Space and habitat use of a conservation paradigm species, the African elephant, in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

As migratory animals, sustainable management of African elephant populations, both within and
around protected areas, is a major challenge in the conservation policy of many African countries.
We captured seven female elephants, representative members of family groups, in different parts of
Tarangire National Park (TNP), Tanzania, and used GPS satellite radio-tracking (November
1997–June 2000) to monitor their space and habitat use and seasonal migrations throughout
wet and dry seasons. Patterns of home range overlap revealed the existence of two large clans that
occupied the north-central and southern parts of TNP, respectively. At the end of the dry season,
elephants from the southern clan migrated about 100 km southeast of the park boundary, those from
the northern clan remained mostly inside the park, or used periodically wet-season core areas in the
nearby Game Controlled Areas. No natural mortality occurred during the study, but two elephants
were poached outside the park. Human disturbance also affected activity patterns, and elephants
were less active at day outside than inside the park. Home range size varied from 477 to 1078 km2
for the northern elephants, and from 1630 to 5060 km2 for the southern elephants. Migration routes
were characterised by higher cover (open and closed forest) than core areas. Our results indicate
that elephant management must be considered across park boundaries and that migration corridors
must be protected against human disturbance and land cultivation. Society problems linked to
elephant conservation can be solved by creating alternative, sustainable, use of natural resources
that enhance the livelihood of local communities.