CHUKA UNIVERSITY

A FIELD REPORT ON MAMMALOGY CARRIED OUT IN MERU ANTIONAL PARK,OL

PEJETA CONSERVANCY AND MOUNT KENYA ANIMAL ORPHANAGE FROM 8 TH TO
16TH JULY 2016 AS APARTIAL FULFILMENT IN THE AWARD OF DEGREE IN
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN WILDLIFE ENTERPRISE AND MANAGEMENT
PREPARED AND COMPILED BY -MILLICENT JEBICHII
DB2/12475/13
PRESENTED TO
MISS MUREU-UNIT INSTRUCTOR

DECLARATION
I MILLICENT JEBICHII declares that this report is done with honesty following rules and
regulation of the university examination council
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I will sincerely give thanks to Chuka university and especially the department Of environmental
studies and resource development for their moral and financial support to make this field
exercise to be successful
Secondly to miss Mureu for the theoretical knowledge she gave us in class to be exercised in the
field
Thirdly goes to our always available instructors in the field Mr Soi ,Mr Mugendi ,Mr Fundi for
their moral support, always giving us information and expounding more on what we have
learned
Lastly to my colleagues whom we cooperated together to make our studies successful and able to
learn more on mammalogy.

ABSTRACT
This study was mainly based on meru national park and partly ol pejeta wildlife conservancy and
mount Kenya animal orphanage. It was mainly to study field mammology which is scientific
study of mammals ,their social organization, ecological range and feeding habits, reproduction
among others. It is a branch of zoology
They are subdivided into the following sub classes monotromes, metatheria and eutheria where it
includes the primates, carnivora, artiodoctyla, proboscidae, lagomorpha and perissodactyla
The objectives of the study was to determine different social organisation, mating system,their
distribution and feeding habits .The park has variety of habitats from open grassland to wooded
grassland, riverine ecosystem, shrubland this accommodate different species of mammals
During the study information were obtained through observation, interviews, reading guides
road count transects and game drive.
The endangered wildlife are catered for according to national and international laws example
IUCN ,CITES, KWS and UNESCO everything to protect them from poaching illegal trade and
hunting
Different mammals occupied different range of habitats herbivores like zebra occupied grassland
while browsers like reticulated giraffe occupied woodland and shrubland, mixed feeders
occupied wooded grassland, carnivores like lion occupied closed grassland for easy identification
of the prey
There is high species diversity in the three areas therefore calls for more protection and
conservation and especially endangered species for the present and future generation.

LIST OF TABLES
ACRONYMS

MNP:Meru national park

OPC: Ol pejeta wildlife conservancy

MKAO; Mount Kenya animal orphanage
KWS :Kenya wildlife service
IUCN ;International union for conservation of nature
CITES: Convention of international trade of endangered species
UNESCO: United nations ,education ,scientific and organisation
INTRODUCTION
Mammalogy is the branch of biology that deals with the study of mammals, a class of vertebrates
with the following characteristics homoeothermic, metabolism ,presence of fur ,four chambered
heart and complex nervous system.it encompasses such diverse areas as the structure ,function,
evolutionary history, ethology ,taxonomy and management and economics of mammals There
approximately 4500 species of mammals .Despite the facts they represent Avery small fraction of
worlds animals, mammals are among worlds best known species
Mammals are subdivided into the following subclasses monotremes

egg laying mammals

,metatheria give birth to immature young that lives in mothers pouch ,eutheria this entails largest
class

of

mammals

example

carnivora,proboscidae,lagomorpha,artiodactyla,perissodactyla,primates and rodentia

The study helps in understanding their importance to ecosystem and to humans, this helps in
coming up with strategies to help conserve ,protect and manage our wildlife for better
sustainability and survival for future
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Due to increase in mammals in protected areas exceeding their carrying capacity as a result of
different mating system among these mammals has caused a lot of effect to the environment and
other species if they are not controlled may cause extinction
Habitat destruction causes mammals to migrate to certain areas which can support their existence

leading to population crash in those areas .morever, due to change in climate it has led to
destruction of habitat therefore inadequate food to the mammals ,cover this results to their death
and reduces in number.
The study helps in understanding different mating system, social organization, feeding habits
and anti-predatory behaviour as well as knowing animal species densities
OBJECTIVES
To determine relationship of mammals and their habitats
To determined mating system of the observed mammals in MNP,OPC,MKAO.
To compare the densities of observed grazers and browsers and the significance of their
difference to vegetation in MNP,OPC,MKAO
To determine the relationship between body size weight and density for the observed in
MNP,OPC and MKAO
To determine the abundance of mammals in mnp
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
How is the relationship of mammals and their habitats?
Which are mating system identified in mammals in MNP,OPC,MKAO
What is the comparison between the densities of grazers and browsers and their significance in
relation to their vegetation?
How does density affect the relationship with their body size weight?
How are animals abundance in MNP?
LIMITATION
Inaccessibility- some roads were un passable therefore some habitats could not studied to acquire
the density and abundance of mammals

Due to harsh weather condition we were not able to study for long period of time because of
tiresome
Some mammals are nocturnal and we were not allowed to study during the night
Inadequate study materials such as guide books and binoculars
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
African elephants (Loxodonta africana ) are ecosystem engineers in that they create and maintain
ecosystems through physically changing the habitat(Jones, Lawton & Shachak, 1997). Elephants
remove dominant hardy vegetation, which is replaced by quick growing vegetation thereby
transforming dense woodlands into open grasslands (Laws, 1970; Shannon et al.,
2006).Elephants browse on woody trees, such as acacia (Acaciaspp.), marula (Sclerocarya birrea
Hochst.), mopane (Colophospermummopane J. Leonard) and baobabs (Adansoniadigitata L.)
(Jachmann, 1989; Lewis, 1991; Omondi, Bitok& Kagiri, 2004). Elephant browsing strategies
involve barkstripping, breaking major branches and uprooting treesthat varies in extent with the
time spent in an area, creatinga mosaic of altered habitats (Western, 1989).The rejuvenation of
vegetation is stunted when elephantsare prevented from moving between forage areas,leading to
permanent, potentially degraded alterations in the landscape (Birkett & Stevens-Wood, 2005; De
BeeI et al., 2006). Yet, elephants encourage succession in areas that have reached a climax and
help control bush encroachment (Meik et al., 2002). The effects African elephantshave on
vegetation have been studied extensively (Osborn & Parker, 2003; Shannon et al., 2006; Boundja
&Midgley, 2009; Chira & Kinyamario, 2009; Guldemond &Van Aarde, 2007; Ihwagi et al.,
2010). However, research is limited on whether elephants are degrading orenriching habitats for
invertebrate (Haddad et al., 2009) vertebrate (Herremans, 1995; Cumming & Brock,
1997;Pringle, 2008) species.

CHAPTER THREE: STUDY AREA AND SITE

3.1 study area

The study was carried out in meru national park, which is located in eastern Kenya , meru
county, 350km from nairobi. It covers an area of 870km. park was established in 1966 and is
governed by Kenya Wildlife Service. it has an abundant rainfall of 635 to 762mm west of the
park and 305 to 356mm in the east per year the rainfall resulting tall grass and lush swamp.The
study area is under category two of IUCN of protected area.It borders three national reservers
that is kora national resever, bisnadi national resevers and mwingi national resever .Our studies
concentrated mainly on Murera.The park has a wide range of wildlife including the Africa bush
elephant, masai lion, African leopard, Tanzania cheetah, easternblack rhinocerous,southern white
rhinocerous,gray

zebra

and

hippotomaus.It

has

various

habitats

ranging

from

grassland,shrubland,woodland and riverine.

3.2 OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY
It is located in Lakipia county and it support various mammal species due to different habitat and
well moderated rainfall .This conservancy is also an orphanage to the chimpanzees at sweetwater
.The zebra plains is well-spaced grazing areas for all the antelopes and gazelles ,buffalo, zebra
and many warthogs in the conservancy. The bushland and mixed grassland are supporting mixed
feeders and browesers and the cat family.
MOUNT KENYA ANIMAL ORPHANAGE

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Materials used include
Field notebook and a pen: used for recording data about behavior, activities of mammals and
habitat that were found
Mammal guide: used for reference about the information of the mammals
Binoculars : for observation of distant animals by magnifying and bringing closer
Methods used include

LINE TRANSECT USING A BUS

It a process where I counted animals on both side of transect and identifying them. We made
three transect of different kilometers at different time in order to study these animals at different
habitat
OBSERVATION
This was done through direct and indirect observation by looking at the animals and making
necessary information and recording. Indirect is by use droppings, left footprints and hairs
INTERVIEWS
Getting information through asking questions to protected area senior warden and the staff
QUESTIONNAIRES
This was achievable by administration of questionaire to community members.

1.0
A TABLE SHOWING DENSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF MAMMALOGY IN MERU
NATIONAL PARK

DATA ANAYLSIS
SPECIES
Elephants
Common zebra
Impala
Grant gazelles
Oryx
Cokes hartebeest
Reticulated giraffe
Gerenuk
Vervet monkey
Buffalo
Lesser kudus
Baboons

NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS
94
14
8
27
1
2
20
2
4
20
2
20

Lion
Bushbaby
Water buck
Total

2
2
16
253

Total kilometers covered for the three transect

11km+8km+11km=30km
Width of observed mammals 400m
Area=l x w
Change 400m into kilometers=0.4km
0.4km x 30=1.2km
Density is number of animals in area per area covered
253/1.2=210animals per kilometer
Density is 210 animals per kilometer
ABUNDANCE
Total area of MNP=870KM
If 1km=210animals what about 870km =182,700animals
Abundance of animals in MNP =182,700
1.1 A TABLE SHOWING MAMMALS DIVERSITY IN MERU NATIONAL PARK
SPECIES

NO

OF PI

Elephant
Common zebra
Impala
Grant gazelle
Oryx
Cokes hart beast
Water buck
Reticulated

INDIVIDUALS
94
14
8
27
1
2
16
20

0.3715
0.05533
0.03162
0.10671
0.00395
0.0079
0.06324
0.0790

Lnpi

[pi(lnpi)]

-0.99021
-2.8944
-3.454
-2.2376
-5.5340
-4.84089
-2.7608
-2.537

0.3679
0.1601
0.1102
0.23878
0.02186
0.03824
0.1746
0.2006

giraffe
Gerenuk
Velvet monkey
Buffalo
Lesser kudu
Baboons
Lion
Bush babies
Total

2
4
20
2
40
1
2
253

0.00790
0.01581
0.0790
0.00790
0.15810
0.00395
0.00790

-4.84089
-4.14711
-2.7608
-4.84089
-1.8445
-5.5340
-4.84089

0.03824
0.0656
0.2006
0.03824
0.2916
0.2186
0.03824
2.2033

Species richness=253
Diversity of species=2.2033

CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
1.2TABLE SHOWING MAMMALS IN MNP
PRIMAT

PROBOCIDAE(HOO

PRYSIDOCTYLA(

CARNIVO

ES

FED MAMMALS)

ODD

Olive

Savannah elephants

MAMMALS)
Gravy zebra

lion

MAMMALS
Impala

baboons
Sykes

Common zebra

Serval cat

Grant gazelle

monkey
Bush

Black rhino

Oryx

baby
Vervet

Southern white rhino

Cokes hartbeast

TOED RA

ARTIODACTILA(E
VEN

TOED

monkey
Water buck
Reticulated giraffe

Gerenuk
Buffalo
Lesser kudu
Hippopotamus
Warthog

1.3 A TABLE REPRESENTING MATING SYSTEM

MONOGAMOUS
POLYGAMY
COKES
HART GRAVY ZEBRA

MULTI-MALE
ELEPHANT

BACHELOR
BUFALLO

BABOONS
IMPALA
GRANT GAZELLE

IMPALA

BEAST
OLIVE BABOONS
GIRAFFES
ORYX
LION

A GRAPH SHOWING MAMMALS ABUNDANCE IN MNP

NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

NUMBER OF
INDIVIDUALS

I observed that elephants were in a group of twenty female and their young with the larger in
size was the matriarch leading the group and for protected .The males were not far from the
groups. In that they are mixed feeders I observed them in wooded grassland mauling grass and
browsing
The grant gazelles were always associated with different animals example zebra, water buck this
will help in identification of food that are nutritious and to enable them to evade predators
Body size influence the dominance in most species as observed in elephant and grant gazelle the
larger the size the dominant in species in all animals that exhibit territorality
WILDLIFE VIEWED IN OL PEJETA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY
Buffalo
Grant gazelle
Warthog
Eland
Common zebra
Chimpanzee

Lioness
WILDLIFE VIEWED IN MOUNT KENYA ORPHANAGE
Mountain bongo
Leopard
Cheetah
Pygmy hippopotamus
Rare Mangaboon
Rock hyrax
Eastern colobus monkey
Caracol cat
Serval cat
Sykes monkey

CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSION
From the results I found out that there is high number of elephants than any other animals, this
could be a result of larger habitats favouring them in feeding and in terms of space for breeding,
cover and hiding from predators. The only environmental effect is man and this has led to high
number of elephants in park, that poachers have reduce because KWS issues guns to rangers to
protect them

Elephants are known to be keystone species in that they are able to modify the habitat from
wooded grassland to open grassland and this will accommodate other species of wildlife and
sometime used as management tool
The number of rhino and gravy zebra are few , they are endangered animals listed under red list
of IUCN they were highly protected in MNP and OPC under electric fence , the land use is vast
for their feeding and breeding
I also found out that in mating system where the group female needed to be defended is
influenced by the number of males within the group also noted that the larger the male the likely
of female choosing for mating for the betterment of the offsprings
I also observed that most of the antelopes such as grant gazelle, impala and waterbuck fight for
territory its mainly one male with many females and their young ones .The male have horns
while female are hornless. The male has authority over all the females in the group
Densities of grazers and browsers in relation to vegetation
With changes in vegetation community structure, the evolving dominance of ecosystem by
shrubs and trees , there may be shift towards browsers dominating the majority of herbivores
community .In thorny trees, there is a possibility of that the browsers may limit the degree to
which shrubs and trees survive in the ecosystem. The vegetation competition will change
towards one that is dominated by trees and shrubs and away from grasses

CONCLUSION
I conclude that study areas are the best in protection and conservation of mammals in that it had
endangered species of gravy zebra ,northern white rhino, southern white rhino and lion.
The protected areas also have features that attract tourist therefore collection of revenue to be
used in protection of animals from poachers and when they are unwell
I concluded that the wildlife are monitored in that they are collars in lion and elephants to be
used in monitoring and for protection and to prevent human wildlife conflicts

Mammals are important part to our ecosystem in that it helps in determination of pollutants and
have aesthetic value and they are beneficial economically and socially
RECOMMENDATIONS
The managements should more on censuring mammals to avoid them reaching carrying capacity
therefore population crash and destruction of habitat it will be so hard to re-increase their number
The management also should encourage public participation and educating them to avoid
wildlife conflict and illegal activities such as poaching and illegal logging
The government and non- governmental organization should come together to protect and
conserve wildlife for the present and future generation from going extinct as tourism is the pillar
of ecomics in our country
I will also recommend that problematic animals such as elephant, primates and carnivores should
be strictly fenced to avoid wildlife conflict with the local community