Tales from the field Archives | Page 3 of 17

Green roads and highways protect biodiversity

By Dr Thabo Hlatshwayo, Wildlife and Transport Project, Senior Field Officer

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to address around 700 delegates to the South African Transport Conference about the importance of green transport and steps that can be taken to mitigate the impact of national highways on habitat use and movement by wildlife.

This is the longest running transport conference in southern Africa serving as a forum to debate transport-related issues, including the provision of transport infrastructure, learn more about research in this field, new technological developments, and to build capacity.

During my presentation, I highlighted the fact that although transport infrastructure is critical to sustainable human economic development and society, poorly designed and built roads and highways may have negative ecological impacts.

Establishing green transport infrastructure has become an important element of sustainable development frameworks, and maintaining ecological connectivity between road-fragmented landscapes plays a significant role in conserving wildlife populations. Poorly planned transport infrastructure development can have severe impacts on ecological connectivity and species survival.

Roads can create barriers to wildlife movement, limiting the ability of terrestrial wildlife to find water, food, and mates. Furthermore, road fragmented landscapes accelerate incidents of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Whilst these incidents almost always result in wildlife mortality, they also impact populations of threatened and endangered species and pose road safety concerns for other road users (people).

These impacts are particularly relevant in South Africa, which has diverse and robust wildlife populations and is still transitioning to a greener economy.

My recently-completed PhD studies in ecological science expand on previous research by emphasising the urgent need for adopting road development projects that optimise social and economic benefits while safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems through the consideration and inclusion of ecological connectivity through wildlife crossing corridors. This study explored wildlife roadkill patterns and animal movement on South Africa’s national highways that intersect landscapes that are critical for biodiversity. We also evaluated the usefulness of existing road drainage underpasses not purposely built for wildlife by using camera traps at bridges, culverts and tunnels to determine whether these help animals to move across highways safely, contributing to a reduction in roadkill incidents and improving landscape ecological functionality.

The findings have been helpful in the following ways:

Guiding monitoring and modifying existing under-road culverts for reducing road-related biodiversity effects in South Africa and
Offering insights into the constraining variables that influence crossing structure index by wildlife.
Promoting the consideration and inclusion of ecological connectivity and biodiversity needs in road transport development sustainability frameworks in South Africa.

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Poison workshop brings stakeholders together

By Lara Fuller, ACCP Drakensberg Coordinator, EWT/ICF partnership

The African Crane Conservation Program (Endangered Wildlife Trust/ International Crane Foundation Partnership) Drakensberg project is uniquely placed in the foothills of the majestic mountains of the Eastern Escarpment.

The Great Escarpment is a significant geographical feature characterised by high cliffs, steep slopes and higher inland plateaus. It separates the higher interior plateau from the lower narrow coastal strip and is an area of high biodiversity and endemism, and equal cultural diversity.

Across this landscape there are a range of focal species and non-focal species that are impacted by poison incidents or background chemical toxicity. Further to this, there are underlying health risks to human well-being associated with the illegal use of chemicals. This discipline is an understudied topic and is a very complex space to work in.

Recently, my colleague Samson Phakathi and I were invited by the Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Honorary Officers (a dedicated group of volunteers committed to support EKZN Wildlife provincial Wildlife Authority) to present a wildlife poison mitigation workshop.

The three-day workshop aimed to educate attendees on the signs of wildlife poisoning, personnel protection, what action should be taken and how to collect evidence for a criminal case. The more than 40 attendees included representatives of NPO’s, KZN Wildlife Honorary officers, professional forensic experts, and Environmental Management Inspectorate members (EMI), and a couple of former law enforcers. It served as a refresher to some individuals, but the majority were there to hear about the impact of poisoning on wildlife for the first time.

As always in conservation it is paramount to ensure that the correct individuals are working together for the benefit of our landscape. Connecting individuals from diverse backgrounds is not always easy, but it is necessary for conservation success. Besides hosting a social event as a means of building working relationships, local wildlife rehabilitation centre, FreeMe, demonstrated how to respond to live wildlife poison cases, and the importance of handling during poisoning cases. Investipol, a professional investigation and spill response unit, shared their knowledge and experience, while the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife officials discussed the difficulties of implementing existing laws.

The outcomes of this event were multi-dimensional and included the expansion of the poison response team, new connections made for long-term collaboration, a greater understanding of localised community poisoning events and a direction to raise awareness about the incorrect use of chemicals. From this event two more workshops were requested in Northern and Central KZN. We are grateful to every individual who participated and we look forward to seeing the difference in our landscape.

** The EWT would like to thank the Paul King Foundation and N3tc for their support.

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Modderfontein Conservation Society learns more about the law and conservation

By Sibongakonke Ngogodo, Legal Officer

At the end of May, Ashleigh Dore, Unit Manager of the Land, Air, Water and Species (LAWS) Unit, and I joined the Modderfontein Conservation Society to explore how law can drive real conservation impact in South Africa. We were thrilled by a warm, engaged audience, particularly older conservation champions whose passion and wisdom reminded us why this work matters.

With the support of my colleagues, I had the opportunity to deliver my first public presentation, becoming an excellent learning experience for me.

In framing South Africa’s extraordinary biodiversity legislation, we discussed a variety of matters in our presentation, including the Constitutional and legislative provisions relating to biodiversity in South Africa. These include Section 24 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to an environment that is not harmful to the health and well-being of all South Africans. Our presentation examined how the Constitution underpins the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and the related National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), which both guide and regulate the way in which our country’s natural environment is managed to the benefit of all people, and species.

We also explained the permit system for indigenous species under NEMBA, highlighting implementation challenges that institutions and individuals may face, or are facing. We proposed forward-looking strategies to modernise our biodiversity legal landscape by harmonising national and provincial legislation, streamlining permits, strengthening institutional capacity, and fostering meaningful community participation.

What stood out most was the enthusiasm of attendees who, despite the challenges we face, remain committed to finding practical, law-driven solutions that translate into real-world conservation outcomes. Hearing firsthand about their concerns, and the wisdom they have accumulated over years, reinforced our conviction that strong legal frameworks must be paired with collaborative implementation on the ground.

We extend our gratitude to the Modderfontein Conservation Society for hosting us and to everyone who attended. If you were unable to join us but would like to learn more, please visit the LAWS Unit website at https://laws.ewt.org/ for access to resources and information on future events.

** This work is made possible through the generous support of the Lewis Foundation and the Modderfontein Conservation Society.

#EndangeredWildlifeTrust #LAWSUnit #Biodiversity #ConservationInAction #EnvironmentalRights

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Njozi’s Great Escape: Safely Back at Rietvlei Nature Reserve

By Eleanor Momberg, Communications manager, EWT

On 3 June, Carnivore Conservation Unit manager Derek van der Merwe offered the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s assistance to recapture well-known female cheetah, Njozi, who had left the confines of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Pretoria and had undertaken an unexpected adventure in Gauteng.

The lone resident Cheetah at Rietvlei, Njozi had left the confines of the reserve on 2 June, and it was after attempts to return her to Rietvlei that Derek had called the Rietvlei reserve management and offered the EWTs assistance to bring her home.

Njozi’s tracking collar was probably her saving grace as reserve staff were able to monitor her movements until help could arrive. During the day on Monday she had travelled 18km towards Bapsfontein. On Monday night she travelled more than 15km towards Kameelzynkraal where Derek and a team including a wildlife vet, City of Tshwane and Rietvlei Nature Reserve officials, managed to safely recapture her, thanks to landowners Clarissa de Bruto, Monique Venter and Johan Lottering.

Although Njozi is usually comfortable around vehicles and a favourite among tourists at Rietvlei, she became skittish in unfamiliar territory, hiding in dense thicket and mielie fields that made initial capture efforts difficult. A helicopter was quickly called in for a swift and safe retrieval, ensuring Njozi’s smooth return.

Cheetahs pose a very low risk to humans and are often misunderstood. Human-wildlife conflict can be minimised through awareness, proper management, and the use of technology, like tracking collars, which help us monitor and intervene at times like these.

We would like to say a special thank you to the Aspinall Foundation for funding the helicopter search, wildlife vet Dr Shaun Beverly for the veterinary expertise and Lean from Powered Flight Charters for his chopper flying skills. We also thank our donors @metrofibre for making this rescue operation possible as well as the Rietvlei Reserve Staff and City of Tshwane for their support.

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A Secretary Bird’s flight to recovery

By Ronelle Visagie, EWT Birds of Prey Programme

As most people settled down to enjoy the Easter Weekend this year, my husband, Stoffel, Bateleurs pilot Allan Thomson, co-pilot Nikki Bush, volunteer Abraham van Zyl, and I were watching the weather and embarking on a mission to ensure a juvenile Secretary Bird would receive the rehabilitation it needed. It was a journey that took this young bird on a flight (by plane) from Orania in the Northern Cape to the Dullstroom Birds of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre in Mpumalanga.

It all started in February when I received a call from Megan Murgatroyd of HawkWatch International, who is doing raptor research on a farm in the Calvinia district. She informed me about a Secretary Bird nestling that was in a deteriorating state and suffering from starvation. Birdlife SA PhD candidate, Wesley Gush, had installed a camera at the nest, which revealed that the nestling had not been fed for a minimum of nine days and had a weight of only 1.5 kg.

A day later, I retrieved the nestling from De Aar and started caring for it, observing its remarkable improvement and increasing strength with each passing day. The poor bird was so weak initially that it could not stand up or even lift its body.

Because this Secretary Bird would require training from a falconer to ensure it had the best possible opportunity for survival, a decision was made to transfer him to the closest falconer and rehabilitation centre–the Dullstroom Birds of Prey and Rehabilitation Centre.

All parties involved with the bird’s care agreed that this was the most beneficial course of action for its well-being. But, getting this Secretary Bird from the Northern Cape to Mpumalanga proved a large challenge as transporting him by road would take at least two days, and would prove very stressful for the bird, which would have to be kept in a box for the journey.

It was then that the Bataleurs stepped in. After two months, the permits were in place and the bird was ready to go to a rehabilitation centre.

On Sunday morning, 20 April, the sky was overcast, and rain was forecast for some time during the day. Because I live around 70 km from the nearest airfield—in Orania—we had to wait for Allan Thomson to inform us when he would be able to depart from Johannesburg, which was also faced with bad weather. As soon as we received the go-ahead, we carefully caught the bird and put it in a crate for the trip to Orania. The first half of the road to Orania is a gravel road that is in poor condition and after the rain it is even worse!

This was Allan’s first ever Bateleur’s mission. Stoffel and I arrived at the airfield about half an hour before Allan and Nikki arrived. After a quick cup of tea, we took some pictures before loading the precious cargo on the plane. Finally, the bird was on its way to Dullstroom!

The team and the Secretary Bird were met at Walkerson’s airfield, where Magdali Theron and the team from the Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre welcomed their new charge.

Once he has been trained to hunt and fend for itself, he will be returned to the same Karoo farm where he was rescued and released back into the wild. Before release, he will be fitted with a tracker so we will be able to follow the success of the rehabilitation.

** The EWT would like to thank the Charl van der Merwe Charitable Trust, Puy du Fou the Bateleurs for your support.

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From Science to Storytelling: EWT’s Role at the NEWF Congress

By Esther Matthew and Insauf De Vries, Drylands Conservation Programme, Endangered Wildlife trust

NEWF stands for Nature, Environment, Wildlife & Filmmaking. It is South African-based company working to change the narrative around wildlife documentaries and environmental storytelling to enable African stories to be told by African people. As such, the NEWF CONGRESS is the annual gathering and signature event which brings together emerging and experienced filmmakers, storytellers, scientists, conservationists, and media distributors. The perfect event to connect and engage to forge ahead on a shared mission to remove the barriers and build capacity to enable inclusion. So, this event, in partnership with the National Geographic Society, is where individuals working with nature, environment, wildlife & conservation storytellers, filmmakers, scientists, conservationists and broadcast media come together in Africa!

The NEWF Fellows Summit, which precedes the congress, is a closed event dedicated to networking, knowledge exchange and connection between attending fellows and other participants. Programming is designed to foster community and collaboration in-person.

This year, the EWT’s Drylands Conservation team’s Esther Matthew and three of our nature-course students were invited to attend the NEWF fellows’ summit and congress in Durban. Our students are based in Touws River in the Western Cape and are working with the EWT to establish their own eco-tourism businesses in the area. As such, this was the perfect opportunity for them to learn from experts in the different fields and network to create valuable collaborations.

Furthermore, Esther was invited to join the Match Made in Science panel at the congress, to talk about her research using scent detection dogs for conservation projects. From finding Giant African Bullfrogs underground to helping train South Africa’s first succulent plant detection dogs, Esther’s work uses conservation dogs to uncover some of the country’s most threatened and elusive species. Her groundbreaking efforts have earned her recognition as a National Geographic Society Explorer. As such this opportunity to highlight our work was a brilliant match of science, conservation and storytelling.

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