Interactions between wildlife, humans and cattle: activity patterns of a remnant population of impala on the degraded Mutara Rangelands, Rwanda
T. Wronski A C , J. D. Bariyanga B , A. Apio B and M. Plath A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Northwest A&F University, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China.
B University of Rwanda, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Department of Wildlife and Aquatic Resources Management, PO Box 57, Nyagatare, Rwanda.
C Corresponding author. Email: t_wronski@gmx.de
The Rangeland Journal 37(4) 357-365 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ15025
Submitted: 18 December 2014 Accepted: 15 May 2015 Published: 24 July 2015
Abstract
Large- to medium-sized African ungulates are often studied in conservation areas, ignoring the fact that most African landscapes are nowadays heavily impacted by agricultural and pastoralist practices. The present study emphasises the wealth of information obtained from studying a remnant population of a medium-sized ungulate, the impala (Aepyceros melampus), on degraded rangelands in Rwanda. Compared with impala occurring under similar climatic conditions in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, the study population showed a marked reduction in daytime activity, absence of a mid-day resting phase, and a slight increase in activity towards the late afternoon. This pattern was not directly correlated with daily variation in human activity. It is argued that hunting/poaching leads impala to seek shelter to such a degree that any daytime rhythmicity in activity patterns is lost and that increased afternoon activity reflects a shifted cost-benefit ratio of hiding versus foraging, as hungry individuals are more likely to take risks. Indeed, impala were more likely to encounter cattle herds and their herdsmen towards the afternoon. The study augments understanding of behavioural flexibility, potential for habituation and adaptation to human-induced habitat alterations in impala and highlights a possible function of rangelands as dispersal corridors for African wildlife populations.
Additional keywords: Akagera Ecosystem, human–wildlife conflict, livestock grazing, pastoralism, Rwanda.
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