1. Game Ranching and Domestication
Course Code FWM 507
Course Title Game Ranching And Domestication
Units 3 Units
Duration 5 hours a week
Coordinator Dr. O.A. Jayeola
Address Room E 204 COLERM Building
Others Prof S.A Onadeko

2. Game Ranching and Domestication
History of Ranching and Domestication
Types and Level of Domestication
Basis for selection of species
Experimental approach to Ranching and Domestication
Planning and Design of Cages for various game species
Growth behavior of Reproduction of Game species
Food Preference
Health care and Game husbandry technique.

3. History of Domestication
Domestication (from Latin domesticus) or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. A defining characteristic of domestication is artificial selection by humans. Some species such as the Asian Elephant, numerous members of which have for many centuries been used as working animals, are not domesticated because they have not normally been bred under human control, even though they have been commonly tamed. Humans have brought these populations under their care for a wide range of reasons: to produce food or valuable commodities (such as wool, cotton, or silk), for help with various types of work (such as transportation or protection), for protection of themselves and livestock, to enjoy as companions or ornamental plant, and for scientific research, such as finding cures for certain diseases

4. Attributes of Animal to be Domesticated
Flexible diet .
Reasonably fast growth rate.
Ability to be bred in captivity.
Pleasant disposition.
Temperament which makes it unlikely to panic.
Modifiable social hierarchy.

5. REASONS FOR GAME DOMESTICATION
Food e.g. meat, milk
Pet
Biomedical research
Source of income
Protection
Hunting
Scientific research
Bye – product like hide and skin, borns and tusks
Employment
Posterity
Source of animal power
To prevent extinction

6. PRELIMINARY STUDIES FOR DOMESTICATION
Acceptability for consumption.
Certain aspects of its biology should be studied.
Parasitic infection – Intestinal, blood skin.
Habitat – Construction of cages should be based on the behavioural pattern of the animals, ventilation, space,.
Habitat requirement.
Reproduction of the animals to be domesticated should be carefully studied under the following.
age and weight at sexual maturity
estrous cycle, gestation period
age at weaning, birth and mortality rate
sex ratio
lactation
Care of progeny or young should be carefully studied.
Economic feasibility.
Trapping of wild animal or capture of animals or birds for establishment of breeding stock or colony or parent stock.
Care of cages.

7. PROBLEMS OF WILDLIFE DOMESTICATION
Heat exhaustion
Infection of diseases and parasites
Predators e.g. capture and transportation from the wild to the domestication site.
Animal stocking e.g. capture and transportation from the wild to the domestication site.
Financial constraint
Maintenance of captive animals
Establishment of breeding colony and parent stock
Shortage of experienced manpower.
Pilfering

8. ADVANTAGE OF WILDIFE OVER DOMESTIC ANIMALS
Wildlife are more resistance to several diseases
Wildlife can survive in marginal lands
Killing out percentage of wild animals is generally very high.
Higher utilization and conversion of forages to lean meat.
Wildlife can survive with little or no water.

9. Suggested Reading.
Riney, T Study and Management of Large Mammals. John Wileys and Sons
Fieldhammer, D Mammalogy, Adaptation and Ecology. McGrawHill.