By the late 19th century, elephants in the area had been hunted away, causing grasslands to become overgrown woodlands and the number of ungulate prey to decline. (newscientist.com)
This latest study, the first reliable count of wild ungulates in the region, underlines the importance — and fragility — of this unique ecosystem even further. (snowleopard.org)
By contrast, he says that many other mammals that live in arid areas are migratory, moving as resources are exhausted, such as the large ungulate herds roaming across the African savannahs. (sciencedaily.com)