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WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
There appears to have developed two very different
approaches towards the wildlife management of
elephants in the Kruger National Park.
One group of people believe that the large number
of elephants in the park should be left alone and let
nature takes it course. This is also the approach
supported by the ’greenies’ who like to make an
issue about animal rights.
It is truly amazing what this particular group
of individuals can achieve by making a big fuss
without putting any solutions on the table.
Needless to say they are not willing to spend a
single cent on research and finding a workable
solution. Emotion, and the “Lion King” concept are
never out of sight. Allowing the elephants to just
continue on their path will bring us to a cross road
at some point in time. I’m not sure that this cross
road is the place where we want to be when total
habitat destruction has taken place and a serious
drought has developed. It will
certainly be a smelly cross road.
Along with habitat destruction
goes the concept of a change in the biodiversity,
mostly for the worst.
The habitat destruction elephants are responsible
for can clearly be seen in the pictures below. The
pictures on the left and the pictures on the right
represent the same kind of habitat, one not inhabited
by elephants (pictures on left) and one with a large
number of elephants (pictures on right).
Ledibos • May 2013
The second group of people believe that the
management activities that included culling, and
were used for many years, should continue. There
is clearly enough scientific evidence to support
such a decision. The socio-economic aspects
resulting from the democratic circus in which we
find ourselves, is launching a continuous onslaught
on our National Parks from across the outside
boundaries. People want to herd their cattle, sheep
and goats into these conservation areas. They want
to go into these areas and collect the well-known
mopani worms for eating and selling; they are
absolutely convinced that killing wildlife by means of
snaring them is their right.
Few people know that the Park authorities allow for
a number of individuals to annually go into Kruger
and collect mopani worms for their own financial
benefit. If we have all of this protein walking
around in the form of elephants in our National
Parks, why is it so wrong to use it in a prescribed
way and under the controlled circumstances like
it used to be done years ago? Millions of tourists
visited Kruger Park during the years when culling
was an acceptable method of management, yet very
few can actually say that they saw it happen. Very
few people know that Kruger Park has a state of
the art meat and butchery processing facility. Even
fewer people know that in the years from 1977 to
1988 truck loads full of cattle were processed at this
particular facility.
We have a responsibility to manage our wildlife in
a sustainable way. To just let them be and hope
for the best is like bashing a glass bottle against a
metal object convinced it won’t break.
A
CHICKEN ON STEROIDES
How much do we really know about an ostrich?
We know they can be dangerous during the breeding season, they
can run fast, the feathers are used for feather dusters, the meat
can be eaten and the hide can be used to make leather handbags
or shoes, the eggs are sold as ornaments, but they can also be
eaten (come hungry). This once lucrative business which dominated
the Klein Karroo region has been brought to its knees by the
continuous outbreak of the H7N1 & H7N9 bird flu.
The people who once farmed with these birds on a commercial scale used
to say that the only part of on an ostrich that you cannot use is its breath, for
all the rest there is, or used to be a market.
Ledibos • May 2013
The following facts about ostriches are not so well known:
• A single female ostrich can lay anywhere between 15-39
eggs in one nest. The average number of eggs however
varies from 17-26.
• A single female or male ostrich is only capable of
incubating 21 eggs and the hatching success of these 21
eggs varies from 80-100%.
• The overall breeding success amounts to 12 % per
incubated nest in the wild. This is due to heavy
predation on the new-born chicks.
• The amount of food available has a direct influence on
the reproductive success.
• An ostrich is considered a herbivore and this means it feeds on plant material such as grasses,
succulents and forbs.
• In natural wild conditions a density of one bird per 5-20km² is normal.
• During daytime ostriches are very active and will walk an average of 23 kilometres per day in
comparison to sheep that will walk an average of 9 kilometres per day.
RK OF A BUG CSI
THE WO
SCENE INVESTIGATOR)
(CRIME
What is a forensic entomologist (insect specialist)
doing at a crime scene?
The insects found on or near a corpse may reveal
important information like time and date of death.
How is this possible? The arrival of various kinds
of insects at a corpse happens in a predictable
sequence. The first to arrive are the blow
flies and this can happen within minutes after
something has died. Shortly after the blow flies,
the flesh flies will start to arrive.
In our short life span three things are
certain, one is constant change, the
other taxes and the third, death.
The next insect to make an appearance is called
a dermestid beetle. Dermestid beetles are
sometimes used by taxidermists to clean skulls
of their flesh. Shortly after the dermestid beetles
have arrived more house flies will start to show up.
By now predatory and parasitic insects will start to
arrive to feed on the maggots and beetle larvae.
Eventually, as the corpse dries, hide beetles and
clothes moths will inhabit the remains.
Another important aspect in trying
to determine the time of death is
the daily temperatures that occurred
in the area where the corpse was
found. The development stages of
these insects are directly related to
temperature.
Ledibos • May 2013
Through previous laboratory studies done scientists
have established the developmental rates of
these necrophagous insect species. By using this
scientific data scientists arrive at a measurement
called “accumulated degree days” or
ADD. This measurement represents
physiological time and through this
approach it is possible to arrive very
close to the time
and date of death.
Wildlife Quiz
1.
An adult ant lion can fly
True or False
2.
Naja is the genus name of a cobra.
True or False
3.
A Eucalyptus tree is an exotic species.
True or False
4.
The Silver Cluster Leaf tree is a member of the Combretaceae family.
True or False
5.
Digitaria eriantha is the scientific name of type of grass species.
True or False
6.
A Black Backed Jackal will occasionally eat fruit.
True or False
7.
A nyala is known as a spiral horn antelope.
True or False
8.
A bushbuck will grow a new set of horns every two years.
True or False
9.
A male fellow deer will lose its horns every year.
True or False
10.
Fireflies are active during the day time.
True or False
From your Wildlife Management Team
For information on property
sales contact:
Tel: 012 665 5308
Email: [email protected]
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Answers: 1.(True), 2.(True), 3.(True), 4.(True), 5.(True), 6.(True), 7.(True),
8.(False), 9.(True), 10.(False)