Moroccan Journal of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences

Vol. 10 No. 3 (2022): (September 2022)
Animal Production and Health

Communication of forest elephants during feeding in the Ogooué Leketi National Park in Congo Brazzaville

PDF (French (Canada)) XML (French (Canada))
  • Clément INKAMBA-NKULU,
  • Jean-Paul Koto-te-Nyiwa NGBOLUA,
  • Jean Mukulire MALEKANI,
  • Corneille Ndomba EWANGO,
  • Julien Kumanenge PUNGA,
  • Jonas Sodi Mbongu NAGAHUEDI
Clément INKAMBA-NKULU Wildlife Conservation Society Plateau Batéké, New York, USA
Jean-Paul Koto-te-Nyiwa NGBOLUA Université de Gbado-Lite, Province du Nord-Ubangi, RD Congo
Jean Mukulire MALEKANI Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo
Corneille Ndomba EWANGO Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, République Démocratique du Congo
Julien Kumanenge PUNGA Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo
Jonas Sodi Mbongu NAGAHUEDI Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo

Published 2022-09-21

Copyright Notice

Abstract

Knowledge about the communication of forest elephants in the Ogooué Leketi during foraging is important for effective conservation and monitoring strategies of the animals. The eco-ethology of forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) is less studied than that of savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana). Elephant communication was examined in the two clearings Madjouama and Bissoloko and elephant nutrition in the surrounding forests in the Ogooué Leketi National Park in the Republic of Congo during 24 months from January 2013 to December 2014. Elephant sounds were recorded from the SM2 Autonomous Recording Unit (ARU) to collect data over a 2 km2 area for 3 months without interruption. The data were then downloaded into the SDs for analysis. The spectrogram with the frequency spectra of the elephant sounds was read out in the Raven software. The fresh tracks of the elephants were followed for about a kilometer to count the remains of the food. Plant species consumed by the elephants were collected for determination by specialists in the herbarium. Fresh dung was also analyzed for content. Results showed that forest elephants use the Bissoloko clearing more than the Madjouama clearing. They used the clearings more at night than during daylight hours in both clearings. Factors that affect elephant visitation are seasonality and year-to-year fluctuations. The structure and size of the clearings becomes a dependent variable when all three variables are combined. Elephants intentionally fed on two plant species, Grossera macrantha 29 (3.6%) and Strombosiopsis tetandra 21 (2.6%) of the 249 plant species and 3 animal species recorded in the 26 feeding tracks. Elephants also occasionally fed on some species of Chrysophyllum africanum and Omphalocarpum procerum fruits, which they found in abundance on the ground during their movements. All three invertebrates were consumed by elephants accidentally while feeding on honey, termite mound soil and ant nests. Future conservation is essential for this trans-boundary elephant population of Congo-Gabon.

Keywords: effective protection, communication, mineral resources, trans-boundary conservation.

PDF (French (Canada)) XML (French (Canada))

References