Page 23 | Endangered Wildlife Trust

Two rehabilitated Vultures released by the Birds of Prey Programme in Mokala National Park

By Ronelle Visagie, Birds of Prey Programme.

Neska on the day she was confiscated (13 January 2024) and a week later.

In December 2023, I fetched an injured White-backed Vulture from Kimberley Veterinary Clinic. The bird was found somewhere in town and had a broken leg. The bird was in an excellent condition and was eating well. Its leg was pinned by Dr Burger. From the start this vulture was very feisty so we decided to call her “Kwaaitjie” (bad girl).

Once home we put her in a deep crate as the orders from the vet were to keep her still. Two days later she was able to sit on the side of the crate and was ready to jump down so we moved her to a small aviary where she could be on the ground and still not move too much. Kwaaitjie must have decided it was too boring for her to be confined and not move around too much, so she took it upon herself to remove the pin from her leg – only eight days since the operation.

Because of this I contacted the Kimberley Vet Clinic and explained the situation. Following a discussion, it was agreed that Kwaaitjie be left where she is as the risk of injury was too big if we transported or handled her. I had also promised to take her to the Clinic if something happened to her leg.

An X-Ray of her leg two weeks later showed she was on the mend. After being kept in a small enclosure for another two weeks, she was moved to the large aviary where she started to fly.

Barely a month later, in January 2024, I fetched a Cape Griffon from the Kimberley Veterinary Clinic that had been confiscated by police in a township near the Northern Cape town. The police had taken the bird to Dronfield to be released. It was then that Aneska Almendro, working for De Beers at Dronfield, saw that the bird needed veterinary care and took her to the Clinic. The Griffon was in a severely stressed condition, and the vets had to put her on at least two drips to save her life.

Part of a large group of vultures at the waterpoint.

Neska on the day she was confiscated (13 January 2024) and a week later.

After collecting her, I put the Griffon, which we had named Neska, in a large aviary so that she could walk and stretch her wings. But, she refused to move for the first two days. This might be because of the way she was treated before she was confiscated. It was exciting to see her finally start walking around and stretching her wings. She was also eating well after her ordeal.

Both vultures recovered very well prompting our decision to release them back into the wild as soon as possible. Kwaaitjie and Neska were ringed before being transported to their new home — Mokala National Park.

On our arrival at the watering hole where vultures usually bath and drink, we were met by more than 100 of raptors at the water and in the trees. Most of them were White-backed Vultures and at least three Cape Griffons were also seen.

When we opened the transport crates, the two birds walked out, stood for a few minutes to take in their new surrounds and took flight.

** We would like to appeal to members of the public not to keep Birds of Prey as pets. If you see an injured or poisoned bird, call your nearest veterinarian so they can receive the treatment needed.

Battle of the Bullets: The Lead-free awareness drive by South Africans for South Africans.

Danielle du Toit, Vulture Safe Zone Officer, Birds of Prey Programme.

Ronelle Visagie speaking to delegates about vulture conservation

The EWT Vulture Safe Zone project objectives include reducing and ultimately eliminating the threats to vultures within project areas. Among many other dangers is lead poisoning; a serious threat to vulture populations and other species across the globe.

Poisoning in its many forms is the leading cause of population decline in vulture species. Although both intentional and unintentional poisonings have resulted in huge knocks to vulture numbers in single incidents, lead poisoning can be considered a quiet killer. It is a silent destroyer of which few people appreciate the serious impact it has on, for example, scavenging species like vultures.

Lead poisoning is caused when lead is ingested and allowed to enter the blood stream reaching vital organs and the animal’s bones. It can cause an array of ailments including, but not limited to, decreased coordination, decreased fertility, bone fragility, organ disease and failure and eggshell fragility.

Vultures are usually slowly poisoned by lead when carcasses of animals shot with lead ammunition are fed on by these scavenging birds, either in the veld, at carcass dump sites or vulture restaurants. The skulls of animals harvested through head shots and which have been thrown into these dump sites are of particular concern as lead fragments are highly concentrated in those parts.

Vultures are also susceptible because their entire digestive system is highly acidic (unlike humans, which have alkaline mouths and saliva). This causes the lead to break down easily into smaller particles which are quickly taken up into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that the lead causing this poisoning is indeed from lead ammunition.

(For more on this, read: van den Heever, L., Elburg, M.A., Iaccheri, L. et al. Identifying the origin of lead poisoning in white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) chicks at an important South African breeding colony: a stable lead isotope approach. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 15059–15069 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23209-z )

The EWT’s Vulture Safe Zone project came up with Battle of the Bullets initiative to address what we call ‘the threat behind the threat’. It was established to not be prescriptive in its nature, but has rather taken the form of a round table where all role players within the ammunition and conservation circles are brought together to determine how all can benefit, or be benefitted by, opening a conversation around the latest science in conservation and lead-free bullet ballistics.

In February 2023, the EWT and partners, BirdLife South Africa and SA Hunters, with major input from our ballistics specialist, Kobus du Plessis, hosted the 3rd Battle of the Bullets at the Rooifontein Shooting Range in Kimberley. This location was chosen because lead poisoning of the resident vulture populations was shown to be some of the highest in the country.

Attendees at Battle of the Bullets in Kimberley

Gelatin targets are used to visibly show the bullet energy transferrence and trajectory

Ronelle Visagie presenting speaking to delegates about vulture conservation

The day started with presentations from the EWT’s Ronelle Visagie who spoke about her work in vulture conservation in the Northern Cape, followed by Linda van den Heever of Birdlife SA who presented her study on lead poisoning in vulture species. Schalk van der Merwe, formerly of the Endangered Species Unit, discussed what to do if one came across a potential poisoning.

Linda van den Heever’s presentation was hugely important as it not only simplified the jargon used in science for the average person, but also revealed just how bad the lead poisoning situation is. This then begged the question, if lead is so bad, what are the alternatives?

For many years, lead free ammunition and bullets have been assumed to be unreliable, costly, and inaccessible. Many have complained that the bullet does not perform according to what the user needs. However, we are now seeing a steep increase in the quality of lead-free ammunition. South African manufacturers are testing, retesting and constantly improving their products for the South African hunter and shooter — for South African conditions.

Kriek Bullets and Impala Bullets demonstrated different ammunitions on different targets to show just how well they performed under various circumstances – from distance, to accuracy, to impact. They tested lead ammunition versus lead free ammunition in each demonstration. It was easy to see that the bullets were performing well in every scenario presented and showed that users can have peace of mind when choosing to use lead free alternatives.

The Battle of the Bullets not only provides the latest information and science on lead poisoning and lead free bullets to attendees, but also highlights the link between vulture conservation and the hunter. February’s event once again proved that by leaving assumptions at the metaphorical door, and entering into the day with an open mind, we could all learn something new while supporting conservation efforts and local manufacturers.

Special thanks to Ekapa Mining, Esther van der Westhuizen, Ruan Maré and their team for hosting the day at Rooifontein Shooting Range and for your support of our event.

Cobus du Plessis discussing the various types of ammunition

Tackling the scourge of nappies and sanitary waste

By Cherise Acker-Cooper, Hugh Tyrrell and Professor Catherina Schenck, 04 March 2024

Nappies and/or sanitary pads, officially known as Absorbent Hygiene Product (AHP) waste, are fast becoming one of the most serious social and environmental health issues because of poor waste management in South Africa¹.

The problem is rooted in an ever-increasing population and a failing municipal service crippled by a lack of capacity and resources to effectively reach rural, informal and backyard dwellings, typically home to the most vulnerable in South Africa. Quantifying AHP waste within these dwellings is complex due to limited availability of data. Essentially, the quantity and related volume and weight of AHP waste makes it difficult for municipalities to collect and discard at landfills.

However, based on estimates, we can approximate that about 5.8 billion nappies² and 540 million³ sanitary products are being generated within rural and informal dwellings. If one considers that 37% of households in South Africa⁴ do not receive regular waste service, the enormity of the problem becomes alarming.

This approximate quantification is based on unverified statistics but does reveal the need to 1. provide evidence to quantify the scope of AHP waste in informal and rural dwellings in SA; 2. quantify AHP user demographics of AHP’s, and 3. Determine impact AHP’s waste discarded outside the municipal system has on the people and their environment.

Towards this, the Endangered Wildlife Trust together with Conservation South Africa, Kruger to Canyons, the University of Pretoria and the University of the Western Cape established the One Health AHP Waste Forum (OH-AWF) in 2020. To date, the forum has over 40 members which are comprised of numerous academic, public, private, and civil institutions and organisations who have banded together to develop a strategic approach to address AHP waste. This forum’s approach centres on sound knowledge for effective decision making and therefore, between 2020 – 2023, we have conducted and coordinated numerous research studies to build our understanding around the AHP system dynamics within informal and rural communities. Outcomes of these studies reveal key insights paving a pathway towards sustainable AHP waste management.

This pathway for change was mapped by OH-AHF members during a mini conference funded by the National Research Foundation and held in association with the Conservation Symposium 2023 between the 6 – 8 November 2023 at the Wild Coast Sun, Port Edward, Eastern Cape. Priority action was determined, focusing on communities in rural, informal and backyard dwellings in which we will seek to:

Improve the current municipal AHP waste management system.
Work with key stakeholders to explore the circular economy in disposable AHP’s.
Explore opportunities to mainstream reusable products.
Initiate educational programmes to promote safe and responsible AHP waste disposal practices.
Contribute to informing principals on appropriate technological AHP waste management solutions.

These key objectives was formulated into a three-year strategy (2024 – 2026) to guide the OH-AWF and inform AHP waste management industry role-players in SA. Towards the achievement of the strategy, the forum members are already implementing a number of activities to address AHP waste (Figure 3), while the EWT continues to monitor AHP waste in the eThekwini Municipal area where we have employed a Catchment Waste Officer who is working with local community leaders in Adams Rural to improve AHP waste removal.

Figure 3: Proportion of work being done by OH-AWF member organisations to address AHP waste in South Africa.

However, the success of this strategy to reduce the health and environmental impacts of AHP waste outside of formal dwellings in SA is dependent on strong partnerships and collaboration between the public, private and civil sectors of society.

Attended by representatives from the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Conservation South Africa, Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region, University of Pretoria, University of the Western Cape, ERS, Aquila Environmental, Green Edge Communications, Kimberly-Clark, Biddykins South Africa, Lindon Corporation, TASC, The Untshayelo Foundation, the Western Cape government and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

For more information, please contact Cherise Acker-Cooper on sturdyroutes101@gmail.com or Professor Catherina Schenck on cschenck@uwc.ac.za

Cherise Acker-Cooper delivers a presentation on the implementation of the project in South Africa

EWT looking into new technologies to curb rhino poaching

By Eleanor Momberg

The Endangered Wildlife Trust continues to work on ways to unlock new technologies to curb the onslaught on South Africa’s rhino population, says Louwrens Leeuwner, Senior Conservation Manager: Business and Wildlife.

Reacting to the recent poaching of rhino in Limpopo, days after the release of the 2023 rhino poaching statistics, Leeuwner renewed an appeal to the public to come forward with any information about the killing of the iconic animals, and to support the authorities in dealing with poaching incidents as this may “ultimately be the only way” to deal with the problem.

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy announced earlier in February that 499 rhino were poached across South Africa in 2023, more that 60 percent of which were killed in KwaZulu-Natal. This is an increase of 51 rhino poached compared to 2022. Of the pachyderms killed, 408 were poached on state properties and 93 on privately owned land.

“The pressure again has been felt in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province with Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park facing the brunt of poaching cases losing 307 of the total national poaching loss. This is the highest poaching loss within this province. While KZN recorded 49 arrests and 13 firearms seized, multi-disciplinary teams continue to work tirelessly in an attempt to slow this relentless pressure,” said Creecy.

Kruger National Park (KNP) recorded a 37% decrease from 2022 with a total of 78 poached in 2023. No rhinos were poached in other national parks.

Creecy commended the work being done by the Hawks in several regional and transnational engagements to enhance the government’s integrated approach to combat wildlife trafficking.

She said responsible partnerships between the public and private sectors, and the financial and transporting sectors remains critical in combating international wildlife trafficking. The approach is not exclusive to South Africa but is followed within the region and transnationally. Working with the transit and end user countries in South-East Asia, especially with the People’s Republic of China, Singapore, Qatar, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Ashleigh Dore, Wildlife and Law Senior Project Manager at the EWT said wildlife crime was having huge impacts on South Africans.

“It is a personal attack on our heritage so all wildlife crimes need to be taken seriously,” she said.

Dore added that rhino poaching was a prime example of transnational organised crime, or transnational wildlife crime. “I think people need to understand how complex it is responding to transnational organised crime and understand the different levels and roleplayers in syndicates. When we look at poachers we are looking at people operating at the first level. But there are other levels of wildlife crime that need consolidated efforts and we see that globally,” she said.

In the meantime, the wildlife crime monitoring group, Traffic, reports that a Singapore court has convicted South African national, Gumede Sthembiso Joel, for rhino horn smuggling and sentenced him to two years in prison. This was the maximum terms allowed for the offence under the law at the time of his arrest in 2022 when he was nabbed smuggling 20 pieces of rhino horn from Johannesburg to Laos via Singapore.

Science snippets: The Impact of Habitat Loss on Mammal Populations

By: Erin Adams and dr Lizanne Roxburgh

Habitat loss and degradation are among the leading causes of population decline for species worldwide. The main issue is the conversion of natural ecosystems to croplands, rangelands, forests and infrastructure. However, it has been difficult, up to now, to accurately assess on a large-scale what role habitat loss has played in the recent range declines of animal populations. In a recent publication, co-authored by EWT scientists*, they compared current and past (from the 1970s and 1980s) distribution ranges of mammals to understand the reasons as to why those ranges might be smaller today, and specifically whether their ranges are smaller due to habitat loss and degradation.

The scientists produced distribution maps for 475 land-dwelling mammals from 50 years ago – the “past range” – and for today – the “retained range”. By subtracting the two, they calculated what they called the “lost range”. They then compared the proportions of habitat available for the species in the lost range compared with the retained range. Habitat refers to areas suitable for the species to live in.

The scientists found that for 59% of species, their lost ranges have less habitat available to them compared to their retained ranges. This suggests that the ranges for these spaces have shrunk due to habitat loss.

The scientists also ran analyses in order to determine which factors influence the amount of habitat available. The most important factors that negatively affected habitat availability were conversion of land to rangeland and high density of livestock. Intensive livestock grazing reduces the amount of food available for herbivores and granivores, leads to changes in vegetation structure, which affects small mammals, and reduces the prey available for carnivores. This study shows the importance of protecting habitats from human activities in order to conserve remaining habitat. For those species where lost ranges have a similar amount of habitat left compared to retained ranges, this gives hope for species recovery if other threats, such as hunting and persecution, can be reduced.

*Pacifici, M., Cristiano, A., Lumbierres, M., Lucherini, M., Mallon, D., Meijaard, E., Solari, S., Tognelli, M. F., Belant, J. L., Butynski, T. M., Cronin, D., d’Huart, J.-P., Da Re, D., de Jong, Y. A., Dheer, A., Fei, Li, Gallina, S., Goodrich, J. M., Harihar, A. … Wiesel, I. (2023). Drivers of habitat availability for terrestrial mammals: Unravelling the role of livestock, land conversion and intrinsic traits in the past 50 years. Global Change Biology, 29, 6900–6911. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16964

Using Technology Supports Wildlife Conservation, Says The Endangered Wildlife Trust

The use of technology contributes significantly to wildlife conservation, enabling researchers to access areas previously considered dangerous and impassable.

It also aids in the rediscovery of species believed to be extinct and builds on the knowledge we already have on, not only the behaviour of species, but also the impact of human development and interference on wildlife.

“Drones are helping us roam large areas and access otherwise inaccessible sites. Advanced tracking systems, real-time data analytics, and artificial intelligence-driven solutions are empowering conservationists across the globe providing unprecedented tools to help identify, monitor, track and ultimately preserve wildlife,” says the Secretary-General of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Ivonne Higuero.

She, however, warns that as we leverage growing technological capacities, we must also revitalise our commitments to sustainable development. This includes preventing destructive ecological impacts, mitigating threats to species and livelihoods arising from the misuse of technology, and ensuring digital inclusion for all by 2030.

The use of drones, for instance, is no longer a novelty, nor is the use of GPS tracking systems to monitor wildlife. What is considered new is the use of environmental DNA in the detection of elusive species, and the mapping of species distributions, and the real-time programming algorithms linked to tracking data that enable rapid response to wildlife threats.

Drones

Coupled with advances in artificial intelligence (AI), drones now have some sort of role to play in most industries. Their uses and benefits are only limited by our imagination and operational battery capacity. They deliver much-needed medicine to remote communities, scan compromised infrastructure for survivors during emergency disaster responses, or facilitate smart agriculture. Of course, there are more sinister potential uses for drones, blurring the lines between science and science fiction.

But, using drones for conservation has already shaped the future of the sector. Drones have been used in a variety of scientific studies, from detecting rare animals and counting colony-nesting birds to mapping habitats and creating 3D scans of trees.

The main practical advantage of a drone is not only necessarily its ability to go places that humans and their traditional modes of transport cannot get to; the biggest benefit is the fact they can perform the same tasks safely, eliminating the need to get people into dangerous situations.

But how do wild animals respond to these flying intruders? Is it ethical to use a drone to get close to an animal when it will result in a stress response? Perhaps the better question is whether the use of a drone is less or more detrimental to the animal than it is to approach it using traditional methods. This is an intriguing question, and one that should be considered prior to undertaking any new conservation project. At the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) these concerns are very seriously considered on a case-by-case basis, through a formal ethics committee, prior to any deployment of drones for conservation.

As a legal drone operator in South Africa, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) carries out surveys for birds, bird nests and mammals, does topographical and vegetation surveys, provides aerial support to conservation teams during operations, assists the authorities in locating injured animals, carcasses, poisoning and poaching incidents, and inspects and photographs electrical infrastructure for maintenance and survey purposes. The non-profit is also using drones to attach anti-collision devices to linear electrical infrastructure and to assist specialists with surveys relating to Environmental Impact Assessments and related audits.

GPS Tracking

Drones may be the latest innovation in wildlife monitoring, but before their advent, GPS tracking technology had already established itself as a valuable tool for studying the movement, behaviour, and habitats of wild animals, particularly birds, over many years.

Birds of prey face unique conservation challenges, primarily due to their ability to traverse vast distances unhindered by physical barriers. This lack of confinement poses significant obstacles to traditional conservation methods. For instance, species like the White-backed Vulture and Cape Vultures routinely cover extensive distances, ranging from 80km to over 500km per day while foraging.

As a result, effective bird conservation heavily relies on technological advancements to comprehend species threats and implement appropriate conservation strategies. Vultures, for example, confront various hazards such as wildlife poisoning, power line collisions, and disturbance to nesting sites, all of which impact population numbers and breeding success.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) Birds of Prey Programme has long utilised GPS tracking technology to establish a robust conservation framework for these species. These lightweight, solar-powered tracking units transmit precise location and movement data via cellular or satellite networks, offering unprecedented insights into the spatial biology of a diverse array of species. These data serve as a foundation for strategic conservation planning across expansive geographic regions.

Moreover, GPS technology enables researchers to concentrate efforts on critical areas for species survival. The EWT’s initiative to establish raptor safe zones, for instance, strategically targets properties frequented by birds for foraging and nesting, guided by behavioural data to mitigate human-induced threats effectively.

Fortunately, avian tracking technology continues to advance rapidly. Future developments hold promise for increased affordability, potentially revolutionizing data collection and enhancing the effectiveness of current conservation practices.”

eDNA

Most recently, the EWT has led the pack in the development and use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in terrestrial systems, which led to the rediscovery of the elusive De Winton’s golden mole – a species previously thought extinct.

With the help of this technology, the EWT team was able to detect and effectively rediscover the Critically Endangered De Winton’s golden mole (Cryptochloris wintoni) on the west coast of South Africa. This species had been lost to science for over 80 years.

Because detection and distribution mapping of elusive species is one of the major challenges of biodiversity surveys, the EWT’s Drylands Conservation Programme (DCP) has been working on eDNA sampling techniques to detect the presence of elusive and/or threatened terrestrial vertebrates.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is genetic material that is shed by organisms into their environment, typically in the form of skin cells, hair or excretions, and may be sampled from environmental sources such as water, soil, or sediments. Isolation of this DNA from the environment can facilitate detection of organisms in the absence of obvious signs of their presence, and provide genetic information that can be used to identify, study and/or monitor species across time and space without having to catch, handle, or in some cases, even observe them.

The Drylands Conservation Programme used this technology to survey a range of elusive golden mole species across South Africa’s west coast, collecting soil from the linings of their subterranean burrows, and using genetic barcode markers to identify species. Through mapping species distributions, it facilitates conservation management of threatened species.

The EWT’s scientists are now also applying the eDNA approach in the detection of Endangered Riverine Rabbits, and threatened tortoises in the arid Karoo region of South Africa. For Riverine Rabbits, eDNA is collected from pellets (droppings) gathered in the field, rather than soil.

The application of eDNA has the potential to revolutionize conservation science and practice. Although there are many challenges associated with using this approach in broad biodiversity surveys or monitoring projects, with careful consideration of the challenges and potential limitations, the application of this technique can open many doors to answering research questions and finding new solutions to conservation challenges, including assessing potential impacts as a result of proposed developments in sensitive areas.

Through the use of technology, scientists are able to ensure that species being researched and surveyed are largely undisturbed. It could also contribute to a greater base of information about species in remote areas informing conservation planning and practice.

** World Wildlife Day is celebrated annually on 3 March. The theme for 2024 was People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.

Powerlines May Be A Cause Of Ludwig’s Bustard Population Declines

Figure 1: An incubating Ludwig’s Bustard female, fitted with a white GPS tracking device, sits tightly on her nest.

Collisions with overhead power line cables are thought to be the main driver of apparent population declines of the Ludwig’s Bustard (Neotis ludwigii).

Endangered Ludwig’s Bustard populations are assumed to be decreasing, with a more than 50% reduction expected over the next three generations.

At present, transmission line collision mortality rates of 1.12 bustards per kilometre per year are alarmingly high given the extent of these lines throughout their range. The species remains a research priority for the partnership between the Endangered Wildlife Trust and South Africa’s power utility, Eskom. The Partnership has found after a 10-year transmission line marking experiment that mitigation is ineffective for the Ludwig’s Bustard and for bustards in general.

Bustards are the one group of birds for which effective mitigation measures are yet to be demonstrated in southern Africa. Conservation options are limited to the further development and testing of new marker types and to burying overhead power line cables. A new power line marking experiment, for which four novel marker types are being tested, is showing some very positive results: no new Ludwig’s Bustard mortalities having been recorded since the marking of experimental sections of a transmission line in the Karoo in February 2022.

A well-informed estimate of the extent to which power line collisions affect the survival of the species is needed to justify significant future investment in conservation efforts. Such an estimate requires better information about Ludwig’s Bustard breeding biology, movement ecology and population dynamics. Some of the most basic parameters of these aspects have not yet been answered empirically, as the species is notoriously shy and difficult to study in the field. Luckily, advances in certain technologies present new tools that may enable us to fill these knowledge gaps.

To help us answer some of these questions, a Ludwig’s Bustard GPS-tracking study, the ‘Karoo Ludwig’s Bustard Project’, was initiated in 2022. Extensive trapping efforts resulted in a sample of 16 adult birds being captured and fitted with GPS trackers in the past two years. Our goal has been to focus on female birds to obtain information about their breeding parameters.

Since the first birds were captured in August 2022, we have been following up on GPS signals that may indicate nesting activity. This was unsuccessful until 2 February 2023 when one of the GPS-tagged females was found incubating a single large egg. The bird was well camouflaged and we only managed to detect her at a distance of less than three metres.

When she flushed from her nest, we were able to install a remote camera to monitor the nesting. We are now very eager to retrieve the camera to view the photographs captured in the field.

We hope to encounter more nesting attempts to collect the data required for a population viability analysis. Through this exercise we will hopefully be able to model the impact that power line collision mortalities have on the survival of the South African Ludwig’s Bustard population — information that will help direct the focus of our current and future research.

Figure 2: The movements of 16 GPS-tagged Ludwig’s Bustards, August 2022 – February 2024.

Figure 1: An incubating Ludwig’s Bustard female, fitted with a white GPS tracking device, sits tightly on her nest.

To help us answer some of these questions, a Ludwig’s Bustard GPS-tracking study, the ‘Karoo Ludwig’s Bustard Project’, was initiated in 2022. Extensive trapping efforts resulted in a sample of 16 adult birds being captured and fitted with GPS trackers in the past two years. Our goal has been to focus on female birds to obtain information about their breeding parameters.

Since the first birds were captured in August 2022, we have been following up on GPS signals that may indicate nesting activity. This was unsuccessful until 2 February 2023 when one of the GPS-tagged females was found incubating a single large egg. The bird was well camouflaged and we only managed to detect her at a distance of less than three metres.

When she flushed from her nest, we were able to install a remote camera to monitor the nesting. We are now very eager to retrieve the camera to view the photographs captured in the field.

We hope to encounter more nesting attempts to collect the data required for a population viability analysis. Through this exercise we will hopefully be able to model the impact that power line collision mortalities have on the survival of the South African Ludwig’s Bustard population — information that will help direct the focus of our current and future research.

Figure 3: A single, large Ludwig’s Bustard egg.

A quest for gold – the rediscovery of De Winton’s Golden Mole

by Samantha Mynhardt

On 29 November 2023, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and Re:wild announced the re-discovery of De Winton’s Golden Mole (Cryptochloris wintoni), and the story was received with great excitement all over the world as it steadily became one of the biggest conservation stories for 2023. This small mammal had eluded detection for over 80 years, was listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as “Critically Endangered; Possibly Extinct”, and on Re:wild’s list of Top 25 Most Wanted “Lost” Species, until its rediscovery last year. The research findings were published in Biodiversity and Conservation on 24 November 2023 and can be read here.

Golden moles are elusive little animals that spend nearly their entire lives underground, thus they are very seldom seen by humans. Some species will occasionally come to the surface to forage, typically only at night. In most cases, the only sign of golden mole activity or presence is a raised ridge on the surface of the ground, representing their shallow underground foraging tunnels. However, for the sand-dwelling species, such as De Winton’s golden mole, even these ridges are hard to spot, since the subsurface tunnels collapse in the soft sand.

De Winton’s golden mole has been severely impacted by mining activities and other threats on the South African west coast. We suspect that the population has experienced a substantial decline over the past century. The species was last detected at the type locality (the origin of the specimen from which the species was described), Port Nolloth, in 1937, and since then has eluded scientists, likely due to difficulties in locating and trapping these animals and/or the presence of the similar-looking and more abundant Grant’s golden mole, Eremitalpa granti.

As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pretoria at the time, working alongside Profs. Nigel Bennet and Paulette Bloomer on small mammal genetics research, I had been looking into alternative non-invasive means of studying golden moles, having faced the immense challenge of finding them in the wild, and trapping them to collect genetic samples. The Drylands Conservation Program (DCP) of the EWT received funding from Re:wild to go in search of De Winton’s Golden Mole, and invited me to join them on their quest, despite the views of many, including experts, that the species was extinct.

In 2020 we conducted a pilot study at Lambert’s Bay, the type locality of the sister species, van Zyl’s golden mole, Cryptochloris zyli (also Endangered), to trial some novel approaches for detecting golden moles, including thermal imaging drones, a scent-detection dog, and environmental DNA (eDNA). The pilot study was very successful. The thermal imaging showed some promise in facilitating our search for golden mole presence, although this was perhaps overshadowed by our scent-detection dog’s remarkable ability to sniff out the moles, and the unmatched power of eDNA technology to identify the species present, once the burrows had been located.

In July of the following year, we began our expedition along the west coast to Port Nolloth. We surveyed multiple sites along a 300km stretch of coastline, from the Groen River mouth northwards to Alexander Bay. Our team of five, including myself, Cobus Theron, JP le Roux, Esther Matthew and her trained scent-detection border collie, Jessie, conducted surveys on foot for a week, exploring, on average, 18km of dune habitat per day. Jessie had obviously never encountered a De Winton’s golden mole before, and therefore she was not trained on the scent of this species. However, she had been trained on the scent of the two more common species in the area, Grant’s- and Cape golden mole. She therefore assisted us in finding golden mole tracks, and we knew she would indicate to us if she found the more common species. When she didn’t indicate, we had a good idea that we had found something “new”.

We collected over 100 soil samples on the expedition. Wherever we found signs of golden mole activity, we collected small soil samples from the inner linings of their subsurface tunnels. Animals shed their DNA into their environment, typically in the form of skin cells, hair, and excretions and secretions. This is known as environmental DNA (eDNA) and is present at a molecular level and therefore completely invisible. We were essentially collecting eDNA samples from the soil in the underground burrows. This eDNA would later be extracted in the lab, and a particular fragment of DNA, called a DNA barcode, would enable us to identify the species.

We found evidence of De Winton’s golden mole, not only at Port Nolloth, but at multiple additional sites, indicating that the species may be more widespread than previously thought. Golden mole activity was particularly abundant on the beach at McDougal’s Bay, Port Nolloth, indicating that there is likely a healthy population persisting there. Unfortunately, we are not able to estimate the population size at this stage, however future research should aim to do so.

While we aim to conduct further surveys for this Critically Endangered species to better understand its distribution, it is important that we protect the populations we do know of. We are therefore working towards improved habitat protection and management for the population at McDougal’s Bay, as well as nearby sites where the species has been detected, and to identify additional suitable sites for protection.

Crane Festival Unites Communities to Safeguard Uganda’s Grey Crowned Cranes

By Patrick Engoru, Uganda Country Manager: African Crane Conservation Programme

In a powerful display of unity and conservation, the annual Crane Festival brought together communities, conservationists, and policymakers to celebrate and protect Uganda’s iconic Grey Crowned Cranes. The event, held on February 27th, 2024, at Rwantsinga Primary School playground in Rubaya sub-county, Mbarara District, was a joint initiative by the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and Antiquities (MoTWA) and Mbarara District Local Government.

Expanding Reach, Amplifying Impact

This year’s festival marked a significant milestone as it made its debut in the Rwizi catchment area, a new area of operation for the ICF/EWT partnership. This expansion signifies the partnership’s growing conservation footprint across Uganda, building upon the success of previous editions in Rukiga, Ssembabule, and Lwengo districts, where solid interventions are now in place. The collaborative communication efforts of ICF and EWT teams in Uganda, South Africa, and the USA successfully propelled the event onto previously unreachable local and international platforms, inspiring audiences worldwide.

Dire Need for Intervention

Uganda’s wetlands, crucial for both human survival and Grey Crowned Crane habitats, face immense pressure from rapid population growth and agricultural expansion. Over the past 25 years, the crane population has plummeted by a staggering 80%, primarily due to habitat loss, human disturbance, and illegal trade. These endangered birds often found on private lands, struggle to breed successfully as they are forced into increasingly marginal habitats. The Crane Festival serves as a clarion call for urgent action to protect these majestic creatures and their fragile ecosystems.

Fostering Coexistence Through Engagement

The festival’s theme, “Connecting People and Cranes,” aligned perfectly with the national and global Wildlife Day theme, “Connecting People and the Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.” By engaging diverse stakeholders – schools, communities, policymakers, conservationists, and the media – the event fostered a deeper understanding of the interdependence between humans and cranes.

A multitude of activities, including joint awareness campaigns with the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and Antiquities (MoTWA), community cleaning events focusing on plastic waste, art competitions by schoolchildren, school drama and running competitions, brass band marches, music, dance, and drama by Crane Custodians and Community Conservation Groups, exhibitions, and speeches from dignitaries, captivated audiences and inspired them to become advocates for sustainable coexistence.

Hon. Col. Tom R. Butime, Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, delivered a powerful speech as the chief guest, emphasizing the urgency of reflecting on the impact of human actions on habitats and species. “If the current situation does not change, our grandchildren may never see cranes in the coming years,” he warned, underscoring the need for immediate and collective action.

A Beacon of Hope for Grey Crowned Cranes

The Crane Festival represents a beacon of hope for the survival of Uganda’s Grey Crowned Cranes and their vital wetland habitats. By uniting communities, fostering environmental stewardship, and harnessing the power of digital innovation, this annual celebration paves the way for a future where these majestic birds can thrive alongside human populations.

The EWT and ICF remain committed to this mission, working tirelessly to secure the future of Grey Crowned Cranes and the precious ecosystems they call home. Through events like the Crane Festival, these organizations are not only raising awareness but also inspiring action and cultivating a deep appreciation for the natural world that sustains us all.

** The EWT/ICF Partnership would like to thank all our donors who contributed to a successful Crane Festival. This includes the Mbarara District Local Government, Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda Limited, Brighter Smiles Dental Clinic, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and Antiquities (MoTWA)

EWT leads in vulture conservation at 14th COP to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

By Johan Botha and Eleanor Momberg

The 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), recently held in Uzbekistan, saw the launch of a number of reports, most notably the first analysis on the Status of the World’s Migratory Species and the review of the Mid-Term Implementation Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures (Vulture MsAP).

The landmark UN report on the World’s Migratory Species showed that animals are on the decline increasing the global extinction risk. The report provides a global overview of the conservation status and population trends of migratory animals, combined with the latest information on their main threats and successful actions to save them.

It reveals that while some of the 1,189 migratory species listed under CMS are improving, nearly half (44 per cent) are showing population declines, and that more than one-in-five (22 per cent) of CMS-listed species are threatened with extinction. Globally, 399 migratory species that are threatened or near threatened with extinction are not listed under CMS.

Over the past 30 years, 70 CMS-listed migratory species – including the steppe eagle, Egyptian vulture and the wild camel – have become more endangered. This contrasts with just 14 listed species that now have an improved conservation status – these include blue and humpback whales, the white-tailed sea eagle and the black-faced spoonbill.

“The extinction risk is growing for migratory species globally, including those not listed under CMS. Fifty-one percent of Key Biodiversity Areas identified as important for CMS-listed migratory animals do not have protected status, and 58 per cent of the monitored sites recognized as being important for CMS-listed species are experiencing unsustainable levels of human-caused pressure,” the report states.

It adds that the two greatest threats to both CMS-listed and all migratory species are overexploitation and habitat loss due to human activity. Three out of four CMS-listed species are impacted by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and seven out of ten CMS-listed species are impacted by overexploitation (including intentional taking as well as incidental capture). Climate change, pollution and invasive species are also having profound impacts on migratory species.

Until now, no such comprehensive assessment on migratory species has been carried out. The report provides a global overview of the conservation status and population trends of migratory animals, combined with the latest information on their main threats and successful actions to save them.

The report’s findings underline the need for greater action, for all migratory species. Among the recommendations are the strengthening and expansion of efforts to tackle illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species, as well as incidental capture of non-target species; increased actions to identify, protect, connect and effectively manage important sites for migratory species; and the need to not only urgently address those species most in danger of extinction, but also scaling up efforts to tackle climate change, as well as light, noise, chemical and plastic pollution.

It was in the compilation of the review of the Mid-Term Implementation Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures (Vulture MsAP) that the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) played a significant role after the organisation was contracted through a CMS Raptors Memorandum of Understanding in April 2023 to lead the process. The EWT’s Vultures for Africa Program Manager, Andre Botha being appointed as project leader. He was joined by the EWT’s Jane Doherty, representatives from BirdLife International, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Vulture Conservation Foundation, supported by the Coordinating Unit of the CMS Raptors MoU. Jane Doherty was appointed as project intern in the employ of the EWT and was invaluable during the engagement with focal points, analysis of data and drafting of the report.

The Vulture MsAP was tabled by Andre Botha at a side-event attended by about 60 delegates from Range States, Observer Groups as well as 6 members of the drafting team on 14 February 2024.

Among its key findings are that although the threats affecting vultures have not changed in recent years problems related to intentional poisoning for belief-based use, bushmeat and trade is a more severe problem than appreciated in the past, especially in West Africa. It also found that collision risk for vultures will increase as the global shift to renewable energy increases and that mortalities from electrocution partly associated the switch to green energy is also on the rise.

Among the new threats identified are climate change, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza which can seriously impact critically endangered and endangered species already under pressure from other known threats.

Although some vulture populations are increasing in Europe, many are declining at a precipitous rate in Africa where data remains scant.

The report states that the amount of work done towards achieving the Results envisaged by the Vulture MsAP is testament to the efforts of many stakeholders, including the many NGOs working in the field.

The main recommendations emerging for Range States, donors and other stakeholders from this report are:

Strengthen political engagement and financial support
Build capacity to implement conservation actions
Focus on the implementation of Essential Actions
Enable the establishment of the Implementation Framework proposed by the Vulture MsAP
Continue facilitating the Vulture Working Group and monitoring the Vulture MsAP
Commence the review and update of the CMS Vulture MsAP – 2028/2029

The MsAP was adopted at the CMS CoP12 and is now halfway through its 12-year implementation timeframe. It is set to conclude in 2029.

The side-event was also used to announce the West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan that specifically focuses on reducing the impact of the threat of belief-based use poisoning of vultures in 15 countries in West Africa where this is the most important driver of vulture declines. The plan follows a process of engagement subsequent to the mass-poisoning of more than 2,000 vultures in Guinea-Bissau in March 2020 and a regional workshop that was held in Nigeria in 2022.

There were also a number of vulture-focused resolutions tabled for consideration, discussion and adoption by the plenary of COP14 and all of these resolutions were adopted after deliberation in the Avian Working Group of CMS.

Additionally, Botha represented the EWT at two side-events focused on mobilising conservation resources and sustained funding where he delivered presentations on achieving financial viability over time from a range of donors and other funding institutions and also reflected on the benefits, challenges and lessons learnt from four EWT projects that benefitted from funding granted by the SOS Fund.

“The COP also afforded an opportunity to meet formally and informally with a range of stakeholders from Range States, NGO’s and other institutions and also afforded the MsAP-team to discuss future plans such as the review and update of the CMS Vulture MsAP for another 12-year timeframe from 2029. These discussions often lead to opportunities for future projects and other engagements,” said Botha at the conclusion of the CoP.

Future work is mostly focused on supporting and promoting the action of the CMS Vulture MsAP in Africa and beyond with fieldwork and training that will be conducted in Chad, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Ethiopia in the coming months. The next wider international engagement will be the attendance of a workshop focused on the establishment of a population of critically endangered Rüppell’s Vultures in southern Europe which will be held in Málaga, Spain in mid-May 2024.

Botha said after the CMS CoP that about 20 delegates arranged their own field trip which saw them travel into the mountains to the south of Samarkand “where we enjoyed a number of views of Bearded Vultures and also saw Eurasian- and Himalayan Griffon, as well as Cinerous Vulture and Golden Eagle among an array of birds”.

A couple of shots of one of the Bearded Vultures we found on the field-trip yesterday. This bird was circling over the town of Kitob and obligingly approached us to circle above us after gliding by a distant cliff-face with the Uzbekistan flag planted on top. It was amazing to see these birds seemingly successfully living and breeding in close proximity to human settlements. Still can’t help but liken the effortless flight of these large birds to that of albatrosses over the ocean.