Questionable Buffalo and Hippo culling in Kruger

[Richprins]

Dr Joubert, ex head of Kruger, agrees that the culling is a pointless scientific exercise with the numbers that are currently mooted. Even if 350 buffalo and 350 hippo are culled, it will have no difference on the overall population whatsoever. When culling of these species was done in the past, a figure of 18-20% of the PROPERLY CENSUSSED population was targeted, and then the population barely stayed level.



He is an expert, and worked those figures out himself as the man in charge, relying upon follow-up censuses to determine the effects and fine-tune targets. It is not rocket science. In contrast to the current hopscotching, Kruger management fully appreciated the role played by drought in weeding out old and diseased animals, however ghastly, and factored these into the next cull after the next census, obviously NOT culling again if numbers had been naturally reduced over the following few years.

He also says the suggested figure of 7500 hippo currently in Kruger is impossibly inaccurate.

[Flutterby]

He also says the suggested figure of 7500 hippo currently in Kruger is impossibly inaccurate.

By less or more?

[Richprins]

By less, Flutts! All aerial censuses showed around 3000 hippo in Kruger until 1998. Various estimates stuck to that since then.

It is obviously impossible for hippo to increase to 7500 for some reason, even giving a 10 year wet cycle. In fact, they should have decreased as dams were destroyed in Kruger, and river flow decreases annually.

No matter how much grass is available, hippo are entirely dependent upon standing water for their social cohesion and survival.

This misrepresentation and wild guessing about animal numbers amounts to a crime by the state custodians, in my opinion, misrepresenting the status of state assets, according to their logic and attitude of seeing animals as state property, and they should be prosecuted!

[Richprins]

Spoke to some other reliable sources, as this thing is irritating me...

Hippo have indeed increased a lot over the 10-20 year wet cycle, depending on how one measures a wet cycle. They are not as dependent upon standing water in a population sense, food is the only real limiting factor regarding numbers as they are almost as predator-proof as elephants..so I must swallow my words a bit!

In fact, that is why they were culled in the first place, obviously!

But sources agree a proper census is vital and long overdue.

And also a decision must be made whether Kruger wildlife is going to be managed or left alone. There is no middle path or "selective management" of species, either in or out or some species will be artificially disadvantaged.

[Lisbeth]

RP!

Maybe not all species should be treated in the same way In or out sounds rather drastic

[Richprins]

It's very complex, Lis..for example too many ellies are leading or will lead to less ground hornbills, vultures and eagles, which need big trees for nesting.

[Lisbeth]

Here only the elephants are concerned, so if necessary cull some elephants..............even if I hate the thought The hippos has nothing to do with this F.EX.

[okie]

Here only the elephants are concerned, so if necessary cull some elephants..............even if I hate the thought The hippos has nothing to do with this F.EX.

Hmmmm.... culling elephants is also problematic , because then you may need to take out entire family groups - including youngsters , so to my mind , that is not an option

[nan]

I heard (on radio) that 1 Elephant dies every 20 min.

why not to deplace them
expensive... yes, but much more expensive when all will be erased

[Lisbeth]

Seems that the best, as always, is to leave it to nature