The Ecology of the Kafue Lechwe: Its Nutritional Status and Herbage Intake

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Abstract
The levels of blood urea, Ca, P, Na and K in the lechwe [Kobus leche kafuensis] blood sera were determined and compared with a standard. Blood urea was higher than expected from the low values of N recorded from soil and plant analyses. Selective grazing for young grasses, and herb species high in N could have been a contributory factor. The soils and plants were deficient in P, but the data suggest that the P levels in the lechwe exceeded the standard. No adverse effects in the lechwe could be attributed to the high K levels. Ca and Na were similar to the standards. The concentrations of P and N in the lechwe feces were low. An indication of herbage intake by lechwe was sought. The quality of the intake was determined by analyzing herbage subsamples (by plant parts and by species composition) from the rumens of shot lechwe. The females selected for leaves for 2 mo. more than the males and the nutrient values of the plant species in their rumens tended to be higher. Many digestive processes may be similar for all ruminants and there are indications that wild ruminants may require a greater quantity of metabolizable energy to meet maintenance requirements than domesticated ruminants. From published data, it was estimated that the maintenance requirement of a Kafue lechwe of average weight (66.0 kg) is 3100 J metabolizable energy/24 h.