The distribution and diet of the elephants of the Maputo Elephant Reserve were studied using dung counts, satellite tracking and faecal analysis. The results were compared with earlier data from before the civil war in Mozambique. The elephant population decreased during the civil war, but 180 animals still remain. Earlier studies described the elephants as preferring the grass plains. Currently, the elephants prefer the dense forest patches over the high quality forage found in the grass plains. Water salinity a¡ected distribution; elephant dung piles were found closer to fresh water in the dry season. A total of 95 di¡erent plant species were identi-¢ed in the faeces. The percentage of grass was relatively low compared with other studies, increasing at the beginning of the rainy season. At the end of the dry season, elephants concentrated on the few available browse species with young leaves, but generally preferred grass species to browse species. Diet composition was mainly a¡ected by season and less by habitat. The elephants have changed their habitat preference in reaction to poaching, and probably increased the contribution of browse species in the diet. The presence of forest patches has been vital for the survival of the elephants.Re¨sumeÖ n a e¨tudie¨la distribution et le re¨gime alimentaire des e¨le¨phants de la Re¨serve a¨e¨le¨phants de Maputo en utilisant le comptages des crottes, le tracking par satellite et l'analyse des excre¨ments. On a compare¨les re¨sultats avec des donne¨es recueillies avant la guerre civile au Mozambique. La population d'e¨le¨phants a baisse¨pendant la guerre civile mais il reste 180 animaux. Des e¨tudes ante¨rieures montraient que les e¨le¨phants pre¨fe¨raient les plaines herbeuses. Actuellement, ils pre¨fe© rent les |ª lots de foreª t dense au fourrage de haute qualite¨qui se trouve dans les plaines herbeuses. La salinite¨de l'eau modi¢e la distribution; on trouvait les crottes d'e¨le¨phants plus pre© s de l'eau douce en saison se© che. On a identi¢e¨un total de 95 espe© ces ve¨ge¨tales di¡e¨rentes dans les excre¨ments. Le pourcentage d'herbes e¨tait relativement bas par rapport aux e¨tudes ante¨rieures, il augmentait au de¨but de la saison des pluies. A la ¢n de la saison se© che, les e¨le¨phants se concentraient sur les quelques espe© ces de buissons comestibles ayant des jeunes feuilles, mais ils pre¨fe¨raient ge¨ne¨ralement les espe© ces herbeuses aux buissons. La composition du re¨gime e¨tait surtout a¡ecte¨e par la saison et moins par l'habitat. Les e¨le¨phants ont change¨leurs pre¨fe¨rences en matie© re d'habitat en re¨action au braconnage et ont sans doute ainsi augmente¨la contribution des espe© ces buissonnantes dans le re¨gime alimentaire. La pre¨sence des |ª lots forestiers a e¨te¨vitale pour la survie des e¨le¨phants.
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