POPULATION STATUS AND ACTIVITY PATTERNS OF COMMON WARTHOG (Phacochoerus africanus Gmelin 1788) IN KAINJI LAKE AND OLD OYO NATIONAL PARKS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Continuous monitoring of the size of wildlife population is a basic requirement for proper wildlife management. Therefore, this study assesses population status and activity pattern of common Warthog (Phacochoerusafricanus) in Kainji Lake and Old Oyo National Parks, Nigeria. Reconnaissance survey was carried out in the study area to get familiar with the terrain of the two sites. Line transect method was used to enumerate common warthogs population within the study areas. Survey was carried out by direct observation using binoculars on foot during the study period. The observation were conducted daily on separate transect when the animal is most active with good visibility (i.e. in the morning 0600hours to 10.30hours and noon 11.30hours to 14.00hours evening 16.00 hours to 18.30 hours) for two (2) consecutive days every month for three months during the dry season (Nov.-Jan.) and the same experiment were carried out also during the wet season (May-July). Two (2) transects of 3km length totaling 8 transects was surveyed in each of the selected ranges in the two Parks which includes: Doro, Kemenji, Oli camp and Kali in Borgu sector of KLNP and Matguba, Sepeteri, Oyo- Ile and Tede in OONP. Observation was conducted walking quietly along each transect. Observations were recorded using standardized data sheet which contain information on numbers of individuals, habitat types, location, time of sighting, sighting distances, date, activities when sighted, season, records of numbers of individuals, group, species, sex (Male and Female) and age structure (Adult, Juvenile and young), activities when sighted, food feed upon. Data obtained were analyzed using the Paleontological Statistics Software (PAST) for scientific data analysis. The abundance estimate and encounter rate of the animal (Phacochoerusafricanus) in KLNP and OONP from 2018-2019 indicated that 298 individuals at an encounter rate of 0.52/km of warthog population were counted for both wet and dry season in the year 2018 while the lowest number was 275 individuals at an encounter rate of 0.48/km for both wet and dry season of year 2019 in KLNP. In OONP, year 2018 recorded 216 individuals at an encounter rate of 0.38/km while year 2019 recorded 184 individuals at an encounter rate of 0.32/km. The finding revealed the population density estimate of common Warthog to be 573 and 400 individuals in KLNP and OONP for both year 2018 and 2019 respectively. The mean age structure and sex ratio of the observed animal population during dry and wet seasons in KLNP and OONP showed that in KLNP there was no significant difference in the age distribution of the species (F = 0.5.135, p =0.7308, P > 0.05) like wisely in OONP there was no significant difference in the age distribution of the species (F = 0.668, p = 0.642, P > 0.05). The daily activity patterns observed for both wet and dry seasons of year 2018 and 2019 revealed that significantly more time were devoted to feeding related activities than other activities in both KLNP and OONP across the seasons. Feeding activity periods were bimodal with peaks in the early morning’s hours (06:00 9:00 hr) and the other in the afternoon (15:00 – 18:00 hr) in the wet season. The study concludes that the study revealed that the movement of Common Warthog vary with season as governed by nutritional requirement such as rich food and damp area during the wet season. The movement and the activities of the animal was a functions of the habitat condition and the climate conditions of the environment