Use of space and habitat use by elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Maputo Elephant Reserve, Mozambique

Satellite tracking units fitted to five elephants in the Maputo Elephant Reserve provided information on habitat use. We used the CALHOME program with Adaptive Kernel and MCP (minimum convex polygon) techniques to calculate home range sizes. We interpreted vegetation use by elephants using a vegetation map in conjunction with ArcView GIS. The home range areas (90% adaptive kernel) of cows ranged from 169-267 km(2), while that of a bull measured 453 km(2). The core areas (50% adaptive kernel) covered less than 6% of the reserve's area. Season did not influence home range size. Elephants did not use the available habitats randomly - the forest and Futi floodplain were preferred, while mangroves, tidal wetlands and the Maputo floodplain were seldom, if ever, used. Habitat preference was not 11 function of time of day