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Population Size and Diet of Bush Hyrax <i>Hetrohyrax brucei</i> (Gray 1868) in the Isolated Romanat Michael Church Forest in Northern Ethiopia, Implication for Conservation
Abstract
Fragmented sacred church forests in Ethiopia contribute about 5% of the vegetation cover in the country. These isolated forests harbour a variety of fauna and flora, including several indigenous species. A number of species in these forests however, are suffering from the effects of isolation and fragmentations which are poorly investigated issues. We studied population size and diet of bush hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei, in the isolated Romanat Michael church forest in Northern Ethiopia. The overall population size of the bush hyrax was about 20 individuals. The population suffered high adult mortality during the post-rainy season, between October and November. This season is also marked with the appearance of new pups. The bush hyraxes were observed predominantly browsing on the leaves, shoots, and flowers of 16 different plant species. There is a growing concern that the population may become locally extinct from demographic and/or genetic stochastic factors. We recommend immediate conservation measures to save the population from potential future factors causing an increase in the already high mortality rate.
Keywords: Population size, Church forest, Diet, Heterohyrax brucei, Ethiopia.
