Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 1 2017 i PRIVATE GAME | WILDLIFE RANCHING

“In the period following a drought, the vegetation takes time to ‘recover’ in a process called succession, which is a normal and natural way for the vegetation to respond.” Farmers who have struggled with drought for the past four years finally had some relief in the first week of January 2017, when heavy rains fell across the country (with the exception of the Western Cape). So good were the rains, says Peter Knipe of the Wildlife Producers Association (WPA) that the Molopo River in the North West Province came down on the weekend of 14-15 January (see photographs). “Rain started falling in the area on 3 January, but it rained heavily from 6-9 January. From 3-10 January, we had 185mm of rain – more than we have had in the…

“Policy-makers should be careful to consider the full scope of ecological and economic effects, direct and indirect, including the full potential consequences of policy changes.” Wildlife ranchers enter the year 2017 facing a fresh set of interesting circumstances, framed by changing conditions in the global environment, both natural and political. On the natural front, scientists point to more alarming evidence of significant global climate change and regional droughts continue to challenge land managers. On the political front, developments in the United States and elsewhere present both challenges and opportunities to southern African wildlife managers. Which will ultimately be more significant – the threats or the opportunities – remains to be seen. Whereas 2015 was a year seemingly characterised by international consensus on global environmental governance, as reflected by the United…

“Cabinet opted to pursue the third of four recommendations made by the Committee of Inquiry, namely to apply current policy with no immediate intention to trade in rhino horn, but to consider the option for commercial trade when governance conditions were met. ” While last year’s 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP17) left many rhino owners despondent, with the rejection of Swaziland’s proposal to be allowed limited, regulated trade in rhino horn, all has not been lost for proponents of sustainable utilisation. Those who are passionate about the fate of the rhino may remember that a Committee of Inquiry was set up earlier last year to provide guidance to government in terms of the possibility of proposing a legal, regulated, commercial international trade in rhino…

In our first issue of the year I would like to wish each reader a prosperous 2017. After a challenging 2016, mostly due to the drought and its impact on our farming community and consumers of their products, we would like to express the wish that the new year will hold new hope and opportunities for all. As always, WRSA will again see to the game rancher’s interests, either with input to Government or advice to the individual game rancher where necessary. Many of us have been privileged to travel through parts of South Africa during the past December holidays and one cannot help but admire South Africa’s diversity and beauty. Although it is clear not everyone values it and it’s sad to see some of the beautiful areas in…

“In the nursery industry flowers are known for their colour variations and having worked with these wonderful variations his entire life, Jimie was immediately intrigued with the news of a blue wildebeest with a golden colour during a hunting trip in the Marble Hall area, Limpopo, in the early 1990s.” The story of the flourishing Romaco Ranch in the Waterberg starts with Jimie Malan, who loved game animals and recognised their importance. He started to re-introduce game animals onto his farms as early as 1975. Jimie had been a pioneer in the nursery industry in South Africa and is credited with designing the black plastic bags in which plants are still sold to this day. In the nursery industry flowers are known for their colour variations and having worked with…

“South African Weather Service’s remote stations are so important in maintaining and indeed developing our understanding and awareness of the weather and climate systems that affect us locally.” The natural sciences, and the natural systems they attempt to describe, are highly interlinked. In earth sciences, the atmospheric system cannot be understood in isolation from the ocean system, both of which are affected by and impinge on biological systems. What this means is that atmospheric and oceanic systems that drive our climate and weather don’t observe geographical boundaries. This is why phenomena occurring even thousands of kilometers away can have a marked impact on local conditions. Perhaps one of the clearest examples of this is the El Niño phenomenon, which often has significant effects on our local weather systems, and yet…

“The Benjamin Pioneer Airbow is the first in a new category of hunting weapons.” From the Stone Age to the New Age humans have used archery for sustenance and warfare for more than 50 000 years. The true date of its inception remains hotly debated, but nobody contests the abundant use of archery by the close of the Upper Palaeolithic Era some 10 000 years ago. The crossbow didn’t make an appearance until approximately 600 BC but by about 400 BC it had become a common weapon in China. Not long after, crossbows trickled into the rest of Asia and Europe and were used in medieval warfare before crossing over into the New World some 400 years ago. Air rifles are not nearly as old; however, their history seems almost…

AFRICAN CIVET Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Viverridae Subfamily: Viverridae Genus: Civettictis (Pocock, 1915) Species: C. civetta Binomial name: Civettictis civetta (Schreber, 1776) DESCRIPTION The word civettictis is derived from the French word civitte and the Greek word ictis, which means ‘weasel’. In 1915 an English zoologist named Reginald Innes Pocock placed the African civet in its own genus. The Civettictis civetta is a member of the Viverridae family — a family of small to medium-sized mammals, comprising 15 genera, which are subdivided into 38 species. This family was named and first described by John Edward Gray in 1821. Members of this family are commonly called civets or genets. The German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber was the first to describe…

Almal wat al ’n swaar wa agter ’n bakkie gesleep het, weet dit kan ’n senutergende affêre wees. Selfs al het jy ’n goed ontwerpte, goed geboude wa, is dit net ’n kwessie van tyd voor jy ’n noue ontkoming beleef. Omdat ons al ons aflewerings self doen, het ek eerstehandse ervaring hiervan en was dit nie vir my aanvaarbaar nie. Ek het besluit om ondersoek in te stel na verbetering in veiligheid vir almal betrokke – mens én dier. “Die as-posisie is baie belangrik vir ’n wa om stabiel te sleep.” HOEKOM IS SWAAR WAENS DIKWELS ONSTABIEL? DAAR IS ’N PAAR BELANGRIKE FAKTORE OM NA TE KYK: 1. Ontwerp van die wa (ek noem net die belangrikste, verwys na die SABS-standaarde vir volledige spesifikasies): 1.1 Die as-posisie is baie…

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE TRACKS & SIGNS OF SOUTHERN, CENTRAL & EAST AFRICAN WILDLIFE The fourth revised edition of Tracks & Signs, since its first publication in 1994, has been expanded to contain more mammal species, including those in central and east Africa, as well as birds, reptiles and invertebrates. The tracks and signs mentioned in the title cover a wide range of phenomena, including tracks (footprints), droppings, feeding signs, nests, shelters, scent, hair, holes and so on. The book is published as part of the Struik Nature series and, as can be expected from the editors, it is very well organised and laid out. The introduction provides an interesting discussion on how tracks and signs can be used in combination to reconstruct an event that has taken place…

“Wildlife ranching can and should be part of the solution for reversing the loss of biodiversity.” Wildlife ranching provides more than a commercially viable supply of wildlife goods and services. It contributes substantively to internationally agreed upon goals to restore and conserve our planet. Transparency and public accountability, however, are needed to demonstrate to stakeholders – investors, buyers, employers, neighbours, regulators and the public – that wildlife ranching is having a positive impact on biodiversity. THE PROBLEM – CONTINUING LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY The continuing loss of biodiversity and its impacts on sustainable development are highlighted in numerous multilateral policy processes, notably under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other biodiversity-related conventions. Most importantly, biodiversity loss has been recognised as a key issue in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:…

“The expo offers a full immersion experience with demonstrations and informative talks by experts.” South Africa’s favourite hunting consumer show, HuntEx, is on track to showcase the best the industry has to offer from 27 April to 1 May 2017 – and dealers and manufacturers from all over the world will once again fill the halls at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng. This will be HuntEx’s 7th show, and organiser Adriaan Woudstra says some lessons have been learnt in an effort to make the annual consumer fest the highlight of the calendar. “Over the years, we have learnt more about what the consumer wants – and the fact that we offer a great experience for the whole family is testament to that,” he says, adding that the perception people…

Wildlife Ranching Namibia (WRN) was founded as a member’s organisation in October 2014 and has since its inception served the wildlife industry with passion and enthusiasm. Private ownership of conservation areas is globally recognised as one of the major contributors to maintaining genetic and biological traits of endangered, rare and commonly occurring wildlife species in the appropriate habitat while implementing conservation models for sustainable utilisation of natural resources. WRN PRESIDENT’S REPORT NOVEMBER 2016 In what can only be described as a ground-breaking year, 2016 saw WRN grow into a dynamic organisation that has changed the face of wildlife ranching in Namibia. The organisation is dedicated to serve its members and aims to be the industry’s recognised primary mouthpiece in Namibia. I have thought it prudent to approach this article as…

Following on the previous three NUTRITION 101 articles in this series published in Wildlife Ranching, ‘Full Circle of Thirds’, where the 1-2-3s of feeding were discussed, ‘Golden Rules’, where we visited Barry York’s family farm outside Alma in the Waterberg, and ‘Science of Grazing’, where we visited Alan van Coller of Alden Buffalo, in this article we are visiting Tony and Richard Morton from Tembani Wildlife near Thabazimbi in the Limpopo province. The Mortons have been farming intensively with wildlife since 1996, starting with buffalo, sable, nyala and roan. As the years went by they added bushbuck, waterbuck, golden wildebeest, Kings wildebeest, golden Kings wildebeest, black impala, saddle-backed impala, white impala, coffee springbok, golden and red gemsbok, Livingstone eland and kudu breeding projects to the list. Tembani is known for…

“The ones burning for biodiversity have the biggest challenge.” Heat waves shimmer on the tarred acres at the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport. In the distance, a cloud of white mist rises from the earth – it is raining upwards! A Cessna 206 six-seater aircraft is parked on the other side of the tarred plain. I hear a constant rumble from the direction of the rising cloud. Mosioa-Tunya is speaking, the Smoke that Thunders –, later called Victoria Falls by David Livingstone when he listened for the first time to the thundering smoke in 1855 – is thundering. We walk briskly through the heat radiating from the tar. In the distance, a squadron of military aircraft is lined up. A ground controller directs us along the marked walkway to where…

“My earliest observation was that the healthiest land was where we had the most intact wildlife populations with large herds of buffalo and elephant and many lions and other predators.” Allan Savory was born in 1935 in then Rhodesia. He is an ecologist, environmentalist and global consultant, the pioneer of Holistic Management, a process that helps ranchers and farmers to better manage resources by planning for and integrating all social, economic and environmental factors. He is president and co-founder of The Savory Institute (SI), which focuses on holistic management through special projects around the world. Wildlife Ranching posed some questions to Allan about his work and what it means for conservation today. WR: Could you give us some background on your first holistic management breakthrough in Zimbabwe? Allan Savory: There…

ʻʻEveryone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?” – Sir David Attenborough We feed them, listen to them, watch them, identify them and protect them, but do we really know what birds are? And with roughly ten thousand unique bird species around the world, it is even harder to identify what a bird really is. But these remarkable creatures all share some characteristics that assist us in classifying them all into one class, the class Aves. It might sound silly and unnecessary to define the general term ‘bird’, but if we understand the similarities birds share, it is easier to identify individual species. Then we’ll have a more in-depth understanding…

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the ‘voice’ for our environment, 25% of the world’s food production may become lost due to environmental breakdown by 2050 unless action is taken. Climate change, water stress, invasive pests and land degradation may impact world food security, food prices and life on our planet. We need to get smart and more creative about recycling and minimising and utilising food wastes to be able to feed ourselves in a more sustainable manner. Worldwide we dispose of millions of tonnes of food waste. Once in landfills, food breaks down and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Food waste has become a big issue in all types of businesses. This is especially true in the hospitality industry. “Food waste…

“A core objective of Agbiz is to engage government on policy and legislation through various platforms.” Sitting down to chat with Dr John Purchase, CEO of the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), one would be forgiven for thinking that doom and gloom might prevail, given the current drought, political uncertainty and the anti-trade message coming from the US. But John is, quite simply, not in the business of negativity. John has seen agricultural fortunes change over the years, yet he remains optimistic that the country is in a good position when it comes to crucial issues like food security and market development. A scientist by training, he worked for the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) for 22 years before taking the reins as CEO of Grain South Africa, and was subsequently appointed…

Every company/entity is part of a business environment, within which it operates. A business environment is broadly classified in terms of two categories – the micro-environment and the macro-environment. The micro-environment affects the operations of an individual company/ entity only, whilst the macro-environment affects the functioning of all the business entities in a specific industry. Companies/entities in the specific industry usually cannot influence or change the macro-environment and must adapt to changes as they arise. Traditionally, the PEST analysis was used to identify the external forces affecting a business and making up its macro-environment. This is a simple analysis of the Political, Economic, Social and Technological environment. A PEST analysis incorporating Legal and Environmental factors is called a PESTLE analysis. As leaders in the business of conservation, the southern African wildlife…

“The International Union for the Conservation of Nature upgraded the species to ‘vulnerable’ on its Red List in December 2016 – previously listed as ‘least concern’.” It seems unthinkable that the iconic giraffe, which is found mostly in southern and eastern Africa (smaller populations exist in West and Central Africa), is in danger of extinction. But so great is the threat that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the species to ‘vulnerable’ on its Red List in December 2016 – previously listed as ‘least concern’, it skipped the intermediate category of ‘near-threatened’ as it was found that the population had declined a massive 40% over the past three decades. There are currently only about 97 600 giraffe left – fewer than elephants, a species that came under…

Each wildlife ranch will make its own unique contribution to biodiversity based on the ecological legacy of the area, the needs and demands of stakeholders including regulators and neighbouring communities, the nature of its commercial operations, and the effectiveness of its conservation management efforts. Thus the core requirement for verifying the contribution of a wildlife ranch to biodiversity is an area-based conservation management plan. Such a plan needs to address key biodiversity issues that have been globally accepted as best practice, including (a) identifying and preserving critical habitat, (b) contributing to the conservation efforts of neighbouring protected areas, (c) eliminating or managing invasive alien species, (d) enhancing ecosystem services, and (e) ensuring that the use of living natural resources is sustainable. In turn, annual monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the…

In ons eerste uitgawe van die jaar wil ek graag elke leser ’n baie voorspoedige 2017 toewens. Ná ’n uitdagende 2016, veral weens die droogte en die gevolge daarvan op ons boeregemeenskap en verbruikers van hul produkte, spreek ons graag die wens uit dat die nuwe jaar vir almal nuwe hoop en geleenthede sal inhou. Soos altyd sal WRSA weer daar wees om na die wildboer se belange om te sien, hetsy deur insette by die Regering of deur raad aan die individuele wildboer waar nodig. Baie van ons was bevoorreg om gedurende die afgelope Desember-vakansie deur dele van Afrika te reis en ’n mens kan nie anders as om Suid-Afrika se diversiteit en natuurskoon te bewonder nie. Hoewel dit duidelik is dat almal nie dieselfde waarde daaraan heg nie…

“Wildlife increases the ratio of productivity of land in that game are known to be better capable of converting vegetable matter into protein without causing deterioration of the habitat.” “Measured in terms of turnover, the wildlife industry has grown at an average rate of 20.3% per year over the past 15 years, although the recession is said to have stunted growth since 2008.” The feasibility and profitability of game ranching have been amply demonstrated by recent growth in the industry and new entrants into the market. Game ranching is currently most developed in southern Africa (particularly South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe). In South Africa, more and more private domestic farmers are converting their farms into wildlife ranches or incorporating wildlife on established cattle ranches as mixed ranches. Game production holds…

“The co-evolution of species in ecosystems produced a level of dependence for some species on other more central species. The loss of these central species affects the community structure and functioning – or even survival – of associated dependent species.” A healthy ecosystem is highly complex and consists of a community of organisms that interact with the non-living components of their environment. From the largest animal to the smallest fungus, ecosystems contain a multitude of intricate processes and interactions that have, over thousands of years of co-existence, evolved into the biodiversity we see today. The role of conservation, therefore, is the long-term protection and preservation of not just species, but of entire ecosystems and their processes. In a developing country like South Africa, this is a daunting task, as economic…

“The most environmentally acceptable parasite plans are those that are based on an understanding of the environment, on the ‘balance of nature’.” Talking to people passionate about ‘nature’, and reading articles and looking at many websites of people who supposedly love the wilderness, it becomes clear that many tend to look romantically at the wilderness and attribute to it a ‘mother nature’ image, anthropomorphising ‘her’ into someone that actively fights for the good and certainly something to emulate. This could not be further from the truth; the ‘balancing act’ merely results from many, many supporting and opposing actions reaching a ’stable balance’ and consequently adjusting to any changes that may happen. ‘THE BALANCE OF NATURE’ is a commonly used phrase to express the concept in ecology that describes natural systems…

With all of that and the ‘Environment’ theme in mind, I have decided upon a recipe that celebrates one of our favourite fruits – the apple! Apple pie filling 125g butter 5 green apples 8 red apples 100ml honey rind of 1 orange juice of 2 oranges pinch of salt Peel the apples and cut into quarters. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Add the apples and keep tossing to coat with the butter. Add the orange rind, juice, honey and salt and cook until a thick syrup forms. Allow to cool. Before starting the crumble, preheat the oven to 180 o  C. Cookie crumble 1½ cups flour 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup white sugar ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cinnamon…