Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 1 2016 i PRIVATE GAME | WILDLIFE RANCHING

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Reading the new book by Fritz van Oudtshoorn, Veld Management: Principles and Practices (reviewed later in this issue), I came across a quote by Benjamin Franklin: This quote can mean different things to different people at different times, but given that this is the beginning of 2016 and this issue of Wildlife Ranching magazine is about ‘New Beginnings', at least one meaning is clear: now is the time to do all that necessary planning for the year ahead, in your personal life, in your business and, of course, on your wildlife ranch. What I describe above is short-term planning which, in fact, should already be well under way if not already completed. In this issue of our industry's magazine I…

“WRSA is fully aware of the necessity of building a regional industry to ensure our voice is internationally heard and respected. The formation of an association in Namibia, with the support of WRSA, and this letter from Zimbabwe (with the approved participation of our Zimbabwean colleagues in the IWRS conference to be held with WRSA’s support in Namibia during September 2016) all indicate our efforts are appreciated and our goals are being achieved.” (Dr Peter Oberem) On 25 January 2016 Nick la Grange from the Zimbabwe Wildlife Association (ZWA) sent a letter to Dr Peter Oberem following an invitation by WRSA to send a representative to their annual general meeting, which took place on 21 November 2015. Barry York attended the meeting on behalf of WRSA as a guest speaker.…

The last few months of 2015 signalled some significant shifts in international politics and policy. In September, the world's governments approved the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have set the global development policy agenda up to the year 2030. In early December, they signed a landmark new agreement on climate-change policy in Paris, followed by a less impressive, but nevertheless game-changing, deal on global trade at the WTO ministerial meeting in Nairobi. Meanwhile, an unfortunate presidential decision in South Africa cast a new light on the country's state of economic governance, prompting downgrades by major international credit rating agencies. In the realm of wildlife conservation, Richard Leakey, the chairman of Kenya Wildlife Services, announced that he would oversee the burning of Kenya's entire stockpile of ivory (137 tons)…

When did you last contemplate the word ‘leadership’? This is a word that you probably associate with a school environment, in terms of prefects, or with leadership of a country. The truth is, as an owner or a manager of a game ranch, you are in a leadership position. You have the opportunity to make a difference in a variety of situations. In fact, you can aspire to be a global leader. This article strives to open our minds in this regard. “If a game ranch has a website, it has a footprint in a global habitat.” Wildlife Ranching: A global perspective? Not all SouthAfrican game ranches have or can have international business activities, but because all belong to an industry that is exposed to the global economy the topic…

Ek dink nie dis te laat om ‘Voorspoedige Nuwejaar' te sê en ons lesers net die beste vir 2016 toe te wens nie. Dit is vir my 'n groot plesier om hierdie boodskap te skryf, nie net omdat dit die eerste vir 2016 is nie, maar ook omdat dit my eerste is sedert my aanstelling by Wildbedryf SA (WRSA). Ek moet erken, ek is ongelooflik opgewonde oor my “new beginning” as deel van die WRSA-span! Ek is maar nog net 'n paar weke in hierdie pos en vind nog my voete in verskeie opsigte. My rol by WRSA is egter duidelik en sal onder meer insluit die verantwoordelikheid om die uitdagings wat WRSA en die wildbedryf tans in die gesig staar te hanteer, en terselfdertyd om vir nuwe lede toegang…

Pairing a normal impala ewe with an exceptional normal impala ram will result in offspring with better genetics and certainly male offspring with more than normal genetics. This everyone knows and is nothing new. Pairing normal impala ewes with, for instance, a split for black ram, is basically a case of luck in the sense that you could have offspring with possible black genes, and not a F1 split, which is a long route to take towards your end goal. “Without proper management, pairing would be futile.” Then there is the pairing of normal ewes with saddled ram, split ewes with split ram, split ewes with black ram, and so on. All very much like a lucky packet, in other words, wait and see what the pairings result in. Ultimately,…

It is hot – December is always hot in Bilene. I sip the necessary Mozambican rum and raspberry; R&R was the order to Cornelio. The sun blazes over a large blue lake streaked by the wakes of jet skis, the buzz matching the clamour of local shops and bars perched on the edge of the water. A carpenter's rhythmic knocking nearly matches the musical beat blasting from Cornelio's bar. Disturbances are everywhere – noises, but also new areas being cleared of bush for fresh beginnings: new shops, houses and bars. These disturbances may change lives. It is ironic that disturbances have always changed people's lives, and often in ways not always expected. Development, like mining, commercial farming and big shopping malls always has a great impact on a location: bush…

Dear Madam Minister, Since the introduction of the moratorium in 2009, we have approached your office on a number of occasions requesting the domestic trade ban in rhino horn be lifted. One of the recommendations of the RIM Report (commissioned by your department) was for the immediate lifting of the moratorium and to allow for domestic trade. So why were these approaches and recommendations ignored? We do not understand! We protect and conserve 30% of the white and 300 black rhino at our own cost without any assistance at all, even at the cost of our safety and lives. We do not understand! We are committed to saving the rhino from the scourge of poaching. We do not understand! We support your policy of sustainable utilisation, and the results of…

The Gravelotte area of Limpopo may not attract hoards of travellers – but if you love the bush-veld, you will doubtless be familiar with its vast, pristine plains, which stretch out forever towards the northern Drakensberg. In 2010, a successful land claim saw 11 farms in the Gravelotte area returned to its original inhabitants, the Balepye community. However, the new landlords lacked the capital and skills to do much with the newly acquired 30 000 or so hectares of land, so some of it began to fall into disuse. Between 2011 and 2015, various farmers in the area entered into lease agreements with the community, but because the agreements were for various reasons not based on sustainable models, these deals fell through. The disillusioned community was not over-anxious to talk…

“27 Mei 2015. Die mobiele abottoir word onthul en op die proef gestel.” Die Vleisveiligheidswet (Wet 40 van 2000) bepaal dat wildsvleis, net soos enige ander vleis, slegs wettig bemark kan word indien daar aan twee basiese ver-eistes voldoen word: Die dier moet in 'n goedgekeurde slagfasiliteit, m.a.w. 'n abattoir, geslag word; en die vleis moet deur 'n geregistreerde inspekteur goedgekeur word vir menslike gebruik voordat dit van die abattoir verwyder mag word. Daar is egter nooit enige regulasies as riglyn neergelê om hierdie proses te reguleer nie en gevolglik het wildsvleis die mark op enige denkbare manier bereik. Die uitvoermark het wel riglyne gehad wat deur die invoerlande goedgekeur is. “Die mobiele abattoir is ontwikkel vir die Suid-Afrikaanse toestande en kan taamlik maklik tot in die jagveld gesleep word…

“As jy nie beplan nie, beplan jy om te misluk”. In Frits van Oudtshoorn se nuwe boek, Veld Management: Principles and Practices (resensie later in dié uitgawe), het ek hierdie aanhaling deur Benjamin Franklin raakgelees, Dié aanhaling kan op verskillende tye verskillende dinge vir verskillende mense beteken, maar aangesien dit die begin van 2016 is en hierdie uitgawe van Wildlife Ranching-tydskrif handel oor 'New Beginnings’, is minstens een betekenis duidelik: Dit is nou die tyd om al die nodige beplanning te doen vir die jaar wat voorlê in jou persoonlike lewe, in jou besigheid en, natuurlik, op jou wildsplaas. Wat ek hierbo beskryf, is korttermynbeplanning, wat eintlik al goed op dreef moet wees, indien nie reeds afgehandel nie. In hierdie uitgawe van ons bedryf se tydskrif wil ek die langtermyn-beplanning…

“To dream of a beetle could signify new beginnings. – Ancient Egyptian belief” The humble dung beetle has quite a reputation – considered the incarnation of a god in many ancient civilisations, it is of vital ecological importance as it removes millions of tons of waste from the earth every day. Its practical yet transformative powers have turned this busy cleaner into a creature of fascination, having dwelt in symbiosis with mammal populations for some 65 million years. There are about 2 000 species of dung beetles in Africa and about 700 in South Africa alone. Most of these are found in the eastern, more tropical, parts of the country – the species diversity decreases as one moves west to drier areas. Some species have actually deviated from dung as…

I don't think it's too late to say ‘Happy New Year’ and wish our readers the very best for 2016. It gives me great pleasure writing this message, not only the first for 2016 but also my first since I took up my appointment with Wildlife Ranching SA (WRSA). I must admit, I'm extremely excited about my ‘new beginning’ as part of the WRSA team! Having been in the position for only a few weeks now, I am still finding my feet in many aspects. My role at WRSA is however clear and it will amongst others include the responsibility to deal with the challenges WRSA and the wildlife industry currently face, whilst also exploring and facilitating access for new members to the great potential of our industry. WRSA is…

Limpopo is South Africa's (SA) northernmost province, lying within the great curve of the Limpopo River. It is a region of contrasts, from true Bushveld country to majestic mountains, primeval indigenous forests, unspoilt wilderness and patchworks of farmland. One burgeoning South African industry that thrives in these diverse habitats is commercial game farming. Commercial wildlife ranches cover 16.8% of the country's landmass, with about half of these in Limpopo Province. The game ranching industry is a largely unsung success story that now ranks as SA's sixth-biggest agricultural sector. It employs more than 100 000 people, primarily in agriculturally marginal rural areas. The Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment & Tourism (LEDET) remains at the centre of providing leadership in economic development, investment promotion, ensuring an equitable business environment, as well…

A highly trained team of former members of the British and American specialforces has been quietly involved in the training of game rangers and a specialist group of the Royal Swazi Police as a part of the war against rhino poaching in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Wildlife Ranching magazine can for the first time reveal details of the newly established Endangered Species Protection Agency (ESPA) moving into Africa to assist in combatting the rhino wars that started in the SADC region in 2008. Although Swaziland has lost only three rhino since the rhino wars of the early 1990s, which wiped out more than 80% of the country's rhino population, the critical situation in South Africa has forced the country to take drastic preventative measures to protect its own rhino herds.…

Pat Loots vat nie nonsens van onkruid nie en daarvoor is die wildboere hom ewig dankbaar. Dit is nie 'n kuns om chemikalieë op onkruid en indringergewasse te gebruik nie. Die kuns is om dit reg en doeltreffend toe te dien, sê die man wat sy meer as 40 jaar kennis hiervan in die Suid-Afrikaanse wildbedryf terugploeg. Pat het in 1975 met onkruid deurmekaar geraak toe hy by Fisons, 'n multinasionale maatskappy met takke regoor Suid-Afrika, begin werk het. Fisons het iemand gesoek wat sy kontrak met die spoorweë kon hanteer en sou seker maak die veldspanne beheer die onkruid en ander gewasse op die spoorlyne en by die stasies behoorlik en doeltreffend. “Ek het in daardie stadium nie veel van landbouchemikalieë geweet nie, maar dit was die begin van…

GENETIC PROFILES AND WILDLIFE RANCHING Many farmers send samples to a laboratory for ‘genetic testing' without fully understanding what this means and what can be done with the resulting data. The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL) at the University of Pretoria has been generating genetic profiles for a wide variety of animals for over 15 years. Tests were initially set up for domestic animals, standardised through the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG), of which the VGL is an active member. There are no such standards for wildlife species, however, and with the demand from a growing wildlife ranching industry, the VGL developed DNA profiling systems for wildlife species utilising information from related domestic species. We are able to generate DNA profiles for identification and determining relatedness between animals for a…

“This is your wake-up call! Coffee & rusks, early morning game drive time” “5 am...it can't be!!! Wake-up calls always seem to come too early...” But don't you just get so excited when you hear those words in the morning? The expectation of what awaits is thrilling! That first light with the sound of the francolins calling. You just know you're in Africa. There is only one way to get me out of bed that early – if I am promised a freshly brewed cup of coffee and a homemade rusk to start me up! (Most lodges will treat guests to a rusk with coffee before hitting the road.) The choice of coffees is endless – it all boils down (excuse the pun!) to what you prefer. It could either…

Just as in a game of chess, where the various possible moves the pieces are allowed to make place constraints on a player's strategy, so too we find global and local biodiversity laws and regulations impact how our wildlife ranching industry evolves. Chess requires careful planning, time management and the motivation to act. Whereas tactics allow you to take advantage of your opponent's mistakes in the short term, strategy flows from your understanding of more permanent aspects of the position. The game of chess is about protecting a prized piece and engaging in war with the opponent, who wishes to defeat you. There are differing strategies for both offensive and defensive play – the wise chess player will have experience in both. Biodiversity strategy is much the same: protecting something…

Travis de Villiers, the youngest and first African to have his work published on the cover of Breakthrough Magazine – the leading trade publication in the industry – took the winning prize for ‘Best of Category, Life-size Mammals' in the sculpture division at the 2013 and 2015 World Taxidermy Championships. He entered his first competition in 2010 and walked away with ‘Best of Category' for the shoulder-mount and sculpture division at TASA (Taxidermy Association of Southern Africa). In 2013 he presented a seminar at the World Taxidermy Champion-ships, teaching others techniques he uses, and he publishes ‘how to' articles in Breakthrough Magazine. As if this is not enough, he also distributes anatomical sculptures to taxidermists across the world, who use the sculptures to do their work. Pieces entered into the…

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL JURISPRUDENCE IRRATIONAL AND DYSFUNCTIONAL FOR PRIVATE GAME RANCHING The 2nd National Stakeholder Workshop on colour variations and selective breeding held on 2 December 2015 was attended by representatives from conservation agencies, NGOs, public agencies, social societies, PHASA, SA Hunters, CHASA and WRSA. Fifteen presentations were made at the workshop. The author noted that a number of presenters arguing against selective breeding and colour variations used scientific definitions and concepts as a proxy for their arguments and belief systems. A number of presenters offered scientific concepts such as: ‘inbreeding', ‘genetic bottleneck', ‘small founder populations', ‘genetic manipulation', ‘hybridisation', ‘outbreeding depression' as unquestionable proof that all privately owned game is a major threat to animals in ‘the wild’ and that conservation of ‘the wild' is being compromised. I, however, strongly…

ARC-EN-CIEL (‘I’arc-enciel' means ‘the rainbow' in French) is a wildlife ranch situated between the foot of the Limietberg and the Groenberg in the Wellington area, Western Cape. Fernando and his wife, Suzanne, created a pioneering enterprise in the Western Cape. The farm consists of 1 200ha of fenced camps for the breeding of rare game species. The area has been properly planned and divided into various intensive breeding camps, complemented by extensive breeding areas for specific species. They own a variety of rare game species, including disease-free African buffalo, bontebok, golden wildebeest/gnu, golden oryx, roan antelope, sable antelope, quagga, kudu, copper-, black- and white springbuck as well as other more common species such as giraffe, red hartebeest, vaal rhebuck, waterbuck, eland, and black wildebeest. Wildlife Ranching magazine was invited by…

Nature is at its most beautiful when it's green and the world is full of young animals bouncing around following mom as she searches for nutritious food to feed herself and supply her baby with milk. This article's focus is how to practically supply the mother and her offspring with their nutritional needs during the last trimester of pregnancy and the first few weeks of the young animal's life. For ease of reading, the word › mother' is used instead of ewe, cow, mare, sow, and the word › young' or › offspring' instead of lamb, calf, foal, piglet, and so on. “The most important phase in milk production is the first few days, when the mother supplies colostrum (first milk) to the newborn.” NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY Pregnancy is divided…

“I received the call that it had been approved for us to operate proactively on the elephant poaching situation.” It was a long and eventful 2015, with markets all across the world running riot and the wildlife industry reaching new heights and high-lows – seeing as we can't really call them lows because there are still amazingly great prices, which is a great plus for our industry! What started as a dream late in 2014 with Operation Niassa became a reality late in 2015 when I received the call that it had been approved for us to operate proactively on the elephant poaching situation rather than reacting to shots fired and then catching poachers. See, it's a very fine line as to whether or not one is successful in the…

“Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the Earth’s ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature. ”– Jim Fowler “Our challenge for the future is that we realize we are very much a part of the earth's ecosystem, and we must learn to respect and live according to the basic biological laws of nature.” – Jim Fowler All organisms that roam the earth, including humans, are dependent on the environment on a daily basis. We must realise that all organisms are dependent on each other in so many ways. Destruction of one organism in the environment can lead to the destruction of other organisms, a domino effect. The word ‘ecology' originated…

Camera: Nikon D810Lens: Nikon 400mm f2.8Focal length (mm): 400mmISO: 800Aperture (f-stop): f7.1Shutter speed (seconds): 1/800Exposure compensation (EV): -1 1/3 Camera: Nikon D810 Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 & 1.4X converter Focal length (mm): 280mm ISO: 1 250 Aperture (fstop): f6.3 Shutter speed (seconds): 1/6400 Exposure compensation (EV): -1 2/3 Camera: Nikon D4Lens: Nikon 600mm f4& 1.4X converterFocal length (mm): 850mmISO: 500Aperture (f-stop): f16Shutter speed (seconds): 1/640Exposure compensation (EV): -1 1/3 Camera: Nikon D4Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f2.8Focal length (mm): 92mmISO: 800Aperture (fstop): f7.1Shutter speed (seconds): 1/ 125Exposure compensation (EV): -1 1/3 Camera: Nikon D4Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f2.8Focal length (mm): 70mmISO: 800Aperture (fstop): f8.0Shutter speed (seconds): 1/3200Exposure compensation (EV): -1 1/3 CAMERA EQUIPMENT – this also applies to photographic equipment. As investment in photographic equipment can be quite substantial, it is very important…