Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park
Dissertation (MSc (Wildlife Management))--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613669562515456 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Pretorius, Yolanda |
| author_browse | Pretorius, Yolanda |
| author_facet | Pretorius, Yolanda |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Dissertation (MSc (Wildlife Management))--University of Pretoria, 2016. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110066 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:39:49.604Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110066 Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park Pretorius, Yolanda tammyeggeling@gmail.com Garai, Marion Eggeling, Tamara Elephants Behaviour Hierarchy Social networks Pilanesberg National Park Dissertation (MSc (Wildlife Management))--University of Pretoria, 2016. Across Africa, African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are increasingly being poached for their ivory. Additionally, habitat reduction is occurring due to growing agricultural demands. This places importance on fenced reserves where elephants and their habitats can be more effectively protected. Fenced populations however require considerate management in order to minimize the negative effects on animal populations which no longer occur in natural systems. Part of managing elephants involves understanding the role and importance of social dynamics in elephant populations. Since the majority of existing reserves in South Africa did not naturally contain elephants, most populations were founded from Kruger National Park (KNP) or other southern African countries. These founder populations are therefore examples of disturbed populations. The founder population of Pilanesberg National Park (PNP) were predominantly juvenile orphans from culling operations in KNP. My research aimed to study the social dynamics of the population of elephants in PNP in order to better understand the possible long-term effects of a disrupted population introduced with an incomplete social structure. Social interaction observations were conducted from April 2015 to February 2016. Variables observed at elephant sightings were: time of year, group size, identity of herds present, age or identity of individuals as well as musth state of bulls present, proximity of all elephants to each other and location. These were used to determine trends in elephant associations. Unlike in natural elephant populations, solitary non-musth bulls were found to associate with herds more than solitary musth bulls. In addition, bulls between 20-40 years were observed associating with herds more than bulls older than 45 years which was not expected. Furthermore, contrary to expectations of a natural population where bulls only come into musth above the age of 24, musth was observed in bulls as low as the 15-19 year age class. These results indicated likely consequences of an incomplete bull social structure which has compromised the bull hierarchy as there are very few bulls in the oldest age class. Social networking analysis revealed that elephants are selective in their social grouping choices. Herds however were not found to actively avoid each other as in natural populations. Current matriarchs, when introduced, were all juveniles brought into PNP at the same time and as a result they have likely matured as equal counterparts with no clear dominance hierarchy to influence agonistic behaviour. Another consequence of inexperienced matriarchs seems to be a gap in knowledge as indicated by findings that ii grouping behaviour did not seem to be predictably altered by season. Significantly more herds grouped together during the dry season when competition for scarcer resources is higher, which is unusual and suggests grouping might be driven by stress. Herd fusions triggered by a traumatic fire in 2005 were also found to persist, indicating the long-term effects trauma can have. Effects of translocations need to be understood better with regards to consequences of disrupting social structures. Additionally, elephant social dynamic knowledge can be used to best minimize stress to the elephants being managed. Animal and Wildlife Sciences MSc (Wildlife Management) 2026-05-15T17:26:13Z 2026-05-15T17:26:13Z 17/02/15 2016 Dissertation http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110066 en application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Elephants Behaviour Hierarchy Social networks Pilanesberg National Park Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park |
| title | Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park |
| title_full | Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park |
| title_fullStr | Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park |
| title_short | Social organisation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach, 1797) in Pilanesberg National Park |
| title_sort | social organisation of african elephants loxodonta africana blumenbach 1797 in pilanesberg national park |
| topic | Elephants Behaviour Hierarchy Social networks Pilanesberg National Park |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110066 |