DIET AND FEEDING-BEHAVIOR OF THE FOREST ELEPHANT IN THE SANTCHOU RESERVE, CAMEROON

This study reports the diet and feeding behaviour of forest elephants in Western Cameroon. Diet consisted primarily of grass (Pennisetum pur pureum). Woody material (leaves and stems) made up the smallest propor tion of the diet. Twenty-two species of fruit were eaten of which seve n formed a significant component of the diet: Cucurmis manii, Desplats ia subericarpa, Irvingia gabonensis, Parinari excelsa, Strychnos innoc uea, Theobroma cacao and Vitex doniana. The greatest variety of fruit was available during the dry season. The frequent presence of crop see ds in the dung piles indicated that elephant incursions into the farms to feed on crops were regular. Elephants removed bark from eight spec ies of tree but concentrated on four: Afzelia bipindensis, Coloncoba w elwitschii, Bridelia ferruginea and Terminalia superba. Seventeen spec ies were recorded as browsed. Trees in particular were favoured. Eleph ants fed mainly by grazing or stripping off fruits. Debarking of trees , breaking of the main stems, and uprooting or pushing over were minor feeding activities.