Olifants River Game Reserve

Transcription

1 Olifants River Game Reserve 3 Game Census/news Update From: Mario Cesare October 3 ************************************************ Mid September saw a record number of members visiting Olifants, with well over 40 units utilising the reserve during the long weekend, levels of occupancy usually expected for the busy Easter period. Besides the odd water pipe pulled up by elephant, causing some minor irritation, things went rather smoothly. As usual, we d anticipated and prepared for the influx well in advance, which paid off. But let s get down to the nitty gritty, to what makes a visit to the reserve extra special, anytime, and that is of course the all important game viewing which needless to say has been excellent! And if one didn t know any better, given what has been seen, you could have been forgiven for thinking that this too had been laid on especially. However, when we analyse what this year s annual helicopter census has revealed, it becomes abundantly clear why members are seeing what they do, so the following details the why and not so much the what. Game Census 3 Balule Private Nature Reserve The annual game count which was conducted in the first week of September, revealed numbers of game beyond even our best educated guesses. This was verified on the ground by the incredible viewing report back from members in the weeks that have followed. For your interest I have enclosed a table of the larger herbivores counted. It also gives a good idea of how our region fits into the bigger Balule picture, that we are not an isolated Game Farm and indeed, how effective the wider open system has been on the wildlife numbers. In addition, Quentin has once again kindly put the numbers of larger herbivore biomass in graphic perspective for us. The trend and correlation to good rainfall years is evident. Balule Private Nature Reserve: Totals by region Species Grietjie MRNR MSNR ONGR ORC OREC OWNR Parsons York Total Baboon trp Buffalo Bushbuck Elephant Giraffe Hippo Impala Kudu Nyala Warthog Waterbuck Lion Wildebeest Zebra (Olifants is included in ORC) 1

2 Giraffe and Kudu Giraffe Kudu ,500 Impala 8,500 7,500 6,500 5,500 4,500 3,500 2, Impala 4,44 3,69 3,71 2,86 3,27 3,11 4,39 3,90 5,40 4,44 4,71 5,71 8,71 1,000 Large Herbivores Buffalo ,020 Elephant Total rhino Waterbuck Wildebeest Zebra Waterbuck Wildebeest Zebra

3 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, Total Biomass (Tons) 5 Biomass (Tons) 1,67 1,62 1,88 2,50 2,70 3,48 3,20 2,02 2,80 2,28 2,91 2,68 4, ,500 Biomass without elephant in tons 2,300 2,100 1,900 1,700 1,500 1,300 1, Biomass (Tons) without elephant 1,643 1,489 1,447 1,253 1,185 1,074 1,272 1,321 1,597 1,253 1,493 1,550 2,266 Ecological overview In terms of what can be expected towards the end of winter, particularly in the more arid regions of the Lowveld such as Olifants, the prevailing veld conditions are relatively good. This is reflected in the general health and condition of the game. A couple of impala carcasses taken for rations recently were examined for condition, hair slip was negligible and there was an abundance of fat around their kidneys. Predator numbers and species as witnessed by the excellent wild dog, leopard, Lion and to some extent cheetah sightings of late, is indicative of an abundant and varied prey base. Hard to ignore is the fact that the deeper into winter we go, the effect of the high numbers of elephant on the larger trees throughout the reserve can be clearly seen. These pachyderms are becoming their own worst ambassadors and their destructive feeding habits are increasingly difficult to defend in terms of the immediate effect on the system s biodiversity...however, the present situation is not entirely their fault. Even though, relatively speaking, our region has the least waterholes per given area in Balule. Olifants is still some way off, but is getting close to the ideal figure of one waterhole per 1000 ha. We are presently sitting with around 750 ha per waterhole and there is eleven km stretch of perennial Olifants River to factor in. So when a pump breaks down after eighteen years of service, as it did at Warthog Pan recently, there is no major panic, in fact, truth be told we take a breather, because the correlation between abundant water and tree damage by elephant in the immediate vicinity of waterholes is clear. So no water, particularly at this time 3

4 of the year at a particular point, means less elephant utilising that area, concomitantly there would be some respite for the surrounding woody vegetation... Fear not however, being one of the most popular waterholes with both the game and shareholders, Warthog Pan will be up and pumping soon... Admittedly If I was still a pipe smoker...all things being equal, I d smoke a good few before tackling it. The Palm Loop s lower section, from above Neil s Link to Pride Rock is still flowing! This flow is fed by water that oozes out of the hillside near the Palm Loop station. Saba Although some breeds may be better at this than others, all dogs can scent track. That said however, as far as what breed of dog to get for our particular situation was dictated by a number of other important factors. In my experience with Shilo and other dogs I ve worked with in the bush, I learned that ambient summer temperatures typically experienced in the Lowveld, is a huge limiting factor in any dog s performance and endurance. Never mind the breed s reputation for work, heat is the great leveller, and an exhausted Bloodhound on a hot day will be as useful as a British bulldog with a bad cold. So my search for the most suitable dog for our climate, led me to research the Afri Canis. Afri Canis dogs are a naturally selected landrace. They are not pure bred, nor are they mongrels, they are lean, tough, disease resistant, and utterly loyal despite sometimes cruel treatment from their owners. Most importantly Afri Canis make superb hunters and have adapted to the hot, dry African conditions over thousands of years. The Rhodesian ridgeback, Boerbull, and Basenji are now recognised pure breeds selectively bred by man that can trace their lineage back to the Afri Canis. My mind now set on this dog of Africa, I began to read up as much as I could about them. And though they ticked almost every box, the more I studied the Afri Canis, the more I became aware that they had a propensity to be better sight hounds than scent trailers. I also took a serious look at the German Shorthaired Pointer, arguably the best hunting/ retrieving dog around. Accordingly I sought expert advice on the GSP and was told they d need a considerable amount of training to stay focussed on one trail, particularly faint, human scent mingled with the myriad game birds and wildlife smell. The Belgian Malinois was my next choice. I d first heard of this breed a couple of years ago. Initially I was intrigued by the Malinois apparent lack of instinct to chase game, but more importantly, I also found that they were being used extensively by security forces in hot desert conditions. (A Belgian Malinois was used by the Navy Seals when they went in to kill Osama Bin Laden) However, sourcing a puppy from a reputable breeder was not easy, most litters were booked by security/ police/ customs/ and the military K9 units before they were born. There are some breeders who have people on a waiting list nearly five years long! However, when two top breeders were approached, given what my intentions with the dog were and my limited time line, I was bumped up to first class Further research showed that this is a high drive, serious working breed, somewhat aloof, definitely not your average pet, couch potato type dog. Also known as the Belgian Shepherd, the Malinois is a herder so is primarily an intelligent dog with an inbred instinct to fearlessly protect second to none. Needless to say this protection / attack dog / fearless temperament 4

5 which is much sought after by security institutions, was a big negative in my view. I had no intention of going to the trouble of training a dog to attack only to have it hacked to pieces by poachers. So naturally I was put off by this particular temperament trait, also there were children and staff to consider which this dog would come into contact with and need to be socialised with. Essentially I wanted a dog for its brain and nose, not its teeth and tenacity! So with a heavy heart I cancelled the order for the as yet unborn puppy and went back to look at Afri Canis pups which were being sourced from rural Kwa Zulu s Thugela region. A while later, out of the blue, I received an e mail from Roy Clark, Chairman of the Belgian Shepherd club who said the breeder had told him of my concerns and subsequent cancellation. Having had a 30 year association with the Malinois, Roy assured me my concerns were unfounded. He also said that although the breeder had many other buyers lined up for the pending litter, that her door would still be open to me. So on his totally objective, sincere advice, I reinstated my order. Weeks later, I learned that Roy Clark s brother, Lawrence owns unit 12 on Olifants!...A small world indeed. Saba is the most wonderful puppy anyone could wish to have... and yes, she has sharp little teeth, but more importantly, she has a sharp nose. Strangely, Saba does not touch game biltong or impala liver!! She loves cheese, licking Meagan s empty wine glass and my coffee cup... A true Belgian or what? Saba From the Boards of Olifants North and Olifants Game Reserve As a result of comments from members, it appears that standards on our reserves may be slipping. We understand that users and guests are on the property to have fun and so we try to limit the number and complexity of rules and regulations but we do rely on members to comply with the Use Agreements and Rules and Regulations. Conduct, other than these, is proposed in Game Drive Etiquette which can be viewed on our web site and is worth a refresher read. We would like to create awareness of the following which seem to be the main sources of irritation, all of which relate to consideration for others: 5

6 At sightings, it is not appropriate to smoke or conduct intrusive chatter kids especially should be under control and, if fractious, we urge that they back off the sighting until quieted. Particularly at cat sightings, persons approaching the site should ask the caller of the incident if it is ok to come in. The person in control needs to be aware of overcrowding and where necessary, ask the new entrant to wait for others to leave. A recent sighting at Sand Dam had FOURTEEN vehicles at night, several spearing the poor lion with spotlights! Traffic was so heavy that early arrivals could not even move out to make space for others. If this is not better dealt with, it is inevitable that sightings won t be called in. Light pollution is a source of complaint from both sides of the river. It is important that spot lights are not used to illuminate units, including across the river. Units whose lights may be visible from those across the river should be considerate of such and should switch off unnecessary lights. Unit lights should definitely not be left on overnight. Red filters are desirable on spotlights once a sighting has been found. In the incident above, no filter was used whereas one would have sufficed for most visitors to have enjoyed the sight. Cell phones a big NO! Radios are intended to be used for communication on office matters and game issues, not for private chats. These are better dealt with by cell phone if possible. Please be careful about unintended opening of the microphone. A few embarrassing incidents have recently occurred! Black rhino hit by train. At about 8:30 pm on the 8 th August, Meagan and I were just settling down in a small B +B situated in the town of Harrismith. We were on our way down to the Midlands do a spot of trout fishing and had picked up little Saba only hours before when the call from Transnet s CTC in Kaapmuiden came through. On the other end, the quiet voice with a thick accent was not enough to smooth the edges of the words and except that I needed the exact location, there was no need for him to even finish the sentence. Never mind where you are or what time of day or night you hear these words, the blood drains from your head.. The train has hit an animal...but we don t know what kind of animal, and it has run away We telephoned Glenn who went out that night but effectively could do nothing until first light. The following day when it was ascertained that it was a black rhino which had been hit, the tracks were taken up and followed. Later with the help of a helicopter, the rhino was located and veterinarian Dr Pete Rodgers was able to immobilise it. Glenn was able to identify as Wozani (the bull we often see at Warthog Pan). Pete treated his wounds and at the same time a satellite collar (thanks to WESSA) was fitted to the rhino in order to keep track of his progress. Fortunately as far as could be ascertained, no bones had been broken. The following week Mike Andreka of unit 83 took pictures of the rhino at a waterhole and telephoned me to say he was concerned about the swelling on Wozani s leg. Selected images which revealed some swelling above the collar were sent on to Pete the following day, he took one look and made a decision, a helicopter was booked for the next day at 6: 30 am. Soon after take-off Wozani was located and darted. The first thing we did was remove the collar. Pete also took this opportunity to do some additional work closing the wound and topping up on anti- inflammatory muti, anti- biotics and pain killers. Monitoring Wozani on a 6

7 daily basis revealed he was going about his business but still limping, so later that week the rhino was darted once again and a follow up treatment carried out. It s been over a week now since his last treatment and I m pleased to report that as I write this, Vince Ryan of Unit 64 has just called in to say he has just seen Wozani walking... without a limp! We continue to monitor his overall condition. As nutrition levels are at the lowest at this time of the year, this will play a large part in terms of recovery rate. Other news on our not so newcomers now, is that all except one of the black rhino have been re collared for telemetric tracking and four of them have had satellite collars fitted as well. Tests taken while they were immobilized have revealed that five of the cows are pregnant. Heli- patrols Zander Osmers, Benny s father did most of the flying for Dr Pete Rodgers while Benny was in Mozambique. Now that Benny is back, I am hoping there will be renewed interest in heli patrols again soon. Co- incidentally...or not, it was during this lull in helicopter activity that we had renewed incursions resulting in the rhino shot on the neighbouring farm. (This poaching incident was covered in the last update). Units for Sale There is still a small share available in unit 6 and a two thirds share in unit 74. Office Renovation Building renovations of the old office are on schedule. Thanks in large part to architect Henk Schmidt who keeps a tight rein on the contractor s progress. Meagan s fastidious eye on the smaller details is also a great help. I must admit however, although cramped and impractical, the clubhouse cottage as an office venue is the epitome of what is meant by location, location, location and this feature will be missed when we move back. Other Buildings and renovations in progress/ completed Unit 9 has finally been completed and handed over. Unit 52 are to begin with re- construction soon. Unit 27 is having some additional building work done. 7