Première description du regime alimentaire de Hippopotamus amphibius L. au Parc National de Loango (Gabon)

Due to the paucity of suitable habitat, hippos are very rare in the Congo Bassin. Compared to East-African populations, Central African populations of hippos have been less studied. Information found in the literature regarding the animal's basic ecology is limited. This study focuses on the description of the diet of an isolated hippo population in Loango National Park (Gabon), comparing faecal analysis with a reference collection of herbaceous species from the savannas. The effectiveness of using faecal analysis versus using the fioristic description of hippos' pastures was demonstrated. The most frequent herbaceous species identifed in faeces samples were Paspalum vaginatum, Axonopus compressus, Stenotaphrum secundatum (Poaceae) and Desmodium triforum (Fabaceae). The voluntary consumption of a dicotyledonous species (Desmodium triforum) is novel for this species.