Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3 2017 i PRIVATE GAME | WILDLIFE RANCHING

John Hume is the world’s largest private rhino owner and has more than 1 500 rhinos on his 8 000ha ranch in the North-West province in South Africa. John was instrumental in securing the lifting of the moratorium on domestic rhino-horn trade in South Africa. The Wildlife Ranching executive editorial committee decided to visit John’s successful rhino breeding project and obtain John’s views on rhino management and rhino-horn trade to share with our readers and industry stakeholders.…

Frans Schutte and Dr Mathews Phosa of Cottondale Game Ranch in Gravelotte, Limpopo made history during the ‘Renoster Charity Lot’ at the Pilanesberg Game Breeders pre-aucion function at Millvale, North West Province on Wednesday, 3 May 2017. Cottondale auctioned a rhino in the ‘Renoster Charity Lot’, which generated a whopping R1 300 000 for Lapalala Wilderness School in Lapalala Nature Reserve. It is the first time in South African history that a rhino has been auctioned twice in the same Lot. Piet du Toit bid R800 000 for the rhino and placed the animal back into the Lot to be auctioned for a second time. Bloodline Africa donated R500 000. Dr John Hanks, Chairman of Lapalala, attended the pre-auction function and was delighted with the donation. “I would like to…

Each wildlife ranch will make its own unique contribution to supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and 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. A 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,…

“’n Semi-ekstensiewe boerdery is ’n stelsel met relatief groot kampe waar diere tot ’n groot mate selfversorgend is, met monitering en byvoeding.” Om meer uit te vind oor semi-ekstensiewe boerdery het Wildlife Ranching-tydskrif gaan kers opsteek by Jacques Malan van Lumarie Boerdery. Die Malans se pragtige plaas is net buite Bela-Bela. “As ’n mens die term ‘semi-ekstensiewe boerdery’ wil verstaan, moet jy eers verstaan wat ‘intensief’ en ‘ekstensief’ in wildboerdery beteken,” sê Jacques. Ekstensiewe boerdery beteken diere bestaan sonder enige sorg – ’n goeie voorbeeld hiervan is byvoorbeeld die Krugerwildtuin. ’n Intensiewe boerdery is waar diere geheel en al afhanklik is van sorg, byvoorbeeld ’n volstruisboerdery en krokodilplase. Ander voorbeelde is geslote dieretuine, rehabilitasiesentrums en voormalige buffelprojekstelsels. “Dus is ’n semi-ekstensiewe boerdery ’n stelsel met relatief groot kampe waar diere…

By die 2017 WRSAkonferensie het Dirk Rosema die ses dubbelbladsye opgeneem wat MLP Media vir die geleentheid geborg het vir die produksie van die WRSA Wildlife Rancher of the Year southern Africa. Dirk is juis al voorheen as ’n finalis genomineer vir sy professionele benadering tot die wildbedryf. Tydens my eerste gesprek met hom het hy my meegedeel sy oogmerk met die opneem van die advertensiespasie is om sy spogdiere te bemark. “’n Droom van ons het ná baie jare waar geword toe ons in 2007 die plaas Eastland in Marken, Limpopo met 18 swartwitpense, 20 buffels, 12 bastergemsbokke en 25 njalas kon koop,” vertel Dirk. “Vandag is daar 110 swartwitpense, 45 buffels, 35 bastergemsbokke en 60 njalas. In 2010 het ons uitgebrei en ook begin teel met Livingstone-elande, goue…

“Africa remains the ultimate dangerous game hunting experience. With its wild areas and incredible array of wildlife, it is the continent of adventure.” Hunting of big game for food is an ancient practice dating back thousands of years. It is associated with the appearance of the Aurignacian culture in Europe, although bone fractures on Neanderthal fossils suggest a possible earlier appearance. Based on cave paintings, it appears early man hunted mammoth in groups, using a combination of spears and large rocks, or alternatively running the animal off a cliff. Various big-game hunting methods have been developed over centuries. The main big-game hunting methods in use today are stalking and ambush. The stalking method entails following the animal until the kill can be made. Generally, the hunter approaches the game stealthily…

Wildlife Ranching-tydskrif het op 10 Mei ’n besonderse dag saam met die Naboomspruit-bedryfskamer by Castle De Wildt op Nylstroom deurgebring. In 2015 het die Naboomspruitbedryfskamer begin met inligtingsdae waar kort kursusse vir wildboere se werkers aangebied is. Belangstelling was só groot dat die bedryfskamer besluit het om van einde 2015 af twee opleidingsdae per jaar te hou waar die werkers nie net gratis opleiding ontvang nie, maar deur kennis bemagtig word om hul daaglikse pligte beter uit te voer tot voordeel van die boer én die werker. Ná voltooiing van die dag se kursus ontvang elke kursusganger ’n sertifikaat wat aandui watter kursusse bygewoon is. Hierdie sertifikaat dien ook as bewys dat die werkgewer opleiding aan sy personeel verskaf. Die WRSA Naboomspruit-bedryfskamer bied hierdie jaarlikse projek aan met die hulp…

Grondhervorming is sedert die geboorte van ons demokrasie in 1994 ’n uiters omstrede en verdelende onderwerp in Suid-Afrika. Terwyl populiste dit van meet af aan sinies gebruik het, kan niemand ontken dat dit die ‘olifant in die vertrek’ is nie; ’n onreg van die verlede wat onweerlegbaar maar regverdig en finaal reggestel moet word as ons wil verseker dat ons wonderbaarlike demokrasie gaan oorleef. Ek het van die begin af altyd gevoel dat as die massas armes gaan toeneem en hul hoop vervaag, gaan hulle deur gewetenlose en siniese populistiese politici gemanipuleer word. Die enigste manier om só ’n situasie, waar die armes aangehits word om in opstand te kom, te vermy, is om seker te maak Suid-Afrika floreer ekonomies en dat volhoubare, vinnige groei gedeel word en inklusief is,…

Why does the world continue with policies that have been proved to decimate our rhinos?? There can be no doubt that reducing the supply of rhino horn to Vietnam between 2000 and 2010 dramatically increased our poaching, especially in the Kruger National Park. Mainly the moratorium, but also more and more restrictions on hunting and some arrests of people who were supplying horns to Vietnam illegally, dramatically reduced the supply from non-lethal horns. I sold 84kg of rhino horn in 2006 with a permit issued by the government. There were many other sales from the private sector, both legal and illegal. Action by government (arrest and moratorium) largely stopped this supply. We should have learnt that these actions were responsible for the killing of thousands of our rhino because the…

“Production of live animal stocks remains only one part of the industry’s potential production portfolio: much of the remaining potential lies in capturing the elements of wildness that scientists – and the market – increasingly value.” “Market demand and prices in recent decades have motivated wildlife ranchers to produce – or in other words, breed – live stocks of rare animals.” Wildlife ranchers are, first and foremost, producers. But what exactly do they produce? Perceptions of the industry vary, both within it and from an outsider’s perspective. Some see ranchers as playing a vital role in conserving biodiversity, maintaining and even restoring free-ranging populations of certain species, natural landscapes and important ecological processes. Others perceive them as commercially driven farmers, exploiting and genetically manipulating animals harvested from the…

“Three methods for a well-regulated domestic trade in rhino horn were mooted – all of which are in compliance with legal requirements.” 5 April 2017 was a red-letter day on the calendar – the Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to maintain a moratorium on domestic rhino-horn trade and ruled that rhino horns could be traded in South Africa for the first time since 2009 (the moratorium on international trade is obviously still in force). This is good news for ranchers – but we are still in the starting pens when it comes to trading. Pelham Jones, chairperson of the Private Rhino Owners Association (PROA), says that interested sellers will need to be patient while the practicalities are attended to. Three methods for a…

“Die ekonomie van wildboerdery maak baie meer sin met semiekstensiewe as met ekstensiewe stelsels.” WR : Hoe groot sou jy aanbeveel behoort kampe te wees in terme van hoeveelheid diere? Jacques Malan: Die grootte van jou kamp moet die diere daarin feitlik sonder byvoeding kan hanteer. Met byvoeding optimaliseer jy dan die kamp se gebruik. Ek verkies ongeveer 80ha tot 100ha vir die Bela-Bela-bosveldarea. WR : In terme van byvoeding, in watter omstandighede sou dit gedoen word, bv. net in die winter wanneer daar nie natuurlike weiding is nie, of spesiale voeding vir teeldoeleindes? Jacques: Voer regdeur die jaar vir bestuursdoeleindes, maar beslis teen wisselende volumes, bv. baie meer gedurende die winter en in droogtes. Voer is ook die maklikste manier om jou te help om die diere op ’n…

In this issue, we are visiting John Hume, the owner of Buffalo Dream Ranch situated in the North West Province. John and his family have been farming with wildlife semi-intensively for more than two decades. In 1993, John started his journey with rhino and now owns the largest captive breeding operation for southern white rhino in the world. The main aim of John’s rhino breeding project is the protection and proliferation of southern white rhinos, especially during this time where rhinos are persecuted and slaughtered at an alarming rate. “The main aim of John Hume’s rhino breeding project is the protection and proliferation of southern white rhinos.” Private wildlife owners today are reluctant to breed with rhino due to the high costs involved as well as the added fear for…

“It will take many generations of selection and planning to get to the point where long-horned offspring is consistently bred.” SELECTION OF SABLE AND ROAN ANTELOPE: WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY GOAL? I would like to share a bit of information gleaned from experience regarding heritability traits in sable and roan antelope. Our sable herd has been closed on the female side since 1992. This, combined with reliable record keeping, has the advantage that heritability patterns for certain traits became apparent. Horn length seems to me to be highly heritable, but many genes appear to be involved. In other words, if you have an animal from a family where long horns are the norm, it is extremely likely that this animal will produce offspring with long horns when mated to an…

“Wine production starts with choosing the right land, which in wine terms is known as ‘terroir’. Terroir does not only refer to soil qualities, but also to the farm’s micro, mezzo and macro climate.” Ever tried to match some of your favourite wines with tasty dishes – especially dishes that boast interesting textures? Although the result will be a sublime treat for your palate and those of your loved-ones and guests, not everyone is up for such a challenge. However, Carolyn Martin of the 50ha boutique winery Creation in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley does this all the time. Situated just 18kms from the Western Cape coastal resort town of Hermanus, Creation has just clinched the KLINK Wine Tourism Award for Best Food and Wine Pairing on a South African Wine Farm…

Serves 4 Ingredients 400g venison fillet, sirloin or tenderloin, freshly chopped or minced (hand chopping is the authentic and best preparation and gives a far superior texture). 4 Egg yolks. 4 Medium anchovy fillets, chopped (optional). 2 Gherkins, finely chopped. 8 Drops Tabasco. ½ Red chilli, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon chilli flakes. Freshly ground sea salt for seasoning. Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning. 2 Teaspoons Dijon mustard. 2 Teaspoons capers, roughly chopped or whole. 2 Teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. 1 Tablespoon brandy. 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. 1 Tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped. 2 Tablespoons red onion, finely chopped. 100g Rocket or watercress. Baguette or sourdough bread, freshly baked or toasted (your choice). Notes • Place the venison in the freezer…

In a market where price is not controlled, market price for a product or service is determined by the interaction of demand and supply. It’s mainly based on the consumers’ willingness and ability to buy the product, and the sellers’ willingness and ability to produce and sell the product. On 5 April 2017, the Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to maintain a moratorium on domestic rhino-horn trade and ruled that rhino horns could be traded in South Africa for the first time since 2009. The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa, announced draft regulations for legal trade before this court ruling. Both events were welcomed by the Private Rhino Owners Association of South Africa (PROA), whose members are largely in support of…

Wildlife Ranching readers will be familiar with the QR codes that appear a number of times in the magazine as part of MLP Media’s fully integrated content and marketing solutions across print and digital platforms. But not everyone knows what they are, or how to use them. A QR code (an abbreviation for Quick Response Code) is a square two-dimensional barcode that was originally designed for use in the automotive industry in Japan. The barcode is machine-readable, which means you can capture the QR code by means of a scanner app on a smartphone. This low-tech solution is very useful as it makes it possible for you to access interactive material that will enhance your experience of text – for example, if Wildlife Ranching runs a story on sable capture,…

The Signature Wildlife Auction is an annual event on most game breeders’ must-do list. This year’s event took place on 8 April and, as always, was hosted by Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. The seats were full in the big marquee tent erected for the occasion, despite the chill that made the coffee queue everyone’s favourite place to stand and discuss the day’s best offers on the catalogue. An offer to participate in the United States whitetail breeding industry was auctioned off on lot number one to contribute to a community development organisation, the Ubunye Foundation, which works with rural communities to create positive and lasting change in the impoverished areas in the Eastern Cape. A total amount of R1,25 million was awarded for this cause, auctioned off twice, as Norman…

“The 2030 Agenda is envisioned as delivering outcomes for five ‘Ps’ – people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships.” In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.1 This Agenda, with its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is now widely accepted worldwide as the policy framework for governments, NGOs and businesses. At a seminar in May 2017 on the circular economy, Dr Edna Molewa, South Africa’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, “emphasised implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals”.2 Earlier this year, at the first conference of the Sustainable Development Goals Centre for Africa (SDGC/A), its Director General, Dr Belay Begashaw, remarked: “If we are to meet the SDGs, we need to share stories about what works and what doesn’t,…

Wie van ons hou nie van komplimente of ’n blyk van waardering nie? Daarom deel ek graag WRSA se dankbaarheid vir die positiewe reaksie en komplimente vanaf ons lede op WRSA se inisiatief om die Suid-Afrikaanse wildbedryf se “storie” tydens die SCIskou in Amerika te vertel. Die goeie terugvoering oor die reëlings en hoë standaard van die aanbiedings en paneelbesprekings tydens ons jaarlikse konferensie was ’n ewe sterk bevestiging van wildboere se waardering teenoor WRSA. Maar dit is ’n tweesnydende swaard, want WRSA, met slegs ses administratiewe personeellede , sal nooit ons bedryf ten volle kan be-mark of verteenwoordig sonder vrywilligers wat, ten spyte van hul eie besighede en belange, tyd opoffer en betrokke raak nie. ’n Groot pluimpie aan elkeen, insluitend die 12 WRSA-direkteure, advieskomitees en bedryfskamerkomiteelede, wildboer-van-die-jaar-evalueringspan en…

“Daar is die afgelope tyd heelwat oor die stand van die wildbedryf gekommunikeer. Baie doemprofete en selfs gesoute wildboere vra bekommerd vrae. Dit is belangrik om rustig te raak en die situasie te evalueer. Die grootste uitwerking op wildpryse is ongetwyfeld die gebrek aan vertroue in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie, wat hoofsaaklik deur politieke wantroue veroorsaak word. Hierdie tendens is dus nie uniek aan die wildbedryf nie, maar heers in feitlik elke bedryf in Suid-Afrika. Voeg daarby die geweldige droogte van verlede jaar, wat steeds in die Wes-Kaap voortduur, en dit bring jou by die uitdagings in die wildbedryf. Die positiewe is egter dat daar steeds ’n goeie vraag na gehalte-diere is. Wildboere moet hierdie gulde geleentheid van laer pryse aangryp om hul genetika en die gehalte van die wild op…

“Meso-predator release is when a dominant species like leopard, a large predator, is not there to suppress a less dominant species like jackal. Then jackal, the mesopredator, becomes the boss and explodes.” A westerly wind arouses dusty clouds from the empty streets. The doors of Pep Stores and Ellerines close. It is Saturday, a cold Bethulie afternoon with only the corner bottle store still open. Just in time – we need a bottle of Old Brown Sherry. The last winter nights are simply too tough in the hunter’s shelters of Tussen die Riviere Nature Reserve. A black cat rushes from the edge of the wooden door behind a steel security gate. I see two more, further down the dusty street. “Eish, meneer, there are lots of those in this town,”…

The Indian subcontinent offers the wildlife tourist a marvellous array of large herbivores, including the Asian elephant, wild buffalo, one-horned rhino, gaur and yak. However, due to loss of habitat, poaching and conflict with humans, most large herbivores in India are endangered and their relict populations are conserved in national parks. A long history of domestication of animals in India provides some amazing herbivore experiences – buffalo wandering through heavy traffic, elephants wearing make-up and cattle window shopping for snacks. THE GREATER ONE-HORNED RHINO OF INDIA Rhino evolved in the late Eocene (58 million years ago) and appeared in Asia 37 million years ago. Roughly 20 million years ago rhino spread from Asia to Africa and America. Of the 15 rhino species that evolved, most became extinct due to climate…

Wildlife Ranching magazine has secured an exclusive three-part series on research conducted in terms of the Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV). This article is Part I of the series and an intro to RVFV. The report includes identification of susceptible species and a summary of the RVFV One Health project. As diseases like Ebola and Zika have become household names, emerging disease outbreaks have come into global focus. For many countries, Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV; Slenkdalkoors) is another disease threatening to spread around the world, but within Africa it is already known to cause large, devastating yet sporadic outbreaks. In South Africa, there have been three very large RVF outbreaks in 1955-56, 1973-76 and 2010-11. The 2010-11 outbreak affected more than 845 cattle, 724 goats and 16 507 sheep…

“The life cycle of various insects involves different kinds of metamorphosis, also called transformation – a change in the form and often habits of an animal during normal development after the embryonic stage.” “That man is more of a political animal than bees or any other gregarious animals is evident. Nature, as we often say, makes nothing in vain, and man is the only animal who has the gift of speech.” – Aristotle. Insects, goggas, bugs or even creepy crawlies, as most of us call them, are an extremely successful group of organisms. They are the largest group of the Kingdom – Animalia. Insects can be found in almost all ecosystems – from the driest desert to freshwater ponds and from the canopies of tropical rainforests to icy cold environments.…

Author: Faansie Peacock Publisher: Pavo Publishing ISBN: 978-0-620-73552-0 Format: Soft cover of 256 pages, and includes 600 paintings of 80 species of waders Retail price: R480 including delivery from www.faansiepeacock.com This book is the latest release from the Chamberlain’s series on birds, written and illustrated by the highly talented and aptly named Faansie Peacock. As with his other books, this one will expand your universe, introducing you to birds you’ve never heard of that will delight you with their intriguing natural history, anatomy and behaviour. WHAT THE HECK IS A WADER? The creature known to birders as a wader can roughly be described as a small to medium-sized grey-brown bird, usually with long legs and bill, which wades in shallow water or walks in the mud at the water’s edge…

“I know that if we do the right thing for rhinos, in 100 years’ time we’ll have them all over Africa.” Wildlife Ranching sat down with John Hume, owner of Mauricedale Game Ranch and Buffalo Dream Ranch, the largest private rhino farm breeder in the world, to talk about rhino-horn trade, conservation and the birth of Spartacus, rhino calf number 1 000! WR : What steps will you take now that domestic rhino-horn trade is legal? John Hume: We are going to hold an online auction towards the end of July and another auction around the middle of August. Van’s Auctioneers will be running the auction, although Brandon Leer will be the auctioneer. The online auction will start on Monday 31 July 2017. We have been told by government that…