Issue 8 The Africa Edition May-June 2018 · were arrested on suspicion of being part of a syndicate involved in the illegal poaching and trade of abalone. Investigations in both instances

Conservation Matters - Issue 8: The African Edition 1

Issue 8The Africa Edition

May-June 2018

Giving Africa’s carnivores room to move

Africa – a continent of hope

The problem with poison

Emerging farmers: challenges and the impacts on conservation – a drylands perspective

FEATURES

Conservation Matters - Issue 8: The African Edition1

Physical Address: Building K2, Ardeer Road, Pinelands Office Park,Modderfontein 1609, Gauteng, South Africa, Postal Address: Private Bag X 11, Modderfontein 1645, Gauteng, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 11 372 3600 Fax: +27 (0) 11 608 4682 NPO

A word from the CEO 2

Noticeboard• Environmental days 3• Events 3

Guest contribution• The ICF/EWT Partnership for African cranes – a collective commitment to conservation 4

Showcasing our supporters: The End 5

Features• Giving Africa’s carnivores room to move 6• Africa – a continent of hope 8• The problem with poison 9• Aliens in Africa 11• Emerging farmers: challenges and the impacts on conservation – a drylands perspective 12

Tails from the field• Giving cranes a voice 14• Suspended sentence for Sungazer traders 15• Jessie’s mission 16• Protecting the protected: changing driver behaviour in protected areas 17• Community commitment leads to effective conservation 19• New publication creates possibilities for Oribi relocation and species resilience 19• For the love of Sungazers – a walk in the grasslands on Valentine’s Day 19

Showcasing our supporters: Ford Wildlife Foundation 20

Green heroes• Fighting for our rhinos 21

Walking the talk• Saving energy and water to save the planet 22

Science snippets• Positive landowner attitudes provide safe zones for Cheetahs outside of the Kruger National Park 22• Citizen scientists contribute reliable data to roadkill research in South Africa 23

Wildlife fact file• Cape Mountain Zebra 23• Aardwolf• Blue Swallow

Showcasing our supporters: Wildlife Campus 24

Subscribe to Conservation Matters today! 25

Meet the pack 27

Supporters’ corner• Leaving a legacy 30• Giving made easy

eShop 31

Pups’ place 32

In closing: Mwitu’s missive 33


A word from the CEOWildlife crime is not a wildlife issue. It is not a conservation issue. It is a criminal issue. It is crime through and through, and the perpetrators are criminals through and through. Criminals are opportunists and they follow the money. They have no regard for the rule of law, for those that suffer the consequences of their actions, or for the moral code that underpins the common good or the spirit of Ubuntu. For a long time conservationists bemoaned with frustration the relegation of wildlife crimes to conservation organisations and authorities to address, whose training, passion and skills lie in understanding and managing ecosystem, species and the human interface with both. To expect these same rangers, biologists, guides and ecologists to become the frontline barrier against highly organised, armed forces of poaching gangs, international crime bosses and corrupt officials is simply irrational and unfair.

In recent years, the involvement of ‘specialists’ in the crime fighting world, to address the scourge of wildlife crime has increased, and we have seen the police, criminal analysts, customs officials and even the defence force rally to stamp out escalating crimes against our wild animals. It was with a sense of relief that we saw the very serious nature of this criminal conduct being taken seriously by crime fighting bodies in other government departments and budgets being spent on securing convictions. How distressing then to hear about the alleged involvement of some government officials, in the highest positions, in the illicit wildlife trade chain.

On Sunday, 25 March 2018, it was reported that former South African President Jacob Zuma is being investigated by the Hawks for allegedly accepting a R1 million cash bribe from a Western Cape abalone dealer in exchange for keeping Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Senzeni Zokwana in his Cabinet during the reshuffle after the 2016 local elections. Earlier this month, nine Fisheries department officials were arrested on suspicion of being part of a syndicate involved in the illegal poaching and trade of abalone. Investigations in both instances are ongoing,

but point to alleged involvement at the highest level in this illicit trade. Abalone is the world’s most valuable shellfish, and poaching of wild abalone is rampant. This activity threatens to drive the species to extinction.

These allegations against former President Jacob Zuma come hot on the heels of claims against Zimbabwe’s former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, who is under investigation by police in that country, where she is said to have headed up a smuggling network which illegally exported tonnes of elephant ivory. She was named as the alleged mastermind of the operation by two suspected poachers who were arrested attempting to sell tusks. It has also been suggested that she utilised the country’s stockpiles of ivory as ‘gifts’ for unnamed officials in the Far East. These allegations are also still under investigation, and no charges have been laid as yet.

The illegal trade in wildlife is one of the gravest threats facing many wildlife species today, and one that conservation NGOs such as the EWT are tirelessly fighting to address. This can, however, become a losing battle if corruption and involvement by government officials continue to play a role. The EWT calls for stringent investigations into these cases, and should the allegations against former President Zuma and former First Lady Mugabe be found to be true, the sternest judgement should be meted out. The leadership in any country is beholden to uphold all the laws of the land, starting with the Constitution; and their responsibility extends to those that have no voice and who need our greatest protection. When government authorities breach this compact, the impact is severe and consequences should be dire.

Yolan [email protected]


EnviROnmEnTAl DAyS

12 May: World Migratory

Bird Day

8 June: World Oceans Day

22 May: International Day

for Biological Diversity

5 June: World Environment

Day

1 June: Golf and giggles for a good cause – the EWT annual charity golf day at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Course is sold out, but sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Frank on [email protected] for more information

12 June: Country Club Johannesburg Talk – Creating safe space for Cheetahs (David Marneweck)

22 June: EWTea and Talk at Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens – Protecting the protected: Changing driver behaviour in protected areas (Wendy Collinson-Jonker)

World Ocean Day8 JUNE

nOTiCEBOARD

EWT EvEnTS


GUEST COnTRiBUTiOnThe ICF/EWT Partnership for African cranes – a collective commitment to conservationRichard Beilfuss, President & CEO, International Crane [email protected]

The International Crane Foundation (ICF) works worldwide to conserve threatened crane species and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. ICF supports conservation efforts on five continents and in more than 50 countries, and much of this work is accomplished through partnerships with government agencies, universities, local communities, and diverse NGOs. Across this global array of people, programmes, and projects, no partnership is more successful – or more important to the future of Africa’s threatened cranes –- than the ICF/EWT Partnership for African Cranes.

The common histories of our two organisations is striking. Drs George Archibald and Ron Sauey founded the International Crane Foundation in 1973, the same year Clive Walker, James Clarke and Neville Anderson founded the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Many EWT staff have studied at our foundation headquarters in Wisconsin, USA, immersing in our captive rearing, education, research, and conservation programmes, and many ICF staff, directors, and supporters have visited EWT field sites in South Africa. In 1993, we co-hosted the first African Cranes and Wetlands Workshop in Maun, Botswana, attended by more than 90 craniacs from 19 countries across Africa—significantly, the first fully pan-African wildlife conservation meeting following the deconstruction of apartheid. ICF and the EWT subsequently collaborated on a wide range of projects and initiatives across Africa. In 2000, this innovative work was awarded the coveted Rolex Award for Enterprise through Lindy Rodwell of the EWT. In 2005, we joined in formal partnership for our entire Africa programme, with joint staffing, fundraising, and strategic imperatives. At that time, I handed over my role as ICF’s Africa Program Director to Kerryn Morrison, who has adeptly lead the ICF-EWT Partnership for African Cranes since

that time as a joint employee of both organisations. Building from the strength of this core partnership, we engage local and regional partners everywhere we work—from global NGOs like WWF, BirdLife International, Conservation International, and Wetlands International, to outstanding local NGOs such as Nature Uganda, Rwanda’s Kitabi College for Conservation and Environmental Management, BirdWatch Zambia, and the Kipsaina Cranes and Wetlands Conservation Group and CANCO (Conservation Action for Nature Conservation) in Kenya.

Our collective commitment to crane conservation in Africa runs deep. The wetlands and savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa support six of the world’s fifteen species of cranes, including resident Grey Crowned, Black Crowned, Wattled, and Blue Cranes, and wintering Demoiselle and Eurasian Cranes. African cranes face many threats fuelled by rapid population growth and extreme poverty in the region. Endangered Grey Crowned Cranes, for example, are in serious decline due to capture for illegal trade, compounded by loss of vital wetlands in the agricultural landscapes of East and Southern Africa, while Vulnerable Wattled Cranes are at risk from large dams and floodplain degradation.

Our innovative conservation programmes employ diverse strategies for saving these threatened cranes and some of the most important wetlands and grasslands on the Africa continent. Grey Crowned, Black Crowned, and South African Wattled Cranes serve as powerful flagship species for securing wetlands and their biodiversity in agricultural landscapes across their range. Wattled Cranes also serve as a key indicator species for the adaptive management and sustainable development of large floodplain systems that sustain many other rare and threatened mammal and bird species, abundant waterbirds, and local people who depend on naturally-functioning floodplains. Blue Cranes, the National Bird of South Africa, are flagships for grassland conservation, and – increasingly – draw our attention to concerns about climate change and adaptation.

Over the next decade, our top priority is to secure stable populations of the three core populations of the Grey Crowned Crane in East Africa where they are most acutely in serious decline, and to sustain the increase in their one core breeding population in South Africa. Because Grey Crowned Cranes occur predominantly on small wetlands


in agricultural landscapes outside of protected areas, our conservation efforts are strongly focused on local communities who draw their livelihoods from these same landscapes. Through our regional office in Kampala, we support pilot projects that focus on conservation-friendly livelihood development in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.

Another high priority for our partnership is to secure stable populations of Wattled Cranes on the six vital breeding grounds in southern Africa that sustain 80% of the global population for the species. This includes the Kafue Flats, Bangweulu Swamps, and Liuwa Plain in Zambia, the Okavango Delta of Botswana, the Zambezi Delta of Mozambique, and Drakensberg Midlands in South Africa. Currently we are making our biggest investment in the Kafue Flats, where we focus on the eradication of the invasive shrub Mimosa pigra that covers much of the floodplain, the restoration of natural flooding conditions through more holistic dam management practices, and strengthening institutional support for the park.

In the coming years, we will be increasing our focus on reversing the decline for Black Crowned Cranes in West and Central Africa, by securing stable populations at key breeding sites in Senegal, Chad, Ethiopia, and elsewhere where conservation efforts are possible. We also will continue our efforts to secure the Blue Crane in South Africa, by reducing the impact of power lines, habitat conversion, and extractive mining on their population strongholds in the Western Cape, Karoo, and eastern grasslands.

Perhaps the most exciting work of the ICF/EWT Partnership lies in how we are scaling up our successes from individual pilot projects to positively influence decision-making at the national, regional, and continental levels. This includes working with industry to improve environmental practices, engaging with dam operators and water authorities to rethink water management, collaborating with governments to strengthen and enforce conservation policies, and empowering and incorporating local communities and stakeholders into conservation action.

The International Crane Foundation and the Endangered Wildlife Trust are jointly committed to a future where all six of Africa’s crane species are secure. Through the charisma of cranes, we will work together to protect and restore wild crane populations and the landscapes they depend on—and by doing so, find new pathways to sustain our water, land, and livelihoods.

ShOWCASinG OUR SUppORTERSThe EndPeter Matthews is a recognised South African artist and photographer, and has exhibited his work both in South Africa and internationally. He was compelled to produce The End, a charcoal wildlife series that highlights the plight of some of the most endangered species in the world - wildlife on the point of extinction, with man ultimately being responsible as the cause. Now he is donating 50% of the proceeds from the sale of these artworks to the EWT. Visit https://www.petermatthews.art/the-end to see more, and use the promo code EWT on any orders placed to secure this donation.


FEATURESGiving Africa’s carnivores room to moveDavid Marneweck, Manager, Carnivore Conservation [email protected]

Large carnivores, such as Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, and Wild Dogs, are iconic emblems of the African bush, yet many of them run the risk of being lost forever if action is not taken to save them.

They typically occur in low densities and are keystone species in the ecosystems they inhabit, where they regulate and maintain ecosystems. As a keystone species, large carnivores play a disproportionately greater role in their ecosystems than would be expected by their numbers. As such, local extinctions of carnivores can lead to imbalances within entire ecosystems. For example, without carnivores, prey species increase, putting greater pressure on plants, reducing vegetation cover, ultimately altering nutrient cycles. This can lead to a reduction in ecosystem services, such as food security, with the potential to negatively affect the people who rely on them. It is therefore important to recover carnivores in areas where they have become locally extinct. But how do conservationists restore carnivore populations? One answer is through reintroductions.

According to the IUCN Guidelines, reintroductions or conservation translocations are the deliberate movement of organisms from one site into release in another. A fundamental aspect of this is that these reintroductions must yield a measurable conservation benefit at the level of a population, species, or ecosystem. The ideal reintroduction consists of moving individuals into an area where the species once occurred (i.e. it’s indigenous/historical range). Moreover, translocations should only occur after rigorous feasibility assessments are conducted that include balancing the conservation benefits against the costs and risks. If the risk is high, or outcomes uncertain, translocations should not proceed. The whole translocation process needs to be intensively

managed and implemented following rigorous project design including baseline information on threats and the goals of such translocations. Carnivores are the most commonly reintroduced animals because their low densities make them susceptible to local extinction, and their restoration both re-establishes ecosystem functioning and increases financial benefits through ecotourism.

For carnivores, reintroductions involve translocating groups (such as African Wild Dogs and Lions) or individuals (Cheetahs and Leopards) to historical ranges where they have been previously wiped out. A great deal of conservation effort at a regional level is placed on co-existence between people and carnivores but in many situations, one bad experience for a single person can lead to retaliatory killings of animals. This can result in the extermination of groups of carnivores, and due to their low densities, recovery can be slow. Added to this, if barriers to natural colonisation are largely affected by human presence, then how do we envisage safe natural movement and colonisation of carnivores from one safe area to another? In fact, carnivores are most often unable to recolonise historical areas naturally due to habitat fragmentation, intense threats between safe areas, and low tolerance for their very existence. In today’s human-populated landscape, reintroductions have become a vital conservation tool, as they ultimately reduce the threat of extinction and restore ecosystem function through moving carnivores from one safe habitat patch to another, effectively superseding the on the ground threats that plague the areas between safe patches. Through reintroductions, we can turn recoverable range into resident range and expand the current distribution of Endangered


species. A further critical function of reintroductions is improved genetic diversity. As humans continue to fragment the landscape, we isolate populations and restrict natural gene flow, increasing the likelihood of inbreeding. Reintroductions are essential in mediating this loss of diversity and stopping inbreeding by moving animals across areas they could not naturally move themselves.

In southern Africa, one of the key results is Cheetah and Wild Dog range is expanded in southern Africa through reintroductions to appropriate recoverable range. Therefore, reintroductions are a viable and widely accepted pragmatic tool for the conservation of these two highly threatened carnivores. Within South Africa, the EWT has been a leader in the successful reintroductions of Endangered Wild Dogs (since 1998) and Vulnerable Cheetahs (since 2011). Both of these large carnivores were wiped out from over 90% of their historic range in South Africa. There is a proliferation of small, fenced and geographically isolated ‘patches’ of land in the form of game reserves/National Parks in South Africa that amount to almost 1.5million ha (three quarters of the size of the Kruger National Park), providing the opportunity for open and safe space for large carnivores. We have reintroduced Cheetahs and Wild Dogs into these spaces, through extensive feasibility assessments, selecting founder animals, implementing ethical translocations, and managing these populations post-release on a day-to-day basis. We have also ensured the demographic and genetic integrity of these populations, by managing these patches collectively as one single large population (i.e. the managed metapopulation). Through this approach of human-mediated gene flow, we have increased the resident range of Wild Dogs in South Africa by 30% and increased their numbers by 100%. With Cheetahs, we have increased their resident range by 33%, and increased their numbers by 50%. Therefore, the reintroduction of these carnivores has significant positive impacts on these species in South Africa. Because of this approach, and conducting coordinated reintroductions across the country over multiple generations, this has ensured measurable and positive impact for two of Africa’s most threatened carnivores.

New dogs on the block With an ever-increasing human population, in particular across the African continent, protected areas are under increasing threat and face contraction. Connectivity between these areas is also under increased threat, where tolerance and coexistence for these carnivores is low. In some areas of Africa, such as Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, restoring functional diversity is a key objective and large carnivores are a part of healthy and functioning ecosystems. Gorongosa National Park and the EWT have been working together to coordinate the first ever Wild Dog reintroduction in Mozambique’s history. The object is to finally restore southern Africa’s most endangered carnivore to this park where it has been absent since 1977. Threats have been reduced. The space is there. The tools are known. The experienced personnel are in place. The Wild Dogs from South Africa are available. This is an incredible opportunity to have a positive impact on this species, in Gorongosa, Mozambique, and across the larger region of southern Africa.


Africa – a continent of hopeKerryn Morrison, Senior Manager: Africa, ICF/EWT [email protected]

Africa is a magical continent, in many ways dark and mysterious and in others vibrant and engaging. Although her wildlife and incredible landscapes are what draw people from across the globe to her shores, it is the sense of place and belonging that develops within people’s hearts when here that ignites in them a sense of wonder and appreciation, and a deep desire to return to get to know her better. For all of us that call Africa home, these feelings are deep rooted and are an inherent part of who we are. It is therefore no surprise that conservation efforts in Africa contribute significantly to maintaining the sense of place and wonder that its wildlife and landscapes form the basis of. The African Crane Conservation Programme (ACCP), a partnership between the International Crane Foundation and the Endangered Wildlife Trust focuses on cranes, the wetlands and catchments that they depend upon, and the communities and stakeholders that are the custodians of these habitats.

Cranes are charismatic, well-recognised and in some instances, highly revered symbols of Africa’s grasslands and wetlands. They are dependent on wetlands at least to some degree for nesting, foraging and roosting; it is these same wetlands that local communities too depend upon for their daily livelihoods. Cranes are therefore fantastic flagships for conservation efforts that incorporate community involvement in securing our wetlands and catchments. However, Africa’s wetlands are under severe threat and increasing pressure. The threatened status of all four of Africa’s resident crane species (namely the Endangered Grey Crowned and Vulnerable Wattled, Black Crowned and Blue cranes), is a key indicator of this threat.

Africa is challenged by the essential need to maintain and improve the well-being of a growing human population, estimated at 1.2 billion people in 2016. This has resulted in two key challenges for our wetlands and the surrounding catchments. The first is the rapid and significant expansion of small scale and commercial livestock and cropland agriculture that encroaches into and places an increasing pressure on our wetlands. The second is the drive for electrification that underpins economic development and growth. Poor planning and consideration of environmental concerns from the extractive industries driving electrification are a significant threat to our wildlife and habitats. This includes coal mining, gas extraction and the extraction of peat from wetlands that is then dried and burnt as a means of producing power. Both of these development pressures will continue into the future, and although improve human well-being and the economics of a region, are also placing incredible pressure on and threatening the water resources and the ecosystem functions that wetlands provide. There is therefore an urgent need to find the sustainable nexus between human well-being, economic development, and environmental considerations.

The rapid loss of natural habitat to agriculture is clearly evident in East Africa. On my early trips to the region, I assumed that the agricultural landscape was one that had been in place for over a century at least, but most likely over several centuries. I was amazed to learn though that the complete (in some instances almost 100%) transformation of forested areas to agriculture had happened since the 1960s or even more recently in some areas. This rate of transformation does not leave much room for species, including man, to adapt to a changing climate and environmental changes over generations.

In south-western Uganda, landslides that result in the demolition of homesteads and farmlands, and human fatalities,

are becoming common place due to the changing rainfall patterns and a landscape that is now devoid of any natural

vegetation to bind the slopes and facilitate the slow infiltration of rainwater.


People are only now starting to realise the impact of their activities on the landscape in which they reside. In south-western Uganda, landslides that result in the demolition of homesteads and farmlands, and human fatalities, are becoming common place due to the changing rainfall patterns and a landscape that is now devoid of any natural vegetation to bind the slopes and facilitate the slow infiltration of rainwater. Across Africa, we are seeing similar patterns of low community resilience to changes in the environment, landscape use or climate. Conservation is therefore moving significantly to a more people-centered approach. Without resilient communities that can ensure the well-being of their families, and that can cope with a changing environment, conservation efforts on working landscapes, outside of protected areas, will not be sustainable over the long term. It is in this area therefore that we are seeing more and more Water, Health and Sanitation, Human Population and Health, Environment and Sustainable Agriculture, and other similar projects arising across Africa. This is now a direction too that the ACCP is moving in, especially across the human-dominated agricultural landscapes that our Grey Crowned Cranes inhabit in East Africa. In the 1990s, Grey Crowned Cranes were considered the most common of Africa’s crane species, with little threat of them ever declining. However, they are now considered Endangered and are the fastest declining crane species in the world, as they struggle to adapt to the rapidly changing landscapes and increasing human disturbances that now consume their range. However, we believe that people and cranes can co-exist; we need to just find the balance, restore critical habitats and ensure that communities are resilient in a changing world, reducing their need for unsustainable practices.

None of this though is possible without government support and collaboration. Yes, governments in Africa have a bad name for corruption, apathy and lack of skill capacity and funding. However, the ACCP has found and is working with some amazing people within government departments across Africa. By exploring opportunities and action that adds value to the national agendas, which ultimately feed into the international conservation and development agendas, effective collaboration can happen.

Africa has many challenges for conservation to overcome. However, it is also an exciting time to be paving the way forward in an incredibly fast changing and demanding world. It is why we need ambitious strategies and to open our minds to new approaches that solve both todays and tomorrow’s problems that have not yet even become known.

Thanks to Bob and Mary Dohmen for their ongoing and significant contribution to the African Crane Conservation Programme.

The problem with poisonAndre Botha, Special Projects [email protected]

The recent mass poisoning of over 100 Critically Endangered vultures in southern Mozambique received global media coverage, as people reacted with horror and outrage at the unnecessary and tragic loss of these incredible birds. Yet this was not an isolated incident. Poisoning is fast becoming a conservation crisis in Africa.

In just the first three months of 2018, we have seen at least four major poisoning incidents in Africa, including the above-mentioned tragedy in Mbashene, southern Mozambique, where the carcass of an elephant was laced with poison, resulting in the death of at least 96 African White-backed Vultures and seven Hooded Vultures. While a further 18 living birds were rescued and treated, this was a catastrophic loss of birds from two species that are already perilously close to extinction, and is suspected to be related to ivory poaching and/or belief-based harvesting of parts from the birds. In Tanzania, in mid-February, six lions and 75 vultures were poisoned due to conflict between a livestock owner and predators. In the Maasai Mara, in Kenya, 40 vultures were poisoned in suspected conflict between herdsmen and mammalian

predators. And in Botswana, the remains of seven poisoned vultures were found at the same site where the carcasses of two lions were found buried, also presumed poisoned.

This reflects how widespread the use of poison to kill wildlife is, but also the terrifying impact secondary poisoning has on non-target animals such as vultures, who are far more significantly impacted than the intended target species. As obligate scavengers, vultures are incredibly vulnerable to poisoning, particularly at carcasses that are laced with these lethal substances. In addition to this, their social feeding habits that see hundreds of vultures gathering to feast on carcasses, make them even more vulnerable to mass poisoning fatalities. The breeding biology of vultures, which includes slow reproductive and low breeding success rates, also means that populations impacted by poisoning take a long time to recover or do not recover at all with the continued prevalence of poisoning on the continent.

Poisoning in various forms has been identified as the most significant threat to vultures in the recently adopted CMS Multi-species Conservation Action Plan for African-Eurasian Vultures and forms a major focus of the suggested actions to prevent further declines in the populations of these birds in Africa and elsewhere in the range.

The EWT, working with a wide range of partners in Africa, has been working on combatting the impact of wildlife poisoning for more than 30 years. Most recently, the EWT/Hawk Conservancy Trust/University of Reading partnership, signed in December 2017 and managed by EWT vulture specialist, Andre Botha, has as its main focus the reduction of the impact of poisoning on vultures and other wildlife species in southern Africa and beyond. The partnership conducts Poisoning Intervention Training with conservation and law enforcement staff from a wide range of organisations to enable them to identify, rapidly respond to, properly investigate and decontaminate poisoning incidents when they happen.

An important component of this training is the drafting and promotion of the implementation of appropriate poisoning response strategies for poisoning hotspots. In addition, we identify needs in terms of poisoning response kits and then acquire the funding to source and issue these to sites that have benefitted from the training and planning we facilitated. This provides the basic equipment to people on the ground to conduct proper investigations, collect and store appropriate samples for analysis, and to effectively decontaminate scenes to prevent any further poisoning.

The EWT, in partnership with the Hawk Conservancy Trust and University of Reading, has trained more than 1,300 people in seven African countries in this regard, and has already achieved positive results in reducing the impact of poisoning at a number of incidents. One example of this took place in South Luangwa, Zambia, where Zambia Carnivore Project and Conservation South Luangwa, working with National Parks and Wildlife, were able to successfully intervene during an incident where an elephant was poisoned and died and then scavenged by a pride of 20 lions. Once poisoning was identified, the


poisoning response plan, drafted and agreed upon during the training presented by us, was put into action. Although two lions were lost in the initial stages of the incident, all the others were successfully treated back to full health over a period of about 10 days, and two of the females have subsequently had cubs. At the same time, effective decontamination of the scene and the complete destruction of the elephant carcass prevented the poisoning and loss of any other animals due to the rapid intervention and preparedness of people on the ground.

Although poison response activities will not prevent poisoning from occurring, they form an essential part of wider conservation actions designed to prevent local extinctions of vultures or other vulnerable species. The training does, however, enable preventative action by recipients, due to improved awareness of the prevalence of and legal framework within their country that can assist in the identification and removal of potentially harmful substances from perpetrators before these can be used. Our work also includes a focus on creating awareness of the potential harmful effects to human health when people consume or use poisoned wildlife, which we believe will lead to a reduction in the demand for wildlife products procured by means of poisoning.

Clearly, the ongoing poisoning of vultures has potentially catastrophic ramifications for these birds, with extinction a very real possibility. As we strive to put measures in place to mitigate this risk, the EWT is committed to continuing to engage with stakeholders to provide crucial training on how to recognise and respond to poisoning incidents.

The recent mass poisoning of over 100 Critically Endangered vultures in southern Mozambique received global media

coverage, as people reacted with horror and outrage at the unnecessary and tragic loss of these incredible birds.


Aliens in AfricaGriffin Shanungu, Programme Coordinator: Zambia Crane and Wetlands Conservation Programme, International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust [email protected]

Evidence is accumulating of a general increase or encroachment of woody plants into grasslands and the subsequent conversion of many grassland savannah regions into shrub lands. Encroachment of shrubs in grassland savannahs can lead to a reduction in their grazing carrying capacity thereby affecting wildlife and the sustainability of subsistence and commercial livestock grazing. Shrub encroachment may also have significant consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

The floodplain grasslands of the Kafue Flats in Southern Zambia are a rich mosaic of lush floodplain grasslands and lagoons sustained

by the seasonal floodwaters of the Kafue River. Protected in part by two National Parks (NPs) – Lochinvar and Blue Lagoon – and the Kafue Flats Game Management Area (GMA), the Kafue Flats cover close to 6500kms. They are regarded as an important area in sub-Saharan Africa for the conservation of aquatic and terrestrial birds, including residents, inter-African migrants, and Palearctic migrants, with more than 470 species recorded. The Kafue Flats are important as they provide habitat to the endemic and Endangered Kafue Lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) – a semi-aquatic antelope adapted to living in the seasonally flooded grasslands of the Kafue Flats. Furthermore, the Kafue Flats are important as they host the largest concentration of Wattled Cranes (Bugeranus caranculatus), listed as Vulnerable, in Africa.

Over the last four decades, the large expanses of the floodplain grasslands of the Kafue Flats have experienced significant encroachment of shrubs mainly by the native Sicklebush (Dichrostachys cinerea) and the invasive alien plant, Mimosa pigra, hereafter referred to as mimosa. Mimosa is an aggressive woody plant that is native to South-Central America and has spread in many tropical and sub-tropical wetlands of the world. What started as a small infestation of about 2 ha in the early 1980s has spread rapidly and now covers over 3,000 ha, and is still spreading throughout the floodplains of the Kafue Flats. The spread of mimosa on the Kafue Flats has had negative consequences to biodiversity, in particular taking away valuable habitat for the Kafue Lechwe, Wattled Cranes and the many other species that depend on the floodplain grasslands of the Kafue Flats. Thus, urgent action is needed to reverse the impact of the invasive mimosa shrubs.

The International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust Partnership (ICF/EWT Partnership), World Wide Fund for Nature – Zambia (WWF-Zambia), and Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) – with significant funding from Fondation Segré – have embarked on a three-year project to control the spread of mimosa, restore the floodplain grasslands to productivity and enhance their ability to support important biodiversity of the flats. This project is a large-scale, highly intensive control effort with substantial community involvement that is aimed at reducing the area of cover of mimosa – up to 95% of the current known cover – and is also focused specifically on ensuring that the DNPW has the capacity and commitment to the long-term monitoring and small-scale mimosa eradication efforts needed to retain project gains. The project will employ an integrated approach to invasive plant management using – physical control, safe herbicide application and biological control techniques. We will cut, apply the recommended herbicide, and burn

isolated mimosa patches of up to 200 ha of mimosa on its invasion front to contain and prevent its spread to unaffected areas. Further, approximately 2,400 ha of dense mimosa infestation will be sprayed aerially with participants subsequently cutting and burning the dead mimosa and applying herbicide to regenerated seedlings. This three-year intensive control programme will establish conditions where smaller-scale, sustainable control efforts will be sufficient to maintain mimosa below 5% cover in the future.

This project is being undertaken in close collaboration with the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). The project setup is such that most of the control options are undertaken with the close supervision of the DNPW staff at Lochinvar and Blue Lagoon National Parks. Involving the DNPW strongly from the onset provides an avenue of capacity building in management of invasive species and also provides a strong sense of

ownership of the project by the local authorities. This is important for the long-term sustainability of the project and ensures that project activities are continued long after the project ends.

So far, 150 people from the surrounding local communities have been employed to physically cut mimosa using hand-held tools such as machetes and slashers. The workers cleared the growths of mimosa using a procedure that aimed at removing the plants and reducing the seed bank. Mimosa plants were cut to ground level, using machetes and the cut stems were left dry and later burnt. Burning destroyed the seeds on the soil surface and also triggered seed germination in the soil seed bank below the infesting plants. The remaining parts of the mimosa plants – stumps and roots – were not removed. Once the cut mimosa starts regenerating, the next step will be to apply herbicide to the regenerating mimosa to effectively kill the plant including the rootstock. Herbicides are more effective during active growth of the plants thus it is crucial that spot application of herbicide to regenerating mimosa is undertaken to ensure effective killing of the plant. The total area cleared of mimosa thus far is 417 ha.

The next phase of our project will be to use herbicides on regenerating mimosa and large infestations in order to enhance the efficacy of control operations. The process of introducing biological control agents will also commence during the next phase of the project starting in June 2018. Aside from the control activities, key activities such as a) communication and stakeholder engagement, b) capacity building and c) research and monitoring to document wetland habitat restoration following large-scale invasive species removal will be undertaken.


Emerging farmers: challenges and the impacts on conservation – a drylands perspectiveCobus Theron, Manager, and Bonnie Schumann, Senior Field Officer, Drylands Conservation [email protected] and [email protected]

The EWT’s Drylands Conservation Programme, as part of its Global Environmental Facility’s (GEF 5) Karoo Sustainable Land Management Project, is currently initiating interactions with two groups of emerging farmers in both the Northern and Western Cape. While we cannot capture all of the facets of the very complicated situation we are faced with in the Karoo in one article, we do wish to highlight some pertinent points gleaned from our interactions with these farmers, and emphasise that organisations like the EWT can play a vital role in land reform by facilitating positive outcomes for people and species. As such, the EWT sees land reform as a great opportunity for conservation, provided that we engage emerging farmers in the right manner.

Challenges faced by emerging farmersNone of the farmers we have engaged with have title to the land they work on. Both groups of farmers we work with farm on government or municipal lands, subject to an agreement. From a farming perspective, lack of title effectively results in an inability to borrow money against the land.

It may come as a surprise to the man on the street, but most farmers routinely use loans to finance their farming activities. This is because farms typically do not yield a steady income throughout the year, and farmers essentially need bridge finance from banks who view the land as collateral. No title, no collateral.


From a conservation perspective, the lack of ownership has an even more dramatic impact. Lack of title may at best cause a hesitancy to invest in the maintenance of ecological infrastructure and at worst, may lead to unsustainable practices such as overgrazing. Not owning the farm and not having certainty of tenure means that emerging farmers are unlikely to invest in the farms or to pursue long-term farming practices and goals. Sustainable farming in the Karoo is a long-term game.

In most cases, the number of hectares that each emerging farmer has access to is drastically less than what is considered a commercially viable farm in the Karoo. Typically, grazing capacity in the Karoo is about one head of sheep per six hectares. This means that to turn over R400,000 from the sale of sheep (20% of flock at R2,000 per sheep excluding wool income) you need to own a flock of about 1,000 animals, implying a farm size of approximately 6,000 ha.

Most of the emerging farmers we are working with operate on less than 1,000 ha, with a few having access to up to 3,000 ha. Economically, this means that these farmers can never be much more than small-scale or subsistence farmers, and that they will never earn sufficiently from farming to better their situations or invest in the land.

Small farms in the Karoo result in a vicious cycle where maintenance costs, including fencing and provision of water, outstrip income. The chances of overutilisation of the veld or the likelihood of farmers engaging in exploitative activities such as poaching or sand-mining increases when farming cannot provide enough income.

Another challenge is that farmers have been allocated land without appropriate training, access to networks, or resources. This means that emerging farmers lack skills, which other farmers have received from generational sources, and when they get stuck, they don’t know who to approach for advice. In many cases, emerging farmers have to learn by trial and error, which is costly. Lack of knowledge also means that unsustainable farming suggestions from beneficiaries or outsiders are entertained without full appreciation of the impact on

the environment. This lack of knowledge may have a severe impact on ecosystem services and species. Poor farming practices affect the veld; in turn, this impacts on ecosystem services, which impacts on overall farming productivity. If the cycle is not addressed, farms become, over time, unable to sustain the farming activities or even wildlife occurring on the land.

In addition, due to the inadequate amount of hectares available to each farmer, divergent ideas and farming visions, a major challenge is conflict and lack of cooperation between the emerging farmers themselves. This is a major obstacle, as almost all strategies to improve the situation on these farms requires close cooperation between emerging landowners, particularly those sharing the available land. Lack of a common vision for farming also translates into conservation issues taking a back seat.

The way forwardWhilst the challenges experienced paint a complex picture, emerging farmers also present a great opportunity to expand conservation. Given the direction in which our country is moving, more emerging farmers will be settled on the land and their effective control over land will most likely expand.

In this context and from a conservation point of view, we want to work with emerging landowners and assist them to deal with the challenges they face. This will allow us to be socially responsible while continuing to work for the best interests of habitats and species in South Africa.The situation in which emerging farmers find themselves, also makes them receptive to conservation opportunities. The following is clear from our work:

Thirst for knowledge - emerging farmers we have dealt with are deeply aware of their skills shortages and are desperate for training. Our work with communities has shown that many of the training needs range from essential life skills such as financial literacy to more advanced farm management knowledge.


Conservation organisations can easily address this need though leveraging our networks to connect farmers with trainers. Our assistance here will not only provide immense value, but will also allow us to develop social capital with communities.

Need for support - emerging farmers need support and extension services. In remote areas such as the Northern Cape, agricultural extension services, or for that matter ANY extension services, are a rare commodity. In many cases, conservation organisations can bridge this need or leverage their networks to fill the gap. Many of our interactions show that emerging farmers are wary of outsiders. Extension visits represent opportunities to build trust.

An effective management framework or system also needs to be implemented on farms. Initial interactions with these farmers exposed a lot of uncertainty, lack of management plans and no consideration for conservation or sustainable land management. Proper management plans will take into account conservation priorities on farms while increasing farm productivity. We hope that in time these farmers will allow us to assist them with the development of these plans.

Need to diversify - since most emerging farmers will farm areas that are too small to allow graduation to commercial farm scale, there will be a need to make extra income. This represents unique space where conservation organisations can enter and collaborate to further the green economy by looking at environmentally sustainable opportunities. Farmers and their extended families can pursue these opportunities. This diversification can also provide a sustainable income during severe drought and ensure that resources are not over utilised. We suspect strongly from our interactions in the Karoo during the ongoing drought that diversification on farms is key to more resilient and sustainable farms.

A common vision - currently there are different opinions between emerging farmers on how to manage the farms they control. This disagreement is exacerbated by the challenges described above. As conservationists, we have a responsibility to co-create a common vision that will create more unity among emerging farmers, which will hopefully enhance protection of habitat and wildlife.

The land reform agenda is one of the most important issues facing our country and, by extension, conservation. Civil society role-players such as the EWT and others, must do their bit to ensure a collective outcome that is just, equitable and sustainable.

To ensure that the full agricultural and ecological potential of land reform in the Karoo is realised it is essential that the government and other role players work towards a well-planned and holistic approach.

Our work in these communities is made possible by the Global Environmental Facility thought our local partners, Department of Environmental Affairs, and the United Nations Development Programme.

TAilS FROm ThE FiElDGiving cranes a voiceRudolf Makhanu, Kenya Country Coordinator, ICF/EWT/[email protected],za

Under the African Crane Conservation Programme, the International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Community Action for Nature Conservation, is supporting the implementation of a project aimed at conserving Grey Crowned Cranes and wetlands in Kenya. The species is listed as Endangered in the 2012 IUCN Red Data List, meaning that it is likely to become extinct

if no serious mitigation measures are taken. It is also listed under Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Water birds (AEWA) as a priority species requiring urgent and dedicated conservation measures. Further, it is categorised as a protected species under Kenya’s Wildlife (Conservation and Management) Act, 2013. The population of Grey Crowned Cranes is in decline, estimated at between 10,000 and 12,500 in 2014, down from an estimated 35,000 in 1985 (Morrison, 2015). Despite wetlands occupying only about 3% to 4% of the land surface of Kenya, which is approximately 14,000 km², marked decline in their extent and quality is being experienced.

The history of forums and coalitions in Kenya has been influenced by the political landscape/governance and donor influence. The main motivation remains the need to minimise risks and pool resources. Over time, civil society organisations (CSOs) playing advocacy or watchdog roles with regards the government risk de-registration. At times, policy directives have been instituted that are targeted at suffocating operations of such CSOs in terms of access to finances from external sources.

The rationale for establishing the Kenya Crane Conservation Forum (KCCF) was the realisation that addressing threats to cranes and wetlands in Kenya would require engagement with the government and other role-players at all levels, given that some of the threats are associated with governance. Initiated in July 2017, the KCCF is an informal forum hosted by Community Action for Nature Conservation under the ICF/EWT/CANCO partnership. Its vision is to be a leading forum dealing with crane conservation in the region. Among its objectives are to:

• enhance collective action on issues of mutual interest among actors on Grey Crowned Crane and wetlands conservation through networking partnerships and coalition building;

• influence conducive policy and legislative environment for sustainable conservation of cranes and their habitats through advocacy and capacity building;

• promote research and monitoring to ensure improved access to credible information on cranes and wetlands for assured evidence-based management; contribute to the conservation of Grey Crowned Crane habitats through ecosystem restoration and livelihood support, and

• promote communication, environmental education, public awareness and coordinate efforts among stakeholders on conservation of cranes and their habitats.


Over the eight months that the KCCF has been operational, it has attracted representation of over 30 different stakeholders that consist of government agencies, development partners, the private sector, academia, civil society organisations, media, and the local community. The diversity of the KCCF’s membership has played a key role in realising its objectives. The fact that government-led agencies relating to cranes and wetlands, namely Kenya Wildlife Service, and the National Environment Management Authority, are represented in the KCCF has seen issues raised by local communities within the crane sites being addressed in good time.

The KCCF operates a WhatsApp forum that is instrumental in helping to meet some of the set objectives such as policy advocacy, crane monitoring, resource mobilisation, and communication and awareness creation. Some KCCF members hold strategic responsibilities internationally, which enhances the ability of the forum to influence and contribute to international dialogue on crane and wetlands issues.

Recently, the KCCF, with support from Conservation International, convened a members capacity building workshop, held in Nyahururu, Kenya, that focused on conservation agreements, wetlands ecosystems and crane monitoring, and strengthening KCCF networking including coordination of Crane Conservation Site Groups. Key outputs were enhanced understanding on the concept and practice of conservation agreements and monitoring, a feature on wetlands and crane conservation to be used for media advocacy, and an action plan on implementation of KCCF priority activities that includes fast tracking development of National Single Species Action Plan for Grey Crowned Crane. National Museums of Kenya demonstrated the use of Birdlasser, an application for capturing and disseminating data on bird sightings to serve as a tool for citizen science to help map the distribution of cranes in Kenya.

Suspended sentence for Sungazer tradersBradley Gibbons, Senior Field Officer, Threatened Grassland Species [email protected]

Five men recently appeared in the Magistrate’s Court in Odendaalsrus for being in possession of a Sungazer lizard (Smaug giganteus), and Bradley Gibbons, Threatened Grassland Species Programme Senior Field Officer, attended the case. Sungazers, also known as ‘Ouvolk’ in Afrikaans, are only found in the grasslands of the northern Free State Province, and a small part of southern Mpumalanga. Other than this, they are found nowhere else in the world.

The Sungazer was seized when a warrant officer from the Odendaalsrus Stock Theft Unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS) searched the five accused in connection with another matter. The warrant officer contacted the Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (FS DESTEA) for confirmation of the identification of the Sungazer. The Sungazer measured approximately 34 cm, indicating that it is an adult. Upon questioning, it appeared that the five men intended to sell the animal to a sangoma.


Being in possession of a threatened or protected species without a permit is an offence that can result in a fine or imprisonment. Sungazers have been protected in the Free State since 1969, in accordance with the Nature Conservation Ordinance 8 of 1969. They are classified as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and have further protection under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004) Threatened or Protected Species Act.

The EWT helped with the trial procedures and assisted to create awareness amongst people in court (including the magistrate and the accused) about the issue of poaching. Sungazer posters were given to court authorities and they were instructed to put them up at a notice board within the Odendaalsrus Magistrate Court. The Sungazer was released back into the colony from which it was taken, and the men received a suspended sentence.

The EWT encourages members of the public to make themselves aware which animal or plants are protected by law, and may not be harvested. If you see anyone that you suspect is removing items from the wild, please contact the police officers in your region and they will investigate, or contact the EWT by emailing [email protected].

The EWT is grateful for the assistance from the Department of Justice and Correctional Service, SAPS, Free State’s DESTEA and the National Prosecuting Authority who dealt with this matter.

Jessie’s missionEsther Matthew, Specialist Conservation Officer, Drylands Conservation [email protected]

Jessie the Border Collie is part of the EWT’s Drylands Conservation Programme (DCP) team. She is being trained to locate Critically Endangered Riverine Rabbits in the Karoo. These rabbits occur only in thick riparian vegetation on private farmland. It is an elusive species that is very difficult to locate. Traditionally, testing for the presence of Riverine Rabbits in a given area required up to 20 people. A line was formed by participants and an area systematically “swept” for Riverine Rabbits while participants made a noise.

While this may be a relatively effective method, it does have significant disadvantages. These include high cost, intensive logistical commitment, general disturbance of all species, and slow and tedious coverage of relatively small areas coupled with the risk of not seeing a Riverine Rabbit due to thick vegetation. False identification could also easily take place during foot surveys, due to the fact that volunteers are not experienced enough to accurately identify the species. This situation is amplified as other hares and rabbits (lagomorphs) overlap Riverine Rabbit distribution.

To overcome these difficulties, we developed Jessie’s training in a scientific manner, without any visual aids or cues. A double blind set up is used during training, where the handler does not know where the target is hidden. This type of set up is used to prevent the dog from getting subconscious cues or hints from the handler. Unfortunately, the only Riverine Rabbit scent we have to train Jessie with is scent from road kill. Therefore, her training is conducted in phases to stretch the use of our limited scents.


She has completed her indoor and outdoor (semi-controlled environment) training with flying colours. Not only does she find Riverine Rabbit scent with a 98.5% specificity, she is also able to ignore scent from other lagomorph species, like Scrub Hare. The next, and final phase of her training, involves training in the field and locating live Riverine Rabbits. If successful, this will provide a highly mobile and rapid way of scanning large areas to detect the presence of Riverine Rabbits. Jessie’s work is part of a project to explore innovative approaches that will assist us to develop the most comprehensive distribution map for the species to date.

We recently received a Garmin GPS Dog Tracking System (Astro 320) donated by IdeaWild. The collar has the ability to help the DCP team track Jessie’s movement, plan search areas, calculate speed, evaluate distance cover and provide additional information that will directly benefit Jessie’s training and fieldwork. The device has already resulted in modifications to the teams’ methodology in the field. This will result in more effective search efforts.

We would like to thank IdeaWild for their contributions to this project. Jessie is also sponsored by Orijen Acana South Africa, Bravecto South Africa and K9 Dispatch.

Protecting the protected: changing driver behaviour in protected areasWendy Collinson, Project Executant, Wildlife and Roads [email protected]

The EWT has made every effort to raise public awareness of the impacts of roads on biodiversity through media campaigns, extensive social media platforms and by engaging with relevant stakeholders. Initially our attention was focused on road impacts on wildlife outside of protected areas, since traffic volume is higher and collisions are often more visible and more threatening to human life. However, reports from various social media platforms have indicated huge public concern for wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) inside protected areas. Consequently, in 2017 we initiated an assessment of driver behaviour within Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa.

Of almost 700 questionnaire surveys conducted with visitors to the park, more than 95% of respondents to the questionnaire survey believed that speed was the main cause of WVCs. However, traffic monitoring devices deployed within the park showed that 72% of park visitors (n=6,981) complied with park speed limits driving at or below the speed limit. We postulated that WVCs were likely to occur because drivers were either unaware of their surroundings or travelling too fast to avoid collisions. To investigate these factors, we placed a fake snake at four different sites to monitor when a WVC was most likely to occur. Eight scenarios were assessed incorporating a combination of three variables 1) road characteristic (straight or bend in road); 2) roadside habitat (dense or open); and, 3) time of day (morning or evening). We noted whether the fake snake was either ‘hit or missed’ as well as the driver response (stop, slow down, swerve and no response). The scenarios were repeated with the erection of temporary signage at two separate locations, (100 m and 1 km), in relation to the placement of the fake snake to enable us to assess how effective signage is at reminding visitors to be vigilant to animals on the road. We elected to use two types of signage to test driver response; the mandatory red triangle with a silhouette of an animal, and a photographic image. We selected our choice of animal to appear on the signs though consulting our current roadkill database (as reported via social media by members of the public) in protected areas.

We conducted 64 scenarios using the wildlife-warning signage, with 100 samples collected for each. For all signage types, we observed a 70% reduction in speed with drivers adapting their behaviour through either stopping, slowing down or swerving when the snake signs were

present, but only 18% adapting their behaviour when the cheetah sign was present. There was a difference of 3.2% in the positioning of all signage, with the majority of ‘fake-snake hits’ occurring when the sign was placed up to 1 km away from the fake snake on the road (18.1%), with only 14.9% of ‘snake hits’ occurring when the sign was placed within 100 m of the fake snake on the road

Our results suggest that drivers adapt their behaviour to signage that portrays smaller animals rather than larger, and are placed closer to potential roadkill hotspots.

Thanks to Pilanesberg National Park, Bridgestone South Africa, Ford Wildlife Foundation, Mikros Traffic Monitoring and Copenhagen Zoo for supporting tise initiative. Thanks too, to the citizen science volunteer network and Africa:Live, iSpot, Pilanesberg Honorary Officers and Makanyane Volunteers. Additional thanks go to Steven and Perry Dell and Charlotte and Cobus Marais.


Community commitment leads to effective conservationAdalbert Aine-omucunguzi, East Africa Regional Manager, International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust [email protected]

Rugezi Marsh is a 6,735 ha peatland located in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Situated in a valley bordered by steep-sided hill slopes that are cultivated by subsistence communities, it lies east of Lake Bulera, extending over a distance of 20 km. It is a Ramsar site that supports 60% of the global population of the Grauer’s Swamp-Warbler (Bradypterus graueri) and an estimated 30% of the country’s Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) population. It is part of the Kagera river system, an integral part of the Greater Lake Victoria Basin.

It is a national asset, providing ecosystem goods and services that are essential for economic development; most critically, it is a source of water for thousands of people that reside in its catchment as well as residents of villages and towns downstream. A significant proportion of water that flows into two iconic lakes, Bulera and Ruhondo, comes from the wetland. The two lakes are renowned tourist destinations and provide water for hydroelectric power generation. To ensure that Rugezi Marsh maintains its status as a source of water for major dams, a reliable source of water for communities, a suitable habitat for unique birds, and a key tourist attraction, conservation action is required not just to maintain the wetland’s biodiversity, but to prevent degradation of its catchment.

With funding from the MacArthur Foundation, the ICF/EWT Partnership, in collaboration with Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management (KCCEM), is using conservation agreements to secure community commitment to undertake certain conservation actions. Conservation agreements are an incentive-based community

conservation model that aim at making communities stewards of their own ecosystems. Through the agreements, communities and conservation investors enter into voluntary agreements where communities receive negotiated incentives in return for certain conservation actions. To support the conservation agreements, the parties agree on a participatory but robust performance monitoring.

Our project at Rugezi is using this innovative approach to gain much-needed support for wetland conservation action from local communities. This came as a result of a feasibility study which showed that the initiation of a conservation agreements model would help to sustainably conserve the marsh, its biodiversity and ecosystem services, and improve the livelihoods of communities. Beekeeping was identified as a priority livelihood alternative that would reduce pressure on the marsh. We selected eight beekeeping cooperatives from six Sectors of Burera and Gicumbi Districts for the implementation of the conservation agreements. The conservation agreement was signed in August 2016 and had the following objectives:

1. To protect and sustainably manage Rugezi Marsh by reducing the negative impact of communities and illegal activities in the marsh.

2. To improve population trends for Grey Crowned Cranes and improve their breeding success by reducing the illegal removal of eggs and chicks by communities.

3. To provide sustainable improved livelihood options for communities in return for agreed conservation actions

4. To facilitate appropriate training, capacity building and mentorship to improve the viability and sustainability of livelihood projects at Rugezi Marsh

5. To raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation in all sectors of Burera District located around Rugezi Marsh.


By signing the agreement, the beekeeping cooperatives made a commitment to stop agricultural encroachment and grazing in the marsh, actively participate in monitoring activities, and report any illegal activities including hunting, removal of crane eggs and harvesting of grass. They also pledged to play a leading role in awareness activities to sensitise the public about the need to conserve Rugezi Marsh. As incentives, each cooperative received modern beekeeping kits, which contained 10 beehives as well as honey harvesting and processing equipment. They also received training and technical support to improve their knowledge about apiary and marketing skills to ensure the viability of their beekeeping projects.

Since the signing of the agreements in August 2016, members of the eight beekeeping cooperatives have led coordinated efforts in patrolling the wetland, identified and reported threats to the wetland, and identified sites where cranes breed and forage. Apart from reporting any illegal activities to the relevant sector leaders and district officials, they have succeeded in mobilising other community members to extinguish fires and replant trees in the wetland’s buffer zone. They have also used the Umuganda, a mandatory monthly communal activity to spread the information about the benefits of wetland conservation.

New publication creates possibilities for Oribi relocation and species resilienceCatherine Hughes, Manager, Threatened Grassland Species [email protected]

Due to a precautionary approach to Oribi conservation adopted in the early 2000s, translocations of Oribi within South Africa have for some years been closely managed by provincial authorities. Oribi were managed as three distinct populations – broadly corresponding to the Eastern Cape (west of the Kei River), southern KwaZulu-Natal (south of the Tugela River) and north of the Tugela (see Figure 1), and translocations between these three distinct populations were not permitted. In late 2017, following an intensive genetic study, a team of scientists published a paper that revealed that, genetically speaking, South Africa’s Oribi antelope should be considered as one genetically contiguous population.

Although the South African sub-species of Oribi is distinct from other sub-species to the north, the authors of the paper found that there are high levels of genetic diversity in Oribi within South Africa, possibly due to the country’s varied landscape and climate. High genetic diversity in Oribi is a positive characteristic from a conservation perspective, as it suggests high levels of evolutionary potential, allowing for adaptation to changing conditions, which bodes well for the species in an ever-changing landscape.

This insignificant difference means that the Oribi Working Group and the provincial conservation authorities can now promote translocation within South African borders to the benefit of the national population. This is important due to the many threats being faced by Oribi in certain areas, including habitat loss and illegal hunting with dogs. The authors do however emphasise that translocations must be carried out taking ecological requirements (notably habitat condition), epidemiology, biology and behaviour of animals into account. The Oribi Working Group further supports that internationally accepted best practice for translocations should be followed, and is willing to assist any landowners in this regard.

This work is made possible by NCT Forestry Co-operative Limited.

For the love of Sungazers – a walk in the grasslands on Valentine’s DayBradley Gibbons, Senior Field Worker, Threatened Grassland Species [email protected].

A team of stakeholders embarked on a walk in search of Sungazers in a beautiful area near Verkykerskop in the Eastern Free State on Valentine’s Day 2018. Sungazers (Smaug giganteus) are large lizards found in the grasslands of the northern and north-eastern Free State and a very small section of southern Mpumalanga. Unusually for lizards, they are not dependent on rocky areas, but live in burrows in open grasslands. They are highly dependent on South Africa’s highland grassland habitat that has reduced in size due to expanding development such as mining and agriculture.

The walk took place over two days, with the team covering about 15 km on the first day, and about 3 km on the second daySeven members of the Sungazer Working Group took part in the walk, with participants from the EWT, South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), the National Zoological Gardens (NZG), and the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). The team looked for burrows and Sungazers themselves by walking in a straight line, approximately 20 to 30 m apart.

The aim of the walk was to get a better understanding of the population of Sungazers in this area of farmland. The EWT has previously


documented several areas in the Verkykerskop area that are home to Sungazers, however, this is a section that had not been explored until now.

Both active and inactive Sungazer burrows along the way were documented. Fifty nine burrows were found over the two days, of which three were inactive. Sungazer burrows are identified using their characteristic oval shape found at the entrance. In some cases, the participants were lucky enough to see Sungazers outside their burrows, and sometimes just their tails.

By the end of the 15 km on the first day, the walkers were extremely tired, but grateful to have had the opportunity to see the rolling grasslands, rivers and mountain landscapes of the Verkykerskop area, as well as enjoy the adventure of crossing rivers and hill climbing. We were even lucky enough to see our National Bird, the Blue Crane, flying and calling overhead. The EWT would like to thank everyone who was part of the team, as well as the landowners, our Sungazer custodians, who granted permission to walk through their farms and continue to play a vital role in looking after these fascinating and rare creatures.

This work is made possible by N3TC, RMB, WWF Green Trust, and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species.

Showcasing our supportersFord Wildlife Foundation

The Ford Wildlife Foundation is a long-standing and greatly valued supporter of the EWT. They provide sponsored vehicles to six EWT programmes, including the Carnivore Conservation, Birds of Prey, African Crane Conservation, Threatened Grassland Species, and Drylands Conservation programmes, as well as the Wildlife and Roads Project. Without these vehicles, much of the work being undertaken would be virtually impossible, given the great distances travelled by the staff involved to ensure effective conservation action is taking place where it’s needed most.

With the aim of enabling the Ford Wildlife Foundation team to see their support in action, the EWT was thrilled to host them at a Cheetah relocation at Dinokeng Game Reserve on 12 April 2018, when a male Cheetah from the Pilanesberg National Park was released into a holding boma. Earlier that week, another male Cheetah was relocated from the Eastern Cape into an adjacent holding boma. These two males will bond over the next few weeks to form a coalition and will be released into the reserve, as part of the EWT’s Cheetah Metapopulation Project, which creates safe space for Cheetahs across South Africa and beyond our borders.

Vincent van der Merwe, EWT Cheetah Metapopulation Project Coordinator travels distances of around 120,000 km a year, relocating these precious cats and ensuring genetic diversity in the population. This is just one example of the critical value that Ford Wildlife Foundation-sponsored vehicles add to the EWT’s work, and we are immensely grateful to them for their incredible support.


GREEn hEROES

Fighting for our rhinosSteve Dell has lead the Rhino Protection Unit in the Pilanesberg National Park since 2016. He grew up in Johannesburg and completed a National Diploma in Nature Conservation and a BTech. at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). Steve and his wife Perry started their journey in Molopo Nature reserve in the far North West….an area known as the Wild West, according to Steve! Schooling for their children was a challenge and that motivated their transfer to Madikwe after 11 years. Madikwe Game Reserve was an amazing change from Molopo and they were living in a home surrounded by lions and elephants passing by. With schooling still being a challenge, Steve moved with his family to Pilanesberg National Park, where he has been based for the past 12 years and loved every day of it. While his official title is field ecologist, he has been committed to rhino protection since the scourge of poaching of these incredible animals started.

We caught up with Steve to find out more about the amazing work he does. What has been the highlight of your career so far?Since my qualification from TUT, the highlight has been the privilege of spending the last 30 years in the bush on beautiful reserves, meeting my wife Perry, and raising our three wonderful children, Alisha, Dean and Jethro.

What would you do if you won R100 million in the lottery?Education of our local communities surrounding the parks in South Africa would be a project I would support if I ever had that kind of cash. The youth are the future and need to be invested in. I would also love to take my family to visit all the iconic ecosystems on our planet. And I would donate as much as possible to worthy causes like the EWT.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? I am not one for material possessions, so the best for me are three healthy children and my beautiful wife, and their support in the challenges we face, especially now with the rhino poaching epidemic and the toll that it takes on us all as a family.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?A vet!

What inspires you?Hoping that I make a difference each day, and seeing youth involved in conservation is what inspires me.

What’s one thing about you that would surprise people to know?I am not as grumpy as most people perceive me to be….

Where is your favourite place to travel?We all know where bush people like to go to….so more bush! Particularly the swamps and Lowveld…and one day (refer to question three) I hope to visit other ecosystems on our planet.

What has been your most hair-raising experience in the bush?I really try not to look for trouble…but Cape Cobras in the Kalahari tend to make their way to your house and garden, and help is miles away if something goes wrong with the capture…

Steve’s wife, Perry, elaborates: “Steve has actually had some seriously hair-raising experiences. One occasion that springs to mind involved a Leopard back in the Molopo days, when farmers insisted he capture the problem animal. Steve ended up in hospital. The Leopard survived, went to Bloemfontein Zoo and was called Stevie! A Mozambique Spitting Cobra also once made its way to into our bed in Madikwe Game Reserve and cost Steve a digit and two weeks in hospital. But

the worst must be the crash he had while flying on a anti-poaching patrol in Pilanesberg this year. That incident broke his back, but never his spirit! Steve is modest, cautious and never takes a risk…but Trouble (with a capital T) seems to find him!”

Do you have any advice for young conservationists?Everyone can be a conservationist…save water, don’t litter, reduce single use plastic, etc. For those that choose this as a career, conservation is tough and it is getting tougher with more depressing things going on. Stay dedicated and passionate, and most of all NEVER give up.


WAlkinG ThE TAlkIn this new feature, we’ll be sharing tips on how we can all make a difference to the environment in our daily lives. We’d love you to share some of your tips too! Please tell us how you make a difference by emailing your tips to [email protected], and we could feature them in a future issue of the magazine.

By now we should all know - when we use less energy, we save natural resources and cut down on pollution. Reducing our electricity consumption seems like an obvious choice when looking for ways to have a lighter (no pun intended) impact on the Earth. Likewise, in a water scarce country such as South Africa, and when threats of Day Zero linger, it becomes essential that we find ways to cut back on our water use. We’re sure our Cape Town readers could share lots of great tips with us on this front, but we’ve included some easy changes that everyone can make to live a more sustainable life by saving energy and water (and you’ll probably save some money too!)

1. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.

2. Unplug appliances when you’re not using them to eliminate “vampire” energy use (as long as they’re plugged in, your appliances still consume electricity).

3. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85% of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

4. Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.

5. Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.

6. Install a low-flow showerhead. They don’t cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.

We’re committed to making changes at our offices too, and we’ve taken small steps such as using motion-sensitive and/or energy saving lighting, switching off geysers, and installing water savers in cisterns in our buildings. What small steps have you taken, at home or at work? Feel free to share them by emailing [email protected]

SCiEnCE SnippETSThe Endangered Wildlife Trust regularly publishes the results of our conservation science research in scientific journals, so that our work can contribute to a growing body of knowledge on conservation science. Here we highlight our most recent scientific publications and other important science-related news.

Positive landowner attitudes provide safe zones for Cheetahs outside of the Kruger National ParkSamantha Page-Nicholson, Science Officer, Conservation Science [email protected]

Globally, human–wildlife conflict is a threat to many species, contributing to population declines in wildlife populations. Often carnivores are killed pre-emptively in an attempt to protect stock or game, and to avoid the economic impact that predators may cause. Sadly, human-wildlife conflict has been the cause of many extinctions, including the Falkland Island Wolf, the Japanese Wolf and the Guadelupe Caracara. This conflict is often related to negative attitudes of landowners towards predators.

In South Africa, many of our carnivores are faced with this threat – especially those that occur outside of the safety of protected areas, such as Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) and Black-backed Jackals (Canis mesomelas). The long-term survival of free-roaming species on private land depends on the attitudes and tolerance of landowners towards such predators on their properties. Therefore, an understanding of the drivers of landowner attitude, and in particular the socio-economic variables that influence attitudes, is vital for conservation. The variables that can contribute to someone’s attitude can include their age, gender, education, their property land use and their cultural upbringing.

The largest area of the South African Cheetah distribution occurs outside formally protected areas, making Cheetahs vulnerable to conflict-related killings. Most of this range includes the area adjacent to the Kruger National Park and the northern reaches of Limpopo Province. As this area is a conservation stronghold for the free-roaming population, it is vital that the threats Cheetahs face in this area are understood. Therefore, we conducted structured questionnaire surveys of landowners to determine the socio-economic factors that may affect landowner attitudes towards free-roaming Cheetahs on private properties adjacent to the Kruger. Two hundred and eight landowners were surveyed and it was found that their attitudes towards Cheetahs were generally positive. Fifty-eight percent of landowners had positive attitude scores while only 12% had negative attitudes towards Cheetahs. Areas where landowners have more negative attitudes could potentially pose more of a threat as there is an increased likelihood of persecution. Identifying such areas is important, as it will allow for more targeted action in these areas to improve attitudes and reduce the risk of conflict and persecution of carnivores.

Interestingly, our research also showed that first language, land use and knowledge about Cheetahs were key influencers of attitude. English-speaking landowners were significantly more likely to have more positive attitudes towards Cheetahs compared with Afrikaans first language speakers, and this links to cultural upbringing. In addition, the likelihood of having a more positive attitude increased significantly as a respondent’s knowledge of Cheetahs increased.

Our results indicate that large portions of private land outside the southern and western boundaries of the Kruger are compatible with Cheetah conservation. This is very positive to note, as conservation cannot always be confined to the borders of protected areas. As this area is a stronghold for Cheetah conservation in the country, it is vital that it be free of persecution and that landowners in the region are positive towards carnivores and have a greater tolerance of them. Expanding Cheetah distribution onto adjacent farmland could potentially allow for more secure and safe habitat for this iconic predator.

Samantha K. Page-Nicholson, Kelly A. Marnewick, Grant Beverley, Harriet T. Davies-Mostert, Jessica P. Watermeyer, & Dan M. Parker. 2017. Socio-economic factors influencing attitudes of landowners towards free-roaming cheetahs. African Journal of Wildlife Research.


Citizen scientists contribute reliable data to roadkill research in South AfricaDr. Lizanne Roxburgh, Senior Scientist, Conservation Science [email protected]

Roads impact wildlife through a range of mechanisms from habitat loss and decreased landscape connectivity, where wildlife are prevented from crossing from one side of the road to the other to find food, or seek new territories or mate, to direct mortality through wildlife-vehicle collisions or roadkill. These wildlife-vehicle collisions have been rated amongst the highest modern risks to wildlife. But quantifying these risks, especially on a national scale, is a huge undertaking.

With the development of “citizen science” projects, in which members of the public participate in data collection, it is now possible to monitor the impacts of roads over scales far beyond the limit of traditional studies. Citizen scientists can provide data from across the country on a scale that would be almost impossible to repeat with traditional scientific studies. However, the reliability of data provided by citizen scientists for scientific studies is often questioned, as they are often untrained and may bias their collect of data towards the particular species that they have an interest in. The reliability of citizen scientist-collected roadkill data was largely untested.

In our study, we used a dataset of 2,666 roadkill reports on roads in South Africa collected over a period of 3 years. We first compared roadkill data collected from trained road patrols operating on a major highway with data submitted by citizen scientists on the same road section, which was 431 km long. We found that, despite minor differences, the broad spatial and taxonomic patterns were similar between trained reporters and untrained citizen scientists, meaning that they agreed both on the areas in which most roadkill occurred as well as the species most at risk of being killed on roads.

In the second part of our study, we compared data provided by two groups of citizen scientists across South Africa: (1) those working in the zoology/conservation sector – we called them “regular observers,” whose reports were considered to be more accurate due to their knowledge and experience), and (2) occasional observers, whose reports required verification by an expert. Again, there were few differences between the type of roadkill report provided by regular and occasional reporters; both identified the same areas where roadkill were reported most frequently. However, occasional observers tended to report charismatic and easily identifiable species more often than road patrols or regular observers.

We concluded that citizen scientists can provide reliable data for roadkill studies when it comes to identifying general patterns and high-risk areas. Thus, citizen science has the potential to be a valuable tool for identifying potential roadkill hotspots and at-risk species across large spatial and temporal scales that are otherwise impractical and expensive when using standard data collection methodologies. This will assist researchers to determine where to focus their efforts on high risk areas and species of concern, with the ultimate goal of implementing effective roadkill-reduction measures.

Stéphanie Périquet, Lizanne Roxburgh, Aliza le Roux and Wendy J. Collinson. 2018. Testing the Value of Citizen Science for Roadkill Studies: A Case Study from South Africa. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

WilDliFE FACT FilECape Mountain ZebraEquus zebra zebra The Cape Mountain Zebra is a real South African conservation success story! In the 1950s, the population was reduced to fewer than 80 individuals within its distribution and by the 1980s only three natural subpopulations remained in the Kammanassie Nature Reserve, the Gamka Mountain Nature Reserve and Mountain Zebra National Park. As the name suggests, this special animal is found only in the Cape regions of South Africa, more specifically, the fynbos, grassland and karoo habitats of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, extending marginally into the Northern Cape Province. Today, through multiple conservation actions, the population is estimated to have increased to between 2,381–3,247 mature individuals. As a result, the Cape Mountain Zebra has been downlisted from Vulnerable to Least Concern. Although the number of mature individuals has increased, threats do still exist for the species. Major threats include loss of genetic diversity, hybridisation and loss of suitable habitat.

AardwolfProteles cristatusThe Aardwolf’s name has been borrowed from Afrikaans, which means earth-wolf, a reference to it living in holes in the ground, called dens. This carnivore is an elusive species, and as such, not many people have seen it or even know of its existence. Aardwolves are distributed throughout South Africa and are not confined to protected areas. As such, they face numerous threats including roadkill and persecution. While they are often persecuted on farms for being poultry thieves, they are actually insectivorous – only feeding on termites. In one night, an adult Aardwolf can eat up to 1.2 kg of termites! Very little is known about the exact population size of this species, but it is expected to be stable (neither increasing nor decreasing).


Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea You may have been lucky enough to see one of these gorgeous birds swooping through our skies – the beautiful Blue Swallow. Did you know that these little 13 gram birds fly over 7,000 km every year on their intra-African migration from the midlands of KZN to the shores of Lake Victoria? Initially appearing black, in the sunlight they are a deep, metallic blue. Sadly, there are only estimated to be 35 pairs left in South Africa, found mostly in KwaZulu-Natal, in the high rainfall Mistbelt Grasslands. It is thought that there may also still be a few pairs left in the Lowveld in Mpumalanga. Critically Endangered in South Africa, loss of grassland and wetland habitat for nesting and foraging is contributing to the decline in their numbers. The EWT’s Threatened Grassland Species Programme is hard at work to reverse this trend, by protecting the Blue Swallow’s natural habitat.

ShOWCASinG OUR SUppORTERSMake a difference with WildlifeCampus

WildlifeCampus is a Field Guide Association of South Africa (FGASA) endorsed distance-learning provider, and has been offering wildlife, wildlife-related, guiding and natural science courses for over 16 years.

As a supporter of the EWT, WildlifeCampus is proud to share that by signing up for one of our online courses, 25% of your tuition fee will be donated directly, free of any administration or facility fees, to the EWT!

By using the reference EWT when registering, you will be helping to make Conservation in Action possible.

Find out more about the available courses at www.wildlifecampus.com or contact us on [email protected]


Conservation Matters is the bi-monthly printed magazine of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, bringing readers the latest news from the EWT, as well as thought-provoking insights into current conservation hot topics, and fun activities for the kids. It is a magazine for lovers of wildlife and nature, and includes something for readers of all ages!

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mEET ThE pACkGriffin Shanangu - Zambia Country Coordinator, ICF/EWT Partnership

We recently chatted to Griffin Shanangu, who grew up in Livingstone, the tourist capital of Zambia. He always had a love for nature and one of his happiest moments was when his school environmental club would go to Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park near the Victoria Falls to remove elephant dung from the roads so that tourists and others could have a much better driving experience. He explains that he was so happy lifting elephant dung off the roads as he thought he was saving the world! He studied Biological Sciences at the University of Zambia for his undergraduate and is currently studying for a PhD in Environmental Sciences. Never did he think that the elephant dung removing days as a teenager would bring him this far. His main research interests are to explore the ecology of cranes in Zambia and their interaction with hydrology, rainfall and vegetation as well as their association with other large mammals in the vast wetlands complexes. By understanding their ecology and environmental requirements, long term conservation and management goals could be set to safeguard the future of these wetlands and the wildlife that depend on them.

Griffin currently serves as the Programme Coordinator for the Zambia Crane and Wetlands Conservation Programme. His role is to provide input into the African Crane Conservation Programme (ACCP) strategy by assisting with the management and implementation of identified projects in Zambia. At the moment, the team is currently working on an ambitions large scale invasive plant removal initiative. Furthermore, he coordinates crane population surveys that are aimed at understanding the crane population dynamics and their association with the hydrological regime and associated herbivores of the Kafue Flats, Liuwa Plains National Park and other important wetlands where cranes occur. Lastly, he manages and builds relationships between the ICF/EWT Partnership and the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife as well as other civil society organisations.

What excites you about this position?I love what I do. I get to meet a lot of people and I get travel to many different places in Zambia and elsewhere, experience different cultures and see diverse landscapes. This enriches my soul. But for me the most important thing is to see the positive change we are making in people’s lives. For example, in our invasive species removal project, we have employed 150 people from the local communities, people that do not have a steady income. Our work here gives them hope as they are in gainful employment. To see the smiles on their faces and the joy that they have in helping to save the wetlands as well as being able to meet the needs of their families is something that I am excited about.

What are you passionate about?I am passionate about conservation and the environment.

If you had to get stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be and why?Sir David Attenborough, one of my favourite conservation heroes. It would be nice to listen to his brilliant narration first hand stuck in a lift. I am positive that the I wouldn’t feel the time pass by!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who did it come from?“Son, do not be too one track minded!” Yes you guessed it, this came from my Dad – Zachariah Shanungu. This was when I only saw myself as a computer scientist and was determined to study computers at university. When I couldn’t get to do so when I got to there, I opted to quit – but his words opened up my mind to other options in my life – so I pursued Ecological Studies. I have always thought that conservation work was what you do on a weekend and not as a career and all my life I was determined to pursue computer sciences. I have never looked back and it’s simply the best decision I’ve ever made.

Adalbert Aineo-mucungizi – East African Regional Manager, ICF/EWT Partnership

Adalbert comes from a background of cattle keepers. Up to the early 1990s, whenever a male child turned three years old, he would be introduced to free range cattle grazing. This substituted nursery education, and he was not an exception. He grazed cattle from the age of three to seven years old, when he went to primary school. While grazing cattle, he interacted a lot with nature and developed a strong passion for conserving it. Throughout his primary education, he liked science and social studies because they linked so much with the experience he had gone through while grazing cattle at an early age. As an undergraduate student, Adalbert completed a Bachelor of Science with Education, with Biology as his major and Chemistry as his minor. He was now a fully trained Biology/Chemistry teacher and there was an acute short of Science teachers in Uganda. The Government quickly appointed and deployed him but he turned the offer down and opted to go for a Master’s degree in Biology, majoring in Natural Resource Ecology and Management, which he believed would lead him to a career in conservation.

After completing his degree, and a few years of working at Kabale University as an Assistant Lecturer, he enrolled for a PhD in Natural Resources, Ecology, Conservation and Management at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, which he completed in 2014.


He joined the EWT in 2017, as part of the African Crane Conservation Programme, where he is the East African Regional Manager of the ICF/EWT Partnership. He believes he has found his home here and will work in this position until retirement.

His role involves leading the strategic planning, management and implementation of ICF/EWT partnership strategy for East Africa. He drives an approach that aims at integrating science with conservation actions; securing cranes in the region; improving the protected status of key Grey Crowned Crane sites; improving the ecological integrity of the key sites and their catchments; addressing and incorporating community needs and livelihoods at key crane sites; and exploring opportunities for collaboration and development of partnerships and strong networks.

What excites you about this position?What excites me is team work spirit that EWT/ICF staff exhibit. There is always someone willing to help overcome challenges. The other exciting thing is that I am working to secure the future of Grey Crowned Cranes, which I grew up knowing as perfect time tellers and often relied on to wake up for milking cows.

What are you passionate about?I am passionate about working to improve people’s livelihoods so that they reduce their negative impacts on fragile ecosystems and the biodiversity that inhabits them.

If you had to get stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be and why?This would be my wife because she always comes up with quick solutions whenever we encounter a challenge.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who did it come from?This was from my late father. He always told to work very hard in school and get the best grades. He told me that to do this I should never compete with other students, but work with them in order to benefit from their knowledge. I still believe that this is where my strong teamwork abilities originated.

Maurice Wanjala Sitoko – Kipsaina Crane and Wetlands Conservation GroupMaurice was born in a small village in Western Kenya known as Kiminini, and was the eldest of 14 children. His mother was a teacher and his father a tailor, and as per African traditions and culture, it was

his responsibility to take care of his siblings. As a result, he was not able to further his education form four because he had to pave the way for his siblings to go to school too, with the financial burden of school fees increasing for his parents daily. Being a scout leader, he mobilised the youth and they started the Kipsaina Crane and Wetlands Conservation Group (KCWCG) to address the threats to Saiwa Swamp National Park, home of the rare antelope, the Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii), and the Endangered Grey Crowned Crane, among other wildlife that depended on the ecosystem for survival. Since then, he has worked with like-minded naturalists including researchers, community groups and international organisation like WWF, ICF and the EWT.

Maurice’s role involves crane monitoring, and identification and training of crane custodians. He is the key contact person of KCWCG, and implements projects on behalf of the ICF/EWT Partnership in western Kenya. These include livelihood projects, and environmental education and awareness in schools and churches.

What excites you about this position?The fact that am able to interact directly with the different communities and seeing some change from wetland/environment destruction to being committed crane custodians that are also able to further the message of conservation to other community members. This whole process is my dream come true of seeing people embracing conservation and living in harmony with wildlife such as cranes, Sitatungas and De Brazza’s Monkeys (Cercopithecus neglectus) – our flagship species.

What are you passionate about?I’m passionate about nature and people getting to appreciate and live in harmony with it, striking a balance between man and wildlife.

If you had to get stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be and why?An innovator and risk taker. Because I would want to get out of the situation with a like-minded person as we can share ideas and experiences

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who did it come from?“We need each other regardless of our different levels of education, nobody has the monopoly of knowledge, we learn from each other and teamwork is key.” I learnt this from Kerryn Morrison (Senior Manager: Africa, ICF/EWT Partnership)

Rudolf Makhanu – Kenya Country Coordinator, ICF/EWT PartnershipRudolf holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Planning and Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Climate Change, and Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management. For over 11 years, he worked with the East Africa Wildlife Society as National Coordinator for the Kenya Forests Working Group. In this capacity, he steered several national advocacy campaigns for improved governance of forests and wildlife resources. In recognition of his outstanding contribution towards improved conservation of forests and wetlands in Kenya, the Wangari Maathai Institute/University of Nairobi and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) sponsored his Master’s level studies. His most memorable engagement was a successful national campaign he steered against a massive government project that sought to construct a multi-purpose dam in South Nandi Forest, a pristine indigenous forest with endemic fauna.

He is also a father of four, and his first-born daughter joins university this year.

The expansion of EWT programmes in East Africa under the African Crane Conservation Progamme (ACCP) has seen ICF and EWT partner with Community Action for Nature Conservation to oversee crane conservation work in Kenya. This involves working together


with diverse stakeholders. His responsibilities include supervising all projects and partnerships under ICF/EWT Partnership in Kenya, project development, resource mobilisation, monitoring, evaluation, and capacity building of local partner organisations, as well as assisting the East Africa Regional Manager in promoting conservation of Grey Crowned Cranes in East Africa.

What excites you about this position?I’m excited to have recently been chosen as one of ACCP’s Communication Champions. Writing articles gives me great fulfilment. I enjoy media advocacy, managing multi-stakeholder networks and mentoring nascent organisations through capacity building. I am so proud about the Kenya Crane Conservation Forum, a multi-stakeholder forum of over 50 key actors working to conserve Grey Crowned Cranes in East Africa. All relevant government lead agencies are part of the forum, and it gives me joy to see emerging issues sorted via the forum.

What are you passionate about?I’m passionate about conserving cranes, and specifically providing a voice for improved governance of wetlands.

If you had to get stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be and why?It would be with Eva Bii, my assistant, for we work closely together.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and who did it come from?My father told me to always be honest, and never strive to make extra funds through dishonest means.


SUppORTERS’ CORnERGiving made easyDid you know that there are a number of effortless ways to donate to the EWT, and make a tangible difference to saving wildlife and habitats?

Using your phoneSupporters can now donate to the EWT quickly and safely, using SnapScan. All you need to do is:

1. Download the SnapScan application on your smartphone

2. Register with your details – this should take no more than a few minutes

3. Scan our EWT barcode to make your donation in the amount of your choice (be sure to choose donation rather than e-shop from the dropdown menu) – you’ll be asked to enter your PIN so you know the transaction is secure

It’s as easy as one-two-three! Once you’ve made your donation via SnapScan, you’ll get an SMS confirming the transaction, and the EWT will be notified via SMS too. Protecting forever, together – made easy!No SnapScan? No problem! Simply SMS ‘SAVE’ to 31913 to donate R15 to help make our work possible.

Shopping for a good causeDid you know that you can support the EWT through the MyPlanet programme? The MyPlanet fundraising programme was launched as an extension of MySchool to provide community-minded people like yourself the opportunity to support a worthy cause, such as the EWT, that is focused on the improvement and protection of the environment and animals. And it doesn’t cost you a cent!

So get your free MyPlanet card (no monthly fees, no costs to you!) and nominate the EWT as the beneficiary you wish to support. Then swipe your card at partner stores when you shop, and they will donate a percentage of the value of your purchases on your behalf.

• If you don’t have a MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card yet, simply apply for your free card now and select the EWT as your beneficiary. Once you start swiping your card, we’ll start receiving funds.

• If you already have a MySchool card, but would like to change your beneficiary or add a charity, simply call the Cli-ent Service Centre on 0860 100 445 or email [email protected] – there is no need to get a new card!

Find out more by visiting http://www.myschool.co.za/schools/myplanetYou can also donate your Pick n Pay Smart Shopper points to the EWT. Simply visit a Smart Shopper kiosk in-store, swipe your card and donate as many of your points as you’d like – the EWT will receive the monetary value of those points.For more information, visit http://www.picknpay.co.za/smartshopper-overview

lEAvinG A lEGACyTammy Baker, Business Development [email protected]

It’s the kind of subject we don’t always like to dwell on, but none of us can avoid the need to have an up-to-date will, ensuring that our last wishes are carried out and our legacy is continued in the way that we would choose.

Including a bequest to an organisation that you have supported in your lifetime, or that you would have liked to support, had you been able to, is a way to bring dignity, meaning and purpose to a life well-lived. You, and your values, beliefs and generous philanthropic role modelling, will live on in the memories of those you support. Should you choose to remember the EWT in your will, you are not only ensuring that the vital work that the organisation does carries on and benefits generations for years to come, you could also be providing tax benefits to your loved ones.

Section 4(h) of the Estate Duty Act determines that bequests made to public benefit organisations such as the EWT should first be deducted from the nett value of your estate before estate duty is determined. This means that remembering the EWT in your will could exempt your estate from estate duty. A deduction for

estate duty purposes is allowed in respect of the value of property bequeathed to a public benefit organisation.The EWT relies on bequests both large and small to ensure that we continue fulfilling our vision of a healthy planet and an equitable world that values and sustains the diversity of all life. We would like to thank you if you have already decided to leave a bequest and invite you to consider doing so if you have not. We assure you that your legacy will make a lasting impact for the benefit of all people who inhabit our beautiful land.

There are different types of bequests that you can select from, namely:• Residue of your estate• A percentage of your estate• A specific sum of money• A life insurance policy• Property

We recommend that you use the below wording:“I bequeath to the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) registered NPO number 015-502 of K2 Pinelands Office Park, Ardeer Road, Modderfontein, Gauteng, (insert bequest details of your choice), and I express the that such estate be used for the purpose of conserving threatened species and habitats for future generations”.


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pups’ placeColour us in


in closing: mwitu’s missiveDear Readers

Africa is such a multifaceted continent, filled simultaneously with both challenges and incredible hope. It is a privilege to be part of the EWT pack, championing conservation in Africa, and working towards a future where species and spaces are protected from harm. This work cannot happen in isolation – we need to work closely with communities, governments and other organisations to make it a success, as Africa is as much about its amazing people as it is about its wealth of wildlife. And of course, we could not do any of it without the support of each and every one of our supporters – passionate fellow conservationists such as yourself! I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into the scope of our work beyond South Africa’s borders, and the challenges and successes we see that are unique to this beautiful continent.

We continue to invite your feedback on the magazine, and you could win a hamper of EWT goodies, just by letting us know what you think. We’d also like to make it as easy as possible for you to submit your answers to the below questions, so you can either email them to us at [email protected] (typed or a scanned/photographed copy of this page completed), post this page to us at Private Bag X11, Modderfontein, 1645, marked for Belinda Glenn’s attention, or drop it off at our offices at Building K2, Pinelands Office Park, Modderfontein, 1609. Please ensure your name is included with your submission if you’d like to be considered for the prize.

1. How would you rate the magazine, overall, on a scale of 1-5, where 1 is extremely poor and 5 is excellent?

1 2 3 4 5

2. Do you find the content enjoyable and easy to read?• Yes• No• SomewhatReasons (optional)

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3. Do you find the magazine visually appealing?• Yes• No• SomewhatReasons (optional)

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4. How do you think we can improve on the magazine?

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5. Do you like the fact that each issue has a theme?• Yes• No• I didn’t notice the themes

6. Which is your favourite section (Features, Tails from the Field, Science Snippets, Meet the Pack, Members’ Corner, Pups’ Place)?• Guest contribution• Features• Tails from the field• Green heroes• Walking the talk• Science snippets• Wildlife fact file• Meet the pack• Supporters’ corner• Pups’ place• I love them all

Reasons (optional)

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7. Is there a section that you don’t find valuable?• Guest contribution• Features• Tails from the field• Green heroes• Walking the talk• Science snippets• Wildlife fact file• Meet the pack• Supporters’ corner• Pups’ place• No

Reasons (optional)

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8. Do you prefer printed or electronic publications, or enjoy receiving both?• Printed• Electronic• Both

‘Til next timeMwitu

P.S. If you don’t already receive our electronic newsletter, ChitterChatter, which goes out in alternate months from Conservation Matters, and you’d like to subscribe, please email me ([email protected]) and we’ll add you to the mailing list.


Description One insertion Five insertions Dimensions

Outside back cover R10,500 R8,500 each 303 x 216mm

Inside front cover R8,000 R6,000 each 303 x 216mm

Inside back cover R8,000 R6,000 each 303 x 216mm

Double page spread R13,000 R11,000 each 303 x 430mm

Full page R7,000 R5,500 each 303 x 216mm

½ page R3,750 R2,250 each140x215mm (H) 280x108mm (V)

¼ page R2,000 R1,000 each 70x215mm

Corporate sponsorship (includes logo on cover and one full page advert)

R20,000 R15,000 each

Conservation Matters is the printed magazine of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, bringing readers the latest news from the EWT, as well as thought-provoking insights into current conservation hot topics. It is a magazine for lovers of wildlife and nature, and include something for readers of all ages.

Five bi-monthly issues of the magazine are produced each year, with a distribution of 7,000 copies per issue. The magazine is distributed to EWT members and other stakeholders (primarily high LSM), as well as being made available at key locations such as check-in counters, departure lounges and car hires (list available on request) within OR Tambo and Lanseria international airports in Johannesburg.

For more information or to book your space, please contact Belinda Glenn on [email protected]


Documents

Issue 8 The Africa Edition May-June 2018 · were arrested on suspicion of being part of a syndicate involved in the illegal poaching and trade of abalone. Investigations in both instances