Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 5 2022 i PRIVATE GAME | WILDLIFE RANCHING

No one can speak about prosperity when the environment is being degraded at the present alarming rate because we will all pay the price of and suffer from the consequences of poor air quality, water scarcity and pollution, loss of topsoil and the loss of biodiversity. Directly, the wilderness areas of South Africa (and the world) are the last remaining sites where biodiversity can be seen, experienced, learned about and appreciated. These are areas we refer to when we talk about conservation and that are so important as bastions against degradation of our environment, places where rare and endangered species can be conserved and where a massive contribution to the country's economy is made through tourism. JANUARY 2022 VEGETATION INDEX [NDVI] (1 MONTH – TERRA/MODIS). Our lives and livelihoods depend…

Dr Duncan MacFadyen has worked as head of research and conservation for E Oppenheimer & Son and then Oppenheimer Generations since 2002. The research entity supports, funds and partners with national and international researchers to conduct cutting-edge research focused on the natural sciences. “Duncan’s interests include small mammal ecology, with specific focus on South African bats, rodents and insectivores.” Duncan's passion for small mammals was developed through his work as curator of mammalogy at the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria, as well as through his MSc on small mammals in the northern plains of the Kruger National Park, and his PhD in small mammal ecology in the Bankenveld grasslands. Duncan is a great naturalist and nature lover, and is passionate about ecology, animal behaviour and conservation. In…

The Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation team continue to build a first-class research entity that supports, funds and partners with national and international researchers to undertake and share cutting-edge research focused on the natural sciences ensuring practical and impactful outcomes. They are committed to further developing, expanding and promoting systems of sustainable conservation programmes and networks throughout the African continent. For more information, visit: www.ogresearchconservation.org…

Theilerias are tick-borne, protozoal parasites that occur worldwide and infect a wide range of mammals, including wild and domestic ruminants, equines, canines and marsupials. The organisms are transmitted by different species of ixodid ticks and have a complex life cycle in both the mammalian host and tick vectors. Theileria organisms most likely evolved as tick-borne parasites in wild ruminants and equids. With the emergence of domesticated species, such as cattle, sheep and goats that are also hosts of the vector ticks, some Theileria species would have initially caused disease and death until the new host population became adapted to the parasite. Not all Theileria species are pathogenic but the non-disease-causing species cause confusion during outbreaks of disease in livestock, when diagnostic testing is needed to aid control. The three important…

The required legal processes and the 5 necessary steps to follow will be explained in an exclusive series of seven articles and published in Private Game magazine. This series to practically demonstrate the legal steps to register your abattoir and processing plant will be published as follows: I. Hitting the Nail – can trophy carcasses be commercially compliant? b. Part I: A pilot study to compare uncontrolled (trophy game carcasses) and controlled (harvested game carcasses intended for export purposes), with reference to meat safety and quality. c. Part II: Discussion, recommendations and concluding on the differences between trophy and export carcasses with reference to meat safety and quality in the commercial meat market. IV. Game abattoir registration process V. Game meat processing facility application VI. Local meat market opportunities and…

The United Nations 2030 Agenda provides us with an international standard or benchmark for assessing the strategies and approaches being adopted by our governments, our companies and our communities with regard to Africa's wildlife economy. The Agenda identifies five core themes: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. In this, the third of five issues focusing on these themes, we explore the global commitment to Prosperity. The 2030 Agenda confirms that: “We are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.” In this issue, we explore the global commitment to prosperity and are excited to announce the partnership between Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (Opp-Gen) and the African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) of Stellenbosch…

“Prof. Dzama’s research findings are instrumental in developing protocols, standards and policies.” Professor Kennedy Dzama is a Distinguished Professor of Animal Genetics and team leader of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Group at Stellenbosch University. He is also the current deputy dean responsible for research, innovation and postgraduate studies at the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University. He was born in Zimbabwe and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1993 with a PhD in Animal Genetics. He published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and international conference proceedings. His research focuses on the evaluation of African animal genetic resources. Lately, he has been working on unravelling the genetic architecture of parasite-resistant genotypes of livestock. In addition, he is also increasingly focusing on transdisciplinary research under the umbrella of sustainability in agriculture.…

For the first time ever, individual real-world animals get a digital twin. As a result, groundbreaking possibilities for conservation will emerge. PLCnetwork of the Southern Hemisphere will be launching this project, ‘Tokenizing Wildlife', with our Dutch tech partner Coorest OÜ and one of our network members in Southern Africa. Linking a real-world animal to its digital twin happens through creating certificates on the blockchain, called ‘non-fungible tokens' (NFTs). These contain relevant data, such as species, age and biological sex of the respective animal. Because this data is recorded on the blockchain it is very difficult to change, which makes the NFTs unique. A blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions that is public for everybody to view. Thus, an NFT can be traced. Our collaborative project allows individuals to purchase…

riaann@elsenburg.com The 2021 game auction season really demonstrated how resilient the wildlife ranching industry is. Especially how it bounced back from 2020's stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures imposed on the industry. For example, the industry housed 31.3% more game auctions that resulted in a 33.8% increase in sales of animals from the previous year. Possibly the more promising indicator is the fact that gross auction turnover exceeded the final 2020-turnover by more than 38%. However, this phenomenal financial recovery is still way behind the 2018 and 2019 turnovers, definitely proving the devastating effect the COVID-19 pandemic played locally on the industry. With the Winter Olympic Games recently finished, it sprung to mind which species in our wildlife ranching arena would receive medals. When thinking medal positions, most people would expect the…

The author of this book, Barry Lovegrove, is a professor emeritus at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, an A-rated and award-winning scientist who during his career specialised in evolutionary physiology, a branch of science that studies how living things adapt to their environment. The author explains that the term ‘adaptation' has in the past been abused and overused, used to explain every trait that differs between species in different habitats. Thanks to new technology, evolutionary physiologists can determine whether these differences are truly adaptive or merely co-incidental. As the South African-born scientist Lewis Wolpert explained in his book The Unnatural Nature of Science, science is often counterintuitive, the opposite of common sense or casual observation, which is why scientists need to do the research to support their theories. What are deserts…

“Jonas officially joined the PLCnetwork team in 2021 as Innovation Coordinator.” onas Baum is as much of a lifestyle enthusiast as he is a nature lover. J He grew up in Stuttgart, capital of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. This region is among the world's economically strongest and known as a hub for innovation, arts and technology. A classic-humanist education fostered Jonas' engagement in cultural life. In his teens he practised classical music in choirs and orchestras. During his year of civil service, he transitioned into a professional life within the hospitality sector. Jonas simultaneously developed his hobby of nature photography. Endless time was spent outdoors on holidays in Sweden or in the woods around Stuttgart. This was a vital part of his life and formed his connection to the environment. Jonas…

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a critical need to diversify wildlife economies beyond tourism in Africa, from both an economic and social perspective. If we can enhance sustainable thinking around business and the environment, we can build a more robust socio-economic future for Africa. Wildlife conservation cannot be maintained without the support of sustainable and inclusive wildlife economies built through engagement with diverse stakeholders across Africa. We need to focus on generating positive environmental, social and economic impact by investing in strategic partnerships between all spheres of society. “The sustainability of the wildlife economy depends on well-functioning value chains.” Why aren't there stronger wildlife economies across Africa, given the opportunities they provide for both people and the environment? To build wildlife economies, we need to understand the opportunities that exist…

“Pioneering steps were established to protect the future of the wildlife.” Our early ancestors unwittingly started the process of sustainable utilisation of the natural and available resources. Hunting became their main, if not only supply of proteins. With the start of agriculture as a new phase, matters changed somewhat, though being at the early stage there was still minimal human-wildlife conflict. The introduction of cattle farming, as well as the simultaneous increase in the human population density, started the ever-escalating conflict between cattle, game and crops. The game was systematically exterminated by indiscriminate hunting or widespread culling. The result was predictable for Europe and America, where for all free-roaming game were practically wiped out. Free roaming wildlife had to make room for the ever-growing human population and escalating demand for…

Over the past few decades, it became clear that game hunting can be undertaken for subsistence, commercial and recreational purposes. In subsistence hunting, the benefits obtained from wildlife (particularly food) are directly consumed or used by the hunter and his or her family. However, not only does the food security and livelihoods of many rural people in the tropics and subtropics depend on the use and trade of wild animals, the niche market for game meat has grown exponentially and its numerous health benefits are well sought-after (especially now in the Covid-19 pandemic). Game shouldn't be viewed as an alternative or a supplement – it should ideally be a sought-after product in its own right, since the recorded data places 22 million head of game versus 14 million cattle currently…

On our camping trips, I like to keep the menu simple and use uncomplicated recipes, so we can fully enjoy nature, game drives, observe wildlife and chat around the campfire. But “simple and uncomplicated” can end up embarrassingly disastrous – ask me! If you have a fire and a potjie – who misses an oven? One of those “events” happened on our trip to Mana Pools in Zimbabwe. It was me with my hubby, Johan, and our travel companions were family members Bernard and his wife and kids. After a very long, eventful journey, we arrived at our camp at Mana Pools. The date was 27 July. Everyone, except Bernard, had forgotten all about Bernard's birthday, until late afternoon. I said: “Fine, I have a plan – although we don't…