Search

Dhaka Zoo with 2000 animal heads of 184 species from significant genetic diversity and five million visitors’ influx round the year is placing it a public health important spot. This study was conducted to investigate aspergillosis in animals at Dhaka Zoo to ascertain animal health, welfare and public health safety standard. One hundred and two necropsied tissue samples preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin at necropsy from 36 animals of 25 different species were collected from Dhaka Zoo. Twenty five out of 36 study animals were suffering from granulomatous diseases. Among them 13 animals were suffering from Aspergillosis. Clinical history, nodular lesions from necropsy findings, granulomatous reactions along with fungal spores and characteristic radiating club on histopathology; dichotomously branching septate hyphae and mycelial conidiophore on special staining were revealed Aspergillosis in 13 animals of nine species that includes four rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta ), two samber deer ( Cervus unicolor ) and one of each species were nilgai ( Boselaphus tragocamelus ), horse ( Equus caballus ), stripped hyena ( Hyena hyena ), gayal ( Bos frontalis ), beisa oryx ( Oryx beisa beisa ), water buck ( Kobus L. leche ) and greater kudu ( Tragelaphus strepsiceros ). Present study provides evidence of existing Aspergillosis and similar long standing zoonotic diseases in majority of rest of the animals with health risk that shades health safety standard at Dhaka Zoo. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v11i2.19924 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 11(2): 265-270, 2013

Multiple land uses including tourism, hunting, and agriculture around protected areas can be a serious complication for wildlife management. We calculated habitat selection indices (Manly's alpha) for 10 bovid species in the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin, west Africa, to assess if habitat use differed in each bovid species between hunting and non-hunting zones. Presence/absence data was used in resource-selection functions based on a generalized linear mixed effect model to examine factors that explained bovid species distribution. We observed stronger avoidance of open habitat types in the hunting zone than in the non hunting zone for the hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus, oribi Ourebia ourebi, roan Hippotragus equines, kob Kobus kob, Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa and reedbuck Redunca redunca. In contrast, in grey duiker Sylvicapra grimmia, red-flanked duiker Cephalophus rufilatus, bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus and buffalo Syncerus caffer we found no differences in habitat use between hunte...

New antelope material from the Tatrot type locality of the Tatrot Formation, Upper Siwaliks, northern Pakistan, allows us to recognize four antelopes, i.e., Antilope intermedia sp. nov. Khan and Akhtar, Antilope subtorta Pilgrim, 1937, Antilope cervicapra (Linnaeus, 1758), and Kobus porrecticornis (Lydekker, 1878). Comparisons with A. cervicapra and A. subtorta suggest that A. intermedia sp. nov. is closely related to the black buck A. cervicapra. The new material from Tatrot confirms the idea that antelopes in the Upper Pliocene Tatrot Formation were rather diverse.

This paper presents the phenology of seven taxa of the genus Magnolia L., pollen biology on germination and storage conditions, seed productivity, germinating ability of seeds and its dependence on stratification and germination conditions. It has been found that M. kobus DC, M. kobus var. boreales Sarg., M. obovata Thurb., M. officinalis Rehd. et Wils., M. salicifolia (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim., M. sieboldii K. Koch. and M. tripetala L. in cultivated condition produce pollen at a low viability rate (9.4 - 31.7%). Real seed productivity of the taxa being studied is less than their potential productivity. However, M. obovata , M. officinalis and M. tripetala are characterized by high seed germinating ability, up to 94%. Optimal germination conditions for seeds of M. tripetala , M. officinalis and M. obovata require protected ground (greenhouse) and stratification at 4oC during 30 days. The high germinating ability of M. sieboldii seeds in the open ground is explained by stratification duration and temperature required for this species. Sarcotesta effects on higher seed germinating ability have been observed in M. obovata only. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v20i2.17390 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 20(2): 163-170, 2013

A South African endemic antelope, the Grey Rhebok (Pelea capreolus), has long been an evolutionary enigma in bovid systematics—its phylogenetic intractability attributed to its curious combination of derived and primitive morphological attributes and the consequences of a rapid radiation. By using a combination of DNA sequences, chromosomal characteristics and quantitative and qualitative morphological features we show that the species is a sister taxon to a clade that comprises the waterbuck, reedbuck and allies. Our finding of few unambiguous synapomorphies reinforces suggestions of a rapid radiation and highlights the effects of incomplete lineage sorting, including the hemiplasic nature of several chromosomal rearrangements. We investigate these data to address the general question of what may have led to Pelea being both genetically and ecologically distinct from the Reduncini. We argue that its adaptation to exposed habitats, free of standing water, arose by vicariance prompted by increasing aridity of the extreme south/southwestern region of the African continent in the Miocene. Ancestral lineages leading to the extant Redunca and Kobus, on the other hand, retreated to water-abundant refugia in the north during these mostly globally cool phases. The mosaic of water-rich environments provided by the Okavango and the drainage systems in the southwestern extension of the East African Rift system are considered to have facilitated speciation and chromosomal evolution within these antelope.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of leaf-level hyperspectral data to predict the density of sugarcane thrips Fulmekiola serrata (Kobus). A hand-held spectroradiometer was used to make the spectral measurements on spindle leaves of 4- to 5-month-old plants of sugarcane cv. N19 growing in commercial fields near Umfolozi, South Africa. A random forest algorithm followed by partial least squares regression was used for the analysis. Developed models were adequate to predict nymph numbers in December and adult numbers in March, but different models were needed for the thrips life stage assessed and the season when the estimation took place.

Setyawan AD, Sugiyarto. 2015. Diversity of Selaginella in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java. Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 1: 1312-1317. Eastern Java has a relatively drier climate than other parts of Java, but it still has quite a lot of cool mountain areas and provide enough water, for example, Bromo Tengger and Semeru Mountains complex. Selaginella is a herbaceous plant that need water for reproduction, thus it is important to know its existence in the dry climates region due to global climate change. This aims of this study was to determine the species diversity of Selaginella in the National Park of Bromo Tengger and Semeru (BTSNP), East Java. Field study was conducted in August 2007 and May 2015, and followed by observation of specimen collection of Herbarium Bogoriense, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences Cibinong, Bogor. From the field research, there were collected five herbarium specimens, while the herbaria collections observed were 49 sheets of specimens. The results showed that in this park and its border areas, there were found eight species of Selaginella, namely: S. ciliaris, S. intermedia, S. involvens, S. opaca, S. ornata, S. plana, S. remotifolia and S. singalanensis. However, the morphological characteristic of S. intermedia and S. singalanensis needs to be further confirmed since each of them was only observed from a single sheet herbarium, namely O Posthumus 1615 and Kobus Tosari 147, respectively. In Java, S. intermedia was mainly distributed in the western part of Java. Meanwhile, the presence of S. singalanensis in Java was relatively rare.

This article explores the possibility of an alignment of (a) theology (understood as study concentrating on one faith from the faith suppositions of that faith) and (b) a study of world religions, open to all regardless of faith in the context of an encompassing theory. This article argues that far from undermining the dignity and value of any religion, (b) could add value to the theological study of any one religion. This article proceeds to develop a model for (b). Utilising a methodology revolving around the strategies of careful historical criticism, faithful intentional understanding and imaginative yet trustworthy tendentional interpretation, this article explores a model harmonising the key concepts of metaphysical mysticism (understood as the peak of religious aspiration), conditionality (emphasising the unique singularity of individual religions), totality (emphasising the religious landscape as one coherent whole) and horizon (emphasising the non-absoluteness of all religions, petering out on, and arising from, silence).

The thesis proposes a study of late medieval plucked string musical instruments of the family of guitar and lute, based on a multidisciplinary approach that mixes historical, literary, linguistic-etymological, philological and iconographic aspects. The time span primarily considered ranges from the mid-1200s to the late 1400s, that is, from the first written evidence of these instruments in European languages to the invention of the tablature and the first treatises on organology. The sources used comprise Arab and Latin musical treatises, literary and historical documents in European languages, as well as iconographic evidence. The main purpose of the thesis is a comprehensive investigation of the history of medieval plucked string instruments, not limiting the scope of research to linguistic and organological problems, but also extending it to the performative aspects, the repertoire, the musicians and the literary and cultural context in which these instruments appeared. Another objective is to identify all the evidence connected to the instruments that form the object of this research, in order to perform an exhaustive analysis of the terminology and highlight a series of less known sources.

This article suggests a theoretical and methodological perspective primarily hinging on the categories of Horizon, Totality and conditionalism, with an outspoken mystical orientation, radically relativising yet simultaneously treasuring diverse religious expression. This model was developed with a view to interpreting the history of religions, in this case applied to the history of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria from 1917 to 2017.Utilising this perspective, the history of the faculty is analysed in terms of three qualitatively distinct yet continuous epochs, overlapping with the three epochs of South African history during the twentieth century: 1902–1948, 1948–1994 and 1994 to present. In particular the article focuses on two dimensions of theological existence at the University of Pretoria: firstly, its interaction with the state over this century, that is, its political existence during the decades prefiguring apartheid, during apartheid and during the aftermath of apartheid; secondly, its relationship with the wider world of religious pluralism over the past century, implying its notion of religious truth. Differences of emphasis and conflicts during the century, involving both sets of problems, are explained and understood conditionalistically and with reference to Totality and Horizon. Racial exclusion and religious exclusion are understood as mutually determining and are both informed by and dependent on a certain view of religious truth.In the context of its own ambit this article has a reconciliatory intention, not evaluating the mistakes of the past in terms of the categories of sin and guilt, but rather in terms of tragic misjudgements of situations: shortcomings in historical hindsight, sufficiently wide peripheral vision, realistic foresight and sufficient insight into the epochal conditions of the times and the essence of religion. Greed and hatred, seemingly ingrained in human nature, are taken to feed on such lack of insight.

As an endangered species, Magnolia kobus is distributed in Jeju island in Korea with only about 500–1000 individuals. In this study, we presented a complete chloroplast genome of M. kobus which is 159,443 bp and has four sub-regions: 87,484 bp of large single copy and 18,783 bp of small single copy regions are separated by 26,588 bp of inverted repeat regions including 113 genes (79 unique genes, four rRNAs and 30 tRNAs). Phylogenetic analysis using chloroplast genomes showed that M. kobus is a sister of M. insignis and M. laevifolia clade.

The present study was conducted on six Magnolia species in the period 2006-2008 in the Botanical Garden of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. The soil and leaves from the locations of the following species of Magnolia were subjected to evaluation: cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata L.), Kobushi magnolia (Magnolia kobus DC), purple lily magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora L.), Japanese willow-leaf magnolia (Magnolia salicifolia Siebold et Zucc. Maxim.), saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana Soul.-Bod.), and umbrella magnolia (Magnolia tripetala L.). The studied plants were planted during the period 1968-1989 on grey-brown podzolic soil derived from loess. The significantly lowest content of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium as well as the lowest pH were recorded in the soil from the location occupied by the purple lily magnolia (M. liliiflora). The other sites were characterized by an optimal range of pH, high soil phosphorus and magnesium availability as well as medium potassium availability. An optimal content of nitrogen and calcium was found in the leaves of the cucumber tree (M. acuminata), of phosphorus and magnesium in the leaves of the Kobushi magnolia (M. kobus), and of potassium in the leaves of the Japanese willow-leaf magnolia (M. salicifolia). A low content of nitrogen and calcium was shown in the leaves of the purple lily magnolia (M. liliiflora), of phosphorus in the leaves of the saucer magnolia (M. x soulangiana), and of potassium in the indicator parts of the cucumber tree (M. acuminata). The study found that among the studied species the cucumber tree (M. acuminata) could be a good biostabilizer of nitrogen, while the Kobushi magnolia (M. kobus) a good biostabilizer of phosphorus and magnesium. In spite of significant differences in soil nutrient availability and clear variations in macronutrient contents in the indicator parts of the investigated plants, no visual symptoms of nutrient deficit were found in the Magnolia species under study.

While protected areas are a centrepiece of conservation, populations of animals in protected areas can still be subject to considerable human influence. Conservation theory suggests that many species should live at lower densities at the periphery of protected areas compared with the core area. Similarly, but more specifically, species subject to exploitation are expected to have lower densities in areas close to human settlements compared with more remote areas. Drawing upon distributional data of eight large African herbivore species (buffalo Syncerus caffer, elephant Loxodonta africana, giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, impala Aepyceros melampus, topi Damaliscus lunatus, warthog Phacochoerus africanus, waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus and zebra Equus quagga) sampled using ground surveys in 1995 and 1996, and seven large herbivore species (the same species without impala) sampled using aerial surveys from 1987 to 2009, we fitted logistic regression models and used an information theoretic model selection approach to test these two hypotheses in an East African savannah national park subject to illegal hunting from outside. In the vast majority of herbivore species, occupancy was not substantially affected by being close to the edge of the park or in close proximity to human villages. Furthermore, population declines witnessed in this protected area were not reflected in reduced occupancy near park boundaries. We conclude that assumed distributional differences between peripheral and core parts of reserves are not necessarily supported by empirical evidence, and that population declines within reserves do not inevitably proceed from boundaries inwards.

Field immobilization of captive antelope may be required for medical examination, blood sample collection, and animal identification. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a combination of butorphanol, detomidine, and midazolam (BDM) and its partial reversibility in Nile lechwe antelope (Kobus megaceros). Nine captive lechwes, weighing 28-64 kg, were immobilized, in February 2011, with butorphanol 0.20 ± 0.05 (mean ± SD) mg/kg, detomidine 0.20 ± 0.05 mg/kg, and midazolam 0.31 ± 0.08 mg/kg administered intramuscularly (IM) with a blowpipe. Physiologic parameters and depth of anesthesia were recorded when the animals became recumbent at 19.55 ± 8.36 min after darting (T0) and after 10 (T10), 20 (T20), and 30 (T30) min. An arterial blood sample was collected at T20. At the end of the procedures, immobilization was partially reversed with atipamezole 0.25 mg/kg IM. Quality of induction, immobilization, and recovery was scored. The BDM combination induced immobilization and lateral recumbency in 13.44 ± 5.61 min. Median induction score (scored 1 [excellent] to 4 [poor]) was 1 (range 1-2). Heart rate varied 40-104 beats/min, respiratory rate 16-108 breaths/min, and rectal temperature 36.5-40.3 C. Hyperthermia was observed and rapidly treated in three animals that demonstrated insufficient immobilization after darting. Arterial blood gas analyses revealed a mean pH of 7.43 ± 0.07, partial arterial pressure of CO(2) of 44.1 ± 6.0 mmHg, partial arterial pressure of O(2) of 74.0 ± 13.5 mmHg, and an arterial O(2) saturation of 94.77 ± 3.96%. Recovery was smooth and animals were walking in 13.44 ± 7.85 min. Median recovery score (1 = excellent to 4 = poor) was 1 (range 1-2). The BDM was effective in immobilizing captive healthy lechwes with minimal cardiorespiratory changes.

Always regarded as somewhat of an ‘outsider’ (the child of an Englishspeaking (Catholic) mother and an Afrikaans (Protestant) father in an exclusively Afrikaans milieu) and growing up extremely poor, seeing the hardship of others and realising how much talent was going to waste, Kobus Maree took a particular interest in gifted disadvantaged persons. A marginalised loner, he almost inevitably developed creative abilities and took a keen interest in creativity, giftedness and the education of gifted, disadvantaged learners. As an adult, his research showed that many teachers in South Africa have to contend with the generally poor socioeconomic background of learners. A dire need for appropriate teacher and learner support materials, and school environments that are not conducive to achievement (including inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms, lack of teacher and learner support materials). South Africa is at a critical stage in its education. It is therefore important for educators to teach emotional intelligence in their classrooms. Our biggest challenge will be to maintain and enhance vitality in gifted education in a dynamic, ever-evolving environment. A combination of scholarly leadership and strategic management to support gifted learners is important. We should do all we can to promote societal transformation and diversity, focussing anew on underrepresented groups (women and ethnic groups) who show promise and support them. The widest array of partners possible including the big institutional players, the entire teaching fraternity (including government departments), nongovernmental organisations and miscellaneous interest groups together should develop strategic, rolling five-year plans and make gifted education a priority.

Six species of Magnolia L., growing in the Botanical Garden of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin which is located on the north-western outskirts of the city of Lublin, were studied during the period 2006-2008. The aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of leaf and flower development in these Magnolia species under the climatic and soil conditions of Lublin as well as to evaluate the size of their leaves and long shoots. The present study included the following species: M. acuminata L., M. kobus DC, M. liliiflora Desr., M. salicifolia Siebold et Zuch, M. x soulangiana Soul.- -Bod., and M. tripetala L. The magnolia trees were planted in 1968-1989 on grey-brown podzolic soil derived from loess. The study area is affected by the continental climate which is characterized by large annual amplitude of temperatures, long summers as well as long and cold winters. The long-term average annual air temperature for this region is 8.1oC, while the long-term average annual rainfall reaches 541.6 mm. The obtained results showed that, among the Magnolia species studied, M. salicifolia flowered earliest under the climatic and soil conditions of Lublin, while M. tripetala was the last to bloom. Full leaf development, on average for the study period, was recorded earliest in M. salicifolia and M. liliiflora, whereas it occurred latest in M. tripetala. The leaves of M. tripetala were characterized by the greatest length and width, while the smallest leaves were recorded in M. kobus. M. liliiflora was found to show the smallest annual shoot increments and the lowest number of leaves.

Information pertaining to the commercial availability of fish species in South Africa remains sparse, even though it is crucial for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions in favour of their own well being and the well being of the environment. The aim of this study was to determine the most commonly available fish species in South Africa by means of surveys of restaurants ( n = 215) and retail outlets ( n = 200) and to assess the conservation statuses of the observed species. Furthermore, the processing states in which fish were mostly sold (fresh, frozen, whole or filleted) and the quality of information available to consumers on fish at the point of sale were evaluated. Kingklip was found to be the most commonly marketed fish species in restaurants, while hake was observed most frequently in retail outlets. More than 30% of the observed species were of conservation concern and included, amongst others, kingklip, kabeljou (kob), east- and west coast soles and geelbek. Specially-protected, illegal-to-sell fish in South Africa, such as white steenbras, white musselcracker and Natal stumpnose, were marketed in restaurants and retail outlets. This study highlighted the poor ability of fish purveyors in South Africa to provide information on the identity, origin, production method and sustainability of fish being sold. Additionally, the labelling of many packaged fish products in retail outlets was in contravention with South African regulations. Poor vendor awareness, disparate naming practices and the highly processed nature of fishery products provide an opportunity for unintentional or deliberate mislabelling of fish in South Africa.

Thirty-eight taxa of Zygomycetes distributed in 15 genera were recorded from tapir (Tapirus terrestris), camel (Camelus bactrianus), horse (Equus caballus), deer (Cervus elaphus), agouti (Dasyprocta aguti), donkey (Equus asinus), llama (Llama glama) and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) dung collected at the Reserva Ecológica de Dois Irmãos located in Recife, State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. The samples were collected on a monthly basis from June 2005 to May 2006, taken to the laboratory and incubated in moist chambers. Higher number of taxa was observed in the excrements of tapir, followed by deer and donkey. The highest number of species was detected for Mucor, followed by Pilobolus. Statistical analyses showed significant differences in richness of Zygomycetes taxa between the herbivore dung types. Differences of species composition, however, were weak. Seasonality influenced the Zygomycetes species composition but not its richness. Variations in taxa composition between ruminants and non-ruminants dung were non significant.

Sugarcane thrips was detected in South African sugarcane in 2004. Since then it has become widespread in South Africa. The South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) conducts field surveys to monitor this pest, but this is time intensive and costly. As a first step towards evaluation of remote sensing for thrips monitoring, a preliminary experiment and analysis at leaf level were conducted using a handheld field spectroradiometer covering the 350 to 2500 nm range of the electromagnetic spectrum to detect sugarcane thrips damage. Reflectance spectra of sugarcane leaves with different levels of thrips damage, from two popular varieties (N19 and N12), were measured and statistically analysed using one-way analysis of variance, sensitivity analysis and canonical discriminant analysis. The results of the analyses showed that there were significant differences in spectral reflectance and derived variables used in the study at the different levels of damage. The red edge region of the visible portion gave the highest significant differences and levels of separability among the damage classes. It is hypothesized that this might be associated with chlorophyll and nitrogen deficiencies induced by thrips.

University of KwaZulu-Natal Press. 2007. 64pp. ISBN 978-1-86914-124-0 Empangeni: Echoing Green Press. 2006. x + 29pp. ISBN 0-9802501-0-2 Empangeni: Echoing Green Press. 2007. viii + 82pp. ISBN 978-0-9802501-3-8

The behaviour of waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus was studied at Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. Lake Nakuru NP has the highest known population density of waterbuck. At any moment, only 7% of the adult males held a territory. Only about 20% of the males surviving to prime age were likely to become territory owners during their lifetime. Males were territorial all year round. About half of the territorial males tolerated one or several “satellite males” on the territory. About 9% of the adult males were satellites, the remaining 84% were bachelor males. Territories containing a satellite male and territories without satellites did not differ in average number of adult females recorded on them. Bachelor males were recorded in groups with adult females less often than territory holders and satellites and were recorded with fewer adult females when females were present. Nevertheless, some individual bachelor males were recorded more often with adult females and with more adult females than some territory holders. Zusammenfassung Das Verhalten von Wasserbocken, Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa, wurde 25 Monate lang im Nakuru-Nationalpark, Kenya, registriert. Im Nakuru-Nationalpark leben Wasserbocke in der hochsten bisher bekannten Populationsdichte. Etwa die Halfte der Territoriumsbesitzer duldete ein oder mehrere weitere adulte Mannchen als “Satellitenmannchen” im Territorium. Eine solche Gemeinschaft dauerte 13 Monate. Stets hielten nur etwa 7% der adulten Mannchen ein Territorium. Etwa 9% der adulten Mannchen waren Satelliten, die restlichen 84% Junggesellen. Nur etwa 20% der Mannchen, die bis zur Vollreife uberleben, werden jemals Territoriumsbesitzer. Mannchen hielten ein Territorium wahrend des ganzen Jahres. Zwei Monate vor einem Besitzwechsel fanden sich haufiger Satellitenmannchen auf einem Territorium als zwei Monate danach. In Territorien mit und ohne Satelliten hielten sich im Durchschnitt gleich viele Weibchen auf. Die meisten Junggesellen werden seltener mit adulten Weibchen zusammen gesehen als Territoriumbesitzer und Satelliten, und wenn sie mit Weibchen gesehen wurden, dann war deren durchschnittliche Anzahl niedriger als bei Territoriumsbesitzern und Satelliten. Manche Junggesellen wurden allerdings haufiger und mit mehr adulten Weibchen gesehen als manche Territoriumsbesitzer. Kopulationen gab es auch in Junggesellenherden. Das dominante Mannchen in einer Junggesellen-Herde kann vielleicht ebenso viele Kopulationen erzielen wie manche Territoriumsbesitzer. “Satelliten”, die in der Nahe von dominanten Artgenossen bleiben, kennt man von einigen anderen Saugern, Vogeln und Fischen. Zwei Hypothesen werden aufgestellt: Nach der “Parasiten-Hypothese” ist der Aufwand, einen Satelliten fernzuhalten, hoher als der Schaden, den dieser verursacht. Nach der “Netto-Nutzen-Hypothese” bringt die Anwesenheit eines Satelliten auch Vorteile, und diese wiegen schwerer als der Schaden, den seine Anwesenheit verursacht. Die Evolution der Kooperation von Artgenossen, die eigentlich miteinander in Konkurrenz stehen, wird diskutiert.

Territorial aggression in a lek breeding population of white-eared kob (Kobus kob leucotis) was investigated in the Boma National Park region, southern Sudan. The frequency of aggression on leks was positively related to the number of females present, but generally declined over the course of the breeding season. Males fought most strenuously for central territories that were preferred by females. Males with females in their territories were more frequently engaged in fights than unaccompanied males. Such fights often induced females to leave their original partners, especially when large groups of females were involved. Territorial aggression led to damaging injuries in several instances, and mortality of breeding age males was disproportionately high. These results suggest that the intensity of aggression exhibited by territorial males was scaled to potential reproductive benefits.

Chromosomes of 228 captive specimens of the family Bovidae have been investigated. The examined animals were classified into the subfamilies Aepycerotinae, Reduncinae, Antilopinae, Alcelaphinae, Hippotraginae and Bovinae. Polymorphism for one fusion was identified in the species: Aepyceros melampus, 2n = 59–60; Redunca fulvorufula, 2n = 56–57; Kobus e. ellipsiprymnus, 2n = 50–52; Kobus e. defassa, 2n = 52–54 and Syncerus c. nanus, 2n = 54–55. This is the first study to reveal fusion 7;29 in Kobus e. defassa and simultaneously the respective polymorphism. Variation in the diploid number of chromosomes is also known in species: Oryx g. dammah and Oryx g. leucoryx but in this study only fusion 1;25 was identified in both karyotyped species. Our study showed that 13% of investigated individuals were polymorphic for the centric fusion and demonstrated the important role of cytogenetic screening in captive animals at zoological gardens.

Blind Voices: A collection of radio plays, by Kobus Moolman. Braamfontein: Botsotso Publishers, 2007. 171pp. ISBN: 0 620 37287 7

International audience; In group-forming prey species, theory assumes that individuals within groups should scan independently of one another, with vigilance sequences being relatively unpredictable, making interscan durations highly variable. We attempted to detect any divergence from randomness in the scanning process in three mammalian prey species phylogenetically and geographically separated and exposed to different levels of predation: waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa, under a high observed predation risk, eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus, still experiencing occasional predation and European roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, under a very low natural predation risk. Our results revealed that the focal interscan duration increased when the duration of the preceding interscan increased, whatever the studied species and the predation risk that its individuals experienced, and decreased with the preceding scan duration in two species under, respectively, occasional and low predation risks. The exponential distribution was the tested model that fitted the observed distributions of interscan durations least well. We discuss what can trigger non-randomness in scanning, through a non-homogenous Poisson process, at both intra-individual and inter-individual levels, particularly with regard to previous studies that have demonstrated synchronisation of vigilance in such mammals. Our results suggest the need to reconsider any assumption of randomness in scanning in the basic model predicting form and frequency of scanning behaviour by prey species.

This study investigated composition and selectivity in diet for waterbuck in the Pendjari National Park in north-western Benin, through the use of micrographic analysis of faecal samples. Three plant species (Panicum anabaptistum, Echinochloa stagnina and Andropogon gayanus) were regularly consumed all year round. Meanwhile, three other species (i.e., Hyparrhenia involucrata, Acroceras amplectens and Oryza barthii) are mostly found in its diet during the beginning of the rainy season. During the dry season, long life grasses (>40%) and tree forage (about 35%) were the most dominant life form in the diet. On the contrary at the beginning of the rainy season, annual species (> 50%) were dominant. In conclusion, the waterbuck has a grazer regime when plant species are abundant and a mixed diet during the dry season. Waterbuck’s food niche breath, defined by Hespenheide [Ecology and Evolution of communities. Harvard Univ. Press, 1975], was lower than 1, implying this antelope does not eat all food categories in a proportional way. Shannon diversity index showed that the diet was more diversified during the rainy season and less diversified at the end of the dry season. Based on [Ecology, 64 (1983), 1297] diet selectivity index, waterbuck exerted a positive selection on the major graminaceous species. Resume Une etude a ete realisee sur le regime et la selectivite alimentaire du waterbuck dans le Parc National de la Pendjari au Nord-Ouest Benin a partir d’une analyse micrographique des echantillons de crottes. Trois especes vegetales (Panicum anabaptistum, Echinochloa stagnina et Andropogon gayanus) sont particulierement consommees en toutes saisons. La consommation d’especes annuelles comme Hyparrhenia involucrata, Acroceras amplectens et Oryza barthii, est observee en saison humide. Durant la saison seche, l’alimentation du waterbuck est un regime mixte de graminees vivaces (> 40%) et de fourrage ligneux (environ 35%), alors que pendant la saison des pluies ce sont les herbacees annuelle (> 50%) qui dominent. Le waterbuck est donc un animal paisseur en periode d’abondance alimentaire. La largeur de la niche alimentaire du waterbuck est inferieure a l’unite. Donc, le waterbuck ne consomme pas toutes ces categories alimentaires dans les memes proportions. L’indice de diversite de Shannon indique que le regime alimentaire du waterbuck est plus diversifie en saison humide qu’en fin de saison seche. Les valeurs de l’indice de selectivite alimentaire de Chesson (1983), indiquent que le waterbuck exerce une selection positive sur la plupart des graminees consommees.

The prey selection and predatory behaviour of a single pride of lions (Panthera leo) was studied in the 8500 ha Karongwe Game Reserve from 1999–2005. The study focused on the difference between prey selection in the first three years when a two-male coalition was present with a similar period thereafter when one of the males was removed and subadult males dispersed from the pride. A total of 662 kills were recorded, with blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), zebra (Equus burchelli) and impala (Aepyceros melampus) being the most preferred species. Although there was preference for these species, and adult prey were favoured, there was no significant selection for prey size, age or gender. There was a significant difference in the number of kills made when the two-male coalition was present as opposed to the single pride male. The solitary pride male spent significantly more time with the females and shared most of their kills, and durin...

The telematic debate on the theme “Global History and Global Policies” has provided historians from different historiographic traditions and distant countries – Piero Bevilacqua, Guillermo Castro, Ranjan Chakrabarti, Gabriella Corona, Kobus du Pisani, John McNeill, Donald Worster – with an opportunity to compare views on the different interpretive paradigms of global environmental history. A wide range of subjects was covered: the definition of the discipline’s field of research, themes, and chronological scope; the relationship between global and local; the role of the West in history and historiography; the perspective of the dominated; the discipline’s role in policy making; and its relationship with the natural sciences. The discussion has yielded a rich harvest of reflections on global environmental history as a paradigm for the interpretation of the past and a cultural and political instrument for action in the present. Important indications have emerged as regards the research paths a global environmental historian can follow to contribute to this field of studies.

The small size of many African protected areas makes adjacent rangelands potentially important in the local survival of wild animals. In order to assess the importance of pastoral areas to wild ungulates, we studied density and habitat choice of wild ungulates and cattle in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, the adjacent exclusively pastoral Nshara Dairy Ranch and on private land consisting of a mixture of ranching and subsistence farms. Transects, in the three land-use zones, were walked during the wet season and the data were analysed by DISTANCE sampling technique. We found significantly higher total density of wild ungulates on the dairy ranch compared with the National Park and private land. There was no significant difference in total wild animal density between the National Park and private land. Impala (Aepyceros melampus), zebra (Equus quagga), bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) had significantly higher densities on the dairy ranch compared to the National Park. Only eland (Taurotragus oryx) density was higher in the National Park compared to private land. Wild ungulates and cattle showed a high degree of habitat overlap, generally preferring open grassland. Our study shows that high densities of wild ungulates are not necessarily associated with protected areas. Pastoral areas may be important for populations of wild herbivores during the growing season despite a pronounced presence of livestock.

Two subspecies of waterbuck ( Kobus ellipsiprymnus ), common ( Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus ) and defassa ( Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa ), are recognized based on differences in rump pattern, coat colour and geographical distribution. These forms are parapatrically distributed with an area of range overlap in East Africa, where phenotypically intermediate populations occur. Variation in 478 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region and 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to describe the genetic structure and phylogeographical pattern of the species, and to assess if the intermediate populations are the results of hybridization. In total, 186 individuals from 11 localities were analysed. A high degree of genetic differentiation was found between subspecies, although this was most evident from the microsatellite data. Hybridization was suggested in the phenotypically and geographically intermediate Nairobi NP population in Kenya. A neighbour-joining (NJ) tree based on microsatellite population genetic distances grouped Nairobi between the common and defassa populations, and a Bayesian analysis clearly showed introgression. Individuals sampled in Samburu NP, Kenya, had a common waterbuck phenotype, but introgression was suggested by both markers. Although a high degree of maternal defassa input was indicated from the sequence data, the Samburu population grouped with the common waterbuck in the microsatellite population genetic distance tree, with high support. Analyses of linkage disequilibrium and maximum-likelihood estimates of genetic drift suggested that admixture between subspecies is a recent event. The fact that introgression is limited between subspecies could be caused by chromosomal differences, hindering gene flow between common and defassa waterbuck.

Resource manipulation, such as the creation and maintenance of grazing lawns, may shape the structure of herbivore communities. We tested the hypothesis that grazing lawns contribute towards the subsistence of the Kobus kob kob in a dystrophic West African savanna, where kob and Hippopotamus amphibius both occur. Comparison of the foliage of grazing lawns and ungrazed swards shows that hippo lawns are more nutritious with regard to both structure and nutrients; kob lawns are higher in nutrients only. Up to the early dry season, hippo lawns meet kob energy and protein demand, thereafter, the shortness of the sward limits intake. Kob lawns always provide sub-maintenance values. Grazing on ungrazed swards is least profitable. We suggest that grazing lawns are essential for the daily subsistence of mesoherbivores, particularly on nutrient-poor soil, and that megaherbivores facilitate their food supply, for at least part of the year.

The new species is a small to medium-sized reduncine antelope from 4.4-Ma-old strata in the Aramis Member (Sagantole Formation, Central Awash Complex). In terms of anatomy and chronology it is a suitable common ancestor of Kobus sp. A from Hadar, Ethiopia, and oricornus from the Turkana Basin, Ethiopia and Kenya. Material from a later assemblage in the Sagantole Formation, 4.2–4.1 Ma old, represents an evolved descendant of K. basilcookei and shows changes in the direction of Kobus sp. A and K. oricornus, suggesting rapid evolution in the 4.4–4.2 Ma interval. I argue that these three species belong in the same subclade of Kobus as the living waterbuck, K. ellipsiprymnus, and the semi-amphibious lechwes, leche and megaceros, and that paedomorphosis (in which the descendant adults resemble ancestral juvenile stages) has played a major part in the evolution of this clade.

In constructing large vegetated mounds, Macrotermes termites play a key functional role in many African savanna systems. This study focuses on ungulate feeding on Macrotermes termitaria vegetation in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda. With the exception of oribi Ourebia ourebi, all the species studied (i.e. impala Aepyceros melampus, Burchell's zebra Equus burchelli, Defassa waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus, topi Damaliscus lunatus, bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus and warthog Phacochoerus africanus) grazed preferentially on mound areas compared to the adjacent savanna. Ruminant species grazed closer to termitaria than non-ruminants and female impala both browsed and grazed closer to mounds than males. No sexual difference in grazing distance to mounds was found for waterbuck.

Thirty-five museum specimens collected in 1926 and 1947–48 vouch for the distinctiveness of an undescribed large mammal, a form of lechwe antelope. Their preservation has allowed comparative analyses of morphological characters to reveal this new species, the Upemba lechwe Kobus anselli sp. nov. It is most similar to the black lechwe K. smithemani and quite distinct from all other known taxa, including topotypical red lechwes K. leche. Prevailing threats and conservation concerns underwrite its formal description after neglect by science for decades. This lechwe is restricted to the Upemba wetlands, Kamalondo depression, south-east Congo basin (Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo), and has declined greatly since the 1970s. Commercial poaching through the 1980s reduced c. 20000 individuals to under 1000 estimated today. Recognition of K. anselli as a distinct evolutionary entity was previously ignored, because the entrenched taxonomy assumed it was just another red lechwe. Its speciation seems to be recent, probably Pleistocene. Lechwes evolved in an archipelago of wetlands formed through vicariance of a more extensive drainage system, the Palaeo-Chambeshi, which extended from Katanga and north-east Zambia across the south-central African plateau, into the Kalahari basin. The Palaeo-Chambeshi was a major endoreic tributary of Palaeo-Lake Makgadikgadi. Its fragmentation isolated lechwes in the Kamalondo depression from wetlands in the Upper Zambezi–Okavango, Upper Kafue, and the Chambeshi and Luapula drainages. The belated discovery of K. anselli emphasizes the region's conservation significance. Because of its high species richness and high endemism, Katanga is a biodiversity hotspot within the encompassing Katanga–Chambeshi region, also covering eastern Angola and much of Zambia. A secure future for the critically endangered Upemba lechwe hinges on reducing adverse human impact and maintaining the integrity of its wetland habitat. Support for protected areas is critical. Maintenance of ecological processes, focused on aquatic systems, is especially important to conserve biodiversity. Recognition of the complex evolutionary history of the region (since the Late Neogene) underpins the scientific foundation for all conservation plans and activities. It prescribes why a regional conservation strategy should encompass the landscape mosaic, structured across neighbouring drainage systems (Lufira, Upper Lualaba and Chambeshi–Luapula rivers). A trans-frontier conservation area will consolidate the protected areas and land use systems of the region in an ecological context.

Genus Neolimothrips with a single species N. binervis has been collected, identified and described for the first time from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Redescription and illustration of the key characters of the species are provided. The genus and the only collected species can easily be identified and separated on the basis of head protruding in front of eyes and antennal segments 3-4 with simple sense cones.

Although there are populations of puku antelope Kobusvardoni (Livingstone) scattered throughout eastern and centralAfrica, it is estimated that 75% of the total population is now restricted tothe Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. The Kilombero Valley is an area rich inagricultural potential and natural resources; wildlife populations are also highand the inner valley is a Game Controlled Area, although this only provideslimited protection. Aerial surveys during the 1989, 1994 and 1998 dry seasonsshowed the puku population to be stable at around50000–60000 animals. Livestock populations fluctuated, butincreased from 17309 ± 6487 to 54047 ±17247 over the same period. Signs of human activity (e.g. huts, fieldsand livestock) were highest around the edge of the Game Controlled Area,indicating intense pressure on 'boundary-zone' habitats at thefloodplain–woodland interface. Puku use 'boundary-zone'habitats during the wet season when large areas of grassland are flooded.Potential threats to the puku population are therefore likely due to habitatdegradation through over-grazing by domestic herbivores, agriculturalencroachment, and the expansion of human settlements. Licensed trophyhunting probably has a negligible impact on puku because of very low off-take, but illegalhunting represents a serious threat near human settlements during thewet season and in accessible parts of the floodplain during the dry season.

The kob (Kobus kob kob) population studied in the Comoe National Park, Ivory Coast, suffered unsustainable losses to poaching before and during the investigation. This in turn did not only lead to low densities but also changed the population composition, resulting in a strong female bias in all age classes except juveniles. The relative rarity of adult males probably had negative effects on the population recruitment. Although mating occurred throughout the year and birth intervals were short, at least in some females, annual birth-rate was low compared to earlier studies in the same area. Effective conservation measures are urgently needed to ensure the future existence of the studied population. Resume La population de kobes (Kobus kob kob) etudiee au Parc National de Comoe, en Cote d'Ivoire, a souffert de pertes insoutenables dues au braconnage, avant et pendant les investigations. Ceci a entraine non seulement de faibles densites mais aussi des changements de la composition de la population, avec pour resultat un biais important en faveur des femelles dans toutes les classes d'âge sauf les juveniles. Bien que les accouplements aient lieu toute l'annee et que les intervalles entre les naissances soient courts, en tout cas pour certaines femelles, le taux de natalite annuel etait faible compare aux etudes realisees precedemment dans la region. Il faut absolument prendre des mesures de conservation urgentes et efficaces pour garantir l'avenir de la population etudiee.

High cattle densities, expanding human settlements and the conversion of miombo woodland into farms and teak plantations are threatening wildlife populations in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania, and conservation research on this internationally important wetland is required as part of an integrated approach to its future management. The effect of land-use change on antelopes (family Bovidae) was investigated by surveying tracks and dung during three seasons over 1999–2000 in an area of mixed land-use. Use of miombo woodland, grassland and farmland habitats by antelopes was highest during the wet season (April–May), probably representing the movements of animals away from the floodplain. Duiker, puku Kobus vardoni and reedbuck Redunca spp. predominantly used the farmland during the wet season, at which time buffalo Syncerus caffer were more common in the miombo woodland. The findings of this study have three main implications for the conservation of the valley. Firstly, the inadvertent provision of suitable wet season habitats for puku and other small-medium antelopes by rice farmers could lead to higher levels of illegal hunting, and may increase the potential for conflict between agriculture and wildlife. Secondly, the loss of miombo vegetation will most strongly affect the larger species of antelope (sable Hippotragus niger and waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus), which favour open-woodland habitats; future work should therefore determine levels of habitat use by antelopes in and around maturing teak plantations. Thirdly, any management prescriptions to conserve the Kilombero Valley should include the land on the edge of the floodplain.

Few studies are available on the population dynamics of medium and large mammals in gallery forests of the Sudan and Sahel regions of West Africa. Line-transect studies of the abundance (estimated by KIA) of nine species of ungulates and three species of primates were carried out between 2004 and 2013 in the Comoé-Leraba protected area of Burkina Faso, West Africa. No peer-reviewed study of population sizes of mammals in this protected area has been published, making the data presented of special relevance. Population size trends varied significantly across years in both primates and ungulates, with some species (Papio anubis, Phacochoerus africanus, Alcelaphus busephalus and Tragelaphus scriptus) decreasing consistently. Significant relationships were observed between poaching intensity and population oscillations in Erythrocebus patas, Kobus ellipsiprymnus, Kobus kob, Ourebia ourebi and Cephalophus rufilatus.

Left Over (2013) is Kobus Moolman's fourth collection of poetry. Knowing the strength of his earlier work I entered this book tentatively, afraid of losing my balance. Afraid of falling over emotionally. My fears were realised. I did not know anymore which was inside and which was outside.

was examined at 32 sites in Japan (109 female-stage flowers from 52 plants) by GC-MS. Major chemical compounds (a total of 36 chemicals) emitted from the flowers were: linalool (and its oxides), limonene, cis- and trans-β-Ocimene, benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, benzyl cyanide, and 2-aminobenzaldehyde. Linalool and its oxides were the most abundant components of floral scents in 21 individuals. The rate at which chemical volatiles were emitted ranged from 0.002 to 0.929 μg/flower/hour (average 0.211). High quantitative and qualitative variation in floral scent chemistry among individuals was found throughout the range of M. kobus, especially in central Honshu. The high variability in floral scent chemistry may be due to the importance of visual cues in the reproductive biology of M. kobus which flowers in early spring, resulting in decreased selection for specific floral scent profiles. Alternatively, different scent compounds or chemical profiles may be equally effective in attracting pollinators.

In the Comoe National Park, Ivory Coast, there has been a tremendous decrease in all larger mammal species between 1978 and 1998. We document the degree of this decrease for the 11 most abundant ungulate species by comparing density estimates from two earlier studies undertaken in 1978 and 1984 with our own results from 1995 and 1998. Within the last 20 years all species included in the analysis experienced decreases between 60% and more than 90%. The species that suffered most were the duikers and other small antelopes up to the size of the kob antelope (Kobus kob kob). The larger decline of the smaller species also resulted in changes of the ungulate community, which in turn might affect other taxa such as large carnivores, and the entire ecosystem. The observed decreases can most likely be attributed to intensive poaching that occurred and still occurs throughout the park. Future conservation measures will hopefully stop this.

Spatial and temporal habitat use of kob antelopes (Kobus kob kob) have been investigated in the Comoe National Park (Ivory Coast, West Africa) by use of radio telemetry. A total of 23 kob were equipped with radio collars and radio tracked for up to 15 months. Home ranges of males were smaller and those of females larger than expected from theoretical models. Adult males used smaller areas than adult females and did not show seasonal home range shifts. Daily distances travelled did not differ between sexes. Kob walked less during the night than by day and covered shorter distances in the wet season. Whereas an increase in home range overlap between females resulted in higher rates of association among individuals, association of adults of mixed sexes was not correlated with the degree of home range overlap. Territorial behaviour of males and predator avoidance by females are suggested to explain the sex-specific differences in home range size of adults and the deviation from the predicted sizes. Predator avoidance is presumed as the main reason for the reduced walking distances at night as well as in the wet season. Reproductive behaviour and feeding ecology are assumed to determine the degree of association of conspecifics. Resume On a etudie par radio-telemetrie l'utilisation spatiale et temporelle de l'habitat par les cobes (Kobus kob kob) au Parc National de Comoe (en Cote d'Ivoire, Afrique de l'Ouest). On a equipe un total de 23 cobes de colliers radio et on les a suivis pendant 15 mois (pour certains). L'espace vital des mâles etait plus petit et celui des femelles plus grand que ce a quoi on s'attendait d'apres les modeles theoriques. Les mâles adultes couvraient une zone plus reduite que les femelles adultes et ne deplacaient pas leur espace vital en fonction des saisons. Les distances parcourues chaque jour etaient les memes pour les deux sexes. Les cobes se deplacaient moins la nuit que le jour, et couvraient de plus courtes distances pendant la saison des pluies. Alors qu'une augmentation du recouvrement entre espaces vitaux des femelles aboutissait a un taux superieur d'associations entre individus, l'association d'adultes des deux sexes n'etait pas liee au taux de recouvrement des espaces vitaux. On suggere que le comportement territorial des mâles et l'evitement des predateurs par les femelles pourraient expliquer les differences, specifiques au sexe, de la dimension de l'espace vital des adultes et la deviation par rapport aux dimensions prevues. On suppose que l'evitement des predateurs est la raison principale de la limitation des deplacements de nuit ainsi qu'en saison des pluies. On suppose que le comportement reproducteur et l'ecologie alimentaire determinent le degre d'association entre membres de la meme espece.

P R Anderson. 2000. Litany Bird. Cape Town: Carapace Poets. Robert Berold. 1999. Rain across a Paper Field. Durban: Gecko Poetry. Patrick Cullinan. 1999. Transformations. Cape Town: Carapace Poets. Sandile Dikeni. 2000. Telegraph to the Sky. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press. Gus Ferguson. 2000. Stressed‐Unstressed. Cape Town: David Philip. Stephen Gray. 1998. Gabriel's Exhibition. Cape Town: Mayibuye Books. Frances Hunter. 1999. A Maverick Elation. Johannesburg: Quartz Press. Don Maclennan. 1998. Of Women and Some Men: Cape Town: Firfield Poetry Press. Mzi Mahola. 2000. When Rains Come. Cape Town: Carapace Poets. Kobus Moolman. 2000. Time like Stone. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press. Mxolisi Nyezwa. 2000. song trials. Durban: Gecko Poetry. Karen Press. 2000. Home. Manchester: Carcanet Press. Lesego Rampolokeng. 1999. The Bavino Sermons. Durban: Gecko Poetry. Ari Sitas. 2000. Slave Trades. Cape Town: Deep South Publishers. Kelwyn Sole. 1998. Love that is Night. Durban: Gecko Poetry. P...

Two African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), an eland (Taurotragus oryx) and a waterbuck (Kobus defassa) were intravenously inoculated with Cowdria ruminantium (Kiswani). Amblyomma gemma nymphs were fed on the animals at 3 weekly intervals. Jugular blood was also collected at 3 weekly intervals and inoculated into sheep. Nymphal ticks that fed on one buffalo on days 16 and 37 and on the other buffalo on day 58 after infection transmitted the disease as adults to sheep. Nymphs that were applied to the eland 16 days after infection also transmitted the disease to sheep. No nymphs that had fed on the waterbuck transmitted the disease. This is the first report of transmission of heartwater by Amblyomma gemma from infected wild ruminant species to a susceptible domestic ruminant species.

The behavioural responses of caged individual teneral Glossina morsitans morsitans on waterbuck and ox and on feeding membranes with and without smears of different doses of waterbuck sebum were compared. No significant difference was found in the initial landing behaviour on the two animals, nor on treated and control parts of the membrane. However, the subsequent behaviours of the flies were significantly different. Whereas none of the flies that landed on the ox showed any escape behaviour, more than a third of those that initially landed on waterbuck departed before probing. Similar results were obtained on feeding membranes treated in part with 1.0 or 1.4 mg cm(-2) of waterbuck sebum. Moreover, flies that landed on waterbuck or its sebum changed probing sites more often and probed significantly longer. The proportions that initiated feeding during the 10 min observation period were also significantly less. Our results suggest the presence of both volatile and non-volatile allomones on waterbuck which would account for low numbers of flies found attracted to and feeding on waterbuck in the wild.

The territorial system of kob antelopes in the Comoe National Park, Cote d’Ivoire, was studied from March 1993 until April 1997. Whereas size and shape of territories remained constant between 1993 and 1994, the number of territories decreased from 1994 onwards. A decline of the population density probably led to the decline in territory numbers and also to variations in size and shape of the remaining territories. The decline of kob numbers is the result of heavy poaching in the study area. Whereas a lekking system was present in the study area prior to 1975 when the population density was approximately 14.4 kobs/km2, males switched to the resource defence territorial system present today after the population density decreased to 12.5/km2 in 1993 and finally to 2.3/km2 in 1997. Compared to other research areas with higher population densities, territories in the Comoe National Park are larger, almost all adult males are capable to defend a territory, fights over territories are rare and loss of territory tenureship is almost exclusively due to the death of the territorial male. We suggest that those differences can all be related to the low population density in the study area. Resume De mars 1993 a avril 1997, on a etudie le systeme territorial des cobes au Parc National de Comoe, en Cote d’Ivoire. Alors que la taille et la forme des territoires restaient constantes entre 1993 et 1994, le nombre de territoires a diminuea partir du 1994. Une baisse de la densite de population a probablement conduit a une reduction du nombre de territoires et aussi a des variations de taille et de forme des territoires restants. La baisse du nombre des cobes resulte du braconnage intense dans la zone etudiee. Alors qu’un systeme de leks existait dans la zone etudiee avant 1975, lorsque la densite de population etait d’environ 14,4 cobes/km2, les mâles ont change pour le systeme de defense territorial base sur les ressources qui existent actuellement, apres que la densite de population a baisse jusqu’a 12,5/km2 en 1993, pour atteindre 2,3/km2 en 1997. Compares aux autres regions d’etudes ou les densites de population sont plus elevees, les territoires sont plus grands dans le Parc National de Comoe, presque tous les mâles adultes sont capables de defendre un territoire, les combats pour des territoires sont rares et la perte de la possession d’un territoire est presque exclusivement due a la mort du mâle qui l’occupait. Nous suggerons que toutes ces differences peuvent etre attribuees a la faible densite de population de la zone etudiee.