A new study using satellite imagery and state-of-the-art GPS systems has shown that African elephants take the shortest possible route when looking to feed on their favourite bushes and trees.
Researchers found that bull elephants choose different routes from family groups of females and young calves due to differences in their gender-based diet.
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The pioneering research by Save the Elephants and Oxford University was carried out in the rural community of Sagalla in Kenya.
The region is a hotspot for crop-raiding elephants.
The findings of the study could play a crucial role in helping conservationists forecast potential human-elephant conflict areas.
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“A lot is known about what kinds of foods are eaten by elephants,” says lead author Gloria Mugo. “However, being able to single out the fact that their movements can be driven by their preferred, gender-based diet, helps to further our understanding of micro-level ecological interactions.”
Main image: Bull elephants prefer to walk paths that have or lead to Combretum and Cissus plants. © Ewan Brennan/Save the Elephants
