Dietary Composition and Food Preference of African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) in and around Chebra Churchura National Park, Ethiopia

Seasonal dietary composition and food habits of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) were studied in Chebra Churchura National Park, Ethiopia. Plant species consumed by elephants were studied by examination of fresh feeding signs following focal groups of elephants using opportunistic direct feeding observations and the observation of elephant feeding sign on food trails (elephant feeding routes). Elephant feeding sign survey was conducted by scoring the different signs according to the frequency of species with feeding signs and part of the plant consumed. Elephants consumed a total of 109 plant species belonging to 34 families (not including crops). 99 species were recorded using feeding signs observation and day time feeding records in focal sample observation, while the remaining 10 species were recorded as consumed feeding sign. Family Fabaceae contributed the largest (13.42%), proportion of their diet while Solanaceae is the least (0. 37%). Based on the overall percentage contribution, Phoenix reclinata was the most consumed plant species which accounted for 1.95%. Oxytenanthera abyyssinica ranked second (1.85%). Seasonal availability of 23 foraged species was observed in the diet of elephants during the wet season but absent during the dry season. 86 forage pecies were available to the elephant populations, both during the wet and dry seasons. In CCNP, out109 of the species, 44 plant species were grazed and browsed intensively (?1%) by elephants and these covered 54.3 % of the diet of elephants