simmons & Scheepers, 1996). In Niger, cases of *Corresponding author: Hamadou O., deaths following fighting between adult males have been 1Dan Dicko Dankoulodo University of Maradi, P.O Box 465 Maradi, recorded in the last ten years. Niger. 12907 Hamadou et al. Analysis of the social and reprod uctive behaviour of the west african giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis peralta) for optimal population management Reproduction in giraffes is not seasonal, but birth peaks have the bibliography and preliminary surveys). For this reason, been reported in som e populations (Scheepers, 1992; three observation sites were selected (the central zone and the Fennessy, 2004). Gestation lasts about 15 months, and when outlying areas of Fandou and Dingazi-Simiri) (table 1). We did conditions are good, on average a single giraffe is born every 2 not take into account the differentiation of habitats and years (Dagg & Foster, 1976). This period between births may climatic parameters by observation sites (temperature, rainfall, decrease if the giraffe dies (Dagg & Foster, 1976). The winds, etc.), given the seasonal movements of some giraffe's social system is described as non-territorial, and individuals on either side of the different sites in the study extremely flexible. Thus, there is a strong overlap of individual area. A total of 246 groups, were observed. home ranges (Dagg & Foster, 1976; Le Pendu et al. 2000). However, the mechanisms governing changes in herd size are Data Collection: The data on giraffe population dynamics are not known. It is still not known whether herds result from derived from the results of various land counts with photo random association, or whether they are structured into social identification of each individual; it is based on the Capture- networks (Bercovitch & Berry, 2010). These herds can change Mark-Recapture method. Each giraffe was photographed on in number and composition several times a day (fusion/fission the two profiles in order to create individual identity cards. system, Berry, 1973). Thus, the giraffe is an ideal model to Each giraffe has its own spots that do not vary during the study how ecological variables contribute to fluctuations in individual's life, similar to human fingerprints. herd size (Bercovitch & Berry, 2010). Little information is known about ethological characteristics (social and The giraffe is therefore an ideal model for population studies in reproductive behaviour), interactions between individuals of large mammals, thanks to individual photo-identification. The the same sex or of different classes, rates of growth, birth rate, advantage of this method is that it makes it possible to mortality, links with local populations and the environment in determine the age class and sex of each individual encountered a context of strong degradation of natural resources. This study and also to count the maximum of the entire population. T he is part of the knowledge of group composition, birth rate, age classes were determined in accordance with the work of relations between individuals of the same group and of Ciofolo and Le Pendu (1998); different groups, relations between mother and giraffe and mortality, all of which will contribute to the sustainable The distance between individuals in a group: at each management of the giraffe population in Niger. observation o f a group of giraffes, the distance between the last individual and the rest of the group is estimated using a GPS Equipment and methods (Global Positioning System, GARMIN). The same applies to the estimation of the distance between the mother and the Study area: The present study was conducted in the giraffe's giraffe. The other parameters (behaviour of the adult male and range between 13°00' and 14°30' north latitude and 2°30' and the pregnant or lactating female, relationships between 3°30' east longitude (Figure 1). The forest formation is an individuals in the same group or different groups) are recorded alternating strips of vegetation and bare soil. The processes on a form; that determine its evolution have been relatively investigated (Leprun, 1992; Ambouta, 1997; Couteron et al. 1996). It is one Direct observations: the data are recorded on the cards and of the best structured plant formations in the Sahelian zone then analysed. These observations have made it possible to (Ambouta, 1999). Rainfall is irregular and poorly distributed in identify in the field the problem of the giraffe's social and time and space, with an average annual rainfall of 497.15 mm reproductive behaviour. The causes of giraffe mortality are over the last 30 years. The maxima rise from 34.2°C to noted by personal observations or by information provided by 30.7°of the rainy season and the minima hover around 23.2°C the services in charge of giraffe protection and certain local during the cold dry season and 27.7°C in the middle of the development associations; rainy season.