Contribution to the Survey of the Food Regime of the Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) in the Peripheral Zone of the National Park Ogooue Leketi

Abstract

In this survey, the authors analyze the food regime of the forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) in a part of the forest sector of the National Park of the Ogooué-Léketi in Republic of Congo. The survey achieved itself on two trails parallel distant of 7.5 km one of the other and covering a total distance of 13.19 km. During two months, of March to April 2010, the authors browsed the 13.19 km while harvesting the data on the plant species consumed by the forest Elephant. Every trail was browsed while using the method of oriented recognition (guided recces) until the discovery of the track of meal. Three methods were used for the collection of the data: opportunist observation of the traces; consistent of the cool tracks borrowed by the Elephant and the analysis of the cool droppings. According to the results of this survey, hundred thirty four (134) species of plants of which sixty ten eight (78) known and fifty six (56) unknown were identified in the rests of food of the Elephant. Otherwise, one notes that the forest Elephant eats the bushes mainly, the trees, the lianas, the monocotyledons and accidentally of ferns. The bush the more clear soup in the zone of survey is Hugonia sp 1, a bush lianescent of the family of Linaceae present in the two trails. The parts of the plants preferred by the forest Elephant are the leaves followed the roots, the stems, the fruits and finally the peels. Finally, sixty ten eight (78) droppings were analyzed in which one identified seeds of nine (9) species. Of these species, Anonidium manii was present in 50% of the droppings.