Ungulate responses and habituation to unmanned aerial vehicles in Africa's savanna.

This article tests the hypothesis that "the likelihood that the species will react and level at which they do to the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is related to the altitude, number of passes, sound intensity, type of UAV, takeoff distance, and species." This paper examined the behavioral responses of a group of free ranging ungulate species (Oryx, Kudu, Springbok, Giraffe, Eland, Hartebeest, and Impala) found in an animal reserve in Namibia to the presence of different in-flight UAV models. The study included 397 passes (trials) over 99 flights at altitudes ranging from 15 to 55 meters in three categories of response level: No response, Alert, and Movement.

Spotted hyaena feeding ecology and selectivity of large herbivorous prey in the Namib desert.

We have investigated the relationship between spotted hyaenas in the south Namib Desert and large herbivorous prey and have summarized an updated overview of predator-prey relationships in this resource-limited arid environment. Over the 52-month study, we recorded the densities (#/km, ±) of the four local large herbivorous prey species: gemsbok (1.229, ±0.

Spotting Cheetahs: Identifying Individuals by Their Footprints.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is Africa's most endangered large felid and listed as Vulnerable with a declining population trend by the IUCN(1). It ranges widely over sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of the Middle East. Cheetah conservationists face two major challenges, conflict with landowners over the killing of domestic livestock, and concern over range contraction.

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) running the gauntlet: an evaluation of translocations into free-range environments in Namibia.

Following dramatic range and population declines, the cheetah is Africa's most endangered large felid. In Namibia, private land managers still trap cheetahs but increasingly consider moving animals instead of killing them. Across Africa, managers have translocated perceived conflict carnivores for decades, but rarely evaluated their actions.

Successful snakebite treatment in three juvenile African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) with polyvalent antivenom: a Namibian case report.

This article reports the first documented treatment of venomous snakebite with a polyvalent snake antivenom from the South African Institute for Medical Research in endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Three juvenile male animals (6.5 months of age) showed clinical signs after being bitten by an unidentified venomous snake.