issue 10 the urban wildlife edition september - october 2018 · geoff lockwood, resident manager of...

Conservation Matters - Issue 10: The Urban Wildlife Edition 1

Issue 10The Urban Wildlife EditionSeptember - October 2018

Conservation Matters - Issue 10: The Urban Wildlife Edition1

Physical Address: Building K2, Ardeer Road, Pinelands Office Park,Modderfontein 1609, Gauteng, South Africa, Postal Address: Private Bag X 11, Modderfontein 1645, Gauteng, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 11 372 3600 Fax: +27 (0) 11 608 4682 NPO

A WORD FROM THE CEO

NOTICEBOARD• Events

FEATURES• The birds of Delta Park – observing changes over more

than 40 years• Creating owl-friendly children• Wildlife-friendly gardening – a return to nature

Showcasing our supporters: Celebrating an anniversary with Signature Lux by Onomo

• There’s a bat in my kitchen, what should I do?• Green spaces• Shark mystery: Where have South Africa’s Great Whites

gone?• Win! Wildlife on your doorstep photography and

drawing competition

Ways to give: A will to preserve our true wilderness areas

TAILS FROM THE FIELD• Farm planning: on the path to sustainable land

management• Making the most of a tough situation• Wildlife and Energy training project spreads wings to

Lesotho• Opening the door to a world of knowledge• Oil and gas development and its implication on Grey

Crowned Cranes and wetlands

Showcasing our supporters: Q20 supports carnivore conservation

GREEN HEROES• Giving hope to wildlife

Ways to give: Donating is now as easy as snapping your fingers… or your phone!

WALkING THE TALk• Greening an urban environment

SCIENCE SNIppETS• Big data for biodiversity• A safe haven for Wild Dogs near Kruger National Park

Showcasing our supporters: Leasing this property will lead to R10,000 for the EWT

WILDLIFE FACT FILE• Giant Bullfrog • Barn Owl • African Grass Owl • Spotted Eagle Owl • Large-spotted Genet • Brown House Snake/Common House Snake

Showcasing our supporters: Annual support from Assore Limited

MEET THE pACk• Emily Taylor• Boaz Tsebe• Shumani Makwarela

Ways to give: Every swipe counts!

pUpS’ pLACEE-SHOpIN CLOSING: MWITU’S MISSIvE

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Among the many issues and perspectives that serve to fragment the conservation sector, rather than unite it, perhaps the greatest is the concept of ‘Sustainable Use,’ and where one positions yourself or your organisation along this rather long and winding spectrum. From the one extreme, which says that humans cannot use any element of our natural world for their benefit at all, to the other end, which claims that full exploitation of nature and all its components is a human right no matter the form this use may take, or its impacts on nature going forward.

Thankfully, most conservation organisations in South Africa sit somewhere far from the edges of these extreme views, and this helps to maintain a balance on most platforms. The EWT firmly believes in the use of nature to the benefit of ALL species, humans included, so essentially we stand FOR the concept of Sustainable Use. The trouble

is not with the principle, but rather, in our view, how it is being adapted to suit the needs of a small but increasingly influential pool of ‘special interest’ groups that stand to benefit from use that is sustainable only insofar as it can be sustained, and not for the persistence of a healthy environment for all other creatures.

In 1992, the World Bank stated that their interpretation of the term Sustainable Development was “… development that lasts”. With no reference to the environment being the entity that should in fact last, which is more to the heart of what the Rio Convention (at which the term gained global traction) undoubtedly meant. Ironically, nearly 30 years later, we see some sectors of society interpreting the term Sustainable Use in much the same way. And you argue with them at your peril, for the very first thing they like to quote is the South African Constitution which allegedly enshrines the right of all people to use natural resources in any way that they like. The trouble is, it doesn’t.

THIS is what the Constitution of South Africa, in Section 24 actually says: Section 24 - Everyone has the right –

a) To an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; andb) To have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that –i. prevent pollution and ecological degradation;ii. promote conservation; andiii. secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.

What’s so fantastic about this Constitution of ours is that it not only affords humans the right to a clean and healthy environment, but that this applies to future generations: those not even born yet! This right, it states, will be realised through conservation (first and foremost) and then the “ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources”. It is quite clear that the application of sustainability (or persistence if you will) is in relation to the environment and not its use. Simply put, the environment must be sustainable, not just our use thereof.

Therefore, seeing as the Endangered Wildlife Trust so firmly believes in the power of this true environmental right and the ability of our natural resources to sustainably and equitably transform and uplift human lives, we are driving a process to re-examine the narrative around sustainable use (as it is currently being interpreted). A better interpretation of the Constitutional Right, we would argue, would be to truncate section 24(b)iii to be simply SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION


1 OctOber: WOrld Habitat

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4 OctOber: WOrld animal

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21 nOvember:WOrld FisHeries

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24 October: Country Club Johannesburg Talk – Book launch: The Game ranger, the knife, the lion and the sheep – David Bristow, in conversation with Dr Harriet Davies-Mostert. For more information, contact [email protected] – 16 November: Raptor Research Foundation 2018 Annual Conference, Skukuza, Kruger National Park. For more information, contact [email protected]

EWT EvEnTs

13 OctOber:migratOry bird

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in which “ecologically sustainable” is positioned appropriately alongside environmental use.

In short, the EWT: 1. Holds that sustainable use as is sometimes applied in South

Africa is currently NOT in line with the spirit or even the language, of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa;

2. Has become increasingly concerned with the narrow and misguided approach to sustainable use currently being taken in some quarters, leading to industry-scale abuses based on the use of a single entity with no value to the broader ecological or social systems; and instead

3. Supports and promotes sustainable conservation as follows:

Sustainable Conservation embodies the true spirit of the environmental rights of all people in South Africa – ensuring that the point of departure in any decision, policy or system is that the environment (as a complete and holistic system) is protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

Sustainable Conservation exists when the conservation of biodiversity, with all its various wildlife components existing naturally in a functioning ecosystem, becomes the driving factor. Ecological sustainability requires functioning systems and balance and we hold that this underpins the environmental right in our Constitution.

To achieve Sustainable Conservation, various forms of both consumptive and non-consumptive use can and should be employed as a means of sustaining the system, and ensuring equitable benefit sharing for those who contribute to, are impacted on, or who co-exist as part of these systems. The use of nature in a balanced, holistic and equitable manner is indeed the way in which humans realise their environmental right. This would be to the benefit of the “everyone” to which our Constitution refers, including those generations not yet born. Above all, the conservation of our natural world remains central to any use thereof, for without these systems, there is no future.

Yolan FriedmannEWT [email protected]


Geoff Lockwood, Resident Manager of the Delta Environmental [email protected]

My first memory of what is now Delta Park dates back to 1964, when I was attacked and repeatedly stung by a colony of paper wasps that I had disturbed whilst clambering over a dry-stone walled kraal on the property. I was back a few times during the early 1970s, dodging security to bird in what was then being developed as the Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary, and then later when I joined the monthly outings of the Witwatersrand Bird Club (WBC) held on the third Saturday afternoon each month. It was here that I guided my first bird

walk around the sanctuary, and also where I gave my first public bird talk to WBC members. It is no exaggeration to say that “I cut my birding teeth” in the park.

On 10 December, 1981, Cynthia and I moved in to the flat in the Delta Environmental Centre, and Delta Park became my “garden”, birding patch and study area. I can still remember looking out the window on that first day in our new home and seeing a male Eurasian Golden Oriole moving through the trees around the main sanctuary dam. The 37 years since then have brought a succession of amazing bird sightings, and have allowed me to document the changes in the local urban bird population – initially through submissions to the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP 1) and, currently, to SABAP 2. Since January 2002, 234 species have been recorded in Delta Park, with a further 29 species having been recorded historically, but not again since the start of the intensive survey in 2002.

Being based in the park has also allowed me to undertake a long-term study of aspects of the biology, diet, breeding, longevity and post-fledging dispersal of the family of Spotted Eagle Owls that have nested in the park for over 40 years. Initially they nested in the bird sanctuary, using a succession of old Hamerkop nests, but a run of bad luck involving hailstorms and collapsing nests meant that they only fledged a total of three chicks in five years. After building a nest box for them on the back of the tower of the Centre in 1986, their breeding success improved dramatically and they have reared an average of just under three chicks per year since then. Unfortunately we have seen

a radical increase in the numbers of Pied Crows in Gauteng in recent years, with counts of over 40 birds in Delta Park in recently. The crows have been relentless, harassing the owls at every turn, and in 2017, the pair failed to breed for the first time. A similar story is unfolding this season. The owls were copulating and visiting the box each evening a week ago and egg-laying seemed imminent but the crows have driven the adults off again.

It is not just the owls that are being impacted by the increase in the crow population. They regularly also harass all the raptors species as well as Egyptian Geese and even dogs in the park. They are particularly effective and efficient nest predators and, if their numbers continue to increase, could have a significant negative impact on the breeding success of many of our urban species. For this reason I would appreciate any information regarding the Pied Crow population

in the greater Johannesburg area – behaviour, numbers, population trends, diet, interactions with other bird species etc. so that we can try and determine what is driving this increase, and what the impacts on other species are likely to be. Once we fully understand the nature and causes of the problem, it may be possible to manage it.

Part of my bird ‘work’ in Delta Park has involved the ringing of over 3,000 birds of over 50 species. In most cases, I hear nothing further after I release the bird, but there have been exceptions. Over the years, I have recovered rings from nine of the Southern Masked Weavers that I had ringed in the park from Spotted Eagle Owl pellets – along with the ring of yet another weaver, and also of a Cape White-eye (both ringed by another ringer about 4 kms from the park). Another of ‘my’ ringed weavers was killed by a cat in Vanderbijlpark – 90 kms from Delta Park. My most amazing ringing experience however has been


my relationship with “red over metal”. On 25 May 2000, a female Cape Robin Chat found her way into the Centre building and, before releasing her, I fitted a numbered metal SAFRING ring. Twenty-one days later she was back in the building – and I decided to add a red plastic ring above the metal one so that I could identify her at a distance and keep track of how long she stayed around. I wasn’t expecting anything, but 18 years and nearly two months later she is still around the Centre! After hundreds of re-sightings, and after re-trapping her four times over the years, I now start most mornings trying to check if she is still around. I get anxious if I don’t see her for a few days…and then she is back again and I can relax. She is already more than 18 months older than the previous longevity record-holder and pushes that record still further with every sighting! We have come a long way together!

Throughout my involvement with the park, there have been changes in its birdlife. Some species have disappeared, whilst others have appeared, established themselves, and are now common. There has also been a regular stream of vagrants and new species continue pop up regularly, the most recent being a Grey-headed Bush Shrike feeding around the entrance to the Centre on 7 July 2018.

During the late 1970s, towards the end of a protracted drought, White-backed Mousebirds were regular in the park and surrounding suburbs. The drought broke – and my last record of this typically arid western species in the area was in 1981. Now only Speckled and Red-faced Mousebirds occur.

In other cases where we have lost a species, a closely-related species seems to have supplanted the original one – raising questions as to what had changed environmentally so as to favour the colonising species. Perhaps the best example of this has been the demise of Cape Weavers in Delta Park – and the rise of Thick-billed Weavers over the same period. Between 2002 and 2007, Cape Weavers were breeding residents in the park, with an initial population of around 25 birds but in 2006, the population began to contract, and my last record of this species in the park was in September 2009. By contrast, Thick-billed Weavers were recorded only as sporadic visitors between 2002 and 2007 but their numbers have since steadily increased to the point where over 60 now breed in the park and we regularly see flocks of several hundred birds flying in to feed during winter.

Another dramatic area of change has been in the raptors that I have recorded in Delta Park – with a total of 28 species recorded to date. More and more species seem to be drawn to our ‘urban forest’ and at least some of these are establishing resident populations. During my tenure, Black, Ovambo and Little Sparrowhawks have become regular, with the latter two species having bred successfully on several occasions. Long-crested Eagles have become fairly regular visitors – as have European Honey Buzzards, and I’ve even had Bat Hawk and African Goshawk hunting over the park. At the same time, we seem to be losing, or have lost, our Yellow-billed Kites and Lanner Falcons. Lanners were fairly common during the late 1970s and early 1980s have all but disappeared, while Peregrine Falcons now seem to be replacing them.

If you bird in and around Delta Park, please join the Delta Park Bird Challenge on the Birdlasser App and log your sightings so that we can continue to monitor these changes.

Geoff Lockwood is the resident manager of the Delta Environmental Centre; a keen birder, atlasser and photographer, as well as a tour leader for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours based in Austin, Texas. He has lived in Delta Park for nearly 37 years, and has enjoyed monitoring the changing birdlife in the park over the past 40 years.


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Creating owl-friendly childrenDelina Chipape, Project Coordinator, [email protected]

Gauteng is the business hub of South Africa and subsequently has one of the highest human populations in the country, resulting in the establishment of large townships throughout the province. About 15 years ago, a trend was observed in the townships such as Alexandra, Sebokeng and Katlehong, where there were drastic increases in rodent numbers in and around the townships. The high rodent populations caused concerned residents to turn to poison, unfortunately doing more harm than good. The Department of Health was called to intervene after two children died in Sebokeng after ingesting rat poison. This is a very common occurrence in South Africa, with over 100 children dying from ingesting rat poison every year, and a child admitted to hospital on an almost daily basis.

The high rodent numbers in townships draw rodent-feeding predators such as owls. Owls are prevalent in mythologies around the world, including South Africa, and due to deep-seated cultural beliefs, their appearance often results in increased human-wildlife conflict. Owlproject.org addresses the mythological fears that people in townships have about owls.

Addressing these mythological fears and educating residents on the ecological importance of owls is the first step in getting communities

to accept the presence of owls in townships. Owls offer a long-term, sustainable solution to high rodent numbers through biological control, and could eliminate the need to use poison. Owlproject.org focuses on a strong conservation and education component when dealing with local communities.

The owl release programme is an Owlproject.org initiative, aimed at creating owl-friendly children within owl-friendly environments. Through this programme, young owls that end up in captivity for various reasons are integrated back into the wild. The programme has proven to be an excellent awareness raising initiative, and has helped to nurture a real appreciation for owls within these township areas. Most children living in townships have little or no interaction with wildlife, and by acting as a surrogate parent to a young owl, they are often left with a resounding appreciation for owls. The owls we receive have been handed over by various institutions such as the SPCA, Johannesburg Wildlife Vet and concerned citizens, after being removed from buildings in townships and suburbs at the request of residents, or after being orphaned or injured.

The owl release programme is aimed at returning owlets to the townships they came from. The owls that are released each get ringed with a SAFring, which serves as a method to identify the owl and access additional information about the individual through the SAFring database, run by the Animal Demography Unit (ADU) at the University of Cape Town.


Through the Township Owl Project, Owlproject.org organises the annual Alex Owl Day in Alexandra Township, during which children are engaged in various environmentally themed activities. The winning school walks away with prize money that is to be used to start or grow environmental clubs at their schools. In 2017, the children had great fun painting wooden owl cut-outs provided to them. Some of the children proudly displayed their art pieces at numerous events such as the BirdLife South Africa Bird Fair at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, and the Knysna Timber Festival. In 2017, Owlproject.org was nominated for a Special Achievement Award from the Owl Hall of Fame at the International Owl Centre in Houston, Minnesota.

Owlproject.org is also currently leading an Owl Naming Programme. Traditionally each owl species in South Africa has common names in Afrikaans or English, but this project aims to officially include names in all nine indigenous South African languages in media and reference materials. The project will be undertaken nationally and will involve numerous secondary schools. Each school will provide suggested names based on appearance, biology and behaviour of the owl species. Once the proposed names are obtained, Owlproject.org will collaborate with WITS University Department of Linguistics to make sure the names are grammatically and linguistically correct before finalising and publishing them. The goal of this project is to include the new names for the owl species in the next Roberts Bird Book. The languages that will be covered are Sepedi, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Ndebele, Zulu, Xhosa, Tsonga and Swati.

Wildlife-friendly gardening – a return to nature Emily Taylor, Coordinator, EWT Urban Conservation [email protected]

“Gardening becomes so much simpler, so much more enjoyable, when you work with nature, rather than against it. A haven for wildlife can still be a beautiful garden and we hope you will be able to see the proof of this at Brenthurst and join us in this great adventure.” – Strilli Oppenheimer, Brenthurst Gardens, Johannesburg

Living in an environmentally friendly way and practising Ecological Landscaping, primarily through the use of indigenous plants, will entice all sorts of wildlife to your garden and provide a functional ecosystem that will contribute to the ecology of the broader area in which you live. A string of such properties can go a long way to reducing the effects of habitat fragmentation on wildlife, by creating pathways made up of green stepping stones between green areas in the city. These pathways greatly benefit genetic and species richness in all areas of the city through connecting populations and reducing pressure on isolated sites.

Basic principles of Ecological Landscaping • Maintain natural landscapes as far as possible • This includes soil, rocks, indigenous vegetation and structural

aspects such as water courses and topography. • Integrate designs into the existing landscape • Work with what you have to ensure ecological integrity of the

property • Retain natural vegetation buffers around water features • This will help prevent the spread of alien/invasive species by • restricting their access to water • Remove alien invasive plant species wherever possible • Select new plant species carefully (see section on selecting plants

below)• Approach pest management holistically to avoid unnecessary use

of pesticides • Use organic mulches and fertilisers • Plant at different heights

WHy pLANT INDIGENOUS? Indigenous animals are far more likely to inhabit a property if the property contains indigenous plants that can provide these animals with the best resources. Indigenous gardening may not create the archetypal western idea of a beautiful garden but it brings with it a wilder, more alive and vibrant environment that can ultimately sustain itself. Remember, however, that it will require a substantial amount of work, and time, to get an already transformed area of land to a point where it becomes a self-sustaining, functional ecosystem.

THE BASICS While planting indigenous is preferable to planting exotic, it is still important to select plants from your specific region, as they have adapted to the area’s specific rainfall patterns and weather conditions. Also ensure that the plant is suitable for the amount of sun it will be exposed to.

SELECTING pLANTS Some species, be it herbs, vegetables, trees, shrubs or grasses, grow more successfully when planted next to certain other species. This is known as companion planting. There are, however, plant combinations that have a detrimental effect on each other, or out


compete each other for resources. So, if you are not companion planting, you should at least consider designing your garden so that plants near each other are non-competing.

ATTRACTING WILDLIFE TO yOUR GARDEN As with humans, plants and animals have a hierarchy of needs, and at the base of this hierarchy are food, water, cover and space.

Food To cater to as wide a variety of species as possible, you will want to diversify the types of food items available in your garden. To cover all your bases you should ensure that there is green vegetation, fruit, seeds, insects, nuts and nectar rich flowers. This will attract many species of birds and bats, small mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians (provided they can get into the property), and other necessary micro-organisms. It is also helpful to ensure that food items are available at different and appropriate heights – particularly if you are hoping to attract a certain species. You may want to use bird feeders in winter periods when food availability is low.

Water Having a permanent source of clean water in your garden will make it irresistible to wildlife, provided it is safe from predators and undisturbed. It is also advisable that water sources are designed in such a way that animals can get in and out of the water easily, as

animals often drown in even small bodies of water if the sides are steep or slippery and they cannot get out.

Cover Garden wildlife also needs sufficient cover from the elements, as well as from each other (and domestic creatures such as dogs, cats, and children). Adding items such as rocks can help create shelter for small species. It is advisable also not to be too tidy and to let your grass grow a little bit, particularly around the edges of beds and water features – this will provide a perfect habitat for smaller organisms. When landscaping does not allow for natural nesting opportunities, it may be useful to install some artificial structures such as bird or bat boxes, yet there are no guarantees that these will be utilised by desired species. Any artificial houses must be accessible and ensure minimal disturbance by children and predators (including domestic animals).

Space Different wildlife species require different sizes and types of habitat. Use of space in Ecological Landscaping is very important to ensure that animals have a variety of options, including space that is relatively undisturbed by human activity.

Some other ideas • Give your dog or cat a bell to reduce the threat they pose to

indigenous wildlife • Erect barriers around young plants and remove them once the

plants have become more established and are more resilient to disturbance by children, animals and wildlife

• Make certain areas more inviting for children and pets so that they don’t disturb wildlife habitats

BEING WATER WISE Following the basic principles of Ecological Landscaping will automatically assist you in saving water but there are many other things you can do to decrease your water usage, which will in turn contribute to maintaining our country’s natural water balance. The first step in living a water-wise lifestyle in your house and garden is to conserve municipal water by using it sparingly – not leaving taps to run and fixing any leaks in taps or pipes. But there are multiple other simple ways in which you can contribute further:

• Reuse grey water from sinks and bathtubs to water non-food plants

• Harvest free rainwater in rain tanks (such as JoJo Tanks) • Remove declared alien invader plants • Select appropriate grass types • Zone your garden into different hydro zones and group plants

according to their water usage requirements • Use compost, manure and water retentive polymers • Mulch, mulch, mulch! This allows the water to slowly percolate

into the soil and not evaporate too quickly • Irrigate efficiently by applying the right amount of water at

the right time. Watering during the hottest time of the day is extremely wasteful because the moisture evaporates almost immediately and very little water actually reaching the plant roots

• Use innovative watering techniques such as drip irrigation, soaker hoses, installed timers or cut-off valves

Rand Water has wonderful tips on how to save water on their website – www.randwater.co.za

You can support the critical work of the EWT’s Urban Conservation Programme, which strives to connect people with nature, by visiting www.givengain/c/endangered/ and using the reference “urban” in the message box.

Located in greater Kruger, Limpopo, South Africa+27 (0) 11 817 5560 • [email protected]

www.karongweportfolio.com


Located in greater Kruger, Limpopo, South Africa+27 (0) 11 817 5560 • [email protected]

www.karongweportfolio.com


Showcasing our supportersCElEbraTIng an annIvErSary WITh SIgnaTUrE lUx by OnOmO

They say time flies when you are having fun. It feels like just yesterday that the EWT entered into a cause-related marketing relationship with the then Signature Lux Hotel, championed and facilitated by three Richland directors – Johan Franck, Paul Kelley and Paul Hailwood.

According to Johan, there is a seamless relationship between tourism and conservation as globalisation is continuously breaking boundaries as people travel the world for either business or leisure. It was, therefore, a no-brainer for these philanthropists to connect the dots and come up with a cause-related marketing concept where R5 per booking is donated to the work of the EWT to support its work against extinction

A year later, over R300,000 has been raised through this initiative. Signature Lux Hotel was recently acquired by Onomo Hotel group, slightly changing the name to Signature Lux Hotel by Onomo and according to Hannes Pienaar, General Manager, and Anne Alp, Financial Manager “there is no need to change the winning formula” as the Onomo brand shares the same passion for conservation, and this relationship is growing from strength to strength.

The affordable guest experience, contemporary comfort and the art of African living with tech-savvy service aimed at the global-minded business travellers, unique personalised freedom and hassle-free flexibility that is synonymous with millennials and business travellers alike is what makes this hotel a unique option. And what is equally unique is that by booking into this hotel, you automatically become a philanthropist and a champion for conservation, as part of your booking fee is donated to the EWT.

As we move into the second year, the EWT thanks the three Richland directors for conceptualising this productive relationship and Onomo Group for sharing this vision. Find out more at http://signatureluxhotels.com/

There’s a bat in my kitchen, what should I do?Emily Taylor, Coordinator, EWT Urban Conservation [email protected]

A recent study of the distribution of urban wildlife in the City of Johannesburg produced findings that indicate that wildlife sightings are reported most in areas not far from green spaces (parks, waterways, nature reserves etc.), but also in areas dominated by certain land-cover classes. Over 25% of sightings were recorded in urban residential areas with dense trees and bush, and these areas were also where the most species diversity was recorded. These results mimicked many from around the world that say that these suburban areas provide the richest variety of habitat, food and shelter, and are therefore attractive to many animal and plant species. Many of these animals have become so common, having adapted to survive by raiding our rubbish bins or nesting in our roofs, that many people consider them to be pests.

Adapting to living in close proximity to humans has also reduced many species’ fear and so these animals frequently come into conflict with residents, particularly when they become accustomed to being fed, either intentionally or unintentionally, such as is the case with the baboons in Cape Town. There are, however, indigenous species that have a bad reputation but that aren’t nearly as destructive or undesirable as is conceived. Bats and birds are just some of the animals that are frequently encountered in and around homes.

BATS

Why should we conserve bats?One insectivorous bat can consume 50–70% of its body weight in insects in one night. This aids extensively in the prevention of the spread of diseases and controls the number of bothersome mosquitoes. Fruit eating bats pollinate many of the indigenous plants on which we rely for food, drink and beautiful flowers.

Concerns related to the presence of bats A common misconception is that bats breed profusely due to the large number of individuals that congregate in roosts. The truth is that bats have very low reproductive rates, usually only producing one pup after a gestation period of between two and six months, depending on the species. For their size, they are the slowest reproducing mammals in the world. Due to this low reproductive rate, population viability is gravely affected by high mortality rates when bats are placed under threat, such as they are in many urban areas. Due to large-scale habitat loss, bats have had to adapt to living in urban areas, and have become an essential part of our ecosystem, but they also fall victim, often unintentionally, to many human activities in urban areas. Some of the greatest dangers bats face are as a result of ignorance, superstition, indirect poisoning and roost disturbance or destruction during development.

MyTHS – FACT OR FICTION?• Bats are rats with wings.

Fiction: Bats are not related to rodents but are classified in a group of their own called Chiroptera, more closely related to primates than rodents.

• Bats suck human blood.

Fiction: There are only three species of bats that consume blood and these occur only in South America. The tiny amount of blood consumed is usually lapped up from an open wound of an animal and not sucked as is often thought.


• Bats are physical manifestations of human souls not yet at peace.

Fiction: This belief is a result of bats occupying caves, which were often resting places for the dead.

• Consuming bat eyeballs will allow you to see in the dark.

Fiction: Bats cannot see in the dark, they use echolocation to find their way around.

• Bats breed profusely.

Fiction: Bats have slow reproductive rates.

• Bats get tangled or nest in your hair.

Fiction

• Bats are aggressive and will attack.

Fiction

There are, however, some valid concerns people have around bats inhabiting their homes. These include:

• Noise disturbance

• Droppings in and around the house

• Odour

• Damage to crops

• Dirt associated with bats

• Carry mites, fleas etc.

• Present a health risk (e.g. Rabies)

o Like any other mammal, bats can carry rabies but the percentage of those infected is no more significant than for any other indigenous species.

THREATS TO BATS IN URBAN AREASJust as bats have the potential to cause problems for us in our homes, our activities can also have detrimental effects on bat populations:

• Domestic pets

• Poisoning

• Drowning

• Sticky fly-traps

• Electrocution

• Habitat modification and other disturbances

WHAT TO DO? The first thing to consider is whether the root of your problem is definitely bats. Mice and rats have similar droppings and are far more likely to be the culprits of destructive behaviour. If it is the thought of bats roosting in your house that is the problem, there are a number of effective mitigation techniques that take your safety, and that of the bats, into account:’

• Assess habitat: Is there a particular plant that is attracting the bats? Certain tree species, for example, attract fruit bats – the culprits of urine spraying when returning to their roosts. Consider

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removing or relocating such plants, as even ridding your property of the bats will not solve the problem if another colony simply moves in to utilise the plant.

• Physical exclusion

o This can be done by attaching one-way tubes at all entry points to the roost so that the bats can come out but cannot re-enter.

o Never evict bats during the winter while they are hibernating because they are too weak to search for a new roost and will die. It is also problematic to evict adult bats between September and January, as this is when the babies are being nursed and, if trapped inside without adults, will die and create an odour problem.

o The best time to evict bats and implement exclusion methods in South Africa is between February and May after babies have been nursed.

o Cover all possible entry points with bird netting / wire or fill them in

• Deterrents

o Audible deterrents – Ultrasonic devices that emit high frequency sounds that confuse the bats; predator calls. In general, these devices have not proven very effective

o Chemical deterrents – Gels, sprays or powders that discourage bats from occupying the area

• Alternative roosts – bat boxes

• Sealing the structure while providing an alternate roost (a bat box) is the most effective long-term solution.

When selecting and implementing control measures, bear the following in mind:

All chemical usage on bats is illegal (bats are protected by provincial legislation).

Chemicals that kill bats are also hazardous to humans and pets.

Poisoning or removal of a colony can be a fruitless exercise because the roost is then made available for other bat colonies to move in.

Some pest control services will offer to catch and release bats far away, but bats have been proven to return from up to 600 kilometres away and so they may very well come back.

BIRDS

Why should we conserve birds?As with bats, birds play vital roles in the maintenance of a healthy natural system through pollination of flowers, seed dispersal, as a source of food and pest control, but to name a few of the ecological services they provide. Having an owl in your area can significantly reduce rodent populations more efficiently and with no negative effects on the environment or the health of people and other animals. Birds are also an important part of many cultural and religious traditions and are appreciated for their aesthetics and song all over the world.

Concerns related to the presence of birds Generally, we like birds in our gardens, provided they are attractive and sing sweetly. There are others, however, that we are not so fond of. Hadedas, for example, are incredibly loud, cause a mess with their large droppings, and are not very pretty. The same goes for crows, Grey Go-away Birds and other such unfortunate species. Birds of prey, like owls, are also not a favourite of many. In many African cultures, owls are considered to be a bad omen, or an evil spirit, and in others they are caught and killed as ingredients in traditional medicine and ritual, while some people fear that large birds of prey present a danger to their pets, small livestock, and even children. Some common concerns people have include: • Noise • Droppings• Odour• Damage to property and equipment• Nuisance• Dirty• Carry mites, fleas etc.• Birds present a health risk

Threats to birds in urban areasAs with bats and other indigenous wildlife that has adapted to sharing our space, birds are vulnerable to injury as a result of our activities, such as through: • Domestic pets• Poisoning• Collisions with power lines• Collisions with vehicles• Habitat modification and other disturbances• Electrocution• Killed in traps and shot

What to do? To prevent annoyance or damage to property as a result of the presence of certain, less desirable, bird species, there are a number of control methods that can be implemented that do not pose a threat to the lives of the birds, or any other organisms. These include:

• Exclusion o Use of bird netting to prevent access and roostingo Anti-roosting wire system / chicken mesh / spikeso Electric wires

• Deterrentso Visual deterrents e.g. scarecrow methodso Chemical and gel repellents o Audio deterrents - ultrasonic devices; distress calls; predator

calls

• Trapping and releasing elsewhere

• Alternative roosts – owl boxes / nest boxes


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Green spacesZethu Sibiya, Environmental Education & Urban Conservation Project Officer, EWT Urban Conservation [email protected]

A green space is an outdoor, vegetated area that sustains communities of living organisms and fulfils ecological functions. In truth, the services provided by green spaces in our urban areas are far too complex for us to fully comprehend. Often referred to as ‘green lungs’, these vegetated areas filter carbon dioxide in the air and release oxygen so that we may breathe. This is but one service they provide that keep humans alive, one amongst countless others. We cannot endure without them. Perhaps the psychological wellbeing that they allegedly bring us is our sub conscious’ way of reminding us of this fact.

Johannesburg contains an impressive 2,343 parks, and this number does not include private open spaces or the some ten million street side trees in the city. Combine all of this with smaller residential gardens, and it is easy to understand why the city is known as the largest urban forest in the world. If one follows the logic of the study mentioned, it’s not surprising either that Africa.com rates Johannesburg as the fourth most liveable city in Africa.

DELTA pARkDelta Park is one of Gauteng’s oldest parks, situated in northern Johannesburg. The park includes the Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary, which is considered the oldest bird sanctuary in the city. The 7.5 ha

bird sanctuary boasts up to 250 bird species. With no entrance fee attached to visiting the park, it is worthwhile to visit just to take a walk with your dog or have a picnic with the family.

Also situated at the Delta Park is the Delta Environmental Centre. School and community groups make use of the centre, where hand-on activities take place both indoors and outdoors. Schools visiting the centre may explore different environmental topics such as biodiversity, water and waste management. For a small entrance fee, both adults and learners can have access to the educational displays at the Gold Fields Discovery Centre. The Delta Environmental Centre includes a recycling centre/depot which was built in order to minimize the waste which is dumped and buried at landfills.

Useful InformationLocation: 77 Craighall Rd, Victory Park, Randburg, 2195GPS Coordinates: S 26.1235; E 28.0084 Classification: Open Park Land Established: 1930’s Size: 104 ha Opening hours: 06:00 – 18:00 (Monday to Sunday) Park Entrance fee: FreeDelta Environmental Centre Fee: R62.00 per learner for 3 hour programmeR37.00 per learner for 1½ hour programmeActivities: Walking trail, birding, and weekly parkrun, small concertsFacilities: Toilets, braai facilities, picnic area, play area for children, scout training grounds. Special Features: Florence Boom Bird Sanctuary, Recycling Depot and Delta Education Centre Species of interest: Striped Mice, Slender Mongoose and Large Spotted Genet can be found foraging around the park. You may find a


rare occurrence of reptiles such as Rinkhals and Marsh Terrapins.Delta Environmental Centre Email Address: [email protected]

BEAULIEU BIRD SANCTUARyBeaulieu Bird Sanctuary is situated within a gated community in Kyalami. There are three bird hides in the sanctuary, which all provide a unique viewing experience of the different bird species. There are also walkways that allow visitors the opportunity to get a closer view of their favourite bird species.

Useful InformationLocation: Witpoort (Beaulieu), Midrand, 1684GPS Coordinates: S 25.9804; E 28.0697Classification: Bird sanctuary Size: 16 haOpening hours: Daylight Park Entrance fee: FreeActivities: BirdingFacilities: Bird HideSpecial Features: Walkways for unique birding experienceSpecies of interest: African Reed Warbler, African Wattled Lapwing, Blacksmith Lapwing, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-headed Heron, Malachite Kingfisher and African Fish Eagle.Website: http://www.jhbcityparks.comTelephone number: 011 712 6600

JAMES AND ETHEL GRAy pARkJames and Ethel Gray Park in Birdhaven, Johannesburg is 36 hectares in size. The Sandspruit River flows through the park, attracting a multitude of bird species and residents alike. The park was originally a bird sanctuary and was named after the former Johannesburg mayor, James Gray, and his wife, but is now hugely popular with picnickers, runners and walkers, particularly those with dogs. On a weekend evening local residents and their socialised dogs come out in scores to enjoy the well cared-for, beautiful and safe park. The park is now fully fenced and contains new ablution facilities, a play area for kids, safe parking and a lovely landscape with views of the famous Johannesburg skyline.Useful InformationLocation: Atholl Oaklands RoadGPS Coordinates: S 26.139431, E 28.062826Classification: Open Park Land Established: 1946 Size: 36 ha Opening hours: 06:00 – 18:00 (Monday to Sunday) Park Entrance fee: FreeActivities: Walking trails, birding, Acrobranch, dog walking, playingFacilities: Toilets, parking, play area for children, open field for games, benches. Special Features: Views of the citySpecies of interest: Over 100 bird species have been recorded in the park.

THE WILDSThe Wilds is a 16 hectare Municipal Nature Reserve nestled in the koppies behind Houghton in Johannesburg. The Wilds is made up of indigenous vegetation, koppies, waterfalls, and rambling walkways. Once considered a haven for criminals, the park was for a long time avoided by residents and became overgrown and desolate. In recent years, the community has partnered with Joburg City Parks and Zoo to reclaim and revive the park. One resident, James Delaney, was the pioneer for this revival and enticed others to start using it through art. James created 67 beautiful owl statues and installed them throughout the park, drawing more and more people to come and view the exhibits. He has since installed many more statues of bushbabies, a kudu, a pangolin, ostriches and monkeys. The park is now extremely popular with Joburgers streaming through to take part in walks, picnics, rock climbing, fun days, or just enjoy the exquisite and tranquil landscape of the park.

Useful InformationLocation: Houghton Drive, HoughtonGPS Coordinates: S 26.173289, E 28.052085Classification: Municipal Nature Reserve Established: 1936 Size: 16 ha Opening hours: 06:00 – 18:00 (Monday to Sunday) Park Entrance fee: FreeActivities: Walking trails, birding, dog walking, educational walks, art exhibitions, photographyFacilities: Toilets, parking, play area for children, benches. Special Features: Indigenous vegetation and koppies, views of the city, animal statues by James Delaney.Species of interest: Pristine indigenous vegetation, particularly Rock Elder (Afrocanthium mundianum), Velvet Rock Elder (Afrocanthium gilfillanii) and the large Yellowwoods (Podocarpus latifolius).Follow Friends of The Wilds on Facebook to keep up to date with events.

For more information on these and other green spaces in Johannesburg, please contact Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ):Website: www.jhbcityparks.comTelephone number: +27 11 888 4831Johannesburg City Parks Email address: [email protected]


This article first appeared in Yale Environment 360https://e360.yale.edu/features/shark-mystery-where-have-south-africas-great-whites-gone

Shark mystery: Where have South Africa’s Great Whites gone?Adam [email protected]

The world’s most famous sharks are the Great Whites off Cape Town, featured in the popular “Air Jaws” series. But now these sharks have mostly gone missing, and some experts blame a fishery for depleting the smaller sharks that the Great Whites feed on.

It’s a shimmering early morning in False Bay, a shallow, 18-mile-wide basin on the southwest corner of South Africa. A small boat with a dozen tourists sways rhythmically in the swell just downwind of Seal Island, a strip of rock that barely clears the water and is covered with thousands of breeding Cape fur seals and tens of thousands of seabirds. The animals’ waste saturates the breeze with sharp-smelling ammonia, and a light veil of winter air pollution hangs over the city of Cape Town, which lies just to the north.

Suddenly and almost silently, a gusher of white water explodes from the sea 100 yards from the boat. The tourists glimpse a muddled flash of fins and a massive tail whipping around inside the crown of flying foam. The seething water flattens, and seconds later the gasping snout of a wounded seal breaks the surface. The unmistakable dorsal fin of a large Great White Shark comes up straight and steady behind it, and the seal is taken down in the giant fish’s jaws.

Since 1996, Chris Fallows has made a good living taking thousands of tourists and dozens of film crews into False Bay to witness extraordinary sights like this, either from the deck of his boat or from an underwater cage held alongside. Great Shite sharks congregate around Seal Island in the southern winter to feed on newly weaned Cape Fur Seals, which take their first, naive swims at this time of year. The White Sharks here are noted for their breach kills; starting at depth, they swim rapidly upward and hit shallow-swimming seals from below. The sharks’ momentum carries them in the air, which makes for the spectacular images in the Air Jaws series of documentary films — largely hosted by Fallows — that have had billions of views on the Discovery Channel since 2001.

“The flying sharks of False Bay are now the most famous sharks in the world,” he says.

It’s become increasingly rare, though, to witness these remarkable kills, particularly in the last two years. For more than two decades, Fallows has been keeping records of kills and attempted kills by sharks seen from his boat in False Bay. These sightings have dropped from a peak average of more than 11 events per trip in 2004 to around 0.3 events per trip in 2017 and this year. Other shark tourism operators and scientists have noted a similar change in the world’s best-known shark hunting ground and for at least a hundred miles to the east. The question now is, what has happened to the sharks?

Fallows and his colleagues in South Africa’s shark tourism business think they have the answer. The culprit, they believe, is a long-line fishery that has been targeting smaller species of sharks, including Soupfin and Smooth-hound sharks, which are a favoured prey species of Great Whites. The South African government has encouraged

this poorly regulated fishery and has granted licenses to politically connected boat owners, whose catch is often sold to Australia, where it winds up in fish ’n chips.

Since 2013, about three to six demersal longliners — fishing boats that set lines with up to 2,000 baited hooks on or near the sea floor — have been working hundreds of miles of the southern coast of South Africa. Fallows says these boats have intensified their efforts in recent years and have driven stocks of smaller shark species to collapse, which may have led to starvation of juvenile Great Whites and driven other Great Whites elsewhere. The fishery may also be illegally hooking and killing young Great Whites and protected hammerhead sharks, he believes.While noting the decline in False Bay and other areas, some South African scientists say they still have not determined the cause. Other possibilities, these scientists say, are that pods of Killer Whales — which feed on Great White Sharks — are more active in the area, driving the Great Whites elsewhere. Changing ocean conditions, some experts say, could also be forcing Great White Sharks to search for new hunting grounds.

“There could be some shift in the environment happening,” says Meaghen McCord, founding director of the South African Shark Conservancy. “We’re just not sure, and with us being on the cusp of possible large climate-related shifts, few scientists are prepared to say anything conclusive just yet.”

Marine biologist Sara Andreotti, a postdoctoral researcher at Stellenbosch University, led a study that estimated the total South African population of Great Whites at only between 353 and 522 individuals in 2011 – making them far more scarce than the country’s


well-known rhinos. She cautions that pointing to Orcas and undefined environmental changes can move the focus from overfishing by “shifting the blame onto something we don’t have control upon.” Andreotti says that fishermen are “targeting Great White food left, right, and centre.” She’s concerned that observations by shark tourism operators – who spend more time on the water than most scientists – indicate a sharp population decline since her study was completed, but says no peer-reviewed data is yet available to confirm such a drop. “I’m angry and desperate,” says Wilfred Chivell, who owns a large cage-diving ecotourism company in the epicentre of shark-watching, Gansbaai (“Goose Bay”, in Afrikaans), about 30 miles east of False Bay. He says that sightings of White WSharks have declined sharply in his area, too, and that local fishermen complain to him that demersal longliners have wiped out the Bronze Whaler Sharks they used to catch by handline from small boats offshore. Chivell says he has had to pay the locals not to catch the remaining Bronze Whalers close to shore so he can have something to show his clients when Great Whites are absent.

In 1991, South Africa became the first country to grant legal protection to Great White Sharks, and since then shark viewing and cage diving have become a major tourist industry along its southern coast, hosting more than 80,000 visitors a year and helping to contribute tens of millions of dollars to the economy. Many shark conservation organisations are active here, sharks are often portrayed positively in the local media, and many visitors doubtless leave with the impression that South Africa is serious about shark conservation.

Most sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because they have few young, mature slowly, and live a long time (Soupfin Sharks can live to

55). Shark populations usually recover from decline far more slowly than most bony fishes, over decades rather than years. Given this, and the pivotal ecological role sharks play as top predators, Chivell believes the government needs to put an immediate moratorium on shark demersal longlining, “because in a year’s time it might be too late.” South Africa’s fisheries are largely regulated by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (DAFF), which gathers data on fish catches and populations and grants fishing rights to individuals and companies that conform to certain requirements, such as owning appropriate boats or belonging to race groups that were disadvantaged under the apartheid regime. DAFF scientists analyze data to make catch size recommendations for different species, but DAFF managers (many of whom are not scientists) ultimately determine fishing permit conditions and grant fishing rights based on a number of considerations, many of which are political.

In 2014, the government launched Operation Phakisa, a drive to “grow the ocean economy” and help reduce the country’s shockingly high unemployment rate by creating a million new jobs. Employees at environmental non-profits say that DAFF management is now under immense pressure to be seen creating jobs. The South African fishing industry has been beset by allegations of high-level corruption for years; many of the biggest players in scandals linked to the current ruling party have roots in fishing.

A 2014 government-commissioned investigation into fishing permit irregularities found that at least three participants in the demersal shark longline fishery had obtained rights without having the required shark-fishing boats. Imraan “Imie” Patel — head of Letap Fishing CC — somehow got a shark permit with a squid-fishing boat. Another influential player in the sector, Sharmilla van Heerden of Fisherman Fresh, has multiple boats and touts her relationships with DAFF officials.

Fallows and Chivell do not have conclusive evidence that Soupfin and Smooth-hound shark populations have collapsed or that demersal longliners are to blame, because they have not been given access to DAFF’s catch data and DAFF scientists have yet to complete current stock assessments for these species. But they say that DAFF’s data must show that stocks of these sharks are in trouble; a presentation about fishing rights given by DAFF officials to coastal communities in June includes a graph showing Smooth-hound and Soupfin sharks as “under heavy fishing pressure” and Soupfin sharks as “depleted.” DAFF did not respond to requests for comment for this article or provide Yale Environment 360 with recent data on shark catches.

A research programme led by shark researcher Matt Dicken has tagged 674 Smooth-hound Sharks in the port of Coega, about 500 miles east of False Bay. Dicken says that of the nine tags reported outside the port, seven were from sharks caught by demersal shark longliners. Unpublished data from an acoustic tagging program that tracks fish along the South African coast suggests high mortality rates among young Hammerhead and Bronze Whaler sharks.

Chris Fallows has documented dramatic drops in young Hammerhead Sharks in a nursery site on the south coast. Although Hammerheads are strictly protected, he says it’s likely they’re being caught by demersal longliners, which are active in the area.

WWF-South Africa also has raised red flags about shark fishing via its South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI), which scientifically assesses available data and ranks species as green (well-managed), orange (consume with caution) and red (do not buy) to encourage consumers to buy fish from well-managed stocks. In 2015, SASSI ranked Soupfin and Common Smooth-hound sharks as red species owing to a lack of data about stocks and indications that they may be overfished.

“We operate according to the precautionary principle,” says Pavitray Pillay, manager of SASSI. “We need evidence that the stock is healthy,”


she says, and the government has not provided data to confirm this. “The latest stock assessment for Soupfin Sharks was done in back in 2005”, she says, adding that “DAFF is in institutional meltdown at the moment,” its leadership compromised by allegations of high-level corruption. The current minister of DAFF and the deputy director-general in charge of fisheries are reportedly under investigation for taking bribes from an Abalone kingpin. Some of the bribe money was allegedly destined for former president Jacob Zuma.

Pillay says that South Africa’s demersal shark longline fishery is legally constrained by Total Allowable Effort (TAE), not Total Allowable Catch (TAC), meaning that the number of permitted boats is limited but the number of sharks caught is not. There is therefore no upper limit on the sharks that rights-holders can kill. None of the demersal shark longliners have independent observers on board to check if non-target or protected species are being taken illegally and perhaps being transferred to other boats at sea to evade shore-based inspectors.

Analysts at TRAFFIC, which monitors the global wildlife trade, have found that almost all the sharks caught in South Africa are exported, Australia being the largest market. Shark meat is usually sold as “flake” and made into fish ’n chips. Australian authorities have recommended that only Australian-caught Gummy Sharks and Rig Sharks from New Zealand should be labelled as “flake,” but this is not legally binding.

“We certainly have issues with mislabelling of all manner of shark species as ‘flake’ in Australia”, says Adrian Meder of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, which publishes the Australian equivalent of the SASSI list. He says that Soupfin Shark — known as School Shark in Australia — is “woefully overfished” in Australia. “Given the experience here and elsewhere, there’s a strong case that species like the School Shark should not, given their biology, be considered a fishery species,” he says. The fins of South African sharks also are sold into the Asian market to be used in shark fin soup.

Not all observers are sure that overfishing of smaller shark species is what is causing White Shark populations to move or collapse. Researchers have recorded an increasing number of Killer Whales, or Orcas, moving in the False Bay and Gansbaai areas in the last decade, and White Sharks tend to leave the immediate areas around Orca pods, at least temporarily. One recent report said that Orcas had killed three Great White Sharks in the Gansbaai area, thus driving the sharks to other areas. Some observers have anecdotally noted an increasing number of shark sightings east of False Bay and Gansbaai, which might indicate a movement in the population, not necessarily an overall reduction, although these sightings have not been rigorously documented or scientifically analysed.

The lack of hard scientific evidence that the demersal longline fishery is causing a collapse of the South African White Shark population does not deter Fallows from his conviction that the fishery must be curtailed as soon as possible. He and others argue that the shark-watching industry generates far more income and employment than a few longline boats and cannot be risked for so little potential gain — not to speak of the handline and shore-based fishers who will lose out if smaller sharks vanish.

“I’ve been on the ocean for most of my adult life,” he says. “This very small fishery has a very large chance of destroying our coast for generations to come. They say that it’s up to us to prove that the fishery is wiping out sharks. We say that the onus is on them to prove that it’s not.”

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Win! Wildlife on your doorstep photography and drawing competitionCelebrate the diversity of wildlife found right on our doorsteps, in our urban spaces. Share your images of indigenous birds and animals, and you could win exciting prizes, including EWT and EcoSolutions hampers!

Categories:1. Photographs

2. CCTV and camera trap images – footage of wildlife in gardens

3. Drawings – ages 5-10 and 11-14

Rules:1. Photographs/CCTV/camera trap images must have been

captured in an urban setting. An address or geo-tag must be included to verify this and contribute to our urban wildlife sightings database (this information will not be published).

2. Drawings must depict wildlife in an urban setting.

3. Entries must be submitted to [email protected] or can be posted to Private Bag X 11, Modderfontein, 1645 or hand delivered to Building K2, Pinelands Office Park, Ardeer Road, Modderfontein, 1609, for attention Belinda Glenn. Please include contact details so that we can reach you should you be a winner.

4. Deadline for entries is 26 October 2018.

5. By submitting an entry, you agree that it may be published in EWT publications and on social media.

6. By submitting an entry, you acknowledge that you are the owner of that image and are entitled to share it.

7. Winners will be contacted by email/phone by 31 October 2018, and announced in the November/December issue of Conservation Matters.

8. Judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.


Ways to givea WIll TO prESErvE OUr TrUE WIldErnESS arEaS

We don’t often think about how people will remember us when we are gone. But take a moment to think about the legacy that you could potentially leave. What are the things you want your loved ones to remember about you after you’re gone? That you worked hard to afford the finer things in life? Or that you were committed to making a difference to the world around you, by speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves, and protecting our natural world?

Chris Klopper is a fine example of someone who opted to leave a legacy and remember the EWT in his will.

Chris was a highly intelligent man who spent many years working for IBM in senior technical roles. He was involved in some very large projects, including the introduction of the first ATM machines to South Africa. He eventually moved from Johannesburg to Hout Bay, becoming self-employed. He became well-known in the Bay, running a popular wine bar, and later turned his longstanding hobby of woodworking into a business that encompassed other small handyman projects. A keen interest in the developments of motor sport kept him a fan of Ferrari and he was always an avid music lover and collector, supporting local live music events whenever possible.

When Chris moved to the Cape, he started to regularly walk in the area, on the beach as well as in the fynbos. Close friends introduced him to the joys of bird watching and he became increasingly interested in nature generally, reading about it widely, putting nature-inspired art on his walls, sharing his interest on social media and campaigning locally to preserve the beaches.

Despite having worked in roles that brought him into constant contact with people and his loyal friendships with a few people, Chris was an intensely private man and seemed to find solace in wild, open spaces that included Namaqualand and the Karoo.

Well-travelled as a young man, in later life Chris was able to take extended breaks and took a number of camping trips, including a three month road trip through the USA during which Chris visited several national parks. However, it was closer to home that he found his very special place. He returned a number of times to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, camping and exploring with care. These experiences led to him hoping to spend some time living in Namibia, but bowel cancer was to cut short his ambitions and Chris sadly passed

away aged just 69. His estate was donated to the EWT, reflecting how important this part of his life had become.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park felt in some way to Chris like a spiritual home and he described it to others as a true wilderness, revelling in the thriving diversity of life supported in a difficult terrain and climate, under unpolluted, open skies that glitter with stars at night. Perhaps it was this, more than anything else, that Chris sought to preserve: the true wilderness areas.

The EWT would like to extend its sincere appreciation for the difference Chris has made by remembering the organisation in his will. This commitment to our critical conservation work is the true definition of our tagline, “Protecting forever, together.”

The EWT relies on bequests both large and small to ensure that we continue fulfilling our vision of a healthy planet and an equitable world that values and sustains the diversity of all life. Including a bequest to an organisation like the EWT that you have supported in your lifetime, or that you would have liked to support, is a way to bring meaning and purpose to a life well-lived, and know that you have left the legacy of a better planet for future generations. Should you choose to remember the EWT in your will, you are not only helping the EWT to secure the


futures of dozens of Endangered species for years to come, but you could also be providing tax benefits to your loved ones. Section 4(h) of the Estate Duty Act determines that bequests made to public benefit organisations such as the EWT should first be deducted from the nett value of your estate before estate duty is determined. This means that remembering the EWT in your will could exempt your estate from estate duty. For more information, contact [email protected]

Tails from the fieldFarm plannIng: On ThE paTh TO SUSTaInablE land managEmEnT

Cobus Theron, Manager, and Bonnie Schumann, Nama Karoo Coordinator, EWT Drylands Conservation [email protected] and [email protected]

The Northern and Western Cape have just experienced one of the worst droughts in living memory. Droughts place farmers under considerable pressure and if climate change predictions are even

somewhat correct, the Karoo will see many more droughts, higher temperatures and bigger downpours, washing away valuable soil.

According to our in-house Karoo specialist, EWT Nama Karoo Coordinator Bonnie Schumann, significant degradation takes place in these dry years when farmers are unprepared for adversity. Lack of climate-smart planning means that there is increased and unsustainable pressure placed on the farm environment during this time. Veld is overgrazed, boreholes are over abstracted and farmers are forced to take decisions that they would never take in good years. Degradation of veld has serious implications, not only for agricultural production, but also for conservation. Many species such as Riverine Rabbits (Bunolagus monticularis) are sensitive to disturbed or degraded habitat, which has an impact on the survival of the species. Habitat in the Karoo, once degraded, can either take many years to recover or may simply not recover at all. For this reason, much of our focus at the Drylands Conservation Programme rests on promoting sustainable management of Karoo veld.

As part of our Global Environmental Facility 5 funded project, our programme is pursuing strategies to ensure better management of veld across farms in the Nama Karoo. The agricultural setting has changed considerably over the past few decades in South Africa. Government


support for farmers has dwindled. To make matters worse, much of our legislation aimed at protecting our agricultural resources is poorly enforced. This has led to a less forgiving business environment, lower cooperation between farmers themselves and between farmers and government.

The conservation of biodiversity on the extensive rangelands is only likely to be viable if farmers are truly farming sustainably. To do this, all the pillars of sustainable land management need to be simultaneously addressed. These include:

• enhancing production, • reducing the level of production risk, • protecting the potential of natural resources and

preventing (buffer against) soil and water degradation,• being economically viable, and being socially acceptable.

Up until the year 2000, our government departments offered comprehensive farm planning courses to farmers. These structured courses were well received and attended by farmers, but have since fallen by the wayside due to decreasing budget allocations to departments. Typically, these courses looked at all the important concepts that farmers needed to manage and implement sustainable land management. Currently there are various NGOs as well as some government departments offering or facilitating farmer training. However, the approach to training is not a structured one, and the type of training is often out of the reach of the small-scale farmers due to cost, travel, time, and literacy challenges.

The EWT, through the GEF 5 Sustainable Land Management Project, is currently working with extension officers from four provinces to develop Integrated Farm Planning and Management training courses; essentially bringing the A-Z of farming onto one platform, with the focus on visual, audio and practical training.

In addition, we are working on an exciting model to encourage farmers to participate in the training courses. We aim to launch this model and the revamped Integrated Farm Management Course in collaboration with agricultural organisations in October 2018. It is hoped that with this course we will be able to promote resilience on farms, which will not only help support livelihoods, but also enhance the survival of unique drylands species such as the Riverine Rabbit. We will keep readers updated on our progress.

This initiative is supported by the Global Environmental Facility through the Department of Environmental Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme.

Making the most of a tough situationMaurice Wanjala, Kipsaina Crane and Wetlands Group, Kenya (EWT ICF Partnership)[email protected]

Humans are exerting immense pressure on wildlife and wetlands, which form critical habitat for Grey Crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum), yet the birds have found a way to survive in human-dominated areas in Kenya. One pair of these Endangered birds has really adapted, and resides in a wetland that is a mere 10 metres from the busy Eldoret-Uganda road. This pair, which has been constantly monitored by Maurice Wanjala from the Kipsaina Crane and Wetlands Group (KCWCG), successfully bred and raised two of the three chicks that hatched.

The pair resides next to a small wetland in Kitale Town near Block 3 Forest. Next to the habitat is a car wash that serves most of the public transport system in the town. Also next to this wetland is a forest that provides habitat to Vervet Monkeys, a few antelopes and several bird species. Plans are underway to change this forest from the current Eucalyptus plantation to an indigenous forest to attract other wildlife and create a recreational space for the locals and foreign visitors. This will create some casual jobs for our youth, control soil erosion, and attract rain.


The cranes are also being exposed to pollution from the cars, as well as garbage and open sewer lines that are released into the wetland. But in a strange way, the cranes have found a way to adapt to the changing environment. KCWCG works on awareness creation to help the birds and is also working with policy makers to come up with stringent rules and regulations to curb this threat.

Wildlife and Energy training project spreads wings to LesothoAmos Letsoalo, Senior Field Officer, EWT Wildlife and Energy [email protected]

The EWT has expanded its Wildlife & Power Line Interaction Training offering to reach beyond South Africa’s borders, and is now offering this to the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC). This course for power utility staff raises conservation awareness and introduces the participants to the various possible interactions between electrical infrastructure and wildlife. Interactions between wildlife, particularly birds, and energy infrastructure often result in adverse impacts for the species and the power supply.

Since 2010, this training has equipped a large number of Eskom field staff with conservation knowledge that they lacked and critically needed in their fieldwork to better understand the protection of the environment and interactions between a business and biodiversity. This training aims to empower Eskom staff in reporting wildlife and power line incidents to the Eskom/EWT partnership in order for mitigation measures to be put in place to minimise these negative interactions.

The Lesotho Highlands falls within the breeding, roosting and foraging surroundings of the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and the Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), therefore there is a risk of both these species interacting with electrical infrastructure. It is well known from international studies that vultures are prone to colliding with power lines and due to their large size and gregarious nature, being electrocuted on the unsafe electrical structures.

Over the last year, the EWT undertook three of these training sessions in Lesotho to capacitate LEC staff.

In light of the this training, the LEC is now planning proactive mitigation measures to conserve species, such as the Bearded and Cape vulture. The LEC staff can now deliver their duties with wildlife and power line interactions in mind, thereby helping to minimise the impacts of LEC’s activities on birds and other wildlife and vice versa.

Over the last year, 16 training sessions were successfully conducted with 183 Eskom and 64 LEC employees being trained on the subject of wildlife and energy infrastructure interactions.

Opening the door to a world of knowledgeBonnie Schumann, Nama Karoo Coordinator, EWT Drylands Conservation [email protected]

In today’s frenetic world of social media, including “Google has the answer to everything”, the assumption is that we all have access to everything we want to know at the touch of a keypad. However, this assumption is misguided, as we have discovered, especially in relation to emerging farmers on municipal farmlands adjacent to the small rural towns in the Northern Cape.

The EWT’s Drylands Conservation Programme (DCP) recently embarked on a five-year project, in partnership with the United Nations


Development Programme and the Department of Environmental Affairs, to promote sustainable land management (SLM) in the Nama Karoo. The project is funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). As part of implementing this sustainable land management project, we realised early on that the world of knowledge out there is a closed door to this contingent of land users.

There are several reasons for this. Firstly, illiteracy is rife, especially amongst older generation farmers, severely hampering their ability to arm themselves with knowledge to compete in the rapidly changing agricultural landscape. This can have profound impacts such as not being able to implement optimum livestock production or being short-changed by unscrupulous livestock agents due to ignorance of market-related prices when selling their livestock.

Another reason is the lack of computer proficiency, as well as not having the connectivity and facilities required to do internet searches, downloads and to print documents such as user manuals. This is particularly true in the rural towns, where there are no internet cafés. This makes even a simple task like emailing your farmer’s union representative a huge challenge.

Traditionally, agricultural- and conservation extension services acted as the conduits for bringing the latest agricultural developments and knowledge to the farmer’s doorstep. However, the current lack of capacity in both departments at all levels, means there is a huge gap between the information out there, and the land user who needs it. Farmers who have access to digital platforms can largely close this gap themselves in an increasingly technologically advanced agricultural landscape. Those who don’t have access are left entirely at the mercy of increasingly failing support services. The few remaining extension officers are typically under tremendous pressure trying to cope with unrealistic workloads, vast areas to service and limited travel budgets.

Farmers on municipal commonages are a largely forgotten contingent of land users. Municipalities are struggling with basic service delivery issues and mostly lack the expertise to co-ordinate and manage the extensive commonages to ensure even basic levels of best practice sustainable land management.The DCP has been exploring ways to help close the knowledge and skills gaps and ways to improve channels of communication and networking. Farmers’ information days are a great way of sharing knowledge and bringing stakeholders together. Our recent Farmers Information Day held in Loxton in May demonstrated this. Farmers from the Western Cape resettled on farms in the Krom River area had the opportunity to mingle with Loxton’s municipal commonage farmers and with agricultural experts. The opportunity was used to exchange tips and information. As a result, Loxton commonage farmers will, for the first time, have the opportunity to have their rams tested prior to the Spring breeding season (a free service they were unaware of).

The Information Day also offered the opportunity to expose these farmers to the exciting possibilities that access to the internet offers. DCP Programme Manager, Cobus Theron, joined the proceedings in Loxton live from KZN to welcome the farmers and share information directly with them.

Identified on the day was the need for enhanced communication. As a response, we initiated an SMS group. Currently a lot of information relevant to farming is sent out via email or WhatsApp groups, to which many emerging farmers do not have access. The Loxton EWT office is now facilitating the sharing of information with farmers on future information sessions, dates to diarise, weekly meat prices and even weather advisories (high fire danger, severe weather warnings) via SMSes.


In addition, other service providers, including the local Karoo Meat Farmers’ Co-operative in Loxton, has undertaken to share product information and specials via SMSes. The local co-operatives in small rural towns and their various product agents are key sources of knowledge that emerging farmers are not yet tapped into. These livestock agents and product agents hold the key to helping to fill the gap of the absent extension officers. This aspect needs to be explored and these organisations encouraged to broaden the scope of the services they offer to emerging farmers. Currently their main client base is the larger commercial farmers, but the scope for mentoring and growing smaller-scale farmers is great.

Providing digital online access to people in rural areas opens their eyes to an excellent range of contemporary farming information available in written, audio and visual media on various sites, such as the National Wool Growers Association or GreenAgri websites. In order to facilitate access to these information sources, the DCP, in partnership with the Loxton Info Hub, is in the process of establishing an e-learning centre in Loxton. The Loxton Info Hub is a privately funded initiative aimed at addressing a range of needs in this small Karoo town.

The e-learning centre will serve a variety of purposes including training the youth and farmers, assisting people with online opportunities and stimulating interest in technology and multimedia. A full-time information officer will be available to help community members to access the internet. The EWT has kindly donated reconditioned laptops from their various programmes, which will be set up at the centre.

Achieving sustainable land management is not a lofty goal, it is a livelihood-saving one; and conserving the regions biodiversity is

dependent on how successful we are at achieving this goal. We need to employ every tool at our disposal, be it the humble SMS or more advanced drone technology, to broaden the knowledge horizons of land users across the arid landscape and empower them to make the right choices, based on sound knowledge.

This initiative is funded and supported by the Rand Merchant Bank and by the Global Environmental Facility (through the Department of Environmental Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme).

Oil and gas development and its implication on Grey Crowned Cranes and wetlandsEva Bii Cherotich, Programme Assistant, Kenya Crane and Wetlands Conservation [email protected]

It is estimated that more than three-quarters of the world’s Grey Crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) occur in Kenya and Uganda in East Africa. In Kenya, the majority of the population is found in the western parts, followed by the central region and parts of the Rift Valley (Morrison, 2015). However, oil and gas development is emerging as a key sector in Kenya, and the impacts on wetlands might negatively affect crane populations.


The EWT, in partnership with the International Crane Foundation (ICF) works to secure crane habitats, predominantly in wetlands, across the globe. The western part of Kenya is a region that is naturally endowed with rich wetlands that are critical habitats for the Endangered Grey Crowned Crane and other valuable species, and have been a source of primary support for the inhabitants of the area.

Activities associated with oil and gas exploration and development have the potential of interfering with the physical and ecological character of wetlands. Wetlands are one of the major ecosystems polluted and degraded by petroleum activities as the exploration and production uses tons of water and generates a lot of waste water that ends up in wetlands. Habitat alteration is considered a potential impact during construction of gas distribution pipeline systems. These impacts may be associated with excavation, trenching, pipe laying, backfilling and the establishment of infrastructure such as regulating stations, which may create temporary or permanent terrestrial habitat alteration depending on the characteristics of existing vegetation and topographic features along the proposed right of way. The effect of any oil pollution usually lasts for a long time. The present approach to valuing contaminated land where acquisition methods are applied, hardly addresses the long-term impacts on soil fertility and agricultural productivity.

It is important to develop guidelines on oil exploration and production in protected areas to minimise negative impacts on biodiversity, which would, amongst others, minimise resource use conflicts.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has divided Kenya into four sedimentary basins which include Lamu, Mandera, Anza and Tertiary Rift. The basins are divided into several blocks that are allocated through licensing, to companies or consortiums of companies for oil and gas exploration, development or both, through a competitive bidding process. In total, there are 63 oil blocks in Kenya. Some of the oil blocks, such as those within the Tertiary Rift Basin encompass crane habitats and other protected/fragile ecosystems.

According to the Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) draft report, prepared by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Kenya, there is need for safeguards to ensure protection of ecologically sensitive areas such as wildlife habitats, biodiversity hotspots and wildlife migration routes, Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs).

To secure a future for cranes especially in habitats earmarked for oil and gas exploration and development, there is a need for deliberate measures to strike a balance between development and conservation objectives for sustainability.

Showcasing our supportersQ20 SUppOrTS CarnIvOrE COnSErvaTIOn

After a successful fundraising campaign for our Wild Dog project in 2016, Q20 has now supported our Cheetah Metapopulation project with a generous donation of R100,000. On top of this, Q20 will be branding 100,000 cans to help raise awareness for this species, which is currently listed as Vulnerable. Our efforts have ensured a significant expansion in securing safe space for these majestic predators. This project has been so successful that South Africa is the only country in Africa in which Cheetah numbers are on the increase.

We would like to thank Q20 for their continued support in helping to secure safe space for our carnivores and raising awareness around the importance of conserving these predators.


Green heroesgIvIng hOpE TO WIldlIFE

Dr Karin Lourens qualified as a vet nearly 16 years ago and initially worked mostly with small animals and exotic pets. She developed an interest in wildlife six years ago when she started volunteering at a local wildlife rehabilitation centre. Her once a week shift became an every day shift, and eventually she realised that this was what she wanted to do on a full time basis. So at the end of 2016 she resigned from her regular veterinary position, and with wildlife rehabilitation specialist partners Nicci Wright and Penelope Morkel, started the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, a non-profit facility that officially opened its doors in March 2017. Karin and the team treat, rehabilitate, and release small and medium sized indigenous wildlife, working closely with the NSCPA Wildlife Protection Unit, local law enforcement and conservation bodies.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?I would have to say the first time I handled a pangolin. One of the species we specialise in is the Temminck’s Ground Pangolin. These are elusive, nocturnal animals and very little is known about their physiology. They are confiscated from illegal traders and most of them come in severely compromised and on the brink of death. Successfully treating one of these animals and then being able to release them back into their natural environment is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had.

What would you do if you won R100 million in the lottery?I would build a custom designed wildlife veterinary facility. My dream is that our hospital will become a teaching facility for veterinary and veterinary nursing students. It would be wonderful to have a ward each for birds of prey, reptiles and baby mammals as well as 40m flight enclosures for birds that need to undergo rehab after surgery. Theatres with all the bells and whistles and hospital bird cages with one way glass to enable us to observe behaviour without them being stressed by our presence. The list goes on…

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?It wasn’t a gift in the normal sense of the word. I was in my final year at Onderstepoort (the Veterinary faculty of the University of Pretoria) and we were doing our reproduction clinics rotation. We were called out to an informal settlement to assist with a cow that was having trouble giving birth. When we got there, we could see that the owner was very poor. Luckily, we delivered a healthy calf and the owner was extremely grateful. We were all ready to leave (eight students and a lecturer) when he suddenly appeared with a tray with nine glasses and a bottle of Coke. This person, who had nothing to share, was willing to give us, nine strangers, his only bottle of Coke to say thank you. We reluctantly accepted. The smile on his face and his unbridled happiness was a gift I will remember for the rest of my life.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?I have always wanted to be a vet. From when I could say “animal doctor” really... I think that was at the age of four.

What inspires you?I love a challenge. I come to work every day and every day brings new challenges, and I love to learn new things. Working with a myriad of different species on a daily basis fuels this drive in a huge way. There is never a boring day for me at work. Even when we work late into the night or long hours or go through emotional trauma when we lose patients, it would never cross my mind to stop. I am passionate about what I do and I wouldn’t dream of ever doing anything else.

What’s one thing about you that would surprise other people to know?I am petrified of elephants. My palms will start sweating and my blood pressure will go through the roof when just approaching them. Oh, and I have a crippling fear of flying as well.

Tell us about your most interesting patient?It is difficult to single out just one as I have had many, but if I have to I would say it is pangolins. Very little is known about them and treating them in the beginning was very daunting. They are mammals with scales, they roll into a ball to protect themselves, they don’t make any sound and they only eat ants. To unroll them they need to be sedated and then to know how and with what to treat them is so difficult. No literature on health conditions exists on our South African pangolin and I had to learn what works by trial and error. They also don’t eat any captive diets and we have to take them foraging for 4-6 hours per day to get them to eat. They are one of the most trying and most rewarding animals to treat.

What do you wish Johannesburgers or South Africans knew about urban wildlife?I wish people would pay more attention to their environments. Plant indigenous trees and plants, feed your birds in winter, cut your tree branches in winter when there are fewer baby birds around. Put up bat and owl boxes, manage domestic cats better and the biggest issue of all, and please don’t use poisons of any sort. We have one of the most wooded cities in the world and we can live in harmony with so many urban wildlife species such as owls, Genets, bats and hedgehogs.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in treating wildlife patients? And the biggest reward?The biggest challenge for us is funding. We rely on donations to run the hospital, feed the patients and facilitate releases which includes fuel costs.

The biggest reward is a successful release of a patient. It doesn’t matter if it is the smallest little Rusty Bat or a beautiful adult Serval, an animal free again makes all our hard work worthwhile. Find out more about Karin’s work at http://www.johannesburgwild-lifevet.com/


Ways to givedOnaTIng IS nOW aS EaSy aS SnappIng yOUr FIngErS… Or yOUr phOnE! Supporters can now donate to the EWT quickly and safely, using SnapScan. All you need to do is:

1. Download the SnapScan application on your smartphone

2. Register with your details – this should take no more than a few minutes

3. Scan our EWT barcode to make your donation in the amount of your choice (be sure to choose donation rather than e-shop from the dropdown menu) – you’ll be asked to enter your PIN so you know the transaction is secure

It’s as easy as one-two-three! Once you’ve made your donation via SnapScan, you’ll get an SMS confirming the transaction, and the EWT will be notified via SMS too. Supporting Conservation in Action couldn’t be simpler.

Walking the talkIn this feature, we share tips on how we can all make a difference to the environment in our daily lives. We’d love you to share some of your tips too! Please tell us how you make a difference by emailing your tips to [email protected], and we could feature them in a future issue of the magazine.

In this issue, we’re celebrating all things urban. It’s also spring, and with Arbour Day having taken place earlier in September, many of us are thinking about greening our environments. But how do we do this if we live in urban areas with limited space?

1. If you have a small balcony or townhouse garden, consider using vertical planting options. A vertical pallet garden is a wonderful solution, and is not too difficult to implement. You can find a step-by-step guide on how to create a vertical pallet garden at https://www.yuppiechef.com/spatula/how-to-make-a-pallet-garden/ and there are also lots of YouTube tutorials available online.

2. You could also consider planting a window box, if you have a windowsill that is exposed to the necessary amount of sunlight. Remember, window boxes are not just limited to flowers, you can grow veggies in them too. All you need for this one is a suitable windowsill, a window box, potting soil, and the seeds of your choice. A top tip is not to choose plants that will grow particularly tall, or you may end up with a room without a view!

3. Small spaces also encourage you to get creative with containers – you can grow a beautiful variety of shrubs,


flowers, and vegetables in planters, steel tubs, decorative boxes and more, on patios, balconies and well-lit areas in your home.

4. Sometimes the secret to maximising small spaces is to look up. Hanging planters are another great option, both indoors and on patios or balconies. Once again, these can be filled with a variety of different plants, and can act as a beautiful home décor item, while greening your living space.

While many urban residents may not have the space to plant a tree, they can still contribute to a greener environment by utilising the space available to them to plant smaller shrubs, flowers, herbs and vegetables. Research has also shown that having houseplants improves health and mental wellbeing, so get growing!

The EWT’s Urban Conservation Programme works with a number of schools in urban settings, helping them to set up vegetable gardens in limited spaces. To find out more, or support this project, please contact [email protected]

Science snippetsDr. Lizanne Roxburgh, Senior Scientist, EWT Conservation Science [email protected]

The Endangered Wildlife Trust regularly publishes the results of our conservation research in accredited journals, so that our work can contribute to a growing body of knowledge on conservation science. Here we highlight our most recent publications and other important science-related news.

bIg daTa FOr bIOdIvErSITyGBIF.org announced in July that their online biodiversity data records had reached 1 billion. This milestone represents a collective effort to share evidence of our planet’s biodiversity by more than 1,200 institutions in 123 countries, including South Africa, and more than 1 million researchers and citizen scientists worldwide.

The GBIF network is a diverse partnership of public and private organizations, and its online infrastructure and database provides anyone, anywhere, with instant access to free and open data about where and when life-forms occur on Earth. GBIF’s global occurrence data provides an unequalled evidence base for informing scientific research and policy through its support of ‘big data’ analyses. On average, nearly two peer-reviewed research papers appear each day that rely on data accessed through GBIF.org. The EWT is proud to be an associate node of GBIF and have contributed to this hugely important global repository of information on biodiversity.

a SaFE havEn FOr WIld dOgS nEar KrUgEr naTIOnal parKThe survival of wildlife ultimately relies on its acceptability to humans. The African Wild Dog, like many other predator species, often comes into conflict with humans. Currently, the only viable population of Wild Dogs in South Africa lives in the Kruger National Park. To begin to understand the acceptability of Wild Dogs outside this important stronghold, in the areas immediately surrounding the park, researchers interviewed 186 private landowners along the Kruger western and southern boundaries.


They found that these private landowners generally had positive attitudes towards Wild Dogs, most were happy to have Wild Dogs on their properties, and knew something of their biology. The attitudes of landowners were also more positive when the property was part of a conservancy. All these factors indicate that the conservation landscape for Wild Dogs on private land outside the Kruger National Park is promising. However, despite the positive attitude of landowners, Wild Dogs still face threats in these areas, particularly from diseases that are transmitted from domestic dogs, such as rabies and canine distemper, and from road mortality. These are impacts that the authors recommend should be studied in future, to develop creative solutions for mitigating these threats to the future conservation of Wild Dogs.

Daniel M. Parker, Jessica P. Watermeyer, Harriet T. Davies-Mostert*, Grant Beverley*, Kelly Marnewick*. 2018. Attitudes and tolerance of private landowners shape the African wild dog conservation landscape in the greater Kruger National Park. Endangered Species Research. * EWT-affiliated authors, now or in the past

Showcasing our supporterslEaSIng ThIS prOpErTy WIll lEad TO r100,000 FOr ThE EWT

Earlier this year, R25 Properties participated in the EWT’s annual golf day and used the opportunity to promote their Midrand facility ,with an incentive to donate R100,000 to the EWT as a result of a successful sign-up to the property.

The Midrand facility boasts a spacious 8,016 m² total size, made up of an A-grade office block of 2,550 m² and a warehouse component of 5,466 m², all situated on an erf of 17,340 m². The facility is located in a prime business area facing the N1 highway and offers a good opportunity for branding. The facility is easily accessible with the Gautrain bus stop located on the pavement area and has ample parking for employees and visitors.

For more information on this incredible opportunity, please contact Antony from R25 Properties below: C: 082 651 3193E: [email protected]: www.r25properties.co.za

Wildlife fact filegIanT bUllFrOg Pyxicephalus adspersus

Giant Bullfrogs emerge from underground at the start of the rainy season, and breed in shallow, temporary waters in pools, pans and ditches. They are active by day during the breeding season. The Giant Bullfrog is a voracious carnivore, eating insects, small rodents, reptiles, small birds, and other amphibians. It is also a cannibalistic species. The male Bullfrog is known for occasionally eating the tadpoles he guards.

Giant Bullfrogs are listed as Least Concern (Population decreasing). Threats to urban populations include:

• habitat destruction;

• persecution;

• indirect poisoning;

• decreasing prey numbers;

• pet trade;


• road collisions;

• local consumption by people.

barn OWl Tyto alba

Barn Owls feed on small rodents including voles and mice, as well as frogs and insects. Barn Owls occupy a vast range of habitats from rural to urban. These birds are generally found at low elevations in open habitats such as grasslands, deserts, marshes, agricultural fields, and near human habitations, which provides nesting and roosting sites. Barn Owls are monogamous and usually mate for life.Barn Owls are listed as Least Concern. Threats to urban populations include:• Secondary poisoning from consuming poisoned prey such as rats;

• habitat loss and nesting site loss;

• vehicle collisions at night when the owls hunt, often on roads where prey is exposed;

• superstitions - many South Africans still believe owls are associated with witchcraft and are considered to be omens of bad luck.

aFrICan graSS OWl Tyto capensis

The African Grass Owl can be found in open grassland, vleis, marshes, moors and moist grassland up to 3200 m above sea level. The African Grass Owl is a nocturnal bird, rarely seen flying in the daytime. Unlike most other owls, the birds roost during the day on the ground in tall, often tangled grass, in which they create tunnels so that they can move without detection. Tunnels can be several metres long and connect with other tunnels. A domed platform at the end of a tunnel serves as the nest or daytime roost. Paired owls often roost together and sometimes small parties may have roosts quite close to one another. This owl becomes active after sunset and hunts at night.

The African Grass Owl prefers rodents and other small mammals of up to 100 g, taken from the ground. They may also catch bats, large insects and small birds. This special owl is listed as Vulnerable, with threats to urban populations including:

• loss of habitat due to urban, industrial and agricultural development;

• low reproductive success due to nest predation by terrestrial predators such as jackals;


• vehicle collisions at night when the owls hunt, often on roads where prey is exposed;

• burning of veld resulting in failure of nests and often death of owls. It takes a long time for the veld to return to a state that is suitable for habitation by the owls.

SpOTTEd EaglE OWl Bubo africanus

The Spotted Eagle Owl is found in a variety of habitats, including open scrub, grassland, savannah woodland, forest patches, and forest edges, but not in evergreen forests or sandy deserts. An owl pair has a territory, which the male claims with his hooting call. These owls are adaptable and not fussy about where they nest or what they eat, which has made them a successful, widespread species, and a common resident of suburban gardens where there a large trees or owl boxes.The diet of the Spotted Eagle Owl is dependent on their habitat and what is available. They prey on insects such as crickets and large beetles, small mammals such as shrews, mice, rats, squirrels and mole-rats, and birds up to the size of a Laughing Dove, including Francolin and Helmeted Guineafowl chicks. Frogs, lizards and snakes, and carrion are also eaten.

Spotted Eagle Owls are listed as Least Concern. Threats to urban populations include:• Secondary poisoning from consuming poisoned prey such as

rats;• vehicle collisions at night when the owls hunt, often on roads

where prey is exposed;• muthi trade – killed for their body parts which are used in

traditional medicine,• domestic cats and dogs kill chicks;• superstitions about owls, particularly in the townships.


largE-SpOTTEd gEnET Genetta tigrina

Large-spotted Genets mainly feed on rodents, birds, reptiles, invertebrates and fruit. They can be found in woodlands, grasslands and agricultural areas of Africa. During the day, the crea-tures hide in sheltered crevices, hollow logs, and old burrows, or in thick shaded vegetation. In urban areas, they have adapted to nesting in roofs of houses and other buildings, particularly those with large rodent populations. They are listed as Least Concern, with threats to Gaut-eng populations including:

• Deliberate poisoning or extermination (many people belief that they pose a threat to them and their pets, which is not the case, as they have a very small jaw structure that is unable to inflict harmful bites to larger animals);

• secondary poisoning from consuming poisoned prey such as rats;

• habitat destruction as a result of urbanisation;

• muthi trade – The genet’s pelt is traded for muthi by traditional healers.

brOWn hOUSE SnaKE/COmmOn hOUSE SnaKELamprophis capensis

The main diet of these snakes consists primarily of rodents. Nocturnal by nature, this species is known to eat entire nests of mice in one sitting. These snakes are found in human dwellings and can lay from

eight up to 12 clutches of eggs. It is a human-associated species, often found in compost heaps, tool sheds and outbuildings.

Brown House Snakes are listed as Least Concern. Threats to urban populations include:• Harm from homeowners who are afraid of the snake (yet this

species poses no threat to humans);

• secondary poisoning from consuming poisoned prey such as rats;

• predators such as big snakes and owls.


Showcasing our supportersannUal SUppOrT FrOm aSSOrE lImITEd

Assore Limited (Assore) is a mining holding company principally engaged in ventures involving base minerals and metals. The group’s principal investment is a 50% interest in Assmang Limited (Assmang) which it controls jointly with African Rainbow Minerals Limited (ARM). The group, through its various joint venture entities and subsidiary companies, is involved in the mining of manganese, iron and chrome ores together with other industrial minerals and the manufacture of manganese and chrome alloys. Assore is also responsible for marketing all products produced, the bulk of which is exported and the remainder either used in the group’s beneficiation processes or sold locally. The company was incorporated in 1950 and its shares are listed on the JSE Limited under Assore in the general mining sector.

Assore CEO, Charles Walters, says, “Assore is extremely proud to have supported the Endangered Wildlife Trust for over a decade. The provision of yearly donations allows the Trust to direct more of its funding to its extremely important work in conserving our wildlife, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration.”

The EWT wishes to thank Assore for their annual support without which the EWT would not be able to continue to champion conservation in Africa.

Meet the packEmIly TaylOr, EWT Urban COnSErvaTIOn prOgrammE COOrdInaTOrEmily grew up in Johannesburg and has a background in both sociology and nature conservation. After completing her Honours in Sociology at WITS University, she decided to throw caution to the wind and head out into the bush to be a game ranger. Emily worked in lodges and for an overland safari company for a couple of years but ultimately decided that she needed to be doing more behind the scenes – getting involved in real conservation activities. She went back to university to get a National Diploma in Nature Conservation and then she did everything she could to get a job at the EWT – including working her way from a volunteer, to an intern, to a project coordinator. She recently completed a Master’s of Science at WITS University, entitled: A Sociological and Biological Study of Human-Wildlife Interactions in Urban Areas of Johannesburg.

Emily coordinates the Urban Conservation Programme, which aims to strengthen people’s relationships with nature, both in and out of urban areas. The programme includes the Gauteng Biodiversity Stewardship

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Coming soon to Pretoria!

Alberton: Gemstone Office Park, 36 Hennie Alberts

Street, Brackenhurst, Alberton Tel: (010) 591 8164

Cell: 072 011 3670 Email: [email protected]

Cape Town:

8th Floor Metropolitan Building, 7 Walter Sisulu Avenue, Cape Town

Cell: 078 989 2957 Email: [email protected]

For a list of our services visit www.jurgensbekkerattorneys.co.za

Now also in Kempton Park!

Bedfordview: 22 Plantation Road, Oriel, Bedfordview

Tel: (011) 622 5472 Cell: 083 294 9995

Email: [email protected]

Kempton Park: 14 Belgrade Street,

Spartan, Kempton Park Tel: (010) 442 6743 Cell: 072 424 3177

Email: [email protected]


Programme, addressing human-wildlife conflicts in the city, and growing and implementing the EWT’s Guardians of the Future project, which focuses on raising public awareness of conservation issues and providing education for sustainability.

What excites you about this position?It is increasingly clear to conservationists that in order to conserve our biodiversity, we have to change people’s behaviour. What excites me most about this position is when we achieve this behaviour change – whether it is how a farmer manages his property, when people stop using rat poison because it harms our birds of prey, or when people start recycling or EcoBricking – particularly when this change in behaviour is rooted in deeper understanding about the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems, and the value they have in each person’s life. Only through this understanding can behaviour change be sustained.

What are you passionate about?I am passionate about reducing the impact we are having on the earth and biodiversity, and about showing people that they can each make a positive difference, no matter how small their actions might seem.

If you had to get stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be and why?My best friend. She knows exactly how to calm me down and cheer me up, and we can have fun no matter where we are. Or Idris Elba...

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who did it come from?“Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind...the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.” – Baz Luhrmann’s song, Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

bOaz TSEbE, EWT Urban COnSErvaTIOn rESErvE managErWe caught up with Boaz Tsebe, who currently manages the Modderfontein Reserve on behalf of the EWT. Boaz has a Diploma in Game Ranch Management from Tshwane University of Technology, and started his career at the Lapalala Wilderness School and Lapalala

Wilderness Reserve, where he was mentored by conservation greats, Roger Collinson and Clive Walker. During his time at Lapalala, he worked mainly as an Environmental Officer, giving him a wealth of experience in the field of environmental education. He then went on to manage Ndou Reserve and Lodge, and enjoyed the opportunity to transform the reserve to its optimum state. He joined the EWT in 2014, and is responsible for the day-to-day management and environmental oversight for the Modderfontein Reserve, including activities such as game counts, stakeholder management, research, and awareness raising.

What excites you about this position?Being able to see and measure some aspects of the hard work we put in, and the pleasure of ‘Nature on your doorstep’, as the Modderfontein Reserve tag line goes. My recent thrill is being able to bring in Scouts onto the Reserve and nurture future generations that have an environmental ethos. Hopefully, wherever they end up one day, they will be the ones to preserve our planet for future generations beyond them too.

What are you passionate about?Conservation and preservation of our natural resources – I guess we need to mitigate this mentality in society that we seem to have resources in excessive abundance. My passion extends to a huge appreciation for landscapes that provokes me to travel the world, exploring my love for culture and food.

If you had to get stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be and why?This is a tough one. I really think Nelson Mandela is fitting, as clichéd as it may sound, but the wisdom, history and humility is beyond most human beings.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who did it come from?“Conservation isn’t for the faint hearted, hang in there!”– Clive Walker


ShUmanI maKWarEla, EWT Urban COnSErvaTIOn rESErvE FIEld OFFICErWe also spoke to Shumani Makwarela, who also works on the Modderfontein Reserve. Shumani was born and raised in Venda, Limpopo, and has a National Diploma in Nature Conservation from UNISA. He is currently completing his Advanced Diploma in Nature Conservation through the same organisation. He was part of the EWT Conservation Leadership Group (CLG) from 2005-2009, after which he worked as a Field Ranger at Enkosini Wildlife Reserve. Shumani returned to the EWT as Reserve Officer in 2014.

Shumani is responsible for assisting with the day-to-day running of Modderfontein Reserve, including activities such as identifying and mapping of alien species sites to be cleared, regular monitoring of cleared sites, assisting with fire break burns, conducting game counts, processing fishing permits and ensuring water is available to the game in the reserve.What excites you about this position?At the EWT, lots of opportunities arise and I have been able to also work in the EcoSchools programme in partnership with WESSA, which aims to teach school learners particularly from underprivileged communities how to be environmentally conscious.

What are you passionate about?I am passionate about wildlife in general, but since I joined the Modderfontein monthly birding team, my passions is birds!

If you had to get stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be and why?Nzumbulolo Makwarela, my nephew, who is fascinated by my career, and always wants to hear more about different animals.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who did it come from?The best advice that I received from a good friend of mine was to be persistent in everything that I do – when knowledge and ability aren’t enough, then persistence is the key. This advice has assisted me to do my best in every life situation, even when it was hard at times.

Ways to giveEvEry SWIpE COUnTS!

Did you know that you can support the EWT through the MyPlanet programme? The MyPlanet fundraising programme was launched as an extension of MySchool to provide community-minded people like yourself the opportunity to support a worthy cause, such as the EWT, that is focused on the improvement and protection of the environment and animals. And it doesn’t cost you a cent!

So get your free MyPlanet card (no monthly fees, no costs to you!) and nominate the EWT as the beneficiary you wish to support. Then swipe your card at partner stores when you shop, and they will donate a percentage of your purchases on your behalf.

• If you don’t have a MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card yet, simply apply for your free card now and select the EWT as your beneficiary. Once you start swiping your card, we’ll start receiving funds.

• If you already have a MySchool card, but would like to change your beneficiary or add a charity, simply call the Cli-ent Service Centre on 0860 100 445 or email [email protected] – there is no need to get a new card!

Find out more by visiting http://www.myschool.co.za/schools/myplanet


MEMORY STICK 32GB

R190

RHINO COPPER BANGLE R100

WWW.EWTshop.co.za

SAVE OUR OCEANS

SALEon all T-shirts

R150

BEACH BAGR160

CAPR110


COOLER R250

NOTEBOOK & PEN R170

TABLET SLEEVE R140

SHOPPING BAGR50

FLUFFY TOYR300


Dear ReadersI hope you have enjoyed this rather special edition of Conservation Matters – often when we think of wildlife, we forget that many species live right on our doorsteps, offering us a wonderful opportunity to appreciate nature up close. As the warmer weather gets us all outdoors again, let’s take the opportunity to enjoy the fantastic green spaces in our cities! We have focused on Gauteng in this issue, but would love to hear from our readers in other areas about their favourite green spaces in their cities. Drop me a line at [email protected] and tell me all about them.

Of course, what we really want for all our wildlife, whether they are found in urban areas or in the bush, is for them to live Wild ‘n Free. My pack members at the EWT have been working hard to create safe space in the wild for other Wild Dogs, and for Cheetahs, and have also been actively campaigning against captive carnivore facilities for many years. If you haven’t already done so, please take the Wild ‘n

Free pledge not to support captive facilities that offer interactions of any kind, and help us to stop the cycle of exploitation by stopping the visits. You can find out more, and take the pledge, on our website www.ewt.org.za

‘Til next timeMwitu

P.S. If you don’t already receive our electronic newsletter, ChitterChatter, which goes out in alternate months from Conservation Matters, and you’d like to subscribe, please email me ([email protected]) and we’ll add you to the mailing list.

225

PADDY HAGELTHORN&

MOLLY BUCHANAN

JUST A BLADE OF GRASSThe African Bushveld – a dynamic system in need

JUST

A B

LAD

E O

F GRA

SS

9 780620 768290

ISBN 978-0-620-76829-0

PAD

DY

HAG

ELT

HO

RN

& M

OLLY

BU

CH

AN

AN

Five years ago Paddy achieved one of his dreams in publishing the stories he had gathered during the years he had spent in the African Bushveld. His book, Never a Dull Moment, is both enter-taining and informative and his friends eventually persuaded him to publish another book, again with his friend Molly Buchanan. In the last five years the Bushveld has had one of the worst droughts in memory. There has been a huge increase in poaching of rhinoceros, land claim issues have, all too often, led to mismanagement of the land, and there has been a wide increase in the diversity of views of both professionals and ‘armchair’ conservations as to how the Bushveld should be run. Some people might say that Paddy is uncommitted in his views. But that is not true. He believes he is not an expert. But what he does have is the experience of seeing the Bushveld day in and day out for more than 30 years. He is also passionate about trying his best to care for the wilderness and all it holds. As he says, he never again wants to see buffalo so weakened that they are eaten alive by wild dogs. He never again wants to see hippo starving to death with a stomach full of sand. Not least of all, he believes that there are ways of solving the problem of poaching and the destruction of so much of the diversity of life which we so love in the Bushveld.

This book has a two-fold task; firstly, through the superb photography predominantly by Paddy Hagelthorn, to remind us of the unutterable beauty of the Bushveld. Secondly, this book tells us what has gone wrong. Sometimes the problems are like the weather, beyond our control. But there is so much that can be done. Here you will find comment on many controversial issues such as CITES’ 40-year failure to control poaching through banning the sale of rhino horn. Several years later ivory sales were also banned. And hunting, which has become an emotional issue and is not based on sound reason. Not least of all is why culling, which we deplore, is necessary if we are to maintain the diversity of wildlife in the Bushveld.

* * * * *

Co-authoring this book, Molly Buchanan has, for more than 20 years, written books on the African Bushveld as well as biographies and South African history. These include the Londolozi and Phinda stories, I Speak of Africa and The Return, the National Geographic book Safari – The Romance and the Reality, Dave Varty’s biography, The Full Circle, and a children’s book, We’ve Never Been Here Before – a story of elephant relocation. As well as Paddy’s book Never a Dull Moment, she has also written The Forgotten Men, the story of the lives of Bishop John Colenso and King Cetshwayo ka Mpande.

DUST JACKET 2.indd 1 2018/01/29 9:24 AM

AN INTERNATIONAL PLEA FOR COMMON SENSEIN CONSERVATION

A new book has been published in South Africa – ‘Just a Blade of Grass’. It is a story about the African Bushveld, its delights and its problems. Turning over the pages of the book will make anyone want to experience the magic of the Bushveld. The photography is superb. But the real purpose of the book is in the text. In his foreword to the book, Dr John Hanks comments that Just a Blade of Grass bravely tackles emotively charged conservation issues such as elephant culling, the legal sale of rhino horn when not a single rhino needs to be killed, and the role of a responsible hunting industry, all of which could provide substantial and sustainable much needed revenue.

A special offer of the book will include a donation to the Endangered Wildlife Trust as well as to the Lapalala Wilderness School. For a copy of the book at R500 per copy sent via PostNet, please contact Molly Buchanan at [email protected]


Conservation Matters is the printed magazine of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, bringing readers the latest news from the EWT, as well as thought-provoking insights into current conservation hot topics. It is a magazine for lovers of wildlife and nature, and include something for readers of all ages.

Five bi-monthly issues of the magazine are produced each year, with a distribution of 7,000 copies per issue. The magazine is distributed to EWT members and other stakeholders (primarily high LSM), as well as being made available at key locations such as check-in counters, departure lounges and car hires (list available on request) within OR Tambo and Lanseria international airports in Johannesburg.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK YOUR SPACE, PLEASE CONTACT BELINDA GLENN ON [email protected]

225

PADDY HAGELTHORN&

MOLLY BUCHANAN

JUST A BLADE OF GRASSThe African Bushveld – a dynamic system in need

JUST

A B

LAD

E O

F GRA

SS

9 780620 768290

ISBN 978-0-620-76829-0

PAD

DY

HAG

ELT

HO

RN

& M

OLLY

BU

CH

AN

AN

Five years ago Paddy achieved one of his dreams in publishing the stories he had gathered during the years he had spent in the African Bushveld. His book, Never a Dull Moment, is both enter-taining and informative and his friends eventually persuaded him to publish another book, again with his friend Molly Buchanan. In the last five years the Bushveld has had one of the worst droughts in memory. There has been a huge increase in poaching of rhinoceros, land claim issues have, all too often, led to mismanagement of the land, and there has been a wide increase in the diversity of views of both professionals and ‘armchair’ conservations as to how the Bushveld should be run. Some people might say that Paddy is uncommitted in his views. But that is not true. He believes he is not an expert. But what he does have is the experience of seeing the Bushveld day in and day out for more than 30 years. He is also passionate about trying his best to care for the wilderness and all it holds. As he says, he never again wants to see buffalo so weakened that they are eaten alive by wild dogs. He never again wants to see hippo starving to death with a stomach full of sand. Not least of all, he believes that there are ways of solving the problem of poaching and the destruction of so much of the diversity of life which we so love in the Bushveld.

This book has a two-fold task; firstly, through the superb photography predominantly by Paddy Hagelthorn, to remind us of the unutterable beauty of the Bushveld. Secondly, this book tells us what has gone wrong. Sometimes the problems are like the weather, beyond our control. But there is so much that can be done. Here you will find comment on many controversial issues such as CITES’ 40-year failure to control poaching through banning the sale of rhino horn. Several years later ivory sales were also banned. And hunting, which has become an emotional issue and is not based on sound reason. Not least of all is why culling, which we deplore, is necessary if we are to maintain the diversity of wildlife in the Bushveld.

* * * * *

Co-authoring this book, Molly Buchanan has, for more than 20 years, written books on the African Bushveld as well as biographies and South African history. These include the Londolozi and Phinda stories, I Speak of Africa and The Return, the National Geographic book Safari – The Romance and the Reality, Dave Varty’s biography, The Full Circle, and a children’s book, We’ve Never Been Here Before – a story of elephant relocation. As well as Paddy’s book Never a Dull Moment, she has also written The Forgotten Men, the story of the lives of Bishop John Colenso and King Cetshwayo ka Mpande.

DUST JACKET 2.indd 1 2018/01/29 9:24 AM

AN INTERNATIONAL PLEA FOR COMMON SENSEIN CONSERVATION

A new book has been published in South Africa – ‘Just a Blade of Grass’. It is a story about the African Bushveld, its delights and its problems. Turning over the pages of the book will make anyone want to experience the magic of the Bushveld. The photography is superb. But the real purpose of the book is in the text. In his foreword to the book, Dr John Hanks comments that Just a Blade of Grass bravely tackles emotively charged conservation issues such as elephant culling, the legal sale of rhino horn when not a single rhino needs to be killed, and the role of a responsible hunting industry, all of which could provide substantial and sustainable much needed revenue.

A special offer of the book will include a donation to the Endangered Wildlife Trust as well as to the Lapalala Wilderness School. For a copy of the book at R500 per copy sent via PostNet, please contact Molly Buchanan at [email protected]


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issue 10 the urban wildlife edition september - october 2018 · geoff lockwood, resident manager of...

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