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________________________________________________________________________________ AbstractIncremental levels of sun-dried and coarsely ground cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica var. Algerian) cladodes were used to substitute part of the lucerne hay in balanced diets fed to Dorper wethers (n = 28; 33.90 ± 2.98 kg) during a trial period of 63 days. The three treatment diets (T0, T24 and T36) comprised respectively (air dry basis) 0, 240 and 360 g/kg Opuntia; 660, 410 and 285 g/kg lucerne hay; 300 g/kg maize meal; 0, 10 and 15 g/kg feed grade urea; and 40 g/kg molasses meal. Apparent DM digestibility coefficients increased significantly (0.714, 0.732, and 0.756) with Opuntia inclusion in diets. Feed dry matter (DM) intake (1.368, 1.345 and 1.317 kg DM/day) and average daily gain (117.8, 116.4 and 95.6 g/day) decreased slightly as Opuntia inclusion increased. Similar to previous studies the ingestion of Opuntia caused the production of wet faeces by the wethers. It was concluded that adequate nutrients were provided by these diets for maintenance and a moderate level of production in the Dorper wethers.________________________________________________________________________________

Cactus pear cladodes in ruminant diets are characterized by the production of wet faeces and assumed to be diarrhoea. Incremental levels of sun-dried and coarsely ground spineless cactus pear (Opuntia ficusindica var. Algerian) cladodes were used to substitute part of the lucerne hay in balanced sheep diets. Feed and water intake and faeces and urine excretion were determined with 24 Dorper wethers. The four diets (T0, T12, T24 and T36) comprised respectively (air dry basis) 0, 120, 240 or 360 g/kg sun-dried, coarsely ground Opuntia cladodes; 660, 535, 410 or 285 g/kg coarsely ground lucerne hay; 300 g/kg yellow maize meal; 0, 5, 10 or 15 g/kg feed grade urea; and 40 g/kg molasses meal. The wethers drank significantly more water with increasing inclusion of Opuntia in the diets, while urine excretion showed little increase. Food intake and faeces dry matter (DM) excreted remained the same for all diets, but the DM content of the faeces decreased with higher levels of Opuntia inclusion. The wetter faeces produced by the sheep lacked the customary foul smell associated with diarrhoea and this is ascribed to the water-binding capacity of the mucilage in Opuntia. Although more definitive research is needed, it is concluded that the wetter faeces produced by the sheep on diets T12, T24 and T36 were not diarrhoea induced by the sun-dried and coarsely ground Opuntia cladodes, but the result of larger quantities of water that were not reabsorbed from the lower digestive tract.

Specific procedures are described to measure the body dimensions of large African predators; these include measurements of body and tail length, head, canines, mane, limbs, paws and testes. Data on body mass and dimensions were collected from an immobilized sub-adult male African lion Panthera leo. He was 40 months old and weighed 190 kg. After being immobilized, data on body mass and dimensions were collected by a team comprising a scribe, two operators and assistants. The procedures of measuring the 43 variables on body dimensions were then repeated three times in quick succession, each session lasting about 10 min. The four sessions were handled as if a different individual was measured each time. Except for reports on body mass of lions, there is a paucity of comparable data in the literature for most of the variables presented in this paper. The small dispersion measures of the 43 variables suggest that the specific procedures to measure the body dimensions of a large African predator such as the lion have a high degree of repeatability and can be applied with confidence. The procedure has been used to obtain data on body dimensions of a large number of lions as well as dead specimens of black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas, caracal Caracal caracal and Cape fox Vulpes chama. The data form part of a database on body dimensions of large African predators created by ALPRU. The objective is to develop non-invasive techniques to determine whether wild predator populations might have been subjected to abnormal growth and development as a result of negative impacts on their habitat and thus food base.

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