The Sable antelope (Hippotragus niger roosevelti- Heller, 1910) is endemic to Shimba Hills National Reserve (SHNR) in Kenya. In the past few decades its population has declined considerably. Despite the alarming decline and resultant localized distribution, little information exists on the species current population status and foraging ecology. The main objectives of this study were two-fold; (1) to determine the current population status, structure and distribution of Sable antelope in the reserve, and (2) to assess aspects of the species foraging ecology in SHNR. Data on the population size, structure and the foraging behaviour of the species was collected in both dry and wet seasons for a period of 24 days each season. Direct total ground count was employed to estimate the population size and structure of the species while systematic quadrats and visual estimation were used to assess the foraging behaviour and food plants of the species. About 93±7 antelopes comprising of six herds and a solitary bull were estimated during the study. Sable population structure showed skewed distribution towards adults (52.7%). There was a significant positive linear relationship between the size of herds and the young individuals in the groups (r = 0.904). However, the observed ratios of age (χ² = 9.071, d.f = 10, p > 0.05) and sex (χ² = 2.174, d.f = 5, p > 0.05) structure of the herds did not vary significantly. Larger herds were observed during dry than wet season (d.f = 6, p 0.05). However, when choosing foraging habitats, Sable preferred mid slope and gentle flat landscapes between wet and dry seasons respectively (χ² = 23.740, d.f = 3, p 0.05). There were strong positive correlations between acceptability and availability of grass species in the Sable feeding sites (r = 0.863) and (r = 0.909) in dry and wet season respectively. The quality of Sable vi forage varied significantly across the seasons with relatively high crude protein (p < 0.05) and phosphorous (p < 0.05) levels reported during wet than dry season. The reported decline in the species numbers and skewed age structure of more adults than young ones in the population indicate lack of stability in the population that needs to be investigated for potential causes. This study recommends establishment of a long-term habitat use monitoring program to precisely determine possible changes in the species foraging habitats. The study also recommends for more local community engagement to raise awareness about the declining Sable numbers and assess their possible roles in conservation of the species.

中文翻译：

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肯尼亚辛巴山国家保护区黑貂羚羊（Hippotragus niger roosevelti，Heller，1910）种群状况和觅食生态评价

黑貂羚（Hippotragus niger roosevelti-Heller, 1910）是肯尼亚辛巴山国家保护区（SHNR）的特有种。在过去的几十年里，其人口大幅下降。尽管数量惊人地减少并导致局部分布，但关于该物种当前种群状况和觅食生态的信息很少。这项研究的主要目标有两个：(1) 确定保护区内黑貂羚羊的当前种群状况、结构和分布，以及 (2) 评估 SHNR 物种觅食生态的各个方面。在每个季节 24 天的旱季和雨季收集了有关该物种种群规模、结构和觅食行为的数​​据。直接总地面计数用于估计物种的种群大小和结构，而系统样方和视觉估计用于评估该物种的觅食行为和食用植物。在研究期间估计了大约 93±7 只羚羊，包括六群和一头孤零零的公牛。黑貂的人口结构显示出向成年人倾斜的分布（52.7%）。畜群规模与组中的年轻个体之间存在显着的正线性关系（r = 0.904）。然而，观察到的年龄（χ² = 9.071，df = 10，p > 0.05）和性别（χ² = 2.174，df = 5，p > 0.05）结构的比率没有显着变化。在旱季观察到的牛群比雨季更大（df = 6，p = 0.05）。然而，在选择觅食栖息地时，Sable 分别在雨季和旱季之间更喜欢中坡和平缓的平坦景观（χ² = 23.740，df = 3，p = 0.05）。干、湿季黑貂采食点草种的可接受性和可用性之间分别存在强正相关（r = 0.863）和（r = 0.909）。Sable vi 草料的质量在整个季节变化很大，在湿季比旱季报告的粗蛋白 (p < 0.05) 和磷 (p < 0.05) 水平相对较高。报告的物种数量下降和种群中成年比年轻的更多的年龄结构倾斜表明种群缺乏稳定性，需要调查潜在原因。本研究建议建立长期栖息地利用监测计划，以精确确定觅食栖息地的物种可能发生的变化。该研究还建议更多当地社区参与，以提高对黑貂数量下降的认识，并评估它们在物种保护中的可能作用。