Ecology and Management of the African Buffalo

About this book

One of iconic Africa's Big Five, the African buffalo is the largest African bovine or antelope that occurs throughout most of sub-Sahara and in a wide range of ecosystems from savanna to rainforest. The African buffalo is also one of the most successful large African mammals in terms of abundance and biomass. This species thus represents a powerful model to enhance our understanding of African biogeography and wildlife conservation, ecology and management. Edited by four researchers experienced in different aspects of the African buffalo's biology, this volume provides an exhaustive compilation of knowledge on an emblematic species that stands out as an important component of African natural and human ecosystems. It delivers a global view of the African buffalo and all known aspects of its ecology and management in Africa that will appeal to students, scholars, scientists and wildlife managers as well as those enthusiastic about the charismatic species.

Contents

1. African buffalo and the human societies in Africa: social values and interaction outcomes / B. Mukamuri, E. Wichatitsky, E. Gandiwa, A. Perrotton, O. L. Kupika and L. Monin

Part I. Conservation / D. Cornélis
2. The evolutionary history of the African buffalo: is it truly a Bovine? / H. H. T. Prins, J. F. de Jong and D. Geraads
3. Taxonomic status of the African buffalo / J. Michaux, N. Smitz and P. Van Hooft
4. Conservation status of the African buffalo: a continent-wide assessment / D. Cornélis, P. C. Renaud, M. Melletti, D. Fonteyn, H. Bonhotal, M. Hauptfleisch, A. Asefa, T. Breuer, L. Korte, P. Scholte, P. Elkan, E. Kohi, S. Mwiu, S. Ngene, P. Omondi, S. P. Tadjo, T. Prin, A. Caron, H. H. T. Prins and P. Chardonnet
5. Habitat, space use and feeding ecology of the African buffalo / R. Taylor, E. Bennitt, R. Fynn, L. Korte, R. Naidoo, A.Roug and D. Cornélis

Part II. Ecology / H. H. T. Prins
6. African buffalo social dynamics: what is a buffalo herd? / A. Caron, E. Bennitt, E. Wielgus, D. Cornélis, E. Miguel and M. de Garine-Wichatitsky
7. Population dynamics of buffalo: the effects of droughts and non-equilibrium dynamics / J. W. Hearne, M. J. S. Peel and H. H. T. Prins
8. The environments of the African buffalo, with different selection forces in different habitats / H. H. T. Prins, J. Ottenburghs and P. Van Hooft
9. Infections and Parasites of free-ranging African buffalo / R. G. Bengis, F. Gakuya, M. Munyeme, S. D. Fekadu, R. A. Kock and P. Chardonnet

Part III. Diseases / A. Caron
10. Characterisation of buffalo/cattle interactions for assessing pathogen transmission / A. Caron, F. Rumiano, E. Wielgus, E. Miguel, A. Tran, M. T. Bah, V. Grosbois and M. de Garine-Wichatitsky
11. Host-Parasite interactions in African buffalo: a community-level perspective / B. Beechler, E. Gorsich, C. Glidden, A. Jolles and V. O. Ezenwa
12. African buffalo and colonial cattle: is 'systems change' the best future for farming and nature in Africa? / R. A. Kock, R. G. Bengis, F. D. Shiferaw, F. Gakuya, D. Mdetele, H. H. T. Prins, A. Caron and M. Kock

Part IV. Management / P. Chardonnet
13. African buffalo production systems / D. Furstenburg, E. Gandiwa, Pa. Oberem and Pe Oberem
14. Management aspects of the captive-bred African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in South Africa / L. Hoffman, C. Shepstone, K. Robertson and T. Tersia Needham
15. Handling and moving the African buffalo / M. La Grange, N. J. La Grange, J. Mostert, J. Mostert-La Grange, R. Hoare, M. Kock, I. Lekolool and P. Chardonnet
16. Buffalo hunting: from a commodity to a high-value game species / P. Chardonnet, R. Taylor, W. Crosmary, S. P. Tadjo, F. A. Ligate, R. Baldus, W. Siege and D. Cornélis
17. Knowns and unknowns on African buffalo ecology and management / H. H. T. Prins, D. Cornélis, A. Caron and P. Chardonnet
18. Futures of the African buffalo / A. Caron, R. Bourgeois, P. Chardonnet, D. Cornélis and H. H. T. Prins

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Biography

Alexandre Caron is a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine and wildlife ecologist specialising in the ecology of infectious disease transmission at the wildlife/livestock interface in the African landscape. For the past 20 years, he has coordinated projects linked to Health Ecology, One Health and Sustainability Science in Southern Africa. He is a permanent researcher at International Centre for Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD).

Daniel Cornélis is a Senior Ecologist specialising in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Over the past 25 years, he has conducted and coordinated projects and studies on wildlife and natural resource management, including the African buffalo. Since 2003, he has been a permanent researcher at CIRAD.

Philippe Chardonnet is a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine specialising in tropical animal health and production. He is a Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (ASG) and has over 40 years of experience in wildlife conservation and sustainable use in Africa, Asia, South America and the South Pacific. He has co-authored more than 200 publications.

Herbert H.T. Prins is an Emeritus Professor of Resource Ecology at Wageningen University and Research (WUR), The Netherlands. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at Princeton University, USA; Foundation Fellow at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia; and Honorary Professor in Computational Ecology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He has co-authored over 500 publications, co-edited 14 books, and wrote Ecology and Behaviour of African Buffalo (Chapman & Hall, 1996).


Contributors:
- B. Mukamuri
- E. Wichatitsky
- E. Gandiwa
- A. Perrotton
- O. L. Kupika
- L. Monin
- D. Cornélis
- H. H. T. Prins
- J. F. de Jong
- D. Geraads
- J. Michaux
- N. Smitz
- P. Van Hooft
- P. C. Renaud
- M. Melletti
- D. Fonteyn
- H. Bonhotal
- M. Hauptfleisch
- A. Asefa
- T. Breuer
- L. Korte
- P. Scholte
- P. Elkan
- E. Kohi
- S. Mwiu
- S. Ngene
- P. Omondi
- S. P. Tadjo
- T. Prin
- A. Caron
- P. Chardonnet
- R. Taylor
- E. Bennitt
- R. Fynn
- R. Naidoo
- A. Roug
- E. Wielgus
- E. Miguel
- M. de Garine-Wichatitsky
- J. W. Hearne
- M. J. S. Peel
- J. Ottenburghs
- R. G. Bengis
- F. Gakuya
- M. Munyeme
- S. D. Fekadu
- R. A. Kock
- F. Rumiano
- A. Tran
- M. T. Bah
- V. Grosbois
- B. Beechler
- E. Gorsich
- C. Glidden
- A. Jolles
- V. O. Ezenwa
- F. D. Shiferaw
- D. Mdetele
- M. Kock
- D. Furstenburg
- Pa. Oberem
- L. Hoffman
- C. Shepstone
- K. Robertson
- T. Tersia Needham
- M. La Grange
- N. J. La Grange
- J. Mostert
- J. Mostert-La Grange
- R. Hoare
- I. Lekolool
- W. Crosmary
- F. A. Ligate
- R. Baldus
- W. Siege
- R. Bourgeois