Decreases in ungulate population densities. Examples from the Comoe National Park, Ivory Coast

In the Comoe National Park, Ivory Coast, there has been a tremendous decrease in all larger mammal species between 1978 and 1998. We document the degree of this decrease for the 11 most abundant ungulate species by comparing density estimates from two earlier studies undertaken in 1978 and 1984 with our own results from 1995 and 1998. Within the last 20 years all species included in the analysis experienced decreases between 60% and more than 90%. The species that suffered most were the duikers and other small antelopes up to the size of the kob antelope (Kobus kob kob). The larger decline of the smaller species also resulted in changes of the ungulate community, which in turn might affect other taxa such as large carnivores, and the entire ecosystem. The observed decreases can most likely be attributed to intensive poaching that occurred and still occurs throughout the park. Future conservation measures will hopefully stop this. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.