Rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) in Elain Forest Reserve, Sudan: Interaction with local communities

This study was conducted at Elain Forest Reserve in North Kordofan State, Sudan to determine biological aspects of the rock hyrax (Procavia Capensis) and factors affecting its population numbers in four kopjes. Vegetation attributes (density, frequency, and abundance) surrounding the kopjes are used to calculate the importance value index, a metric of the number of plant species that are readily available as food for the Rock Hyrax. The Rock Hyrax spends equal time feeding during the dry and wet seasons; standing, scratching, and basking mostly take place in the dry season, yawning in the wet season. A total of 770 individuals of Rock hyrax are found in 30 colonies in the four Kopjes. The mean number of individuals per colony is 25.7. Morphometric of male and female varied considerably. The young-adult ratio, an index of population growth, is increasing steadily. The threat facing the species is hunting; the local community consume the Rock Hyrax meat and use the meat and urine as traditional medicine.