Resource selection of wild giraffe in the Northern Namib Desert

Climate change is having a profound effect on species and their habitats across the globe with the effects being accelerated in areas that are already classed as extreme environments. With the ice caps melting and desert temperatures rising at faster rates than ever before, understanding the behaviours of the animals that reside in these extreme environments is crucial if we are to understand how they will react, cope, and adapt to the imminent changes they will face in the near future. Here we used 4.5 years of GPS telemetry data to examine the effects of environmental conditions on the behaviour of a population of wild giraffe living in the extremes of the hyper arid Namib desert. The results of the study showed a striking difference in behaviour between female and male giraffe. Females displayed predictable patterns driven by temperature and the available vegetation. Females stayed along ephemeral river beds, where different tree species provide food all year round and shelter during coldest nights and hottest days. Females rarely left the river beds, but if they did, it was during the day and during cooler conditions. Males, on the other hand, showed a different behaviour, they were less predictable than females in their movement patterns which were driven primarily by movements across the desert, most likely due to the need to seek out and mate with different females even possibly at a detriment to their thermoregulation needs (e.g., selecting for areas far from river during the hottest season, when the peak of the mating season occurs in this region) and safety from predation (e.g., selecting for areas far from rivers at night when lions are expected to be more active).We highlighted the different behavioural strategies taken by male and female giraffe in the Namib desert showing in particular how males are expected to be at a disadvantage when it comes to thermoregulation during the hottest times of the year due to their current roaming strategies, dark coat colour and large body size. Considering the results of this investigation we highlight the importance of continued monitoring on male mobility and breeding success when considering conservation management techniques especially in light of predicted climate change.