Variability in ranging behaviour of elephants in northern Kenya.

Abstract

Intensive study 1990-1992 and continued monitoring of 'migrant animals' over the next 5 years found elephants of Kenya's northern Laikipia and Samburu Districts utilize numerous habitats and have widely variable home ranges - from 150 sq kms to over 5000 sq kms. Elephants resident in the private ranches of Laikipia are believed to have moved south from Samburu during 1970s and 1980s in response to intensive poaching. It was anticipated a decrease in poaching would cause elephant to spend more time in the northern part of their range thus reducing pressure on vegetation and farms in the south, but monitoring showed no consistent northward shift of ranges during 1993-1997. However, monitoring of animals from differing subpopulations illustrates ranges of some individual matrilines have changed substantially during this time, possiblity due to increasing levels of human disturbance. There is much more overlap between different groupings and more variability within subpopulations than previously suspected.