Guest guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 The Times of India, Mumbai Wdnesday January 4,2006 Elephant tail reveals diet clues Chemical analysis of elephant hair can provide clues about the animal’s diet and behaviour, say scientists. Researchers studied wild elephants in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve by tracking the animals with GPS devices and analysing their tail hair. One elephant had turned to eating crops, a major source of conflict between humans and elephants. The study is aimed at helping conservationists decide where to site sanctuaries. As elephants are squeezed out of their natural habitat by human settlements, they fall short of food and may take to raiding crops to supplement their diets. In rare cases, they may kill, or are themselves shot in retaliation. To find out more about elephants’ movement patterns, scientists led by Thure Cerling of the University of Utah, US, fitted radio collars to wild elephants. They analysed their roaming habits over the course of two years and collected samples of tail hair. By studying the ratios of naturally-occurring carbon and nitrogen isotopes, they were able to deduce the diet of the elephants. “One big question is how can we secure a future for elephants when we know that the areas set aside for their protection are too small,’’ said study co-author and zoologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, according to bbc.com. “Tracking an elephant’s diet through stable isotopes defines essential elephant dietary needs and can help inform land use planning,’’ he added. “The information from the isotopes and actual elephant tracking can help us define the critical minimum space needed by elephants and other animals.’’ Agencies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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