Game Management in South Africa

Game Management in South African Parks: 

Game Management in South African Parks By Jill Long and Brett MacKinnon

Contents: 

Contents Introduction Kruger National Park History Goals Management Practices Controversies Scientific Studies Poaching Transfrontier Parks Continuing management strategies Our opinion

South African Parks: 

South African Parks South Africa has 20 National parks and numerous game reserves Most famous is Kruger National Park…

Kruger National Park: 

Kruger National Park 350 km long by 90 km wide Natural barriers are Luvuvhu, Limpopo and crocodile rivers and the Lebombo mountain range Approximately 114 reptile species, 507 bird species and 147 mammal species Vegetation is varied throughout the park – savanna, grassland and some bush and trees

History of Kruger National Park: 

History of Kruger National Park Established in 1898 as the Sabie Game Reserve by Paul Kruger First area of land in Africa to be set aside for the purpose of conservation Expanded in 1926 into the Kruger National Park

Goals of Kruger Park: 

Goals of Kruger Park For the benefit of animals and plants Maintain biodiversity Preserve wilderness qualities and cultural resources associated with the Park

Kruger Management Practices: 

Kruger Management Practices Kruger is a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies Ranger Corps Kruger National Park is divided into 4 business units (South, Central, North and Far North) Patrol, anti-poaching Rangers are in charge of the utilization of sustainable natural resources

Area Integrity Management: 

Area Integrity Management Alien and invasive plants Many species establish in river systems Can cause extinctions and erosion Ranger Corps Limit their dispersal Erosion control Topsoil is washed away Grass disappears Water not slowed down and more damage inflicted

Area Integrity Management: 

Area Integrity Management Water management Boreholes and dams created to help animals survive drought Extra water helped elephant population grow Over 100 boreholes shut down

Area Integrity Management: 

Area Integrity Management Disease Control Anthrax Malaria Bovine tuberculosis, Bovine Brucellosis Rabies Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Foot and Mouth disease Fencing was implemented to prevent spread of disease to local livestock

Area Integrity Management: 

Area Integrity Management Controlled burning To ensure sufficient grazing Patch mosaic burning Lightning-driven system Stress heterogeneity over space and time

Modern Population Management Practices: 

Modern Population Management Practices These techniques are used in Kruger and most of the South African Parks: Radiocollars Ear tags Fluorescent tags Helicopter surveys Population must be managed if it is at carrying capacity (cultural)

Managing Overpopulation: 

Managing Overpopulation Overpopulation Main focus on elephants – also rhinos, hippos, buffalo Different methods are used Culling Contraception Relocation Transfrontier Parks - cross-boundary/border parks

Managing Overpopulation: 

Managing Overpopulation Culling Imbalance of predators/ herbivores Culling involves the controlled killing of a species that reached its carrying capacity (cultural) To maintain a population at a high level Short-term tool Herd groups together by helicopter and use sharp-shooters in the air Adults are often targeted Over 14,000 elephants were killed during culls in South Africa between 1967 and 1994 Sell the meat of the culled elephants to locals

Managing Overpopulation: 

Managing Overpopulation Contraception Immunocontraception a birth control method that uses the body's immune response to prevent pregnancy involves pZP vaccines 75% of all breeding female elephants must be treated Usually unaffordable Sterilization Occurred first in South Africa Irreversible Animals at risk when poaching or disease epidemics occur

Managing Overpopulation: 

Managing Overpopulation Relocation Transfer of animals from one reserve to another Transfer of juveniles considered inhumane In-tact family units are translocated from Kruger Little space left in South African parks for elephants Not a long-term option Stress results in increased mortality

Controversies with Management: 

Controversies with Management Elephant culling in Kruger 1966 started culling but stopped in 1995 due to outraged public Tried to use relocation but numbers had grown to over 12 000 when the park could only sustain 8 000 Started using annual immunocontraception in 1995 Want to resume culling of elephants in Kruger and other National parks Are informing the public about the problems associated with overpopulated animals

Controversies with Management: 

Controversies with Management Contraception Too expensive/ takes too long to work Affects on structure and behaviour in a population Deemed “unnatural” Some believe that we shouldn’t interfere with nature and it should be left alone to regulate itself Animals die due to drought and starvation

Scientific Studies: Exclosures: 

Scientific Studies: Exclosures Main purpose is to determine the effect of different combinations of fire, elephants and other herbivores on the vegetation Baseline vegetation surveys were conducted to serve as benchmarks Many studies being conducted “An analysis of the impacts of elephants on woody vegetation in the research exclosures”

Poaching: 

Poaching Poaching is generally performed because of poverty, war and hunger There are four types of poaching Subsistence poaching Commercial meat poaching Trophy poaching Trade poaching

Poaching: 

Poaching The popular organisms that are poached: Elephants Rhinos Large mammals Shellfish (abalone)

Anti-poaching Methods: 

Anti-poaching Methods The main reason for poaching is poverty. The simplest way to reduce poaching is to provide jobs. Regular patrols of park sections Many of the poachers are employees of the parks so they are paying them higher wages and making them shareholders Lusaka Agreement Task force was established to target trafficking syndicates of wildlife products

Anti-poaching Methods: 

Anti-poaching Methods Educating the public on the after effects of poaching: photos, skulls with bullet holes, etc. Instill a desire to protect wildlife into the younger generation Arrested poachers were usually charged with: Trespassing Illegal hunting in a National Park Bringing weapons into a National Park Possession of wild animals without a permit.

Anti-Poaching Methods: 

Anti-Poaching Methods Black Rhino Remove the horn to deter poachers Horns are used in Asia and India for medicinal and ornamental purposes

Anti-Poaching Methods: 

Anti-Poaching Methods Elephants The decision of CITES to ban the trade of ivory in 1989 caused a large decline in the poaching They use aerial surveys, ground militia to patrol the park for poachers

Transfrontier Parks: 

Transfrontier Parks What is a transfrontier park? It is a region of protected land that is spread over more than one nation and reunites fragmented ecological habitats It allows the re-establishment of natural migration routes Run as a unified unit and promotes political stability

Peace Parks Foundation: 

Peace Parks Foundation Major Non-government organization that was formed in 1997 Their vision is of an “Africa without fences” They work with governments to raise money and purchase land for the creation of the transfrontier parks

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park: 

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park The park establishment started in 1999 and was opened in 2002 The purpose was to restore natural migration routes that have been disrupted due to political boundaries

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park: 

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Consists of: Kruger National Park in South Africa Limpopo National Park in Mozambique Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe Total area is 35 000 Km2

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park: 

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Timeline for animal relocation 2001 – started moving the elephants By 2003 moved nearly 1000 elephants 2002 – moved lower density animals Gazelles, warthogs, zebras

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park: 

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Timeline for animal relocation Late 2002- 2003 – higher density animals were moved Water buffalo, impala Predators were allowed to colonize the new area on their own

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park: 

Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Elephants were darted and transported early in the morning Placed into a boma and allowed to de-stress and adjust to their new surroundings After a day they are released into the park

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: 

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Was the first transfrontier park to open in 2000 Unites Gemsbok National Park in Botswana and Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa Total area is 38 000 Km2

|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park: 

|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park In 2003 |Ai-|Ais Hot Springs Game Park combined with Richtersveld National Park to create the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Area. It has a total area of 5 086 Km2 Eventually will expend to 180 000 Km2

Proposed Parks: 

Proposed Parks In 2000 South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland signed to establish Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area In 2001 the Kingdom of Lesotho and South Africa signed to develop the Maloti-Drakensberg Conservation and Development Area In 2002 Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa signed to develop the Limpopo Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area

Benefits to Transfrontier parks: 

Benefits to Transfrontier parks Transfrontier parks remove artificial man made barriers to allow the re-establishment of natural movement of populations Increases the amount of land available to large continuous populations Promotes regional environmental and economic stability

What They Are Doing: 

What They Are Doing Trading elephant ivory obtained from culling to raise money for conservation Removing artificial water sources to allow for more natural ecosystem Establishing transfrontier parks to remove political boundaries and restore natural ones Expanding parks to create more conservation areas

What We Think Should Be Done: 

What We Think Should Be Done There should be more and better armed guards to help prevent poaching Create more jobs to prevent poaching Continue the expansion and creation of parks, especially transfrontier parks that allow natural movement of animals Need to develop a way to trade in animal products without increasing poaching Conserve water by controlling erosion and invasive plants before using expensive dams and boreholes

Slide41: 

Questions?