Population status, distribution and ecology of Gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) in Azwa and Arego, South wollo, Dessie, Ethiopia.
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Date
2009-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The population status and distribution of gelada baboon in Cliff Azwa and
Arego was investigated and test statistics was applied to age-sex categorical variable. The
study area was stratified into five study blocks namely Aba Tasho, Aba Gude, Doro
Mezeleya, Azwa and Dikule genet. The study was carried out from August, 2008 to
March, 2009. Data on movement, distribution and human gelada interaction were
collected in the area based on the questionairre survey and field observation. Data were
analyzed using descriptive statistics, and responses were compared using t-test and oneway
ANOVA to compare age-sex categorical variables. The population size and
abundance of geladas in the area was determined from total (direct) count. A total of 338
individual geladas were recorded with a density for the entire region of 0.071
geladas/km2 and actual density specific for the home ranges was 6.22/km2. Of this, males
were 74, females 186 and juveniles 78. There was significant difference (P<0.05)
between males and females, males and juveniles and females and juveniles. Large
number of infants indicates that the population is increasing. Geladas spent more time
feeding (57.26 %). Other activities such as vocalization, defecation and looking at the
observer were the least (2.33%) in their time budget. They depend on grass during the
wet season (82.77%) but during the dry season, they fed on roots (38.71%) and leaves
(38.5%) in larger proportion and almost in equivalent amount. There are significant
differences (P<0.05) on the type of food taken during the dry and wet seasons.
Key words: abundance, body size, distribution, extinction, Gelada baboon, habitat,
human activities, juvenile.
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Keywords
abundance, body size, distribution, extinction, Gelada baboon, habitat, human activities, Juvenile