ummary
Black rhinoceroses on the Serengeti Plains were surveyed from February 1974 through January 1978. Sex and age composition of the sixty-seven individuals identified was 30% adult males, 36% adult females and 34% immatures and calves. Social groupings were described for 140 sightings (237 rhinos), of which 38% were lone males. The sex ratio was 1:1 for all age classes combined. Of the adult females, 79% had calves. Two observed calving intervals were approximately 3-3 years. The ratio of adult females to young is not significantly different from ratios reported elsewhere in East Africa.

Rhinos did not use the short grasslands of the Serengeti Plains. In the medium grasslands they used mainly the drainage lines where there was food and water, but only minimal cover. Most rhinos on the plains were found along the woodland edge. Near the Seronera River, on the edge of the plains, there was a density of one rhino per 19 km2. Home ranges varied from 43 to 133 km2, with much overlapping. Some male, female, and male-female dyads shared the same home ranges.

An estimated 700 black rhinos live within the 12 920 km2 Serengeti National Park. Management for black rhinos in the park requires primarily that woodlands and abundant watering places be maintained and that poaching be minimized.

Resume
Les rhinoceros noirs des plaines du Serengeti furent surveilles de fevrier 1974 jusque janvier 1978. La distribution par sexe et par âge des soixante-sept individus identifies fut de 30% de mâles, 36%, de femelles adultes et 34% d'immatnres et de jeunes. Les groupements sociaux furent decrits a partir de 140 observations (237 rhinos), dont 38%etaient des mâles solitaires. Toutes classes d'âge combinees, le sex-ratio etait de 1/1. 79% des femelles adultes etaient suitees. Deux observations donnent un intervalle de 3,3 ans entre deux naissances. La proportion femelles adultes/jeunes n'est pas significativement differente de celles decrites ailleurs en Afrique de 1'Est.

Les rhinos n'utilisent pas les pâturages ras des plaines du Serengeti. Dans les paTturages moyens, ils frequentent surtout les sillons d'ecoulement ou ils trouvent nourriture et eau mais peu d'abri. La plupart des rhinos des plaines se trouvent en lisiere forestiere. Prks de la riviere Seronera, en bordure des plaines, il y a une densite de I rhino par 19 km2. Les domaines vitaux varient de 43 a 133 km2 avec beaucoup de

Black rhinoceros(Diceros bicornis L.)sub‐population on the Serengeti Plains, Tanzania*

Late Middle Pleistocene ecology and climate in Northeastern Thailand inferred from the stable isotope analysis of Khok Sung herbivore tooth enamel and the land mammal cenogram

Black rhinoceros were translocated to the Addo Ele- phant National Park from Kenya and released into a small fenced enclosure Serious fighting attributed to the conditions under which the animals were released, the unusually high population density, the meeting of strange animals, aggression associated with mating and individual temperament resulted in the deaths of three animals within three weeks Later fighting between bulls accounted for two more animals A peak in mating activity was recorded during spring to mid-summer, followed by a peak calving period in late summer The calving interval (35 months) is longer than that of unrestricted populations but ages at first mating in cows (4 years 6 months, 4 years 7 months) are comparable First parturition at Addo occurs later (8 years, 8 years 5 months) than in wild animals and the young are hidden for the first few days after birth Under conditions of stress a subadult bull readily took to swimming as a means of escaping from other animals

/pdf/behaviour-and-recruitment-of-translocated-black-rhinoceros-bctoqv375a.pdf

J. Goddard

Papers

A note on age at sexual maturity in wild black rhinoceros