Questionable Buffalo and Hippo culling in Kruger

[Bushcraft]

Thanks Penny. Intelligent arguments like that leave SANParks with egg on their faces in my opinion!

[PennyinSA]

Latest bombshell on the thread is the question now being asked of Sanparks whether it is true that another abattoir is to be built at Shingwedzi which will be bigger than the one at Skukuza. Shew if that is true its right in the middle of vast numbers of buffalo AND elephant. No response from Sanparks at this point!

[Lisbeth]

Hope that it is only a voice

[Richprins]

I am not so sure about this mini-thesis...

Firstly, anyone that starts with "100% qualified" is not a scientist, in my experience?

Secondly, the zebra and wildebeest have long forgotten about the migrations to the Drakensberg foothills long ago, in my opinion (which is never humble or qualified... )

Thirdly, the rise in woody vegetation may have something to do with extended wet cycles over the last 20 years, certainly also to do with global warming changing cycles, but we could have an extended dry cycle, so new territory? The carbon thing needs a lot more research and time.

Fourthly, very experienced scientists (who always say they are open to scientific review) I have dealt with feel differently about much of the theories regarding the long term, but it is virgin territory, and as man has created the mess, man must step up too at some point?

I agree about the hippo and buffalo culling being PR and political, but disagree with extending the analysis to elephant. Lesser herbivores, even megafauna, have never had dramatic landscape-changing effects compared to elephant...see Tsavo. Kruger is oddly-shaped so some areas may be regarded as small in a sense. And it is fenced in, whether including neighbouring reserves or not. Its major rivers are polluted and overused outside the Park.

[stefan9]

Thankfully seem it was only a rumour. Sanparks spokesman on their FB said its not true, so no extra abaittor at shingwedzi.

[Flutterby]

Let's hope so.

[Richprins]

Kruger to become sustainable food source for communities?


Posted: November 4, 2016


SANParks has confirmed the intention to cull buffalo and hippo populations in the Kruger National Park beyond the current drought-enforced ecological management plan.

Part of the plan is to test different models for meat distribution to disadvantaged, low income communities on the border of the park.
buffalo

According to discussions in a closed group on Facebook with SANParks spokesperson Lesley Nyawo, SANParks is testing various management methods as part of formulating an ongoing plan to manage and harvest wildlife in the park, the remains of which will be distributed to surrounding communities for them to use or sell as meat products.

The removals will be focused on alleviating pressure on population-sensitive areas in the Kruger National Park. As of yet, the numbers are not cast in stone and it is not possible to determine how the situation will unfold as the drought develops. However, the off-takes for meat distribution will be kept very low (between 0,5 and 1% of the respective populations).

According to the spokesperson, most other national parks and game reserves have annual off takes, and the same should apply to the Kruger National Park, with the difference being that the KNP off-takes are not due to overpopulation, but rather they are a result of the impact the drought has had and will have on both species and vegetation in the park.

Scientists are monitoring the situation and so far approximately 72 Hippos and 104 Buffalos have been culled. SANParks plans to use this as an opportunity to sustainably harvest in the region of 350 animals in order to test the feasibility of different models for meat distribution to disadvantaged communities.

SANParks stressed that the off-takes planned are only a small percentage of the species populations as other influencing restrictions also play their part in this complex scheme. Animal diseases present in the park such as foot and mouth disease, unpredictable weather patterns and unascertained mortality rates amongst the species in question means that concrete plans to continue culling even after the drought are difficult to formalise.

“Logistically it will not be possible to do higher numbers now and ecologically it will not be suitable to do unsustainably high numbers in future.” – Lesley Nyawo

A new round of revisions of the Kruger National Park Management Plan has started and will come into full swing in the year 2017. The public are encouraged to register and take part in this process.

If you would like more information on this issue or if you would like to take part in the public participation information sharing session, email: lesley.nyawo@sanparks.org



http://africageographic.com/blog/kruger ... mmunities/

[Lisbeth]

I still don't like it

[Flutterby]

Me neither!

[RobertT]

That looks like the old news, it has moved on from that to continuing after drought. Africa Geographic are a bit behind the times.