Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
School of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
The study of the elephant ecology in the Tuli area of Botswana has been completed. Human settlement and the distribution of rivers and fencing appeared to be the major factors influencing distribution and movement. The population is highly mobile within the total range, and numbers fluctuate markedly in any given section, while numbers in the total range appear to have been increasing slowly at below 2% per annum and the range expanding over the last 30 years. Research on the leopards of the Waterberg is progressing well and there seem to be more leopard than anticipated but also more cases of farmers poisoning them than anticipated. The dwarf crocodile research with three MSc students in Central Africa has proved again that the bushmeat trade is the single largest threat on their survival.
Contact person: Prof W van Hoven.
Two separate trials were conducted with lactating dairy cattle. In trial one the effect of undegradable protein (fishmeal) supplementation on Jersey cows grazing ryegrass was investigated. Supplementation with only 240g of fishmeal increased fat corrected milk production by 18%. This could have a significant impact on the profitability of pasture dairying. In a second trial the potential complemetary/synergistic effects of two feed additives (monensin and virginiamycin) were investigated in a lactation study with high producing Holstein cows. The combined supplementation of the two additives significantly increased milk production compared to supplementation with either additive alone and demonstrated potential to increase the energy balance and reduce the incidence of subclinical ketosis. Results from this study have important implication for the feed industry. Further research will focus on the post ruminal effects of these additives.
Contact person: Prof LJ Erasmus.
Non-invasive methods of gathering genetic information are vital for the study of species that are elusive, nocturnal, wide ranging or highly endangered because they can be implemented without having to capture or harm the animal or cause it any unnecessary stress. The aim of this project is to determine the accuracy and reliability of scatology as a non-invasive tool for the conservation of cheetah in South Africa by comparing blood and faeces obtained from corresponding animals. This will facilitate population management decisions by providing useful genetic information on the cheetah found at specific localities. This project is near completion.
Contact person: Dr E van Marle-Köster.
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