2010 Summary: a year in conservation

Over the past year Wildlife ACT has achieved some great results. We are an agile and experienced team, able to effectively contribute to conservation where it is needed most, and the numerous conservation volunteers who have joined us through the course of the year have participated in important endangered species conservation work while having the experience of a lifetime. Here is a summary of what our team has achieved together this year:

African Wild Dog conservation

African Wild Dog population estimates in South Africa stands at a meagre 400 individuals. During 2010, Wildlife ACT assisted with the relocation and reintroduction of 26 Wild Dogs in the Zululand corridor, and the relocation of 6 Wild Dogs that dispersed from Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. We assisted with the feeding of three packs of Wild Dogs that were held in bomas before being released, as well as aiding with the maintenance of the bomas. We built an underground den site for a pack of Wild Dogs on Tembe Park, where they successfully had a litter of 5 pups. A total of 20 African Wild Dogs have been collared this year, and we are now actively helping to monitor 135 African Wild Dogs, which represents one third of South Africa’s entire African Wild Dog population. In addition to this, we are also designing and testing anti-snare collars in a fight to curb the high incidence of Wild Dog mortalities through snaring.

Rhino conservation

Wildlife ACT assisted with reintroduction and post-release monitoring of more than 40 Black Rhino from or onto reserves in the Zululand area. Transmitters were fitted into cavities drilled into each rhino's horn, following which each rhino was closely monitored after being released into their new homes. We also assisted with the removal of poachers' snares on 5 Rhino, and the identity notching of 3 Rhino.

Big Cat conservation

This year Wildlife ACT has assisted with the capture and radio collaring of 11 lion and the monitoring of over 30 lion. We also helped with the relocation, boma acclimatisation, release and post-release monitoring of 5 Cheetah, and the radio collaring of 4 Cheetah.

Vulture conservation

Wildlife ACT also accompanied Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife staff and members of Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) as they visited vulture nesting sites to tag vulture chicks with patagial (wing) tags, which allow for the collection of valuable data including monitoring of breeding success, foraging distances, etc. A total of 3 Lappetfaced and 4 Whitebacked vulture chicks were successfully tagged in this year's ringing project. More than 50 vultures have been tagged in Mkhuze, HiP and Pongola since 2005.

Camera trap survey initiative

In August 2010, Wildlife ACT initiated a first-of-its-kind wildlife survey using motion-activated digital cameras. The aim of the project is to accurately assess and study the Black Rhino, as well as Leopard and Cheetah populations on Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Photographs captured of the animals are used to identify individuals through spot patterns on the cats, and ear notch-markings or scars on Black Rhino. The research will also provide insights into movement patterns and densities within specific habitats, and will help park management make effective conservation decisions.

The Wildlife ACT team wishes you a very happy and peaceful new year, and we look forward to more exciting conservation work together with our wildlife volunteers in 2011! 

White Rhino capture & Cheetah collaring on Thanda

Volunteers on Thanda Reserve recently assisted with the relocation of a White Rhino cow. Once the rhino was located, the monitor and volunteers stayed with the animal for 3 hours while waiting for the Game Capture team to arrive and dart the rhino from the helicopter.

Notching of White Rhino also took place on Thanda Game Reserve in September. Notching is an important process whereby identification marks are made in the rhino's ears to allow each individual to be uniquely recognised for the accurate monitoring of these animals. 

Once rhino notching was over, volunteers were also fortunate enough to observe the veterinarian tranquilise one of the collared male cheetahs on the reserve, so that the collar could be removed and placed onto a female. Once the collar was removed the volunteers got to move the tranquilised cheetah into a shaded area, and then watch and wait for the immobilising drugs to wear off slowly.

On a very positive note, the 15 wild dog pups on Thanda are all still healthy and all accounted for! This is an unprecedented success in this area, given that wild dog puppy mortalities are one of the major factors affecting the population growth of this endangered species, with an average of only 60 % surviving their first year.

Tembe: Wild Dogs, Lions and Rhino

The 8 Wild Dog puppies in Tembe are healthy and growing daily. The puppies have now started eating solid meat with the rest of the pack. Volunteers on Tembe have started to compile identikits for the wild dog pack, which involves spending the mornings at the boma doing observations. This is a critical part of data collection which will ensure accurate monitoring in the future.

Volnteers have also been busy with the monitoring of lions on the reserve after the recent collaring project which took place there a few months ago. Wildlife ACT volunteers on Tembe Reserve also recently observed the darting and capture of two White Rhino (mother and calf), which had been allocated to be relocated to Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park (HiP).

Exciting new projects in HiP

Wildlife ACT is currently busy with the second trial camera trap survey in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park (HiP). The survey, which began on the 4th of August, had to change camera survey methods in order to gain more data on cheetah (which is the priority species of the survey). Our new method involves placing the cameras on trees that are used by cheetah for either scent marking or as vantage points from which to spot prey.

Another aspect of the work being done by Wildlife ACT in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park involves our volunteers assisting HiP's Wild Dog monitor, Zama Zwane, with the monitoring of the 2 packs of Wild Dogs that frequent the Hluhluwe section of the Park.

Yet another exciting new project for Wildlife ACT in HiP is a 2-month survey of Black Rhino in the Park, undertaken in conjunction with Jed Bird (the HiP Black Rhino monitor). 20 of Wildlife ACT's 30 cameras will be used for this survey, so the Wildlife ACT volunteers on HiP in the coming months will be involved in setting up, checking and taking down the cameras, as well as with the processing of the data that we collect from them. This promises to be an exciting new project, with many exciting encounters along the way.

Buffalo TB testing on Thanda Reserve

Ten buffalo bulls were being held in the boma on Thanda Reserve this month, for a 2 week quarantine period before being sold to another reserve. Wildlife ACT volunteers got to see the 10 Buffalo bulls darted, and observe the veterinarians testing for Tuberculosis (TB).

The Buffalo had all been darted a few days previously and had capsules put into their necks subcutaneously. The vets subsequently checked to see whether there was any excess swelling where the capsule had been placed. (Any swelling would indicate the presence of TB). All of Thanda’s Buffalo passed this test and were declared clean. This was a good learning opportunity for the volunteers, who enjoyed it immensely.

Vulture ringing in Mkhuze

This month, Wildlife ACT accompanied Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife staff and members of Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) as they visited vulture nesting sites within Mkhuze Game Reserve and surrounds, to tag vulture chicks with patagial (wing) tags. These plastic colour-coded tags each have a letter and number, the combination of which uniquely identifies the bird and the area in which it was originally tagged. These tags can then be read in the field, through binoculars, meaning that there is no need to re-trap the birds. The tags allow for the collection of valuable data including monitoring of breeding success, foraging distances, etc.

A total of 3 Lappetfaced and 4 Whitebacked vulture chicks were succesfully tagged in this year's ringing project. More than 50 vultures have been tagged in Mkhuze, HiP and Pongola since 2005.

Vultures truly have an undeserved reputation as being nothing more than "ugly scavengers", when in truth they are magnificent and threatened creatures who play a vital role in the ecosystem. It is our responsibility to preserve the remaining populations of vultures within Southern Africa, and raise awareness about the status and importance of these vulnerable birds.

22 September 2010 : Anti-rhino-poaching Protest - Cape Town.

"The rate at which rhino are being poached in South Africa is heading for a point where the number killed will exceed the number born. More rhino have been killed in the first seven months of this year than were poached in the entire period from 2000 to 2007", says Joseph Okori, the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) African rhino programme manager.

The time has come to act together and let our leaders know we are serious and passionate about saving these animals from merciless slaughter.

Wildlife ACT and Rhino Africa are together organising an anti-rhino-poaching protest outside the Parliamentary Buildings in Cape Town, South Africa at 12:00 noon on 22 September. PLEASE JOIN US TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! We will be congregating at the Louis Botha statue with posters, placards and vuvuzelas, so join us to blow your horn and make some noise to show support for our rhinos. Please try to wear red if you can. We hope to see you there!

Wild Dog puppies on 3 Reserves!

A total of three of our four Reserves (namely Mkhuze, Thanda and Tembe) have had litters of Wild Dog puppies born to the Alpha females on the Reserves. Wild Dog puppy mortality is usually high, due to other predators like Lion and Hyaena killing the pups, as well as disease outbreaks.  Having all 3 litters doing so well is extremely exciting and we will continue to monitor these puppies intensively to help ensure their survival.

Mkhuze Wild Dog Mortality

At the beginning of July, a male Wild Dog was found dead from unknown causes on Mkhuze Game Reserve. At the first morning's sighting, Mkhuze wildlife monitor Marumo Nene found one of the dogs was missing from the pack. Unable to find a signal from the missing dog's collar, Marumo returned to the dogs' overnight resting spot, and after searching the area along with the Ezemvelo field staff, found the remains of the Wild Dog...

Wildlife volunteers assist with a Lion call-up: 4 days of action at Tembe

This past weekend, Wildlife ACT, the wildlife volunteers and KZN Wildlife staff dedicated their time to complete the much needed lion work on Tembe Game Reserve: Many of the adult cats needed to be re-collared, some of the females needed to be contracepted, and some of the youngsters that needed to be branded, micro-chipped, photographed and officially added to the records. What follows is the story of 4 days of hard work, long nights, and a lot of lion action!