Wildlife- VAP

• Wildlife


  Wild animals collectively; the native fauna (and sometimes flora) of a region
• Game


  Wild mammals or birds hunted for sport or food
• Wildlife utilization


  • Consumptive
  • Non-consumptive
• Wildlife utilization


  • Ethical
  • Legal
  • Sustainable
• Wildlife production goals


  • Primary or secondary
  • Hunting
  • Venison (by-products: hides, skins etc.)
  • Tourism – hunting, photographic etc.
  • Skins, hides, meat etc.
  • Life animals sales
  • 'Conservation'
• Wildlife management


  • Free ranging – extensive
  • Semi-captive – semi-intensive to extensive
  • Captive – intensive to semi-intensive
• Free-ranging wildlife


  • Unrestricted by fences and other man-made barriers
  • Depending on specific species
  • Extensive (low input) system
  • Very few truly free-ranging systems in Southern Africa
  • Large protected areas and conservancies
  • Large hunting concessions

  
• Semi-captive wildlife


  • Confined but not necessarily dependant on humans
  • 'Survive but not thrive'
  • Restricted by fences and other man-made barriers
  • Semi-intensive to extensive, moderate input
  • Most reserves and larger farms
  • Large game farms/ranches
  • Smaller protected areas

  
• Captive wildlife


  • Confined and totally dependant on humans
  • Intensive system with maximum input
  • Smaller farms and other facilities
  • Game farms
  • Sanctuary / rehab / zoo / vet facility
  • Wildlife 'pets'
  • Intensive production systems
  • Crocodiles, ostriches and fish
  • Carnivores / birds / antelope ?

  
• Require permits - move, keep or trade wildlife in South Africa
• NEMBA – TOPS regulations apply to wildlife in South Africa
• Agriculture legislation like Animal Diseases Act and Animal Improvement Act also apply to some wildlife species in South Africa
• International trade in wildlife is regulated by CITES
• Megaherbivores


  Very large herbivorous animals
• Hippopotamus amphibius


  Common hippopotamus

  
• Hippopotamus


  • Aggressive and dangerous
  • Amphibious
  • Large water bodies – totally submerse
  • Sand banks – rest, bask
  • Bulls 1000-2000kg
  • Cows 1000-1600kg

  
• Hippopotamus social and feeding behaviour

  • Non-ruminating ruminant
  • Grazers
  • Bulk feeder
  • Short grass
  • Night
  • Social groups
  • Territorial bulls, solitary bulls
  • Female groups, parturient cows
• Hippopotamus production systems


  • Large areas with adequate water bodies
  • Overstocking
  • Overgrazing and soil erosion
  • Nitrification of water sources

  
• Loxodonta africana


  African Savannah elephant

  
• African Savannah elephant


  • Potentially dangerous
  • Bulls in musth, cows with calves
  • Bushveld savannah
  • Water dependant
  • Bulls 5000-6500kg
  • Cows 3000-5000kg

  
• African Savannah elephant social and feeding behaviour

  • Hind gut fermenter
  • Mixed bulk feeder
  • Grass and herbaceous plants
  • Social/family groups
  • Solitary bulls, bachelor herds
  • Family groups

  
• African Savannah elephant production systems

  • Large areas > 10000ha (N&S)
  • Needs good management
  • Overstocking
  • Habitat loss
  • Destruction of trees – ring-barking
  • Supplementary feed
  • Rock perimeter
  • Bees
  • Poaching
  • HE conflict
  • Fence breaks

  
• NEMBA elephant norms and standards require problem elephants to be dealt with as soon as possible

  
• Diceros bicornis


  Black rhino

  
• Ceratotherium simum


  White rhino

  
• Rhino production systems


  • Small to large land areas
  • Mostly white rhino
  • Intensification due to poaching (IPZ's)
  • 'Horn farms'
  • Leads to diseases/parasites, habitat degradation, nutritional problems
• Rhino owners need registration/possession permit, additional permit for movement, and vets need 'standing' permit for management work and additional permit for dehorning (except for vet emergencies)
• All rhino worked with must be identified and DNA samples collected for Rhodis

  
• Rhino poaching


  • For only the horn
  • R1 000 000 / kg (illegal markets)
  • Drivers: poverty, poor education, greed
  • Net result = dead rhino

  
• Rhino poaching solutions


  • Short-term: good security (fencing, tracking, patrols), dehorning
  • Mid-term: legal trade, involving local communities
  • Long-term: demand reduction
• Dehorning can remove the rhino horn with minimal effects, as the horn regrows
• Black rhino

  • IUCN= Critically endangered
  • 1 ton
  • Thickets
  • Browser
  • Solitary during the day and more social at night
  • Aggressive
• White rhino

  • IUCN= Near threatened
  • 2 ton
  • Open Savannah
  • Grazer
  • Small groups
  • Relatively docile