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NEWS
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In his May report,
Pedro vaz Pinto mentioned having obtained a few photos taken in dark
nights of the Giant Sable.On one occasion a small group of three
individuals, in which were one of the young 3 year-old pure males and
their "sister", with a third animal in the background almost surely
being one of the remaining young male "brothers". Vaz Pinto assumes that
a giant sable bull was still present in 2004 in Cangandala, and the herd
had then 5 newborns, 4 males and one female. They are all now 3
year-olds and may play a central role in saving this population. A young
lonely hybrid female was recorded some ten days later.
Vaz Pinto also said that
his research group is also about to start activities in Luando, which
will include very soon a series of low altitude flights over the
reserve. Final arrangements for another expedition into the reserve are
also under way.
In early May
two communal area conservancies in the Kavango region signed the Khaudum
Concession Agreement that will pave the way for the development of
tourism facilities in the Khaudum National Park. These are the first
agreements following the approval of the national policy on wildlife and
tourism concession on State land by Cabinet in July last year. The
20-year concession agreement entails the establishment of accommodation
facilities, conducting guided game drives, walks and sight-seeing, sale
of crafts and products and meals and beverages. The two conservancies
form the Khaudum north complex. Khaudum was proclaimed in 1989 and is
described as one of the country's most rugged and remotest national
parks, with accommodation limited to camping at Sikerette and Khaudum
camps. The two conservancies have a joint hunting concession through
which they jointly earned N$252000 from trophy hunting. The concession
covers tourism, trophy hunting and harvesting of valuable plant
materials such as medicinal plants, thatching grass and plant and animal
species for bio-prospecting.
It is estimated
that there are currently 1,600 lions in the Kruger National Park, give
or take 225 animals, and they are nearly all in tiptop condition. This
is the result of a lion population survey carried out during the winter
months of 2005 and 2006. The survey is the first to study the park’s
entire lion population, as previous lion counts had targeted only
certain areas of Kruger. The research was led by Dr Paul Funston from
the Tshwane University of Technology and Dr Sam Ferreira from the
Conservation Ecology Research Unit at the University of Pretoria and
part of their equipment was funded by Conservation Force.
Ezemvelo KZN
Wildlife
South African Police
Services of the Mtubatuba area, assisted by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
staff, have arrested six people following the shooting of a white rhino
bull on the western shore of Lake St Lucia in the iSimangaliso Wetland
Park on 6 May 2008. The carcass of the rhino was found in open
grassland. The scene of the incident was thoroughly examined by SAPS
and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife investigators who found several cartridge
cases and also recovered several spent bullet heads from the carcass.
These items have been for forensic testing.
The accused appeared in
the Mtubatuba Magistrate's Court on Monday 19 May 2008 and the case has
been remanded to 26 May 2008 for bail applications. In the course of
making the arrests, the SAPS officers recovered an R1 rifle and several
rounds of live ammunition, which have also been sent in for forensic
testing.
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