November 2011 - Jejane | Private Nature Reserve

NOVEMBER 2011
JIM’S MUTTERINGS
I recently attended the annual general meetings of the three Jejane companies – my 23rd
consecutive annual general meeting of Vienna Game Farm! Where have the years gone? So many
memories of the early years when we first acquired Vienna – every single sighting, however
mundane, was a first and incredibly exciting. The farm had been poached to death – game was
limited and when you did see it your sighting was invariably limited to the white flash of a tail as the
animal disappeared into the bush. Inconveniences such as bringing in your water for the weekend
and removing your refuse were taken in our stride and how we appreciated the installation of the
water and electrcity reticulation systems – facilities which we now take for granted. In those far off
halycon days – crime was unheard of in our neck of the woods. We never locked our vehicles when
we went to town nor did we lock our houses especialy when going out for our game drive. We left all
our camping gear in the back of our land rover covered in a tarpaulin cover and never lost so much
as a teaspoon. Sadly those were the days and our environment has kept pace with the city.
Regretably there is an appetite for cellphones, cash, laptops and liquor amongst the unemployed in
the area and it is necessary for us to also change our habits and become more and more security
conscious. “Times they are a’changing” lets make sure that we change with them!
A more sombre note is the escalating occurences of
rhino poaching throughout South Africa. Hoedspruit is
the new hotspot and sadly features in the news more
frequently of late. Security in the area has been
tightened up considerably with the formation of a very
active Rhino Revolution action group. Closer to home
our Reserve as well as neighbouring reserves within the
Balule are also taking further steps to tighten security.
We should all strive to become more security conscious
and to be aware of and report any strangers or strange
occurences on the reserve however trivial they may
seem to be. For example there have been reports in the
area of citrus laced with poison being left by poachers in
the vicinity of waterholes.
As I write this edition of the
Jejane Khaluma there is news of a
horrendous rhino poaching
incident in the Phuza Moya
reserve near Hoedspruit and a
further two rhino poached in the
Ndumo Game Reserve in KZN.
The good news is that one poacher
was fatally wounded and another
arrested.
As you are probably now aware our application to join the Association of Private Nature Reserves
through our membership of the Balule has been approved in principle and all that remains is the
finalisation of a final consitution and operation agreement amongst our fellow landowners.
Effectively we will be converting from our current closed system to an open system. An open system
where the game are free to move to better grazing areas in line with rainfall and other climatic
conditions much as they did in early days when there were no fences in the area.
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There are concerns from a minority of our shareholders at the prospect of elephant incursion into an
area that, apart from the small group of young elephants that have taken up residence on the
reserve over the past few years, has had no elephant impact for the past century or so. There is no
doubt that elephants are major elements of change to the environment and there is no doubt that
elephant impact on our part of the reserve may be felt over the course of time. Certain areas
deemed to be particularly sensitive to elephant damage have been set aside as botanical exclusion
zones with the erection of high wire electric fencing – the residential area is an example of such an
area, and has proven to be extremely effective. Elephants do perform a useful role in opening up
areas and a look at aerial maps of Vienna and Antwerpen from the early 1940’s will show the impact
of bush encroachment that has taken place in the absence of elephants.
I have just read the book, “The Elephant Whisperer” by Lawrence Anthony1 and if you have not yet
read it I would recommend it to you. In his prologue Lawrence Anthony makes certain observations
about elephants and their impact on his reserve and I quote:
“The elephants came to us out of the blue. Today, I cannot visualize a life wothout them. I don‟t want
a life without them. To understand how they taught me so much, you have to understand that
communication in the animal kingdom is as natural as a breeze. That in the beginning it was only selfimposed human limitations that impeded my understanding.
In our noisy cities we tend to forget that things our ancestors knew on a gut level: that the wilderness
is alive, that its whispers are there for all to hear – and to respond to. We also have to understand
that there are things we cannot understand. Elephants possess qualities and abilities well beyond the
means of science to decipher. Elephants cannot repair a computer, but they do have communication,
physical and metaphysical, that would make Bill Gates‟ mouth drop open. In some very important
ways they are ahead of us.”
Jejane is entering an exciting phase – just as in our early formative years new experiences await us
and they too will bring with them so much excitement and wonder. We are indeed remarkably
privileged to be in this situation and to witness the further evolution of our very special piece of
African Bushveld which has been so carefully nurtured over the past 23 years. Enjoy ever minute of it
– it is yours to take care of.
NEWS FROM THE WARDEN
Although we are still occasionally reminded that winter has only
recently left us by the odd cool wintery breeze blowing off the
mountains, summer is moving in rapidly. Day time temperatures are
escalating and have on a few occasions soared above 40 degrees
Centigrade. On the afternoon of the 03rd October, the reserve
experienced its first thunderstorm of the season, accompanied by
lots of lightning and thunder. Whilst most of the reserve experienced
a steady but gentle downpour resulting in approximately 15 to 25
1
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spense.- Pan Books
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mm of rain, the northern section of Vienna unfortunately received the brunt of the storm – 55 mm
of rain in a very short space of time, accompanied by hail. Due to the lack of ground cover at this
time of the year, the water accelerated over the surface, gaining momentum until it reached the
roads, where it caused excessive damage and soil loss. On the positive side, the first rains have
prompted the grasses to flush and it did not take long for the trees to follow suite. Naturally the
veldt is extremely dry at this time of the year, but apart from that it is looking extremely good
considering that we are at the end of the dry season. Hopefully the early flush will create enough
cover to protect the soil prior to the arrival of future heavy downpours.
Snare dam is the only dam on Jejane
to have held water throughout the
season. It is important to note that
although many of the dams had
dried out completely on the reserve
this season, there was still more
than enough drinking water
available from an ecological point of
view. Game, have the ability to
move between five kilometres and
thirty kilometres in search of water,
depending on the species. In fact we
currently believe that we have too
many water points on the reserve,
which causes over grazing due to
overlapping areas adjacent to water
points. It is recommended that we
should have one water point per
1500 Ha i.e. three water points in total. On the other hand the reserve has as many as eighteen
water points, (See illustration above) excluding natural pans, of which eight are found on Jejane and
of which nine retained water
throughout
this
season.
The
residential area accounts for one
water point, but should in fact be
adjusted for as many “more
permanent” bird baths as there are.
For this reason we limit the pumping
of water to our dams over the winter
months.
As reported previously, plains game
species have been and continue to
be impacted by the unacceptably
high levels of predation on the
reserve. Although seven lion were recently re-located, and the population in total has been reduced
by nine including two adult females that mysteriously disappeared, predation is still high and
continues to place pressure on the prey species. A female in the northern pride has recently given
birth to three cubs and Francois recently observed a mating pair of lion on Nyala. Gideon from Nyala
also picked up 4 mature lion which he believes may not have been part of the northern pride? This
means that there are at least 11 lion on the reserve at present, possibly more.
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Despite this we still have shareholders who complain that they have not seen any lion during their
visit to the Reserve. Interestingly Mario Cesare’s current Olifants River Game Reserve report
highlights a similar observation from his members who have also bemoaned the fact that they are
not seeing lion on their drives either. As Mario so succinctly points out ”we are part of the bigger
picture and we simply need to be patient”. Mario goes on to report the estimated number of lions
located across the various properties comprising the Balule – an estimated total of 51 lion in prides
of varying sizes spread across the various properties of the Balule. (A Balule ratio of 1:74ha versus
1:406ha on MGR)
Other interesting sightings included in Mario’s report include a Kori Bustard2 (Ardeotis kori – which is
on the jejane bird list but very rarely spotted on the reserve.) and a pack of thirteen African wild
dogs (Lycaon pictus). Whilst we are seeing very few hyenas on Jejane at present Mario on the other
hand reports that they are seeing more hyena than ever before. Similarly whilst cheetah sightings
are less frequent on Olifants at present the opposite is true on Jejane where cheetah sightings are
reported by our members on a regular basis. Surely this underscores the ability of animals to move
from area to area as conditions change and a good illustration of the benefits of an open system.
Leopard sightings continue to be reported, including a mating pair on the eastern reaches of
Inkonkoni. The female and her two cubs have been seen again, still in the vicinity of Tsakani staff
village. More recently however, Hendrik Joubert photographed them on Amsterdam.
The two young elephant bulls have moved eastwards again and onto Nyala/Inkonkoni. The large
buffalo herd has been concentrating around the large dams on Nthaba. The large elephant bull –
“Aftand” has not returned to the reserve from the Klaserie.
Despite the heavy predator impact, which has become clearly visible while driving around, the game
in general have all done exceptionally well and are in excellent condition. Whilst animal losses
through natural attrition other than predation have been minimal we experienced the sad loss of a
young female rhino calf. She was orphaned when her mother died during pregnancy and became
known as Orphan Annie. Eventually Annie linked up with another cow and her own calf of a similar
age. At first she was accepted, but as she grew and as resources were limited towards the end of a
dry season, her demand for milk became too much for the mother to handle and she was rejected.
Unfortunately she would not leave and every attempt to drink from the cow lead to another
battering. During a recent capture we noticed the calf from the air. As she was clearly in poor
condition she was darted and the decision to try and save her was made. She was transported to
“Wildlife Assignments International” in Hammanskraal, who made every effort to save her.
Unfortunately she died after three days of very special veterinary care.
Less common sightings have included African wild cat, porcupine, civet, genet, and honey badger.
Good news is that two nyala (a pair) were recently sighted on Nyala. We had assumed that our
remaining Nyala had been eliminated by the lion earlier on – so this is really good news.
With the oncoming rainy season, we can expect the migratory bird species to return shortly too.
There have already been reports of the return of Wahlberg’s eagles as well as Woodland kingfishers.
2
The Kori bustard (Gompou in Afrikaans) is said to be the largest flying bird in the world. The Afrikaans name
Gompou apparently derives from its habit of eating Acacia gum.
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The ground hornbill, are still resident but have
been seen visiting as far off as “Off-beat Safaris”
to the North of Vienna.
You may have read in the press that through the
auspices of the WWF, a population of Black or
hooked-lip rhino (Diceros bicornis) are being
relocated into the Balule. The following is an
excerpt of Mario Cesare’s report to the Olifants
shareholders regarding the Black rhino translocation..
The successful introduction of endangered black rhino into Balule Nature Reserve owes a debt of
gratitude to many. Not the least being Jacques Flamand of EWT rhino expansion project, who when
shown around initially, recognised the potential of this area to establish a viable population of black
rhino. To grasp the enormity of this operation as it unfolded one begins to understand why it needed
the collective commitment and enthusiasm of the various regions of Balule, their chairpersons and
wardens to make this happen.
Besides
the
initial
investigation,
assessment, legal documentation and red
tape required, try to imagine the
planning, preparation, expertise and
logistics needed to physically move
nineteen black rhino, each weighing
more than a ton, from one end of the
country to the other - an enormous
undertaking as only four could be moved
at a time. Originally twenty had been
planned for, but tragically during one of
these thirty hour road trips, a bull got his
horn caught on one of the Parks Board
truck‟s crates and died. However, twelve
healthy, fat rhinos have been safely released and we are expecting another seven shortly. Ironically
enough, and as strong as these animals are, they will need to be approached with care in the coming
months. It is evidently clear from the enormity of this responsibility that our work has only just begun.
During this time they will be monitored daily by means of radio telemetry while they settle into their
new home. Sinhle Mathebula, one of our outreach students who we have been assisting for a number
of years now has been employed to help with this. He has experience in tracking large animals with
telemetric equipment, having worked on the „Save the Elephant‟ project in Timbavati. Sinhle has also
done meaningful research on Red Billed Oxpeckers. He will be covering this interesting aspect of
monitoring the rhino south of the river at this stage.
Furthermore, in light of our increased commitment to the safety and security of our reserve,
particularly in light of the recent attempted poaching of our rhino, the Board of ORGR has approved
a significant upgrading of our security and anti poaching force, this to commence as of the 1st
November.
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The second rhino being released. Timing is critical, releasing too soon after the M99 has been
administered and it can pull fifteen men… wait too long and it goes down in the crate. Jacques would
err on the former as a couple of us that were dragged around on our bellies can attest to..
Image E. Borcherds.
Release sites within Balule were mainly determined by the distance away from a temporary electric
fence and the railway line, the further away the better. Proximity to water was a secondary
consideration. Notwithstanding where they were released however, some of the rhino have moved far
from the sites, while others have remained relatively close. A cow and her three year old calf crossed
the river from the north and are now on Dinidza, a distance of about twelve km in one day! All this
will balance out when they begin to settle. Six rhino were released north of the river and the
remaining eleven will be released south of the Olifants. Despite where we as humans determine what
an ideal spot is, I have absolutely no doubt the rhino will move to where the habitat suits their needs
best, and where they are the least disturbed. I am also confident that the black rhino project will
prove to be as successful as ORGR‟S white rhino introduction has been.
As implied in Mario’s report, a low two strand electric fence is being erected along the entire length
of the railway line to restrict movement of the Black rhino to the west of the tracks for the first three
months, after which it will be removed and which in turn will eventually allow them access into our
area.
Security surrounding the rhino population will be intense. Transponders and tracking devices are
being fitted around their ankles and fitted into their horns. WWF have insisted that the rhino are
intensively monitored round the clock daily during the first three months and that we will continue
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to monitor them regularly in the future. Each morning Melodie Ahlers who is head co-ordinator of
the monitoring programme receives GPRS feedback giving the co-ordinates of each and every rhino.
This information is then sent to the wardens of each region. The wardens then use the co-ordinates
and UHF radio transceivers to physically locate, monitor and observe that the rhinos are in a healthy
state. The intensive monitoring will continue as the rhino move into the various regions.
Understandably the transceiver frequencies are only made available to the regional wardens and
their monitors for security reasons, and certainly not to lodge operators, field guides, landowners,
shareholders and staff members. Regional wardens will be radio linked to each other on a
continuous basis, they will be part of a larger reaction group and will have decals fixed to the roofs
of their vehicles to identify themselves to air support and aerial monitoring.
Certain regional wardens have gone for telemetry training and have acquired land to air two-way
radios in order to co-ordinate the air support and the ground units. Field rangers will be equipped
with full anti-poaching kits and will be armed. The purpose of the Field Rangers is to provide security
through patrols, observation points, listening points, etc. They would act as the eyes on the ground
and would trigger the alarm for any transgression that they may encounter during patrol. The
various security groups, including Quemic, ProTrack, the BATTS (air support group), 32 Battalion (the
RECCES), SAP, Farm-Watch and the SAF are available to react and will then be called in to pursue the
intruders. The field rangers will act as guides using their local knowledge and will even be used to
track in certain circumstance, but they will be accompanied by security personal who would act as (i)
a body guard and (ii) an arresting officer. Additionally an application is being made for all regional
wardens to gain licences to possess a FN or LM-5 semi-automatic weapon.
Field rangers have received and will continue to receive training, including all aspects of ground work
such as discipline, drilling, orientation to equipment, maintenance of equipment,
camouflage/concealment, man-tracking, setting up observation posts, listening posts and hides,
patrol formations, navigation using GPS, maps and a compass, cover against fire and most
importantly, how to secure and protect a crime scene such as a poached rhino, so that evidence can
be collected by the investigating team. Field rangers will also react to burglaries, theft or any other
security issues, including poaching other than rhino and elephant.
Closer to home, the Mohlabetsi Region is currently reviewing the whole situation regarding the
employment of dedicated and trained field rangers for our specific region.
Clearly conservation agencies such as ourselves are fighting a war for the survival of our endangered
species. The stakes are high and there is no room for complacency. The Balule, WWF, the APNR and
the Kruger National Park are expecting us to play our part in protecting our wildlife against this new
scourge, but we are certainly not alone. There are a number of key players who have become
involved and who are prepared to back one another up. Both security companies, Quemic and
Protrack are actively involved, 32 battalion (RECCES) can be called out at any time, the BATTS have
been formed and consist of a group of pilots dedicated to the cause and who are prepared to offer
air support at any time, the SAPS to assists with arrests and handling of cases, the South African Air
force to supply air support, Plaas-wag/Farm Watch which is a community/farming emergency group
with their own emergency channel, which all the farmers including ourselves are linked to and which
I must add, are doing a fantastic job and the “Rhino Revolution” group. Then there is the Balule
Reserve force made up of the Balule regional wardens and their field rangers to call upon at any time
as well as our neighbours.
In line with the acceptance of our application to join the Balule I have been actively involved in
meetings of the regional wardens of the Balule. With our inclusion there will be 9 autonomous
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regions within the Balule and they are: Mohlabetsi Game Reserve (Glen Thomson), Olifants River
Game Reserve (Mario Cesare), Parsons (Cornell Vermaak), Olifants North (Joe Pearson), York (Riaan
Ahlers), Grietjie (Pieter Pietersen), Oryx/Struwig (Frikkie Kotze), Balule West (Craig Spencer) and
Craig Ferguson as Head warden representing York and Miles Japhet’s property,
It is exciting to know that we are about to become part of a bigger picture and that we will be
offered assistance by such a large support group, but we also need to realise that we also constitute
part of that support group and that we need to participate to the full extent, because someone else
next door is also relying on us. I realise too that we will have to play catch-up in terms of fitting into
the Balule scheme of things, but I believe that we should and will do our utmost to do so.
FEED BACK FROM OUR MEMBERS
Tersia Windt (Site 12 and our very
newest member) sent me the
following excellent photograph of a
Red-crested Korhaan (Lophotis
ruficrista 237) or Boskorhaan in
Afrikaans, displaying its mating
plumage.
The korhaan’s red crest is only
displayed during the mating
process. Many visitors have asked
me why the name “red-crested”
when there is no red crest visible?
Well now you have photographic
evidence to support the name.
Warwick Tarboton 3 comments:
“What the korhaan lacks in
appearance is compensated for by
the male’s robust whistling call
repeated many times and gradually
ascending the scale and his
extraordinary aerial display. His
whistling call may be heard
throughout the year but is most
frequent in summer between
September and February, when the
birds breed. The male calls from a
fixed position which is used
throughout the season and from
one year to the next. Strangely
these call sites do not appear to
3
The Complete Book of Southern African Birds – Ginn, McIlleron & Milstein – Struik Winchester
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have been selected for any reason, for they are not in clearings or on promontories. The whistles are
usually preceded by series of soft tongue-clicks and if approached by a female changes to a lowpitched “hok-hok-hok-hok” which increases in tempo and may lead into normal whistling.The male’s
aerial display is dramatic because it is so unexpected, seldom being preceded or followed by calling.
The bird flies up vertically for about 20 meters, well clear of the tree canopy, then folds its wings and
legs and falls like a fluffy ball almost to the ground before it flattens out.”
Tersia watched the fascinating ritual for some time and commented on the awesome sound the
male makes during his ritual? “He dances around her while stamping his feet, Really spectacular.”
(See photograph above).
Highlight of the weekend’s viewing was the sighting of the beautiful cheetah photographed by Tersia
(below)
A SPECIAL APPEAL
The Jejane Khaluma relies on participation by our shareholders and their visitors by way of reports
on what was seen, interesting observations, fauna or flora queries and photographs. I need the raw
data, as it were, in order to generate a news letter. I cannot produce Jejane Khaluma without your
participation. Please let’s hear from you. Jot down the points in bullet form and I will flesh them out.
Don’t worry about grammar or spelling or worrying about the subject matter – as long as it relates to
nature, Jejane or the area, we are interested in hearing from you. Almost every one owns a digital
camera – download and bang off those interesting photographs to me via email to
vgfthoms@global.co.za. Just make sure that they are not too large. I look forward to hearing from
you.
NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE
Our members regularly spot vultures on Jejane that are fitted with tags on the wings and rings on
their legs. As reported in the July 2009 issue of Jejane Khaluma vultures were tagged at the
Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre in February 2007. The regular sightings from our members are
then fed back to André Botha the Manager at the Birds of Prey Working Group to provide major
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input to their database in the study of vulture movements in Southern Africa and in particular closer
to home in the Lowveld.
The following story covered by Gill Staden in The Livingstone Weekly underscores the value of such
tracking and highlights one of the tragedies involving study material. More importantly it highlights
the incredible distances covered by these magnificent birds of prey.
SATELLITE-TAGGED LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE KILLED IN ZAMBIA
On 24 October 2011 Tom Papp, President of the Milvus Group, received a letter from Zambia, David
Chisala Ngwenyama a researcher who is following our online eagle tracking project and believes that
one of our lesser spotted eagles was killed by locals:
"I am a researcher in Zambia's Bangweulu Swamps and came across a story that I thought may be
related to one of the Lesser Spotted Eagles your organisation is tracking. A few days ago some
villagers in Kawambwa killed an Eagle, which according to the description had 2 rings and a solar
powered satellite transmitter.
Looking at your map, it seems that one of the Eagles from your project was in the area at the time.
Could you please verify if you have lost track of one of the birds? I have attached the story below.
Best regards, David Chisala Ngwenyama, Bangweulu Shoebill Research”
The letter was copied to the local press. Gadgets, which turned out to be a satellite transmitter and
two rings, were believed by locals from Mutoba Village to have magical powers and therefore the
eagle was beaten and burned to death:
“Magic Bird Hacked and Burnt In Kawambwa (By Godfrey Chikumbi in Kawambwa)
An eagle believed to be superstitious (sic) was yesterday hacked and burnt to ashes in Kawambwa
after it failed to fly for safety. In what is believed to be a bizarre incident, a group of people from
Mutoba village located 25 kilometers away from Kawambwa boma yesterday morning found what
was believed to be a magic bird in the nearby bush.
Narrating the ordeal to tumfweko.com village headman Mutoba said the bird fell from a tree that was
being cut. He said when the bird fell down it lost strength and became so weak that it failed to make a
flight as it was decorated with ornaments of different kind. The headman said the creature had a
metallic silver ring on each leg with inscriptions on them saying the right ring had letters „USA‟ with
the left having „1995‟. He said on its chest the bird had a small Television screen with a solar panel
and battery connected to it. The traditional leader added that on the bird‟s back was a small motor
car attached to a motorbike.
Headman Mutoba said when some people started beating the creature with sticks it showed no sign of
losing its life until after 3 hours. He said the creature was later burnt to ashes after hours of watching
it.”
We already suspected something was wrong with Lisa, born in Brasov County on 8th July 2011 and
later fitted with a satellite transmitter. The last GPS co-ordinates were recorded on 15th October.
This was followed by satellite broadcasts on October 18, 21 and 24, after which the transmitter
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became silent and no more messages were sent from her. In a letter sent by David Chisala
Ngwenyama, he explains everything: the location indicated by the coordinate of the last record from
the transmitter, and the described killing and burning at the same place and time ... arising from
religious fanaticism, cruelty and human stupidity – the victim being an eagle.
Here is Lisa:
And, here is Lisa’s 8,535 km journey to her death in northern Zambia (See tracking diagram on the following
page)
Lisa’s 37 day voyage began on September 9, 2011. On 13 September she crossed the Bosporus and
four days later reached Turkey. The Belen Pass on September 17, took between 6-8 hours to cross
and in two days she reached the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. Six days later, on 25th
September, Lisa successfully left the Peninsula and finally succeeded in getting through the Suez
Canal, reaching Africa and the Egyptian Nile Valley. She then travelled undisturbed across Sudan,
Ethiopia and Uganda. On 10th October she crossed the Equator. The last flight co-ordinates were
recorded in Zambia on 15th October, having travelled an incredible 8,535km.
With grateful acknowledgement to Gill Stade – The Livingstone Weekly.
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Most of us are familiar with the procedures followed to
capture and relocate rhino. Invariably the animal is
darted from a helicopter; followed by a ground crew and
veterinary staff where the animal is then treated and,
assisted by many hands, led into a temporary transport
crate for transport across often very rough terrain for
relocation to a more permanent crate which is then lifted
onto a heavy duty transporter and transported to its new
home where the crate is lifted to the ground and the
sedated rhino persuaded to exit onto what will be his/her new home.
The process for the capture and crating of Black rhino for their journey to Balule Game Reserve has
been slightly different as evidenced by the following article published in The New Scientist.
BLACK RHINOS AIRLIFTED BY THEIR ANKLES TO SAFE HAVEN
(From New Scientist Chelsea
Whyte, contributor &Image:
Michael Raimondo ( Green
Renaissance/WWF)
A flying rhinoceros is about
as likely as a flying pig, but
this picture is no
exaggeration.
The
World
Wildlife
Foundation (WWF) airlifted
19 black rhinos out of the
Eastern Cape Province of
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South Africa, moving
them 1500 kilometres
north to the Limpopo
province to put the
rhinos out of range of
poachers.
The rotund animals,
which
can
weigh
between 800 and 1400
kilograms,
were
anesthetised
and
blindfolded
before
being lifted by their
ankles with long straps
connected to a helicopter. After a ten minute flight, the rhinos are transferred to trucks, which
transport them the rest of the journey. This new technique for relocating large animals reduces the
stress on the rhinos and eases transportation through dangerous or uneven areas.
"Previously rhinos were either transported by lorry over very difficult tracks, or airlifted in a net,"
says project leader Jacques Flamand. "This new procedure is gentler on the darted rhino because it
shortens the time it has to be kept asleep with drugs, the respiration is not as compromised as it can
be in a net and it avoids the need for travel in a crate over terrible tracks."
This group of 19 rhinos is the seventh population that WWF's Black Rhino Range Expansion Project
has relocated. There are only 4500 members of the species left globally.
(With acknowledgement and thanks to Gill Staden – The Livingstone Weekly)
On the one hand we have conservationists who are absolutely dedicated to doing everything in their
power to help save our planet from destruction often putting their own welfare on the line to do so.
Their efforts to save rhino from extinction is a current case in point. On the other hand we have
seriously misguided populations hell bent on destroying the environment as fast as they can in order
to satisfy a misguided sense of self preservation and well being. This is illustrated by the following
news items.
TOKAY GECKO TRADE BOOMS
IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA (POSTED: 17
NOV 2011)
The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) is a
nocturnal Asian lizard growing up to 40 cm
in length and easily identified by its orangespotted, blue-grey skin and unmistakable
vocalizations. The animals are popular in
the global pet trade and have long been
traded—both legally and illegally—for use
in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the
belief they can cure various maladies including diabetes, asthma, skin disease and cancer. In parts of
Asia, Tokay wine or whisky is consumed to increase strength and energy.
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Between 1998 and 2002, more than eight and a half tonnes of dried Tokay Geckos were legally
imported into the USA for use in traditional medicine. Huge numbers are traded within Asia, from
countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, to meet demand, especially in China. Recently, however,
the medicinal demand for Tokay Geckos has skyrocketed, with dozens of new websites in Malaysia, a
major hub of the trade, dedicated to buying and selling Tokay Geckos. Messages have been
circulating in online blogs, forums, newspaper articles, classified advertisements and amongst
wildlife dealers in the region, extolling the consumption of Tokay Gecko tongue and internal organs
as a cure for HIV and even cancer.
The geckos are being sourced across South-East Asia, especially the Philippines, where authorities
have launched a crackdown on Tokay Gecko buyers amid growing reports of illegal trade in the
animals. One couple was recently arrested attempting to smuggle Tokay Geckos worth close to a
million dollars from Thailand to Malaysia. Indonesia exports an estimated 1.2 million dried Tokay
Geckos from Java each year—the official export quota is 45,000 live animals, intended for the pet
trade.
Two weeks ago, Customs officers in Central Java foiled an attempt to smuggle 6.7 tonnes of dried
[Can you just imagine how many Geckos there are in 6.7 tonnes? Jim] Tokay Geckos bound for Hong Kong
and China using expired permits. Unsurprisingly there are anecdotal reports of major Tokay Gecko
population declines in Java and this picture is likely to be mirrored elsewhere.
I can’t help but wonder what next when rhino and geckos have been plundered into extinction to satisfy
these crazy beliefs? What will change the mind-set of these people other than draconian penalties? Yet
another news report from Europe which makes the blood curdle. Imagine a world without bird song or birds?
HUNGARIAN POLICE SEIZE THOUSANDS OF DEAD SONGBIRDS
(NOVEMBER 9, 2011)
Border Police in Hungary seized around 10,000 dead songbirds from a Romanian truck near Szeged,
close to the border with Romania on 5th November, according to MTI, the Hungarian News Agency.
The officials became suspicious after noticing some boxes within the refrigerated consignment
appeared different to those containing meat and sausage products. Upon opening them, they
discovered thousands of songbirds that appeared to have been recently shot.
The majority were Eurasian Skylarks Alauda arvensis, but the haul also included Calandra Larks
Melanocorypha calandra, Red-throated Pipits Anthus cervinus, Bluethroats Luscinia svecica,
European Goldfinches Carduelis Carduelis, Fieldfares Turdus pilaris, Mistle Thrushes Turdus
viscivorus, Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus and White Wagtails Motacilla alba.
The driver was arrested and has already been prosecuted under a fast-track procedure and now faces
10-months imprisonment.
In 2008, TRAFFIC highlighted the illegal trade in wild birds at a meeting of European Union (EU)
government agencies involved in regulating wildlife trade in the region. According to research
published then by TRAFFIC, hundreds of thousands of wild birds were being illegally killed by highly
P a g e | 15
organized criminals in South-east and Central Europe who smuggled the carcasses to northern Italy
to be sold as a delicacy in restaurants.
The majority of bird species illegally hunted in Europe are songbirds, such as finches, warblers, pipits
and buntings, which are protected under international treaties, EU and national legislation,
particularly the EU’s Birds Directive.
A leaflet distributed by TRAFFIC (PDF, 600 KB) in 2008 demonstrated how illegal hunting in the
European Union had shifted from Hungary to Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, but also
occurs in countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Albania and Croatia. The main transit countries are Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary, from where the
birds are exported to Italy.
With acknowledgement to: http://focusingonwildlife.com
Reports such as these fill one with dread for the future of our planet and its wildlife. What heritage
are we leaving for our grandchildren and their grandchildren? We certainly owe our conservationists
a debt of gratitude and our wholehearted support in their efforts on our behalf.
SHARES FOR SALE
2 Prime undeveloped sites available on Jejane. – Enquiries to Gerrie Griffioen (083 648 3339)
Developed site (Site 20) with house under thatch – Enquiries to Trevor Wagner (083 450 7788)
20% Syndicate share available in developed site (#27) – Enquiries to Mike Bridgeford (083 266 7634)
20% Syndicate share available in developed site (#26) – Enquiries to Roy Impey (082 417 6586)
20% Syndicate share available in developed site (#16) – Enquiries Rod Hemphill (082 412 0690)
33.4% Syndicate share available in developed site (#20) – Enquiries Tony Poriazis (082 490 0007)
Jejane Khaluma is a private newsletter edited and distributed on a voluntary basis and without charge to members and friends
of Jejane Private Nature Reserve and for those who may be interested in environmental issues. Opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the editor, or the Directors and Management of Jejane Private Nature Reserve.The Editor reserves the
right to shorten any articles submitted for publicqation. Whilst every care is taken in the preparation of this newsletter, no
responsibility is accepted for errors. Compiled and produced by: Jim Thomson Email: vgfthoms@global.co.za . The Jejane
Khaluma archive of previous issues is also available on www.jejane.co.za