Habitat selection by large herbivores in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Abstract

The overall density of 17 large herbivore species encountered during the study differed among species and habitat types, but not between seasons. There were clear seasonal patterns of association among species, which were more pronounced during wet than dry seasons, suggesting greater habitat selectivity and increased ecological separation. The defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellypsiprymnus defassa Ruppel) showed ecological separation from other species, possibly because it competitively displaced them.