Who let the Dogs in? Endangered African Wild Dogs introduced into northern Kruger National Park

21 September 2017

Start

The Kruger National Park’s resident population of 250 of the most Endangered carnivore in the country has now been bolstered by the addition of eight new African Wild Dogs as part of a project that is heralded as a first for the Kruger National Park and a major victory for Wild Dog conservation.

In a move to conserve South Africa’s most Endangered carnivore, the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), in collaboration with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW), South African National Parks (SANParks), and WildlifeACT Fund, is excited to announce a landmark event in the conservation of Wild Dogs in South Africa. On 16 September 2017, the EWT and collaborators introduced a new pack of eight Wild Dogs into the northern region of the Kruger National Park.

The release of these Wild Dogs was extremely successful with the new Wild Dog pack leaving the boma within ten minutes under the expert guidance of the EWT’s carnivore specialists. The introduction of Wild Dogs into Kruger National Park has never been attempted before but in a bold move to conserve South Africa’s Wild Dogs the introduction of a new pack into the park is fundamental to boosting the Kruger National Park’s population of Wild Dogs.

After the pack was released, an incredible event occurred when a lone female Wild Dog in the area joined up with them and now appears to be leading them through their new home range. Not only is this remarkable, but within 24 hours, the new pack had already evaded a pride of lions and successfully made a kill while starting to explore their vast new home. The intensive monitoring of this pack has revealed that an alpha pair has already formed with a three-legged male (known as Foxtrot) appearing to be the dominant individual and is displaying intense mate-guarding of one of the females. Foxtrot unfortunately lost his leg due to a snaring incident and snares continue to pose a significant threat to this Endangered species.

The EWT has been monitoring the population of Wild Dogs in the Kruger National Park since 1995 and it’s been noted that the northern region of the Kruger National Park (the section north of the Olifants River) has experienced an enormous decline in Wild Dogs between 1995 and 1999. Since 1999, extensive research has shown that Wild Dog packs have only recently re-established themselves in the northern region of the park. However, this recolonisation is slow despite the potential connectivity with populations to the east in Mozambique (Limpopo National Park), to the north in Zimbabwe (Gonarezhou National Park), and to the south (southern Kruger National Park) leaving Wild Dogs at a worrying low number. The EWT and collaborators have been trying to understand why the original decline happened and why recolonisation has been slow. Unfortunately, this remains a mystery to experts who can only speculate as to the reasons why this area has been hard hit for Wild Dogs. Potential threats may have been disease, snaring, low prey numbers or a high lion density but historical information indicates that the area should have multiple Wild Dog packs. Therefore, the introduction of a pack back into this area is a bold attempt to actively reduce this decline and assist the most Endangered carnivore in the country.

This collaborative initiative was designed to determine if a pack of Wild Dogs can be introduced into vacant areas and if successful, add to the success of the national Wild Dog population by increasing genetic diversity and assessing the potential risks to the Wild Dog population in northern Kruger. In a project that was negotiated for over a year, enormous effort was made by the EWT, EKZNW and WildlifeACT Fund to apply for permits, capture and relocate the Wild Dogs. A group of four males from the uMkuze section of Isimangaliso Wetland Park (KZN) and a group of four females from Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (KZN) were transported and bonded in the temporary holding boma in northern Kruger National Park to form a new pack.

One conservation team, based in KZN, successfully captured the four females from Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park on Sunday, 30 July, and drove more than 900 km to the boma in northern Kruger. A second team captured and relocated the four males from the Mokopane Zoo (acting as a temporary holding facility for the four males from uMkuze), and drove 600 km to the boma in northern Kruger. The two teams met at the boma late afternoon of 31 July, where the Wild Dogs were vaccinated against Canine Distemper Virus and Rabies, had relevant blood and other samples taken, fitted with tracking collars and bonded with each other.

The Wild Dogs all woke up in the boma and have subsequently successfully formed a new pack. This new pack remained in the boma for six weeks to ensure that they settled into their new environment and all potential homing drivers reduced before being released. The EWT has been bonding and reintroducing Wild Dogs in South Africa for 20 years. We have experienced extremely high success rates with reintroduced packs establishing themselves in new homes and breeding to produce the next generation of pups. Nowhere else in the world has substantial and coordinated reintroduction efforts been made over multiple decades to boost the population of an Endangered species like Wild Dogs, making an introduction of this nature into South Africa’s flagship park a unique achievement in Wild Dog conservation.

The EWT will monitor the pack continuously to obtain valuable data that will help to identify potential risks, as well as monitor the success of the Wild Dogs in northern Kruger. Tracking collars have been fitted all eight individuals to support this monitoring.

Northern Kruger provides the last large open safe space left for Wild Dogs in the whole of South Africa (~1,000,000 hectares) and was identified as the ideal area to introduce the eight Wild Dogs to learn how such an introduction will affect the population of Wild Dogs in greater Kruger.

The EWT, its partners and collaborators including the National Zoological Gardens (Mokopane Zoo), the Wild Dog Advisory Group of South Africa (WAG-SA) and the KwaZulu-Natal Wild Dog Advisory Group and SANParks as the custodians of the new pack of Wild Dogs, are very excited about this landmark project and the contribution it will make to Wild Dog conservation and our understanding of the Wild Dog population in the Greater Kruger National Park.

Donors who have made this possible include Land Rover Centurion, Richard Bosman, Investec, Vaughan de la Harpe, Q20 and Land Rover South Africa.

Ends

About The Endangered Wildlife Trust: The EWT is a credible, impactful player in regional conservation, committed to identifying the key factors threatening biodiversity and developing innovative methodologies and best practice to reduce these and promote harmonious co-existence and sustainable living for both people and wildlife. Read more about the EWT’s work at: www.ewt.org.za or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Map showing changes in Wild Dog distribution from 1995–2015

Contacts:
David Marneweck
Carnivore Conservation Programme Manager: Endangered Wildlife Trust
Email: davidm@ewt.org.za

Grant Beverley
Lowveld Carnivore Coordinator: Endangered Wildlife Trust
Email: grantb@ewt.org.za

Cole du Plessis
KwaZulu-Natal Carnivore Coordinator: Endangered Wildlife Trust
Email: coled@ewt.org.za

Laura Mukwevho
Media Relations Practitioner
South African National Parks
Kruger National Park
Tel: +27 13 735 4262 Mobile: +27 82 807 1441
Fax: + 27 13 735 4053 Fax to email 086 401 3585
Email: laura.mukwevho@sanparks.org

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Poisons, biodiversity and human-health: addressing wildlife losses in Luangwa, Zambia

As a result of a Darwin Initiative Scoping Award that the EWT received, we were able to undertake further community based research to better understand the drivers behind the wildlife poisoning in the South Luangwa area and to hold a multi stakeholder workshop to develop a project to mitigate for this threat. The scoping award was specifically for work aimed at understanding the drivers of poisoning as a step towards developing a bigger and more focused project to address the problem. Kerryn, Osiman, Griffin, Nyambe and Chaona (BirdWatch Zambia) from the ICF/EWT Partnership team and Andre Botha working on EWT Special Projects gathered at South Luangwa for a workshop, held on 20 – 21 July at the head office of the Zambian National Department of Parks and Wildlife in South Luangwa National Park. The workshop was arranged in partnership with Conservation South Luangwa, Zambia Carnivore Programme and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. 23 delegates representing various stakeholder groups from the communities, agricultural and conservation sectors attended.
Ahead of the workshop, Osiman conducted a social survey to assess drivers of wildlife poisoning and other human-wildlife conflicts in villages located with the Park’s buffer zones ahead of the workshop. The survey involved interviews and focus group discussions targeting villagers, government extension officers, park officials and representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations. The interviews and discussions were guided by the following themes; historical poisoning event analysis, human-wildlife conflict interface analysis, socio-demographic profiling of “actors” behind poisoning, animal product utilisation practices and motivations, community perceptions of human-wildlife conflict management systems and feasible solutions to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
Findings from our engagement of local communities during the social survey and insights presented by workshop participants highlighted the need for multi-stakeholder approach to mitigate wildlife poisoning. Our work confirmed that drivers of poisoning have various dimensions, including cognitive (lack of awareness on impacts of poisons), livelihood challenges (lack of income generation opportunities), human health (consumption of poisoned causing illnesses), legislative and policy (lack of effective regulation of access to poisons) and limited stakeholder collaboration (no sharing of data and experiences across government departments and other stakeholders). The scoping work we undertook also helped us identify key knowledge gaps and the need to include social and ecological research in tandem with community outreach /extension as part of poisoning mitigation process.
Our scoping exercises revealed that stakeholders in the agricultural value chains need to be engaged to effective mitigate poisoning. These include farmers, farming input dealers, technical extension service providers, chemical distribution companies, agricultural marketing companies and veterinary specialists. In addition to the agricultural sector, the public health sector has also been identified as an important stakeholder group in terms of creating awareness of and reducing the threat of exposure to poisons by the consumption of wildlife products acquired by means of poisoning.
The conceptual model that is currently under development can be seen below.

 

Workshop participants

 

 

 

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Article by Osiman Mabhachi (Community Projects Specialist) and Kerryn Morrison (Senior Manager: Africa)

 

A Frog First in SA – Biodiversity Management Plan Gazetted for Threatened Pickersgill’s Reed Frog

 The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is working hard to protect the last remaining locations in which the Endangered Pickersgill’s Reed Frog (Hyperolius pickersgilli) are found.

The EWT is pleased to announce the recent publication of the Biodiversity Management Plan for this proudly South African but highly threatened species. An important consequence of the implementation of this plan will be the restoration and conservation of the coastal wetland areas that this diminutive frog calls home, bringing water security as well as tourism and job opportunities to local communities.

This is especially exciting because frogs often get a bad rap, particularly in South Africa, where beliefs and customs generally put frogs in a negative light. In fact, frogs are fascinating animals. With over 7,000 species found across all corners of the globe, except in the frozen South Pole, frogs are amazingly diverse. But frogs now face their greatest challenge yet – human-induced mass extinction. Globally, amphibians are the most threatened group of animals on Earth – far more so than mammals or birds. Already, it is estimated that about 200 species have become extinct in the last 30 years.

As a result, amphibian conservation is becoming essential, particularly as frogs represent the health of our freshwater resources. Frogs are crucial in our ecosystems through their role in the food chain; most frogs feed on insects, so they are essential for keeping pests such as flies and mosquitoes under control, while they are also an important food source for a large range of other animals, including people. Frogs are also important bio-indicators, meaning that their presence indicates a healthy environment. The fact that almost half of all species are declining should be clear warning that our natural world is facing unprecedented pressure. The loss of habitat is the primary driver of amphibian declines, followed by pollution from agrichemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, a fungal disease wiping species out, climate change and road mortalities. None of this bodes well for either our amphibious friends, or for human beings.

As such, the gazetting of this new plan for a tiny frog on the East Coast of South Africa, gives hope for species and habitat conservation. KwaZulu-Natal is regarded as having the highest diversity of frogs in South Africa, but also high levels of human activity, particularly in the coastal regions. Currently, Pickersgill’s Reed Frog is known to exist at only 25 sites, which are mostly small wetland patches that receive very little protection. The species has been prioritised for conservation action due to its Endangered status, its endemism and the ongoing deterioration in and loss of habitat. The major threats to the species include:

• Habitat loss as a result of wetland drainage or destruction for agricultural, urban and industrial development;
• Severe habitat fragmentation and small, isolated sub-populations;
• Invasion of alien vegetation and afforestation resulting in drying out of breeding sites; and
• Pollution from pesticides and other contaminants.

The EWT and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife have worked together to initiate and develop this conservation plan since 2013, which was gazetted in June 2017 by the Minister of Environmental Affairs for implementation. In the past few months, we have already begun carrying out several of the actions outlined in the plan, including, forming new partnerships, carrying out research to learn more about the species, and discovering new populations. All of this has resulted in the species being down-listed from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2016 – a relatively unheard of move in today’s patterns of species’ conservation.

Using Pickersgill’s Reed Frog as a flagship for wetland conservation, this conservation plan supports the improved management of this habitat, which itself is the Critically Endangered Indian Ocean Coastalbelt Wetland. Many of these wetlands fall within the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas, which also made use of occurrences of threatened frog species to prioritise wetlands. These wetlands represent floodplains that provide crucial ecosystem services such as slowing down the release of floodwaters, and water filtration. Furthermore, many of the wetland areas are surrounded by high densities of people. An associated benefit of the conservation plan is the opportunity for job creation, capacity building, and education for local community members living close to these key wetland areas through habitat rehabilitation work, alternative livelihood options for food security, and developing eco-tourism options at sites.

The overall anticipated outcome of the conservation plan will be the assured persistence of Pickersgill’s Reed Frogs in perpetuity, and the EWT is pleased to play a leading role in keeping this species, and the important habitat it is associated with, at the forefront of conservation in KZN.

Contacts:

Dr Jeanne Tarrant
Threatened Amphibian Programme Manager
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 83 254 9563
JeanneT@ewt.org.za

Belinda Glenn
Marketing and Communications Manager
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +87 021 0398
BelindaG@ewt.org.za

Dr Adrian Armstrong
Animal Scientist (Herpetofauna & Invertebrates)
Biodiversity Research & Assessment
Scientific Services
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Tel. +27 33 845 1433
Adrian.Armstrong@kznwildlife.com

Mncedisi Cindi
Directorate: Biodiversity Conservation
Sub-directorate: Conservation Management
Department of Environmental Affairs
Tel: +27 12 399 9495
MCindi@environment.gov.za

 

Ford Wildlife Foundation Supports the Wildlife and Roads Project with New Ford Ranger

The Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF) handed over a new Ford Ranger to the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) Wildlife and Roads Project, which aims to reduce the impacts of roads on wildlife, particularly roadkill rates in South Africa’s protected areas. The handover forms part of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s (FMCSA) commitment to the conservation and preservation of the environment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Work conducted by the EWT suggests that roadkill rates in South Africa’s protected areas are substantially higher than in protected areas in other parts of the world, and with tourism expected to grow significantly by 2020, the road networks in protected areas will be placed under increasing pressure to meet the associated demands. Striking a balance between the need for an efficient transport network to support tourism in protected areas and the need to conserve wildlife is therefore a challenge.

South Africa’s protected areas are the prime custodians of our incredible plants and animals. The more popular parks receive high volumes of vehicular traffic, which impacts negatively on wildlife through wildlife-vehicle collisions. The Wildlife and Roads Project initiated its Roads in Parks Project in 2014 to reduce the impact of road users on wildlife in protected areas. The five-year project will ground-truth data collected via expert surveys and social media platforms in order to establish cost-effective, long-term roadkill monitoring and mitigation in parks.

“The EWT’s Wildlife and Roads Project is the only large scale initiative in the country that tackles the issue of wildlife deaths on our roads head on,” says Wendy Collinson, Wildlife and Roads Project Executant. “Road Ecology is a rapidly emerging field of research for which the EWT and the FWF are spearheading pioneering initiatives, and being recognised as being at the forefront of this area of research.”

 How the Ford Ranger Will Support the Wildlife and Roads Project

“Our projects will benefit enormously from the use of the Ford Ranger since we are active on all roads in the country – from protected areas to regional and national highways – and the enormous amount of traveling that we do has often been problematic in the past due to the lack of a project vehicle,” says Collinson. “Being a part of FWF will allow us more freedom to expand our projects, with a reliable vehicle.”

The locally-built Ford Ranger, which is one of South Africa’s top-selling vehicles overall and in the light commercial segment, will be used to enable the project to go further and make a real impact – particularly in the remote locations often associated with conservation and environmental projects.

“It is exciting to be associated with such a well-known, respected organisation that supports environmental education, research, and conservation projects in sub-Saharan Africa,” says Collinson.

 Ford Wildlife Foundation Dedication to Conservation

For the past 30 years, Ford Motor Company of South Africa (FMCSA) has been actively involved in the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. To date, FMCSA has invested almost R40 million to support more than 170 conservation projects. In 2014, FMCSA established the Ford Wildlife Foundation (FWF) – a body that consists of FMCSA, members of Ford’s dealer network, and experts from the wildlife conservation sector.

The Ford Wildlife Foundation is unique as it does not provide a cash donation to the conservation projects it supports, instead Ford’s partner organisations are equipped with Ford Rangers. The vehicles provided are used to help project operations, such as transporting field equipment, helping vets reach sick or poached animals, or translocating the animals themselves. The vehicles operating in all Ford Wildlife Foundation projects are monitored and serviced by Ford’s extensive dealer network to ensure they operate at peak efficiency.

Since 2014, the FWF has invested R8 million in vehicles and vehicle services to support 23 conservation projects in South Africa. In 2017 alone, Ford Rangers at a total value of R5.3 million have been handed over to partner organisations to support their work in the field.

CONTACT:

Wendy Collinson
Project Executant: Wildlife & Roads Project
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 11 372 3600
wendyc@ewt.org.za

Belinda Glenn
Communication and Brand Manager
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 87 021 0398
belindag@ewt.org.za

Alisea Chetty
Corporate Communications Manager
+27 12 842 2707
achetty2@ford.com

​

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 203,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.​​ For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video please visit www.media.ford.com or www.quickpic.co.za, follow at www.facebook.com/FordSouthAfrica, www.twitter.com/FordSouthAfrica, www.instagram.com/FordSouthAfrica or www.youtube.com/FordSouthAfrica

Endangered Wildlife Trust partners win big

Presented since 1974, the WESSA Awards recognise and honour individuals and groups making a significant contribution to the environmental conservation or environmental education sector in South Africa. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is therefore extremely proud to announce that two of our strategic partners, who were nominated by us, are the recipients of the WESSA Award for Corporates 2017. These are Bridgestone SA and Eskom’s Biodiversity Centre of Excellence.

Kelly Fester from Bridgestone South Africa receiving one of our three 2017 Corporate Awards – with Board Chairman Michael Kidd and CEO Thommie Burger

Bridgestone SA has supported the EWT’s Wildlife and Roads Project since its inception in 2011, resulting in a number of projects that are assisting the EWT to better understand the causes of wildlife-road-mortalities, and to make a difference. The EWT and Bridgestone SA initiated the ‘Roads in Parks’ project, which is a five-year project that aims to reduce roadkill in protected areas of the country. “This project attempts to minimise the impact of road users on wildlife in protected areas, and we have been examining ways to improve driver vigilance; this will ultimately lead to a reduction in roadkill”, says Wendy Collinson, the project executant.

The EWT’s Wildlife and Roads Project is the only large-scale initiative in Africa that tackles the issue of wildlife deaths on our roads. Road Ecology is a rapidly emerging field of research in which the EWT and Bridgestone SA are spearheading pioneering initiatives, and are recognised as being at the forefront of this area of research. The project continues to grow from strength to strength and has been sustainable mainly through Bridgestone’s support, for which the EWT is extremely grateful.

Kerseri Pather and Warren Funston from Eskom with one of our three 2017 Corporate Awards – with Board Chairman Michael Kidd and CEO Thommie Burger

The EWT and Eskom formalised their long-standing relationship by entering into a partnership in 1996. The partnership works together across South Africa to reduce the risks of electrical infrastructure to wildlife. Negative interactions between wildlife and electricity structures take on different forms including electrocution on electrical infrastructure and collision with power lines. Over the years, since a central register was introduced, the EWT has investigated 1,996 incidents and issued 1,472 recommendations to Eskom. More than a 100 annual audits over the last six years have ensured that the implementation of recommendations is tracked. Since 2010, 493 training interventions have taken place, amounting to over 10,000 Eskom staff who have received training through the Eskom/EWT partnership. We have developed proactive mitigation plans and rolled these out nationally across all nine operating units in Eskom’s distribution division and ten grids in their transmission network. Over the last three years an estimated 2,172 spans of power line have been marked with bird diverters and an estimated 3,834 structures have been modified or mitigated to be bird-friendly. Research conducted by the partnership indicated that bird diverters on lines reduce avian collisions by over 75% and the nocturnal OWL device that we developed reduces collisions at night, usually involving cranes and flamingos, by over 90% – this world-leading partnership literally saves thousands of threatened birds each year.

Through the partnership, Eskom has now established a Biodiversity Centre of Excellence to address the mainstreaming of biodiversity into the utility’s business. Some of the key objectives of the Eskom Biodiversity Centre of Excellence are to reduce bird electrocutions and collisions through the proactive use of technology and creating awareness of the issues within the organisation; the management of game on Eskom land with a focus on conservation; removal of alien invasive species; undertaking biodiversity offsets and stewardship; skills development; research into biodiversity-related challenges; and partnering with relevant NGOs, such as the EWT, to achieve these objectives.

The EWT is proud to be associated with conservation-minded organisations such as Bridgestone SA and the Eskom Biodiversity Centre of Excellence, and congratulates them on these well-deserved awards.

 Contacts
Wendy Collinson
Project Executant: Wildlife & Roads Project
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 11 372 3600
wendyc@ewt.org.za

Constant Hoogstad
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Senior Manager: Partners and Industry
Tel: +27 11 372 3600
constanth@ewt.org.za

Belinda Glenn
Marketing and Communications Manager
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 11 372 3600
belindag@ewt.org.za

The race is on, this World Rhino Day!

On World Rhino Day, 22 September, a small group of runners will ascend the iconic Rhino Peak in the Southern Region of the Maloti Drakensberg World Heritage Site. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is the official beneficiary of the event and all funds raised will be divided on a 50/50 basis between our work with rhinos and our work with Bearded Vultures. While the rhino connection may be obvious, the funds will be shared with these special birds too because the Rhino Peak itself is home to some of the last Critically Endangered Bearded Vultures in the area.

Deidre Herbst, Eskom Environmental Manager, will be running the race as the EWT’s representative. She says, “As the environmental manager of Eskom, an organisation that impacts on the environment, I am passionate about reducing the negative environmental footprint and making a difference in South Africa, specifically related to water, biodiversity and clean air. When taking up the challenge of improving our environment, we should always consider that the earth is our life support system, and we need to believe that we can make a difference – believing is a critical ingredient to achieve what we set out to do! I feel very privileged to be representing the Endangered Wildlife Trust for this challenge. This is an awesome opportunity to demonstrate my passion for sustainability, specifically the role of biodiversity and the important role played by vultures in the ecosystem. Eskom has a partnership with EWT that focuses on reducing the impact of power lines on birds. While I have participated in many sporting events, I have not had the opportunity to take part in such an awesome challenge before, and have not recently spent time in our beautiful Drakensberg mountains. It seems fitting, given my passion for the environment, that I am able to complete this challenge, representing the EWT, and contributing to the survival of the Bearded Vulture.”

If you’d like to get involved in this epic race, without actually having to run it, you can pledge to support one of the participants, and in so doing, support the work of the EWT! As an added incentive for those pledging, each participant will be offering a lucky draw prize. This prize will be drawn by the runner after the event, and anybody who has pledged against that particular runner will stand a chance to win their prize. Those pledging against Deidre’s race time, for example, stand to win a weekend away at any City Lodge B&B!

To find out more, and make your pledge, visit http://www.rhinopeakchallenge.co.za/

Assessing the feasibility of a carbon project for Chrissiesmeer

South 32 is a key supporter of our work in the Chrissiesmeer area of the Highveld Project in South Africa. They have been exploring ways of supplementing the funding available for the conservation of the area. This month we spent over a week with team from South Pole and South32 to undertake a scoping study to determine the feasibility of the Chrissiesmeer Protected Environment (PE) for carbon credit trading. . South Pole is an international company that specializes in reducing greenhouse gases and in a wide array of sustainable solutions for public and private organisations. They focus on renewable energy, forestry, energy efficiency, waste management and methane avoidance and is a leading premium emission reduction project developer. Two experts from their Columbia office conducted a site visit to Chrissiesmeer from 14 – 19 August 2017. The week was spent visiting the entire PE, interviews with landowners to determine the current land management practices, visiting our community project sites to understand the scope of the challenges and opportunities, looking at examples of land and wetland restoration, and meetings with experts in peatland and wetland management in South Africa.
The feasibility study will be complete by end November whereby we can determine a way forward in terms of carbon emission reduction activities, community and biodiversity activities that can be funded through carbon trading.
IN the words of Osiman:
My main highlight for the month was my participation in a study to explore the feasibility of the Chrissiesmeer Protected Environment as a site for a carbon project. This was my first time to participate in a study of that nature. It provided an opportunity for me to contribute ideas on community engagement that will be useful in making a decision as part of the feasibility assessment. The study enabled me to appreciate the relevance of social component of landscapes in carbon projects and the importance of lessons we have learnt through our experiences in Chrissiesmeer over the past four years. The inclusion of community issues in the assessment criteria provided opportunities for the EWT project team to review the status of the community livelihood projects and project reach to date, with a view to identifying ways to address gaps and build on successes since 2013.
I was requested to present on community engagement component of the ongoing Chrissiesmeer Community Project. The presentation covered the following aspects: community characterisation, community needs and linkages to environmental problems, community engagement approaches, achievements to date, lessons learnt, challenges and opportunities. Some of the key issues highlighted during that presentation that later became discussion points were:
• Opportunities for environmental learning (already created and potential opportunities)
• Landscape values that could be used to promote livelihoods (e.g., ecotourism)
• Scope of scaling up and diversifying for enhanced livelihood benefits
• Existing and potential livelihood project beneficiation chains (equity and link to local markets/needs)
• Need for identifying and supporting community local drivers of change/champions
• Ways to ensure active participation and ownership of projects by communities
• Roles of the project in managing stakeholder relations
• Need to secure support from municipality in terms of service provision (e.g., in pollution control)
• Support from government in terms of extension and infrastructure development

The inclusion of community issues provided opportunities for the EWT project team to review the status of the community livelihood projects and project reach to date, with a view to identifying ways to address gaps and build on successes of work done since 2013. The discussions we had are critical as we plan to develop proposals to secure continuation funding in 2017

Article by Ursula Franke (Highveld Project Coordinator) and Osiman Mabhachi (Community Projects Specialist)

The Chrissiesmeer Grasslands

Wetland rehabilitation

Grey Crowned Cranes in Chrissiesmeer

New online database could reduce poisonous threat to vultures

The use of poisons to kill wildlife in Africa has rapidly accelerated over the past decade, and is having a devastating effect on the populations of many species. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has been working on wildlife poisoning issues for over twenty years and has noted a rapid escalation in the use of poisons on recent years for various reasons. These include the use of poisons to target specific species with such as elephants that provide high-value by-products for trade, or Leopards or monkeys that cause damage to domestic livestock or crops. We also note with concern, the use of poisons for wildlife that provide a food source such as game birds.

Due to the indiscriminate nature of poisons, most of which are highly toxic pesticides, there are almost always unintentional consequences that affect a broad range of terrestrial and aquatic species and often this includes human beings. Vultures are being the most severely afflicted, as they are typically the first to arrive at a poisoned carcass, and they feed in large numbers.

The EWT has been collecting data on wildlife poisoning since 1995 and has now joined forces with The Peregrine Fund to assess the scope and impact of this critical threat to vultures and other wildlife species across Africa. In partnership with the Vulture Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, we have collated all historical and current incidents of wildlife poisoning into the African Wildlife Poisoning Database or AWPD, which will be launched on 2 September 2017 to mark International Vulture Awareness Day.

So far, this database contains records of 272 poisoning incidents that have killed over 8,000 animals of 40 different species, from 15 countries. Although records of poisoning date back to 1961, in the past decade there has been a sharp escalation in poisoning incidents, with most of the deaths occurring during this time. Aside from vultures, species affected range from large carnivores, such as lions, Leopards, and hyaenas, to elephants, impalas, cranes, and storks. However, by far the most deaths are of vultures, comprising ten different species, including two species that migrate to Africa from Europe.

Poisoning is the most significant threat to vultures in Africa and Eurasia and, over the last 30 years, has contributed to declines in excess of 80% in some African species. Currently, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists four species of African vulture as Critically Endangered and three species as Endangered. The AWPD will contribute to gathering better information on wildlife poisoning incidents, as well as on the drivers of wildlife poisoning.

Darcy Ogada, Assistant Director of Africa Programs for The Peregrine Fund explains, “Wildlife poisoning in Africa has reached epic proportions and one would be hard pressed to find a group of species that is not affected. The AWPD is an essential tool for documenting this silent crime that kills not only wildlife, but domestic animals including cows, sheep, goats and dogs, as well as contaminating the environment, particularly water sources.”

To allow greater access to this information, and increased publicity for this very serious threat facing Africa’s wildlife, as well as its people and livestock, the EWT and The Peregrine Fund have collaborated with the Gadfly Project, to develop an online version of the AWPD. This database allows registered members of the public, conservationists, and wildlife veterinarians, across Africa, to input information into the database through a mobile app. The Gadfly Project is a social enterprise software developer located in Maryland, USA. Its core mission is the development of web applications and websites for socially, economically, and environmentally conscious organisations.

Dr Lizanne Roxburgh, EWT Senior Scientist, adds, “Conservation starts and ends with data. Effective action can only be taken if we understand where poisoning incidents occur, what species are affected and what the reasons are for the poisoning. The AWPD already contributes significantly to our understanding of the situation in southern and East Africa and, as it grows, we will better understand the situation in other parts of Africa, and be able to take action on the ground to prevent future wildlife deaths.”

The AWPD is designed to facilitate simple, effective capture of relevant data, either by using a mobile device at a wildlife poisoning incident, or by inputting data via the website. Users can access basic information on poisoning incidents and mortalities, and view these on a map of Africa. In some cases, data about a poisoning incident may be considered sensitive and will not be shared without the consent of the submitting person or organisation.

Established by the EWT in 2009, International Vulture Awareness Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in September every year, to create awareness about this ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats worldwide. Populations of many species are under pressure and some species face extinction if we do not take action to stop poisoning. By launching the AWPD on this International Vulture Awareness Day, we aim to promote the submission of relevant information on wildlife poisoning incidents among participants and supporters of this global event.

Contacts
André Botha
Manager: Special Projects
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 82 962 5725
andreb@ewt.org.za

Dr Lizanne Roxburgh
Senior Scientist
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 11 372 3600
lizanner@ewt.org.za

Belinda Glenn
Marketing and Communications Manager
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Tel: +27 87 021 0398
belindag@ewt.org.za

Darcy Ogada
Assistant Director of Africa Programs
The Peregrine Fund
P.O. Box 1629, 00606-Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 722 339366
ogada.darcy@peregrinefund.org

Ryan Johnson
CEO
The Gadfly Project
Tel: +1 443 768 3681
rjohnson@thegadflyproject.org

The EWT scoops Best Rhino Conservation Supporter of the Year Award

The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) Wildlife in Trade Programme was thrilled to win in the category of Best Rhino Conservation Supporter of the Year at the Rhino Conservation Awards in Johannesburg last night.

The EWT has a long track record of tackling rhino poaching issues, and first established a targeted Rhino Conservation Project in 2010. Mr Adam Pires, at the helm of the programme, does tremendous work in supporting the protection of rhinos in South Africa. Over the last 12 months, he and his team have together provided specialised skills and knowledge to over 1,000 officials who either work within rhino protected areas, or fight rhino crimes at other stages along the wildlife trade supply chain. The programme has also supported the uptake of specialised situational awareness software called Cmore, which is a ‘’proudly South African” collaboration developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Cmore enhances the operational and tactical response of anti-poaching units covering more than 500,000 hectares of rhino habitat.

The EWT has deployed nine sniffer and tracker dogs that work with endangered species protection at strategic locations across the country. Here, they search vehicles and other property on a daily basis for rhino horn contraband, illegal firearms and ammunition. These dogs were some of the first to detect illegal rhino horn at OR Tambo International Airport some years back. Over 20 rhino protected area security managers have undergone analytical training with Adam. These managers are now empowered to analyse complex operational data to support strategic decisions when deploying anti-poaching units.

Adam and his team have created dedicated training interventions for members of various enforcement agencies to build capacity to combat offences committed against rhinos and other wildlife. Adam’s team also works continuously to develop and produce many different types of awareness raising materials that target audiences as varied as members of the public, rhino reserve managers, and prosecutors. His team of experts has also commented in detail on proposed rhino horn trade regulations and they monitor legal proceedings against suspects involved in rhino horn trade.

A significant part of the work recognised in this award was supported through the United States: Department, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, Relate Bracelets and the MyPlanet Rhino Fund.

About the Rhino Conservation Awards

Founders Dr Larry Hansen, and Miss Xiaoyang Yu, with sponsors Carl Zeiss Sports Optics in collaboration with the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and the Game Rangers Association of Africa, presented the Rhino Conservation Awards 2017 on 21 August, at a glittering gala dinner at Monte Casino in Johannesburg. This was the sixth year that these awards recognised significant role players involved in rhino conservation. These people are often involved in selfless and unrecognised work to save our natural heritage that is in danger of being lost forever.

End

Contacts

Adam Pires

Manager

Wildlife in Trade Programme

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Tel: 011 372 3600

Email: adamp@ewt.org.za

 

Dr Kelly Marnewick

Senior Trade Officer

Wildlife in Trade Programme

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Tel: 011 372 3600

Email: kellym@ewt.org.za

 

Belinda Glenn

Marketing and Communications Manager

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Tel: 011 372 3600

Email: belindag@ewt.org.za

Ryobi helps to clear the way forward for Knysna

Established in 1988, Stevens & Co has built a solid reputation as Africa’s leading power tool supplier. We are the sole agents and distributors for Ryobi power tools in Sub-Saharan Africa. We offer easy-to-use products renowned for being highly functional and durable. With over 350 different models covering all equipment categories, Ryobi’s range satisfies the needs of both trade professionals and DIY enthusiasts, alike. No other distributor can offer such a comprehensive range of power equipment, from industrial grinders, hand held drills and generators to gardening equipment and welders, we offer quality solutions that are truly built to last.

After the devastating Knysna fires, the EWT sent an emergency response team to assess the potential impacts of the fires on the estuary and to determine the response required.  The Knysna estuary is South Africa’s most important estuary for biodiversity conservation and supports the largest meadows of seagrass in the country. Seagrass meadows are considered one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing shelter and food to an incredibly diverse community of animals, from tiny invertebrates to large fish, crabs, marine mammals and birds. In Knysna, the seagrass provides critical habitat to a myriad of species including the endangered Knysna seahorse and the critically endangered false limpet.

Seagrass meadows in South Africa and in Knysna are under an increasing threat of extinction, particularly from sediment runoff and nutrient pollution – both of which are likely to be exacerbated by the Knysna fires. While fires in fynbos are natural and needed at intervals of approximately 12 years for its survival, a lack of fire and invasion by alien plant species both contributed to the devastatingly hot fires that ripped through Knysna.  As an emergency response, the EWT, in partnership with various government and non-government stakeholders, has set out to mitigate these post-fire impacts in the Knysna catchment by identifying the primary erosion and nutrient pollution sources in order to prioritise and implement measures to minimise these impacts. Long term, the EWT aims to work with local authorities and organisations in tackling the devastating spread of invasive alien plants in the Garden Route.

With our personal love and appreciation for wildlife and the conservation thereof, it is easy for Ryobi to relate and align ourselves with the EWT.  The natural synergy between the two brands creates a perfect match, and with a cause so close to our hearts, it has been a clear and obvious choice to support the work being done by the EWT. For every Ryobi chainsaw or brush cutter sold with the EWT sticker on it, we are contributing R25 towards the EWT’s Knysna rehabilitation project. Our end goal is to raise R150,000.