Population Status and Diurnal Activity Patterns of the Hyrax (Procavia capensis) in Dinsho, in and Around Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
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Date
2004-07
Authors
Teklehaimanot Gebremeskel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The rock hyrax (Procavia capensis Pallas, 1766) was studiedjiml/ September 2003 to FebruGI}'
2004 in Dinsho area, in and around Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP). Data on the
population, age and sex categol)l, group size, diurnal activity paffern, food habits, habitat
utilization and impact of the local people on their population were studied. Total CO/lilt was
employed to determine the population size. The total population recorded in wet season was 368
whereas it was 332 in the dl)1 seasons. Dut of the total population, 40.3% were adults, 34.8%
were sub-adults and 24.9% were juveniles. The sex of only 157 rock hyraxes was confirmed.
Adult sex ratio was biased towards females but it was nearly 1: 1 in the juveniles. Dut of the sexed
hyraxes, 55.7% were females and 44.3% were males. Relatively higher percentage of breeding
females (over 42%) out of the sexed ones in the polygamous rock hyrax colony shows
sustainability a/the hyrax population.
The major activity of the dominant territorial male was lvatching. Feeding took place for brief
intervals. The rock hyraxes were IllOre active during ear~)' ill the morning and late in the
a/iernoon. During the noon hours, they were not most~J' seen outside the shelter. The rock
hyraxes intensively feed in groups during early morning and late a./iernoon hours. The diet of
rock hyraxes constituted a wide variety of plants around the vicinity of their shelter. There was
sigllificant difference between grazing alld browsing during the wet and dl}' seasons. Afore rock
hyraxes were engaged in browsing during the dl)1 season than during the wet season. In the dl)1
season, there were load migrationsjiml/ areas with less vegetation cover and no water, to bushy
areas where water was available. It \Vas revealed that habitat destructioll, hunting and disturbances in and around the areas of their shelter affect the behaviour and threaten the
survival of rock hyraxes.
Description
Keywords
Rock hyrax (Procavia capensis, population status, diul'llal activity, Dinsho.