Mn. Tchamba et Pm. Seme, DIET AND FEEDING-BEHAVIOR OF THE FOREST ELEPHANT IN THE SANTCHOU RESERVE, CAMEROON, African journal of ecology, 31(2), 1993, pp. 165-171
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.