Project Blog
Beginning of the Genetic sampling
I finally began the genetic sampling of the giraffes of Niger.
This important study had various aims. All the giraffes of Niger are concentrated in a relative small area. To avoid of catastrophe (i.e.: poaching disease), one management option for this population is the creation of a satellite subpopulation(s). The proposed genetic study would identify least related, and maximize genetic diversity of, founder individuals should translocation be made available.
The genetic study using a suite of microsatellite loci could potentially allow us to construct the genealogical or pedigree tree of this population. Beyond identifying likely reintroduction candidates, the genetic study merged with a completed social and herd composition survey could allow us to better understand the herd dynamics and individual levels of comparative fitness and fecundity. This would be a significant breakthrough in the understanding of the poorly known ecology and conservation of giraffe.
In parallel of the 2009 giraffe census, I could shoot my first 11 giraffes
The first step before sampling a giraffe is to measure the distance thanks to a telemeter, and adapt the pressure of the pneumatic gun. After some tries, I discovered that the gun must be under pressured to realize a good biopsy: the dart must fall quickly. Too much pressure, and you have to follow the giraffe until the dart fall, too less pressure and you don’t collect skin sample.
The ideal place to shoot is in the mussel of the back leg. When the giraffe begin walking the dart falls sometimes helped by the tail of the giraffe!
Now, I collected 10 DNA samples (1 dart rebounded on the giraffe as the pressure was too low).
One important factor to test was the stress caused by the biopsies. To be honest, I was much more stressed than the giraffes, in particular for the first shoot. Hopefully, most of the giraffe even did not move after being hit.
Some work still needs to be done as I would like to sample the maximum of individual – The population is now more than 200 individuals!
To be continued…