Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 6 2018 i PRIVATE GAME | WILDLIFE RANCHING

On 28 October 1982, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution number 37/7 under the title World Charter For Nature. The resolution expressed (among other things) “its conviction that the benefits which could be obtained from nature depended on the maintenance of natural processes and on the diversity of life forms and that those benefits were jeopardised by the excessive exploitation and the destruction of natural habitats… (it further urged member states) … to conduct their activities in recognition of the supreme importance of protecting natural systems, maintaining the balance and quality of nature, and conserving natural resources, in the interests of present and future generations”. In line with this resolution and the constitution of the Republic of South Africa the conduct of the wildlife industry rests on the…

Growth. We all frequently use the word, knowing that it is important, but, perhaps, without really thinking about what we actually mean or without thinking of the bigger picture, the broader context. Every month or two, when the South African Reserve Bank or the Ratings Agencies like Standard and Poor revise our economic growth forecast downwards, we cringe and perhaps are stimulated into a short bout of frenzied planning. Growth itself has a hierarchy: there is self-growth (self-actualisation); there is personal economic growth and a striving towards financial security; there is the growth, economically, financially and by impact on society of our businesses, in this case our game ranches; there is the growth of our wildlife ranching industry and how we as a group can contribute to decent jobs, to…

Die Toekoms van die Wildbedryf Gelukkig bestaan die wildbedryf uit verskeie komponente en nie soos die meeste ander boerderybedrywe net uit voedselvoorsiening nie. In die wildbedryf het ons voedselvoorsiening, jag- en ekotoerisme, wildteling en dan – die belangrikste nog – leefstyl! Daarom sien ek ’n baie groot en rooskleurige toekoms vir die wildbedryf in Suid-Afrika. Ja, die prys van lewende wild het wel afgeneem en gestabiliseer hoofsaaklik as gevolg van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie en politieke toestand. Gelukkig is die verkiesing om die draai, waarna ons van die beste 10 jare in Suid-Afrika behoort te ervaar. Waarom is wildplaas-leefstyl so belangrik vir die ekonomie van die wildbedryf? Wat my betref, is dit die slagaar van die wildbedryf! Die rede hiervoor is dat ’n wildplaas vir die sakeman in Suid-Afrika die geleentheid…

Firstly, congratulations to Minister Nomvula Mokonyane on her appointment as Minister of Environmental Affairs. We welcome her to the wildlife community, where she will surely be intensely involved. We wish the Minister all the best with the new challenges that lie ahead of her and as an organisation constituting the largest collective of more than 2 000 commercial wildlife ranchers (landowners), businesses and individuals with an interest in commercial wildlife ranching, look forward to our first engagement with her soon. Secondly to the President of Botswana who recently acknowledged the contribution of sustainable utilisation towards their economy, as well as the value added through wildlife ranching and job security in rural areas. On the regulatory front, we comment on the draft regulations relating to domestic trade in rhino horn. We…

In general, the trends observed during the half-year review have been maintained. However, although there is still in general a downward trend, the steep decline observed in the first half of the year was not repeated during the second half, resulting in an improved year-end position. This would further support the conclusion from the previous issue – that the market appears to have reached a turning point. The number of animals on offer increased by 24% from 2017, which confirms a more stable supply. A positive sign is that the 2018 year showed the lowest decline in total turnover at auctions year on year in the last four years. The overall market appears to be reaching a turning point and data points to a likelihood that a stable 2019 might…

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has just started its El Niño cycle this month, which is relatively late for typical El Niño events. The upper atmosphere over the Pacific has not yet responded from what one typically expects from an El Niño event that affects Southern Africa. Thus, we still expect no impact from El Niño during mid-summer (Dec-Jan-Feb), however this may change for the late summer (Jan-Feb-Mar) and early autumn period (Feb-Mar-Apr). Above-normal rainfall conditions are expected to continue over most parts of the summer rainfall areas during mid-summer (Dec-Jan-Feb), despite the below-normal forecast last month. However, due to this significant change in the forecast, the confidence levels on the expected rainfall totals for the summer period are very low. Overall higher temperatures are still expected moving towards the…

The author acknowledges JP van Heerden (Game Capture Unit, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), WP van der Merwe (buffalo rancher, Winterton), Lulu Spilsbury (buffalo rancher, Harrismith), Dr Markus Hofmeyr (general manager of Veterinary Wildlife Services at the Kruger National Park), Rahman Devduth (Natural Resources Trade Coordinator at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), John Adendorff (Conservation Manager at Addo Elephant Park), Musa Mntambo (Manager of Communication Services at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), Dr Roan Louw (North-West University), Dr Pim van Hooft (Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands), Dr Ben Greyling (Beef Cattle Improvement: ARC) and Luca Mendes (wildlife veterinarian) for their unwavering assistance and insights on the subject.…

“Leopard epitomise secrecy and adaptability, living in many different habitat types and eating whatever prey is most common.” Megan Emmett, coauthor of the very successful Game Ranger in my Backpack, has released a new, comprehensive nature guide for bush lovers. The new field guide provides insight into the behaviour and adaptations of the most common mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects and other invertebrates, with information on the most common trees and shrubs. The guide makes use of readily accessible descriptions and close-up images. The book contains 900 excellent photos, easy-to-read interpretive text and a creative layout. It also includes distribution maps, animal spoor diagrams, useful information in icon form and Quick ID tables. The softcover format of 384 pages is available with or without a Callfinder sound file, which allows…

Chrissie Roodt’s talent and passion for her art, and her husband’s digital and business sense have grown a small business called Eureca Designs into a thriving business in the Waterberg area of the Limpopo Bushveld. Chrissie and Leon Roodt, a young couple from Pretoria, moved to a farm near Modimolle in 2014, unaware that they would be creating a thriving new business. Initially when Chrissie qualified as a fine arts graduate in 2007 she was doubtful that she would be able to make a living from art, and was also discouraged by the art department’s attitude that one must have an avant garde style to be a ‘real’ artist. She subsequently obtained a teaching degree at Unisa and taught art at a number of schools. When she and Leon moved…

Op 28 Oktober 1982 het die Algemene Vergadering van die Verenigde Nasies ’n resolusie nommer 37/7 goedgekeur onder die titel World Charter For Nature. Die resolusie het onder meer “sy oortuiging uitgespreek dat die voordele wat uit die natuur verkry kan word, afhang van die instandhouding van natuurlike prosesse en die diversiteit van lewensvorme en dat daardie voordele ondermyn word deur die oormatige uitbuiting en vernietiging van natuurlike habitatte. Dit het lidlande verder aangemoedig om hul bedrywighede uit te voer met erkenning dat die beskerming van natuurlike stelsels van die hoogste belang is, handhawing van die balans en gehalte van die natuur, en bewaring van natuurlike hulpbronne, in die belang van huidige en toekomstige geslagte”. In ooreenstemming met hierdie besluit en die grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika berus die…

Groei. Ons gebruik almal dikwels die woord, omdat ons weet dit is belangrik, maar miskien sonder om werklik te dink oor wat ons regtig daarmee bedoel of sonder om te dink aan die groter prentjie, die breër konteks. Elke maand of twee, wanneer die Suid-Afrikaanse Reserwebank of die graderingsagentskappe soos Standard and Poor die vooruitskatting van ons ekonomiese groeivooruitsigte afwaarts hersien, krimp ons ineen en word miskien gedryf tot ’n kort sarsie van verwoede beplanning. Groei self het ’n hiërargie: daar is selfgroei (selfaktualisering); daar is persoonlike ekonomiese groei en ’n strewe na finansiële sekuriteit; daar is ekonomiese en finansiële groei van ons besighede en die meegaande impak op die samelewing, in hierdie geval ons wildplase; daar is die groei van ons wildboerderybedryf en hoe ons as ’n groep kan…

When feeding wild animals it is not that simple – there is very little data available on nutrient requirements specifically for different wild animals, bar a few research articles done by individual researchers and veterinarians from zoos and other institutions. Q&A How do we successfully create animal feeds suitable for the animals that fall in this very large category? Comparative nutrition is the answer. Comparative nutritionists are nutritionists that are trained to use data from animals similar to the species of animal in question and formulate or design a feed suitable for the other species. For example, to formulate a diet for the African buffalo or the American bison, data taken from the Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle (2016) will be used as a comparative guide. Nutrition Nutrition in…

• Buddle BM, Wedlock DN, Denis, M, Vordermeier, HM, Hewinson, RG. 2011. Update on vaccination of cattle and wildlife populations against tuberculosis. Vet Microbiol, 151, 14-22. • Hlokwe, TM, De Klerk-Lorist LM and Michel AL. 2016. Wildlife on the move: A hidden tuberculosis threat through introduction of untested species in an ecosystem. J Wildl Dis. 2016 Oct; 52(4):837-843. • Michel, AL, LM de Klerk-Lorist, P Buss, M Hofmeyr, D Cooper and R Bengis. Tuberculosis in South African Wildlife: Lions, African Buffalo and Other Species. 2015. In: Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Mycobacterial Diseases in Animals, any Hosts of Mycobacteria. Ed. H Mukundan, M.A. Chambers, W.R. Waters, M.H. Larsen. CAB International. • Van der Heijden, E, Chileshe, J, Vernooij, H Gortazar, C Juste, R, Sevilla, I, Crafford, J, Rutten, V, Michel A. Immune…

Although this book has a coffee table format with colour photographs, it documents the scientific work done by Dr Phillip Stander on the small population of desert-adapted lions in the Namib Desert. In the words of a reviewer: “The book is a unique record of an elusive predator in an unusual environment.” Phillip’s study uncovers the secret lives of a small population of desert-adapted lions, documenting the adaptive nature of a predator in a hostile environment. The text, which is described as scholarly but readable, covers the research done by Phillip over many years. Vanishing Kings has received glowing reviews from wild cat enthusiasts for the unique and fascinating content and the exceptional photos. It also includes information on the natural history of other desert-adapted mammals found in the Namib…

Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning,” is of particular relevance to our wildlife ranching industry. In our lead article, ‘Wild growth’, Michael ’t Sas-Rolfes states that growth is a fundamental attribute of the wildlife ranching industry. In his concluding remarks, he suggests that perhaps the greatest future opportunity for the industry lies in gaining the economies of scale that could be achieved with the consolidation of larger management areas. Dr Jacco Dry analysed game prices of 2018 and states that the overall market appears to be reaching a turning point and data points to a likelihood that a stable 2019 might be experienced. Based on the importance of South African conservation success stories, the Wildlife Ranching executive editorial…

The past five years of breeding with ‘Horison’ have exceeded every expectation that we could possibly have had in producing phenomenal buffalo. We waited patiently for every calf to be born and watching them develop just proved that handpicking the cows and breeding them to a unique bull like ‘Horison’, definitely makes all the difference in contributing to the ‘big buffalo’ legacy. ‘Horison’ showed great potential at the tender age of four years and 10 months, already measuring 51+". He was the missing piece of our ‘big buffalo’ herd puzzle. He produces astonishing females of which some already measures close to 36" at only four years. They are sure to hit the 40" bar. His first offspring produced on Hoogenbomen are only 4 1/2 years old and already measuring up…

One of WRSA’s goals as stipulated in our Constitution, is to operate as a national liaison body and negotiator between the organised wildlife industry, government and other stakeholders. Our vice-president, Wiaan van der Linde, and I recently attended the annual conferences of the two professional hunting organisations, PHASA and CPHC-SA. The need for research and assistance regarding the collection of data on cat species, such as leopards, civets, African wildcats, honey badgers, and brown and spotted hyenas, was emphasised at both events. WRSA encourage all landowners to support this research either by making data available to any of the two organisations or by financially supporting a research project supported by the two organisations. We thank WeBuyCars who make it possible for our organisation to attend all important events, conferences and…

The adage that says it does not rain but it pours seems to hold true for South Africa, except that it would not be the rain that pours this time, but more economic woes brought by the lack of rainfall. The South African Weather Service has forecast an El Niño, a phenomenon accompanied by increased probability of below average rainfall and above average temperatures and which limits the amount of rainfall our country, South Africa and the SADC region receive. WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas said that 2018 “is on track to be one of the warmest on record’’, after especially high temperatures in July and August across several parts of the world. The El Niño is likely to exacerbate the economic challenges the country faces especially in the agricultural sector,…

The wildlife ranching industry has been one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa over the past two decades. Live wildlife sales make up a major part of this progression with the total value of game animals sold at formal auctions increasing from R93 million in 2005 to over R1,8 billion in 2014 (EWT 2016; Cloete et al. 2015). This is an average annual increase of 39% over these nine years and on top of this only 20% of all game is sold at auctions, meaning these figures should be much higher (ABSA Outlook 2014). The investment potential in the industry has attracted private interest that has led to a demand for quality game and thus pushed prices up. The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a prime example of…

Comments by Pelham Jones, chairman of PROA A significant problem that we had with the survey, was that there was only a 25% response rate to the questionnaire that was distributed. This resulted in a total population estimate of approximately 4 000 white rhino in private and communal ownership. This is disappointing as it means there is an unwillingness from the PROA members to trust each other and to consolidate their information in a manner that can be used to advance their interests. The figure of approximately 7 000 was obtained through other sources. Therefore, it is less reliable but the best we have. It would be in PROA’s best interest to establish a better system for estimating numbers, trends and communicating this. Survey data is essential to present the…