Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3 2015 i PRIVATE GAME | WILDLIFE RANCHING

What is the value of wildlife? The answer to this question is subjective: it will vary from person to person. Some may emphasise the spiritual and aesthetic values of wildlife; others may emphasise more instrumental ecological and economic values. In some cases such values may be in conflict, especially in relation to commercial consumptive uses of wildlife resources. Placing all of these values in context – and finding an optimal way to realise them – is a major challenge for the wildlife-ranching industry. As the world’s rhinos, elephants and big cat species continue to face grave threats to their existence, the issue of wildlife-related values is increasingly and fiercely debated. In recent weeks, arguments over whether we should legalise the trade in rhino horn have intensified with a series of…

Rambo, on auction on 5 August 2015. Mahathi Game has produced some fantastic golden bulls and cows over the past couple of years. They have managed to get their average adult cows spread to over 20". The focus is on breeding wildebeest that have a more distinct golden colour, increasing the average spread across their whole herd, and incorporating bulls that are functionally efficient and are able to carry their attributes well over to the next generation. Mahathi Game is fast making a name for itself in the industry, having provided exceptional scarce game to clients across South Africa for a number of years, including sable, Livingstone’s eland, yellow blesbuck and heartwater springbuck. The ranch’s true passion, though, lies in breeding with buffalo, golden and king wildebeest. VICTOR PARTNERSHIP In…

It is a well-known fact that, before nature conservation became a statutory responsibility of the State, land care and the sustainable utilisation of natural resources were in the hands of private landowners who practised survival, land and wildlife management on their properties. Occasionally, negative results affected State and private landowners. Today, however, several privately owned properties and game farms house and protect the last remnants of critically endangered terrestrial habitats. Measures were implemented with the assistance of the government of the day to prevent indiscriminate hunting of game to protect certain species. Many examples exist where the efforts of private landowners have saved rare game species or those pushed to the brink of extinction through indiscriminate game removal operations. These operations occurred where there were conflicts between humans and wild…

Climatic change is a phenomenon we have all encountered as southern Africa is directly affected by a variable annual rainfall. Such climatic changes have a direct effect on the quality of the forage available to the animals living there. Autumn/winter is the dry season, with a lack of water, shorter and colder days, and frost and snow (in some areas). The dry season supplies the animals with a dry food source (forage) that has either died or entered into a dormant phase. The wet season (spring/summer), with longer days, higher ambient temperatures and rainfall, supplies the animals with water and green, nutritious food. These climatic changes force both plant and animal communities living in these areas to adapt to what nature offers. Plants stay put and opt for survival. Animals…

Life is a non-stop battle on all fronts. The tranquillity of the bush belies the wars that are being waged there. The most obvious, dramatic war is the one between predator and prey; lion or leopard against antelope, where being stealthy, alert and swift is a necessity. But there is also a silent, unseen war between plants and animals. Over the millennia, plants have devised ways to avoid being eaten. Some ways are obvious – trees can grow too tall to be eaten and some have long, sharp thorns. Some plants have an arrangement with other organisms, such as aggressive Crematogaster ants that help to protect precious food-producing leaves. They do this by providing the ant with sweet nectar to eat and swollen thorns as brood sites. In return, the…

Every child has a magical image or memory of a forest, where dwarfs and fairies play below the canopies and walk on the forest floor and where it is possible to have a remarkable relationship with the animals that roam freely there. But as we grow up, we realise that dwarfs and fairies are just myths. Only later do we realise that one creature is to be feared as much as the trolls of legends – human beings. It is humans that have slowly started destroying the most important, valuable biome for every creature calling planet earth its home. It doesn’t take rocket science to know just how important this biome is – and what an impact it has on our daily lives. If you close your eyes and think…

There are many ways to go on safari, but what type of meal do you expect when you visit a lodge in the bush? A braai would most probably be the first thing that pops into your mind – but you’d be surprised at the different options available to you! A selection of exciting options exist, such as fine dining in a restaurant, romantic private dinners on your own deck or in front of the fireplace in your room, bush dinners, individually tailored picnics or the favoured traditional boma dining experience, which offers mainly buffet-style meals. All offer an utterly unforgettable experience. Some of these special ‘out in the bush’ experiences of food, wilderness and life will tantalise you – so let your epicurean adventure begin. Close your eyes and…

In the 1500s and 1600s, Africa had a low human population and a high wildlife population. The value of wildlife to humans was the same as its food value. When the colonisers entered the continent, they brought missionaries, guns and medicine. This led to fewer conflicts and better health care, resulting in an increased growth of the human population. Also, the availability of guns made it easier to kill animals and so the wildlife populations, as opposed to human populations, started to decline. AFRICAN WILDLIFE EVALUATION Many African people moving from a subsistence lifestyle to a cash economy have relatively few options for generating income. They can sell agricultural or pastoral produce, work for a cash wage in agriculture or industry, or sell retail goods in local or regional marketplaces.…

Die doel van die toekennings is om aktiewe en toegewyde wildboere en/ of plaasbestuurders erkenning te gee vir hul uitmuntende bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van die wildbedryf. Dit is in ’n opwindende jong bedryf met groot potensiaal en daar word elke dag nuwe dinge geleer. Deur rolspelers se oopdeur-beleid kan die bedryf bevorder word en vinniger tot volwassenheid groei.. Kandidate word genomineer deur hul studiegroepe of bedryfskamers en kry sodoende uitstekende blootstelling in die bedryf en word op ’n baie hoë vlak aan die res van die bedryf bekend gestel. Wat is die verskillende toekennings? Die hooftoekenning gaan aan die Wildboer van die Jaar en dan is daar drie spesialistoekennings, Groen ekonomie, Biodiversiteit / Sosiale verantwoordelikheid en Teler van die Jaar. Groen Ekonomie-toekenning Kandidate is rolmodelle en ook betrokke in…

Driving towards Matjiesfontein, just over the Matlabas River, the 30km dirt road leads you to an old steam locomotive, where you turn to enter the farm of Pieter Lamprecht, Wildlife Rancher of the Year 2014. The neatness of the surroundings is immediately apparent, and even before meeting Pieter, you know that you will meet a person who is in control and who farms with a purpose. Wildlife Ranching magazine went to visit Pieter and his wife, Lizelle, wanting to meet the man and the family behind the renowned award received by Pieter at the annual gala dinner of WRSA, held at Sun City in March this year. Pieter grew up on his farm, which was purchased by his grandfather, a cattle farmer, in 1926. A farmer’s son, Pieter has farmer’s…

The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 came into force on 31 March 2011. It has a section specifically dealing with auctions. Section 45 states: “(2) When goods are put up for sale by auction in lots, each lot is, unless there is evidence to the contrary, regarded to be the subject of a separate transaction. (3) A sale by auction is complete when the auctioneer announces its completion by the fall of the hammer, or in any other customary manner, and until that announcement is made, a bid may be retracted. (4) Notice must be given in advance that a sale by auction is subject to – ( a) a reserved or upset price; or ( b) a right to bid by or on behalf of the owner or…

HISTORICAL ASPECTS When the first white settlers landed in the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, the savanna buffalo (African buffalo), Syncerus caffer caffer, were found in large numbers in much of Africa south of the Sahara, mainly in the savannah and open grassland areas, including along the southern coast of South Africa as far west as Swellendam. A NUMBER OF FACTORS THEN BEGAN ERODING THEIR NUMBERS, INCLUDING: Settlers and hunters The settlers in the Cape were, initially at least, dependent mainly on livestock for survival. This is amply illustrated by the fact that in South Africa small stock numbers reached 60 million between 1904 and 1930, while cattle numbers also swelled. To put this into perspective, today there are fewer than 25 million small stock in the whole country.…

There is a surge of interest in beekeeping worldwide because of the ‘colony collapse disorder’ experienced by beekeepers in the United States. There is a fear that if bee numbers decline due to the ravages of disease, loss of habitat or poisoning, the production of bee-pollinated fruits, vegetables and crops will fail – with disastrous results for humans. Beekeeping in rural South Africa is not only an interesting hobby with sweet rewards; it utilises a sustainable resource in the form of wild bees and the rich sources of nectar and pollen provided by indigenous plants. Bushveld honey commands premium prices because of its unique flavour and its ‘organic’ appeal. With the correct guidance and management, bush-veld beekeeping can also provide a source of income for farm workers and small farmers.…

Situated as it is on the edge of Port Elizabeth, the Hopewell Conservation Estate offers a unique combination of living in a designated nature reserve while being a 15-minute drive from the city’s main business districts, hospitals, the airport, shops, schools and blue flag beaches – and that’s at rush hour. The pristine 3 000ha nature reserve and housing estate is seen as having set the benchmark for sustainable living in what the late conservation icon, Dr Ian Player, identified as the ‘new wilderness frontier’ of the Eastern Cape. It is located in the ecologically important Cape Floral Kingdom and protects exceptional biodiversity, including wetlands, Algoa grassy fynbos, subtropical thicket in the valleys, and renoster bontveld. This mix of biomes makes it ideal for supporting a wide variety of indigenous…

Mabula Ground Hornbill Project The southern ground-hornbill, the largest of the hornbill species and an icon of our savannas, is in dire trouble in South Africa. The bird is now listed as endangered and is the swiftest-declining of all of our bird species. Half of the remaining population is in the hands of the private and communal landowner and lacks the protection from human threats afforded by the Kruger National Park. The birds’ complex breeding structure – which includes just one breeding pair, even in a large family group of nine birds – means that there are only an estimated 200 breeding females left in these areas. Ground-hornbills breed too slowly to recover from a myriad of threats. They live about as long as we would without medical care and…

ABSA, in collaboration with Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA), recently launched a study into the profitability of game ranching in South Africa. The parties involved commissioned the North-West University to conduct the research, which is expected to be completed by the end of June 2015. The following provides a brief synopsis of the different value chains for the different pillars of the private wildlife industry. Different farms will present different opportunities for wildlife to reap the maximum benefits from it. For example, a scenic farm could be used for an ecotourism business, while it would be best to concentrate on alternative forms of wildlife-based enterprises on a farm with a rich environmental resource base but lower aesthetic value. Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in…

Drie van die groot legendes in die Wes-Zambiese bedryf is oorspronklik deur Sable Ranch ingevoer, nl. Madala, Big Boy en Woempa. Madala, vader van Charlie 50½” en Tsunami 48", het geen bekendstelling nodig nie. Big Boy, vader van Penwood 49¾”, is ook een van die gesogte lyne wat ernstige telers probeer bekom. En dan Woempa, ’n bul wat in sy fleur 49" was. Hoekom is daar nooit niks gehoor van Woempa nie? Want vir die grootste deel van sy leeftyd was Woempa in ’n geslote kudde waarvan nie baie mense geweet het nie. Met my soektog na goeie genetika het ek in 2011 vir Dr. Louis Greef, ’n ou skoolvriend, geskakel en gevra waar gaan ek ’n 46" plus swartwitpensbul kry om mee te teel. Hy het vir my gesê…

Stopping power is the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target (human or animal) enough to immediately incapacitate the target. This is in contrast to lethality in that stopping power pertains only to a weapon › s ability to incapacitate quickly, regardless of whether death ultimately occurs. Stopping power is related to the physical properties of the bullet and the effect it has on its target, but the issue is complicated and not easily studied. Although higher calibre has traditionally been widely associated with higher stopping power, the physics involved are multifactorial, with calibre, muzzle velocity, bullet mass, bullet shape, and bullet material all contributing. Critics contend that the importance of ‘one-shot stop’ statistics is overstated, pointing out that most firearm…

MARTIAL EAGLE Scientific Classification: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: AvesOrder: AccipitriformesFamily: AccipitridaeGenus: PolemaetusSpecies: P.bellicosus Binomial name: Polemaetus bellicosus (Daudin, 1800) DESCRIPTION The martial eagle is a large, magnificent eagle and a powerful hunter. The largest eagle in Africa, it weighs 3-6.5kg, with a wingspan of 188-260cm, and has a body length of 78-86cm. Its total length, in comparison to its wingspan, is restricted by its very short tail. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 56-67.5cm, the tail is 27.2-32cm and the tarsus 9.7-13cm. It is also, on average, the fifth heaviest eagle in the world. The adult’s plumage consists of dark-brown coloration on the upper-parts, head and upper chest, with slightly lighter edging to these feathers. The underparts of the body are white with blackish-brown spotting. The under-wing coverts are brown,…

We have been driving our new game-viewer for just over three months now and it continues to impress. From the perspective of a guide operating in the Madikwe Game Reserve, a hard-wearing bush vehicle is needed for the rough terrain while offering a comfortable ride and bringing a few creature comforts into the bush. This Halfway Toyota-designed-and-built game-viewer ticks all the boxes. I was surprised at how little time it took Bruce and his team to convert the Land Cruiser into this custom-built beast. 'This fantastic build-quality and workmanship that have gone into the conversion were matched by the friendliness and efficiency of the sales team, which managed to arrange all the licensing paperwork and hand-delivered the vehicle to site. It arrived with our lodge logo already on the doors…