The Kruger National Park (KNP) is home to the last genetically viable, minimally managed population of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus, wild dogs) in South Africa. Until 2004, this population remained stable, but since ...

Animal personality traits (consistent behavioral differences between individuals in their behavior across time and/or situation) affect individual fitness through facets, such as dispersal. In eusocial naked mole-rat ...

The social organization of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) imposes a high-cost reproductive strategy on bulls, which adopt a ‘roving male’ tactic. Our observations on wild giraffes confirm that bulls indeed have ...

In nutrient-poor wildlife reserves it has become common-practice to provide supplemental mineral resources for wildlife. Yet, the impacts of anthropogenic mineral supplementation on large herbivore nutrition, behaviour, ...

The savannah biome supports unique biodiversity and provides a multitude of ecosystem services. Defining background concentrations for trace elements in the environment is beneficial for the determination of nutrient ...

The use of carbon dioxide (CO2) exposure as a means of animal euthanasia has received considerable attention in mammals and birds but remains virtually untested in reptiles. We measured the behavioral responses of four ...

1. The ability of dispersing individuals to adjust their behaviour to changing conditions is instrumental in overcoming challenges and reducing dispersal costs, consequently increasing overall dispersal success. Understanding ...

The electric stunner (e-stunner) is commonly used to handle Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) on commercial farms in South Africa, but while it seems to improve handling and safety for the keepers, no information ...

Colonies of naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber, NMRs) are characterised by an extreme skew in lifetime reproductive success with only one female and one to three male consorts in a colony. The rest of the individuals ...

Free-ranging African elephants Loxodonta africana use their front feet frequently during the process of foraging and this could be the reason for the high prevalence of physical injuries to these parts of the body. Although ...