Addo Elephant NP: Lions

[Klipspringer]

https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/202 ... -the-pill/

Addo lionesses on ‘the pill’
Zamandulo Malonde
Features reporter
30 October 2020

“If we don’t keep some of our female lions on contraceptives, the population grows rapidly out of our control and when we have too many lions, they eat more herbivores, which are also in small numbers because we’re one of the smaller parks.”

Those were the words of Addo Elephant National Park resident vet Dr Dave Zimmerman during a visit by SA National Parks veterinarians to Addo on Wednesday and Thursday, when they gave contraception to some of the park’s lionesses.

“We don’t do it to the same [lioness] every time,” Zimmerman said.

“The contraception we use lasts for about two to three years before it wears off and if you don’t top it up then they start cycling and conceive again.”

The contraception procedure is a population control method to maintain the park’s predator to herbivore ratio.

The procedure is performed on lionesses every two to three years to prevent them from procreating and exceeding Addo’s ideal lion population of less than 20, he said.

The elephant park houses seven lions in its main camp and five in its Nyathi section.

Outdated battery-operated collars on some of the lions were changed and some hyenas were relocated to a game reserve in the Northern Cape.

“We have four adult females and only one will be off contraceptive while the other three are on,” Zimmerman said.

“After one female reproduces one cub, she’ll be put back on a contraceptive.”

He said contraception was a better population control method than swapping with other nature reserves as there was a low demand for lions.

“Contraception does have its side effects like weight gain as it does on human beings.

“The problem is that there isn’t a high demand for lions from a conservation perspective.

“Yes, the lion population across Africa has been reduced but the human population has also exploded and pressures on natural areas are immense,” he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, the vets, who were accompanied by rangers in training, sedated four-year-old Jack to remove his collar, check his heart rate and draw blood samples for tests.

More lions were sedated to have their collars changed and put on contraceptives yesterday.

“We haven’t replaced Jack’s collar because he is one of the more visible lions in the park, so he doesn’t really need a collar as much as the others who are harder to find,” Zimmerman said.

Collars help track lions in the park and identify them if they escape.

The procedure also served as a training opportunity for SANParks rangers to better their chances of being authorised to handle problem animals and perform procedures in emergencies.

Park manager Nick de Goede said the relocation of 10 hyenas bought on auction last year was part of population management.

“Last year after a census was done we realised that, due to the impact hyenas have on prey, there were too many of them, so we decided to put some on auction and managed to sell 10 of them to the same buyer for a total of R215,000,” De Goede said.

[Lisbeth]

[Richprins]

Sounds good!

[PJL]

A bit concerning that the vet doesn’t know the current lion population in the park... if they put 3 lionesses on contraception that leaves a ‘missing presumed dead’ lioness Jill without.

[Klipspringer]

That's how the management of a metapopulation works

The metapopulation approach for lion, wild dog and cheetah is kind of success but also problematic and I am not sure if the high costs always translate to the best conservation outcome.

Rather less lion populations but well protected natural ones?

[Lisbeth]

There are far too many things in conservation these days that are far from natural. On the other hand, with the limited space and most of the animals chosen by man, it can hardly be done differently

[Richprins]

Peter Clarke
@MediaActive
All muddy after the kill. We assume this #Lion did his own predation. There were no lionesses around. Spotted in @SANParks
Addo NP #SouthAfrica. #wildlife #wildlifephotography (Photo V.Volkoff)
7:19 AM · May 23, 2021

[Klipspringer]

MEDIA RELEASE: ADDO LION RELOCATED TO SHAMWARI

One of Addo Elephant National Park’s more popular inhabitants, the lion known by some members of the public as Jack, has been successfully relocated to the Shamwari Private Game Reserve.

Four-year-old Jack’s move forms part of the Carnivore Management Plan of the Frontier Region (the administrative area of the Addo Elephant, Camdeboo, Karoo and Mountain Zebra National Parks). This Plan aims to restore or mimic the natural social dynamics of lion behaviour that would be found in large conservation systems such as the two million hectare Kruger National Park or three million hectare Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. For example, the tenure of dominant pride male coalitions is on average three years and therefore pride take-overs are mimicked by switching male coalitions across the managed parks, as was done in the Region in 2018.

Furthermore, male dispersal out of a pride is mimicked through the removal of sub-adult males from the Park, hence Jack’s relocation to Shamwari, also in the Eastern Cape.

Jack has pure Kalahari genes and therefore has valuable genetics which will aid in improving the genetic integrity of Shamwari’s lion population. Shamwari has two prides of lions in their reserve. It is hoped that Jack will join up with what is known as the Shamwari northern pride.

Due to the continued severe drought experienced in Addo over the past seven years, the lion population will remain small to assist in the recovery of the prey species and predator-prey dynamics in the Park. After Jack’s move, only five lions will remain in the main game viewing area. The removal and reintroduction of male lions into and out of Addo also plays an important role in preventing inbreeding within this population and therefore aids in maintaining the genetic integrity of its lion population.

The Lion Management Forum (LiMF), of which South African National Parks is a member, plays an important role in the management of wild lions in South Africa. It ensures lion metapopulation guidelines are adhered to and lions will only be relocated to parks or reserves who are members of LiMF.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7565014 ... 286679336/

[Richprins]

Interesting strategy!

[Lisbeth]

I hope that it is a stragedy ( I am getting too cynical )