Following the translocation of 200 buffaloes between August and September 2024 from Reserva Nacional de Marromeu to Parque Nacional Do Gilé , 10% of the adult individuals reintroduced were equipped with GPS collars.
20 buffaloes (17 females and 3 males) are monitored in order to observe their movements, improve the delicate coexistence with local communities, adapt anti-poaching control and enrich the knowledge of the ecology of the species and its post-translocation behavior.
According to the study provided by Dr. Cecile Sérié-Mérel from Fondation François Sommer, the data for the month of October confirm that
most of the individuals settled along the main rivers of the GNAP – Lice and Mulela rivers-,2 individuals seem to have settled in areas very distant from the rest of the other buffalo equipped with GPS collars,1 of them ventured far outside the GNAP and the Buffer Zone towards the coast.
The buffalo traveled about 7.6 km on average per day, covering a total of 4,714.5 km in October, with a monthly average of 241 km for females and 205 km for males.These observations suggest that buffalo are exploring the GNAP more and more. At this time of the year, at the end of the dry season, food resources can be reduced, particularly due to forest fires, which can explain the increased movement of individuals who may be in search of food.
The study will try to match these recordings with field observations, especially for individuals who, based on GPS data, appear to be alone and for individuals traveling near villages, and to be able to observe the evolution in the months following reintroduction.nfor