The West African giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) was historically spread across much of the Sudano-Sahelian zone but is now restricted to Niger. Several factors resulted in their dramatic decline during the late 20th century. In 1996, only 49 individuals remained, concentrated in the 'Giraffe Zone'. Conservation activities implemented by the Government of Niger, supported by local communities and NGOs, facilitated their population numbers to increase. This review summarizes past and present conservation activities and evaluates their impact to advise and prioritize future conservation actions for the West African giraffe. The long-term conservation of the West African giraffe is highly dependent on the local communities who live alongside them, as well as supplementary support from local and international partners. Recent conservation initiatives range from community-based monitoring to the fitting of GPS satellite tags to better understand their habitat use, spatial movements to expansion areas, and environmental education to the establishment of the first satellite population of West African giraffe in Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve, the latter serving as a flagship for the future restoration of large mammal populations in West Africa. The integration of modern technologies and methods will hopefully provide better-quality data, improved spatial analyses, and greater understanding of giraffe ecology to inform the long-term management of West African giraffe.

• Klíčová slova
• Giraffa camelopardalis peralta, Niger, West African giraffe, community engagement, conservation translocation, human–wildlife conflict, wildlife survey,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

The rapid loss of biodiversity and the associated reduction and fragmentation of habitats means that ex situ populations have become an important part of species conservation. These populations, which are often established from a small number of founders, require careful management to avoid the negative effects of genetic drift and inbreeding. Although the inclusion of molecular data is recommended, their availability for captive breeding management remains limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the levels of genetic diversity in six spiral-horned antelope taxa bred under human care and their respective management strategies, conservation status, demography, and geographic origin, using 10 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci and mitochondrial control region DNA sequences. Our findings include associations between genetic diversity and management intensity but also with the diversity and contribution of wild populations to captive founders, with some populations apparently composed of animals from divergent wild lineages elevating captive genetic diversity. When population sizes are large, the potential advantages of maximizing genetic diversity in widely outcrossed populations may need careful consideration with respect to the potential disruption of adaptive diversity. Genetic data serve as a robust tool for managing captive populations, yet their interpretation necessitates a comprehensive understanding of species biology and history.

• Klíčová slova
• Tragelaphini, ex situ management, genetic diversity, zoo populations,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The effective conservation of mammals on the brink of extinction requires an integrated socio-ecological approach, yet the updated ecological knowledge of species remains fundamental. This study brings spatiotemporal behaviour, population structure, age-specific survival rates, and population size estimate of the Western Derby eland (WDE) in the Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP), Senegal, investigated during dry seasons 2017 and 2018. WDE was strongly localised in the core area of NKNP (< 5%), active throughout the day with the highest peak in the hottest daytime, with a mean group size 7.6 ± SE 8.9. The adult sex ratio was female-biased and showed low annual adult male survival rates. The population consisted of high proportion of juveniles, whilst adults did not exceed 40%. The estimated population density was 0.138 WDE/km2 (± 0.0102) and estimated size 195 WDE in NKNP (CI95 from 54 to 708 individuals). Findings highlighted that the WDE population has potential to expand in the NKNP, due to an underutilized capacity. The age-specific vital rates indicate adult males as the most vulnerable; suggesting either an increase in the large predators' population, livestock encroachment pressure, and/or poaching. Findings imply that targeted monitoring with science-based interpretation may bring forward strong conservation solutions to the protected area management decision-makers.

• MeSH
• antilopy * MeSH
• hustota populace MeSH
• ohrožené druhy statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• veřejné parky statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• zachování přírodních zdrojů metody   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Senegal MeSH