Human activity likely affects giraffe's social networks

AUGUST 7, 2019

by Wiley

In a new Ethology study, researchers examined information on two adjacent giraffe populations in Kenya to determine whether human activities and high predation affect their social networks.

One study site was a premier tourist destination with a high volume of human activity in the form of tourist traffic and lodges, alongside a high density of lions that preferentially prey on giraffe calves. The other was a private wildlife conservancy with minimal human activity and no lion population.

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Human activity making mammals more nocturnal, study finds

Research involving 62 species found mammals spent relatively less time being active during the day when humans were nearby

Nicola Davis

Thu 14 Jun 2018 19.00 BSTLast modified on Thu 14 Jun 2018 22.24 BST

Human disturbance is turning mammals into night owls, with species becoming more nocturnal when people are around, research has revealed.

The study, encompassing 62 species from around the globe, found that when humans were nearby, mammals spent relatively less time being active during the day and were more active at night - even among those already classed as nocturnal.

Experts say such a shift might not only affect particular animals themselves – for example impacting their ability to navigate or find food – but also have numerous knock-on effects across other species.

Kaitlyn Gaynor, first author of the research and a doctoral student at the University of Berkeley, said the findings echoed the past, noting it was only after the extinction of the dinosaurs that mammals started exploring the daylight.

“Humans are now this ubiquitous terrifying force on the planet and we are driving all the other mammals back into the night-time,” she said.

Gaynor said the shift might affect numerous interactions between species, noting that coyotes in California are moving from eating diurnal creatures like squirrels and birds to nocturnal animals like mice, rats and rabbits, while sable antelope in Zimbabwe are less able to access water during the day as they shift towards increased nocturnal behaviour.

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Human activity and forest loss threatens endangered ape

November 2013: Poaching, forest fragmentation and a growing population are all taking their toll on the endangered bonobo formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee) and just 28 percent of its range remains suitable for them say scientists.

Using data from nest counts and remote sensing imagery the research team, which included scientists fromUniversity of Georgia, University of Maryland, the Wildlife Conservation Society, found that the bonobo avoids areas of high human activity and forest fragmentation. 

“This assessment is a major step towards addressing the substantial information gap regarding the conservation status of bonobos across their entire range,” said lead author Dr. Jena R. Hickey of Cornell University and the University of Georgia. “The results of the study demonstrate that human activities reduce the amount of effective bonobo habitat and will help us identify where to propose future protected areas for this great ape.” 

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