Browsing by Author "Mfune, John K."
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Item Host specificity, prevalence and intensity of infestation of fleas (Order Siphonaptera) of small mammals at selected sites in the city of Windhoek, Namibia(University of Namibia, 2013) Mfune, John K.; Kangombe, Fransiska; Eiseb, Seth J.Small mammals host diverse communities of parasites including fleas. There is considerable research interest in effects of parasites on their hosts. Host specificity, prevalence and intensity of infestation of fleas on small mammals were studied at selected sites in the city of Windhoek, Namibia from April to July 2005. Small mammals were live-trapped using Sherman traps and autopsied before collection of fleas. Fleas were processed using standard parasitological procedures and were mounted permanently onto slides using Canada balsam. Small mammal hosts and fleas were identified to species level. A total of sixty one (61) small mammals belonging to four rodent species, i.e. bushveld gerbil Gerbilliscus leucogaster, hairy-footed gerbil Gerbillurus paeba, black-tailed tree rat Thallomys nigricauda and the four-stripped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio and one insectivore, bushveld sengi Elephantulus intufi, were captured. One hundred and thirty six (136) fleas belonging to eight species, i.e. Xenopsylla brasiliensis, Xenopsylla cheopis, Xenopsylla hirsuta, Xenopsylla trispinis, Dinopsyllus ellobius, Dinopsyllus zuluensis, Epirimia aganipes and Listropsylla aricinae were collected from infested hosts. Dinopsyllus ellobius and X. trispinis and L. aricinae were host specific, being collected only from G. leucogaster and G. paeba, respectively. No fleas were collected from E. intifi and R. pumilio. The prevalence of fleas ranged from zero in E. entufi and R. pumilio through 50 % in T. nigricauda, 55.1% in G. leucogaster to 61.1% in G. paeba. High species richness of fleas was recorded in G. leucogaster (seven out of eight flea species) and in G. paeba (six out of eight flea species). The overall prevalence of fleas was higher in male (54.3%) than in female (34.6%) hosts. There was no association between the body mass of small mammal hosts and the intensity of flea infestation. The intensity of infestation of fleas did not vary significantly by host species and sex of hosts.Item Indigenous knowledge used in the management of human–wildlife conflict along the borders of the Etosha National Park(University of Namibia Press, 2015) Lendelvo, Selma M.; Angula, Margaret; Mfune, John K.Humans and wildlife in Africa have coexisted for millennia, but conflicts between them have become common phenomena (Shemwetta & Kideghesho, 2000). Worldwide, borders between humans and wild spaces have become blurred, particularly those surrounding protected areas. As a result, wildlife frequently moves out of protected areas and enters nearby human settlements (Ogra, 2008). In addition, the frequency of human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs) in these areas has grown in recent decades, largely because of the increase in human population, the expansion of human activities and changes in wildlife management systems (Graham, Beckerman, & Thirgood, 2005). In this chapter, we describe how commercial and communal farmers who live along the borders of Etosha National Park (ENP) use their indigenous knowledge in dealing with HWC. We interviewed 48 farmers from cattle posts in the communal areas north of ENP and 51 commercial farmers on private land south of ENP through a semi-structured questionnaire. The majority of farmers indicated that they have techniques and strategies to protect their livestock, crops, families and property from being harmed by problem wildlife. Understanding the indigenous knowledge that farmers have to deal with HWC is important for improving wildlife management systems in Namibia.Item International joint MSC Programme: University of Namibia and Humboldt University, Germany(University of Namibia, 2013) Mfune, John K.The MSc Biodiversity Management and Research Programme is a full time interdisciplinary and international postgraduate programme jointly run by the University of Namibia (Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science) and Humboldt-Universitt zu Berlin, Germany. The main goal of the program is to build capacity to increase the number of postgraduate local and regional experts in the field of Biodiversity Management and Research. This program was designed to ”Build capacity to manage biodiversity and sustainable development in Namibia” as incorporated in Namibia governments ten-year strategic plan of action for sustainable development through biodiversity conservation (National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, 2001-2010). During the programme, students gain in-depth knowledge of natural-spatial features and biological diversity in Southern Africa with emphasis on Namibia, understand ecosystem functioning and human-induced impacts and the economic values and importance of biodiversity. Students also acquire skills that will enable them to design and undertake research to solve practical, relevant problems to society, using scientific methods and techniques. Graduates of the programme are employable in any biodiversity conservation and related fields including but not limited to lecturing, working for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (National Parks, Scientific Services, Tourism), ecotourism, curators of various taxa at Natural History museums, and community based organizations. Our graduates contribute to management of natural resources, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and also contribute to poverty reduction through use of natural resources to improve livelihoods of local people.Item Soil ingestion, nutrition and the seasonality of anthrax in herbivores of Etosha National Park(Ecological society of America, 2013) Turner, Wendy C.; Imologhome, Peace; Havarua, Zepee; Kaaya, G.P.; Mfune, John K.; Getz, W.M.Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis , is a seasonally occurring infectious disease affecting primarily herbivorous wildlife and livestock. The seasonality of anthrax outbreaks varies among locations, making it difficult to develop a single consistent ecological description of this disease. Over 44 years of mortality surveillance, most anthrax cases in Etosha National Park, Namibia are observed in the wet season, although elephants have an anthrax mortality peak in the dry season. Focusing on three host species (plains zebra, Equus quagga ; African elephant, Loxodonta africana ; and springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis ) occupying the endemic anthrax area of Etosha National Park, Namibia, we tested two commonly posited causes of anthrax seasonality in herbivores: increased pathogen exposure due to greater soil contact, and increased host susceptibility due to seasonal nutritional stress. These hypotheses were assessed using fecal sampling and measurement of the percentage of fecal silicates as an index of soil ingestion and fecal nitrogen, phosphorus and crude fiber as nutritional indices. Nutritional quality for all three species was higher in wet than dry seasons. Comparing among wet seasons, nutritional indices showed either a decline in nutrition with increasing rainfall or no significant pattern. All three species had greater soil ingestion in the wet season than the dry season. Higher soil contact during the anthrax peak suggests that anthrax seasonality may in part be due to heightened exposure to B. anthracis in wet seasons, for zebra and springbok. Elephant anthrax deaths do not correspond with the season of increased soil ingestion or grazing, suggesting that other behavioral mechanisms may overshadow foraging-based risk factors for this species. Nutritional stress is unlikely the primary causative factor in wet season anthrax systems, although nutritional stress sufficient to reduce resistance is difficult to assess non-invasively in wild herbivores. In contrast, increased soil ingestion may be an important predisposing factor for wet season anthrax outbreaks. Ultimately, the amount of soil ingested and its importance in the transmission of soil-borne pathogens will vary based on foraging behaviors, intake rates, grassland structure and on the likelihood that foraging areas intersect with pathogen aggregations in the environment