Vulture-safe Zones benefit biodiversity and people

Vulture-Safe Zones benefit biodiversity and people

Danielle du Toit, EWT Birds of Prey Programme

Southern African vulture populations are declining rapidly due to threats such as collisions with and electrocutions by electrical infrastructure, drowning in farm reservoirs, and of course, poisoning in all its many forms. Vulture Safe Zones have been established to address these issues and conserve vultures. Vulture Safe Zones are appropriately-sized geographic areas in which threats to the vulture species present are identified and mitigated through targeted conservation methods. They are established through active engagement with landowners and assistance through Vulture Safe Zone Alliance parties to create safe spaces for vultures to forage, roost and ultimately breed.^1,2

Unintentional poisoning occurs when vultures ingest toxic contaminants, including veterinary pharmaceuticals still present in a carcass after treatment^3,4, lead fragments in carcasses or entrails from lead ammunition^5–8, and agrochemicals used illegally to kill so-called problem animals such as Black-backed Jackal or Caracal. Vultures are sometimes killed intentionally in a direct link to poaching. Sentinel poisoning is the action of vultures being killed due to their behaviour when feeding, which indicates the presence of a carcass of an animal which has been poached. Poachers sometimes poison these carcasses to provide themselves with more time to escape, as vultures die after feeding and do not provide signs to anti-poaching officials that there has been an incident. In traditional medicine, vultures are often killed for their body parts – namely the heads. Some cultures believe that by eating vulture heads and brains, one could be gifted with foresight⁹.

Herding Academy training day
The EWT's Danielle du Toit with Willem Wagener handing-over their Karoo Vulture Safe Zone signboard

Through the establishment of vulture safe zones, landowners and conservation organisations alike must address and ultimately remove all threats to vultures within the area, and although we identify these threats as they relate to vultures, they can negatively impact the health of the ecosystem and humans alike. For example, by using lead-free ammunition, meat harvested through hunting will not contain lead – a heavy metal proven to have serious health implications on those exposed to it, even in small amounts – and is thus healthier for humans to eat. Reservoirs fitted with safeguards to prevent drowning do not have to be drained every time an animal (such as a baboon or bird) drowns in it and contaminates the water supply, thus saving valuable water resources. By mitigating powerlines and energy infrastructure against collisions and electrocutions, we can save hundreds of other birds of dozens of species, not only vultures, and prevent or reduce power outages on these lines. When mitigating the threat of poisoning to vultures, we aim to assist landowners in using responsible non-lethal methods of predation management – which often goes hand in hand with a more hands-on approach to stock and land management. We aim to take a holistic approach – employing a decision-making framework rather than a single tool – to address livestock predation on properties.

Cattle herders are also crucial for the management of the predation of livestock. They are proven to not only be eliminate livestock losses to predators but, if following a grazing management plan, can also assist in regenerating otherwise unproductive soil and increasing ground cover. Simply put, increasing ground cover on otherwise barren landscapes reduces the impact of rainfall and allows the water to seep into the soil rather than run off and cause erosion. By implementing herding on properties, we can upskill and create employment opportunities for members of communities, as demonstrated by The SACT Herding Academy. By combatting desertification, landowners will be able to better withstand the effects of drought and build resilience to the impacts of climate change.^10,11

Attendees at a lead ammunition-awareness day called Battle of the Bullets learning about the impacts of lead bullets on wildlife and people
Vulture-safe reservoir to prevent drownings and water contamination

The general market for agricultural products seeks sustainably and responsibly produced, traceable products¹². By becoming Vulture Safe, a landowner can honestly present their practices and market to consumers while benefitting nature and the people around them. We encourage landowners and partners to use the Vulture Safe Zone logo for promoting their properties and products to generate interest and support for the cause and the landowners who are part of it. Vulture Safe Zones may focus on vultures, but they benefit all.

This work is made possible by the Charl van der Merwe Trust, IUCN Save Our Species Rapid Action Grant, Ford Wildlife Foundation, Alu-Cab, the Rupert Nature Foundation, and the Disney Conservation Fund

References:

Mukherjee, A. & Galligan, T. H. Vulture Safe Zones to save Gyps vultures in South Asia Enhancing community-based vulture conservation in western lowlands of Nepal View project Vulture Safe Zone View project The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312315404 (2014).
BirdLife International Vulture Safe Zone Fact Sheet.
Plaza, P. I., Martínez-López, E. & Lambertucci, S. A. The perfect threat: Pesticides and vultures. Science of the Total Environment vol. 687 1207–1218 Preprint at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.160 (2019).
van Wyk, E., van der Bank, F. H., Verdoorn~, G. H. & Beans, H. CHLORINATED HYDROCARBON INSECTICIDE RESIDUES IN THE CAPE GRIFFON VULTURE (GYPS COPROTHERES). Camp. Btochem. Physiot vol. 104 (1993).
Pain, D. J., Mateo, R. & Green, R. E. Effects of lead from ammunition on birds and other wildlife: A review and update. Ambio 48, 935–953 (2019).
Gangoso, L. et al. Long-term effects of lead poisoning on bone mineralisation in vultures exposed to ammunition sources. Environmental Pollution 157, 569–574 (2009).
Fisher, I. J., Pain, D. J. & Thomas, V. G. A review of lead poisoning from ammunition sources in terrestrial birds. Biol Conserv 131, 421–432 (2006).
Garbett, R. et al. Association between hunting and elevated blood lead levels in the critically endangered African white-backed vulture Gyps africanus. Science of the Total Environment 630, 1654–1665 (2018).
Ogada, D. L., Keesing, F. & Virani, M. Z. Dropping dead: Causes and consequences of vulture population declines worldwide. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1249, 57–71 (2012).
LaCanne, C. E. & Lundgren, J. G. Regenerative agriculture: Merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably. PeerJ 2018, (2018).
Gosnell, H., Gill, N. & Voyer, M. Transformational adaptation on the farm: Processes of change and persistence in transitions to ‘climate-smart’ regenerative agriculture. Global Environmental Change 59, (2019).
Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) – Textile Exchange.

Earthly Eating: Tabouleh Salad

EARTHLY EATING

Tabouleh Salad

Each month, we bring you delicious, nutritious, and eco-friendly recipes that our staff members love!

This month’s Earthly Eating recipe is Tabouleh Salad, recommended by the EWT’s Head of Marketing, Sizie Modise who says it is a wonderful Lebanese vegetarian salad to make for guests, as it brightens up any table.

Everything should be finely chopped, especially the parsley, as you don’t want to see any leaves in it. You can prep the tabbouleh in advance if need be. However, do not add the tomatoes or the dressing until ready to serve.

A colourful vegetarian Tabbouleh Salad

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch Parsley
½ bunch of Scallions (Green Onions)
¼ cup Mint Leaves
2 Tomatoes
2 tbsp Fine Bulgur
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
½ tsp Salt

Preparation:

Prepare the vegetables by thoroughly washing them and set aside to fully dry.
Once dry, cut the ends off the parsley and finely chop, followed by the scallions (whites and greens), mint leaves, and tomatoes.
Combine in a large bowl.
Sprinkle the fine bulgur over the fresh vegetables.
Whisk together the freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well until combined.

The juice from the tomatoes and dressing will plump the bulgur within 5 minutes and it will be ready to enjoy!

Science Snippets: Not all carnivores are monitored equally

Science snippets: Not all carnivores are monitored equally

Erin Adams and Lizanne Roxburgh, the EWT Conservation Planning and Science Unit

The locations of peer-reviewed African large carnivore studies (2000–2020) from Strampelli et al. (2022). Red crosses show where research has taken place, except in the case of Brown Hyaena, where blue crosses are used. Grey areas represent current geographical ranges, except in the case of Brown Hyaena, where a dotted pattern is used.

African large carnivores have undergone significant population declines over the years. Important information needed to conserve them is how many individuals are left in the wild, which can be gained through monitoring, but not all carnivores have been monitored equally. In a recent publication* co-authored by EWT scientists, the monitoring programmes of African carnivores were reviewed to identify important knowledge gaps.

The scientists assessed all scientific publications on the African Lion, leopard, Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Spotted Hyaena, Striped Hyaena, And Brown Hyaena produced since 2000. From there, they could assess which species were extensively monitored and where the research was lacking. The scientists also considered the species’ ranges across Africa and whether all regions carnivores occurred in were monitored equally.

The scientists found that the African Lion was the most researched species, followed by the Striped Hyaena. However, of the study species, the Striped Hyaena has the largest distribution across Africa but has not been studied equally across its distribution (see the figure below). The African Wild Dog had very little research attention across its narrow range. Scientists also found that the larger the distribution of a specific species within a country, the more research was done on that species. Countries such as South Africa and Kenya were among the best studied, while countries in Africa’s Northern, Western and Central regions were generally understudied.

The study further revealed that, outside of South Africa, more than 40% of the studies did not include authors from the study country. Therefore, there is a need to upskill and build capacity within African countries to better protect African carnivores across their range.

*Strampelli, P., Campbell, L. A., Henschel, P., Nicholson, S. K., Macdonald, D. W., & Dickman, A. J. (2022). Trends and biases in African large carnivore population assessments: identifying priorities and opportunities from a systematic review of two decades of research. PeerJ, 10, e14354.

Transporting wildlife? Here’s what you need to know!

Obeid Katumba, the EWT Wildlife in Trade Programme, Wildlife and Law Project Officer

Wildlife (including plants) faces many threats driven by human activities, including habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, pollution, and the emerging threat posed by climate change. However, Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) remains one of the primary drivers of species decline. The consequences of IWT include the following:

The decline in species populations and species extinctions, as often rare, Endangered, threatened, and protected species are targeted and exploited, pushing them closer to extinction.
The spread of alien and invasive species (AIS) introduces species into habitats in which they do not naturally occur, and they threaten native species as they encroach on habitat and compete for resources.
Security concerns and wildlife trafficking have increasingly been linked to organised crime, corruption, money laundering activities, and the general undermining of the legal system.
Animal welfare concerns as the animals are often kept and transported in conditions that threaten their welfare.
The spread of Zoonosis, diseases that can be transmitted from animal to human, affects humans, wildlife, and agriculture.

IWT is an international concern and is known to be among the most lucrative criminal operations globally, alongside drug trafficking and human trafficking. As with other organised crime, IWT uses transport networks, both legal and illegal, for the movement of commodities, in this instance, wildlife.

Domestic pet transporters are increasingly used to transport wildlife illegally within South Africa. Sometimes these transporters do this unknowingly without understanding the relevant laws around transporting wildlife. In addition, these transporters might not verify the species of animal being transported, cannot accurately identify species, or might not know whether permits are required for possessing and transporting such species.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife in Trade Programme aims to raise awareness of wildlife laws in the domestic pet transporting industry and ensure that domestic pet transporters and other operators across South Africa understand the legal requirements for transporting wildlife. To achieve this, we are launching a comprehensive online and social media awareness-raising campaign that will present quick reference guides demonstrating the legal requirements for possessing and transporting wildlife. The campaign will also provide information on the consequences of non-compliance with applicable laws and contact information for the relevant authorities for obtaining permits to possess and transport wildlife. Key information presented through the campaign will include:

What are the relevant laws to become familiar with?
How do you know what you are transporting?
Do you need a permit to transport it?
How can you get a permit?
What if you don’t have a permit?

As a starting point, it is important for everyone to know that permits are needed for restricted activities involving living or dead, part or whole, legally protected indigenous species (species that occur naturally in South Africa). Examples of indigenous species include South African Hedgehogs, Leopard Tortoises, African Rock Pythons, Sungazers, and the Cape Parrot.

Top: South African Hedgehog (Atelerix frontalis) and bottom: Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
Sungazer Lizard (Smaug giganteus, syn. Cordylus giganteus), also known as the giant girdled lizard, at a burrow

Examples of restricted activities involving protected species include:

Moving or translocating such species
Selling, buying, or otherwise trading in these species
Receiving, giving, donating, or accepting such species
Having in possession or exercising physical control over such species.

Permits are also required for restricted activities involving listed alien and invasive species (AIS). Examples of AIS include Burmese Python, Mallard Duck, and Rose-ringed Parakeet.

Examples of restricted activities involving Alien and Invasive species include:

Possessing or exercising physical control over AIS
Moving or otherwise translocating AIS
Selling, buying, or otherwise trading in AIS
Acquiring, receiving, giving, donating, or accepting AIS

Being involved in a restricted activity without a permit means that you have committed an offence, and if found guilty, the penalties can be up to ten years imprisonment, a fine not exceeding 10 million rand, or both per charge. In addition to fines and imprisonment, the guilty person can be held liable for costs associated with any rehabilitation and restoration of the damage to the habitat caused by the release of the AIS.

Permits can be applied for in each of the nine provinces, at designated offices or through the national office for AIS species. If you would like more information on this issue, please contact the EWT, for attention Obeid Katumba.

This campaign is made possible through the generous support of the Lewis Foundation.

Tale from the field: The first sighting of an Egyptian Vulture in Malawi

TALE FROM THE FIELD

THE FIRST SIGHTING OF AN EGYPTIAN VULTURE IN MALAWI

ANDRÉ BOTHA, EWT’S VULTURES FOR AFRICA PROGRAMME MANAGER

Egyptian Vultures

The first sightings of Egyptian Vultures in Malawi were recorded in November 2022

On 5 November 2022, my colleagues from the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust and African Parks and I were on our way to another day of vulture fieldwork in the Liwonde National Park in Malawi. At approximately 05:10 am, the team came across the carcass of an old Waterbuck ram that was one of the many casualties of the late dry season at this time of year. The carcass had attracted the attention of a handful of African White-backed Vultures, an adult Palm-nut Vulture, and another bird, all of whom flew off and out of sight as soon as the vehicle was in sight. Fortunately, this bird flew in a wide circle before returning to the carcass, where it was identified as a three-year-old Egyptian Vulture. Following an extensive literature search and input from various individuals working on the species, it seems this is the first reported record of this species for Malawi. The same bird was subsequently seen in the vicinity for another three days before the team moved their fieldwork site to a different location. Within the same timeframe, two more sightings of different individuals of this species were made in the South Luangwa- and Kafue National Parks in Zambia, indicating a small influx of this species into southern Africa, possibly by over-wintering birds that migrated from Eurasia. The Egyptian Vulture has been considered regionally extinct as a breeding species in southern Africa, and the last breeding record for this Endangered species in South Africa dates back to 1923, almost 100 years ago.

For more information about the Egyptian Vulture, please visit our Vultures for Africa page on the EWT website.

We have dogs in the fight against poaching

WE HAVE DOGS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POACHING

DR ANDREW TAYLOR, EWT WILDLIFE IN TRADE PROGRAMME MANAGER

dog and handler

EWT Conservation K9 Bekah and handler Precious

The Endangered Wildlife Trust supports anti-poaching initiatives in game reserves using tracking and detection dogs known as conservation K9s. A project generously funded by the IUCN Save Our Species Rapid Action Grant and the European Union has enabled us to deploy six new dogs over the past year into priority reserves in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. Although the grant period has ended, the EWT continues to support the reserves to ensure continuity and sustainability of the use of dogs to support their rangers, and our Conservation K9 Project Coordinator, Shadi Henrico, recently visited four of the dogs posted in Limpopo.

Ruger, a male Dutch Shepherd, and Bekah, a female Belgian Malinois sponsored by Global Conservation Force, were deployed to a big five reserve in June 2022. As tracking dogs, Ruger and Bekah walk daily patrols along the fence line with their handler Precious, sniffing out evidence of illegal infiltrations into the reserve that may be related to poaching activity. If someone has entered the reserve through the fence, these dogs will detect their scent and can follow the route they took, allowing Precious to find the trespasser and uncover the intentions behind their incursion.

dog and handler

EWT Conservation K9 Gold and handler Clifford

Gold, a certified detection dog, was deployed to another big five reserve in August 2022, where he is finding his feet and bonding with his newly qualified handler Clifford. Clifford was trained at Genesis K9 with support from the IUCN SOS and the EU, and works with Gold to screen vehicles at entrance gates and other locations to ensure that no contraband is smuggled into or out of the reserve. Gold’s sharp nose can detect firearms, ammunition, rhino horn, elephant ivory, pangolin scales, and lion bones and will immediately alert Clifford if he catches a suspicious whiff so that they can investigate further.

EWT Conservation K9 Juice and handler Kaizer searching vehicles

Juice, a large male Malinois, has been deployed to a reserve in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) adjacent to Kruger National Park, where he is screening vehicles entering and leaving the reserve. He has been partnered with Kaizer, an experienced dog handler and will be working hard to catch wildlife traffickers. Like Gold, Juice will focus on detecting firearms, ammunition, and threatened wildlife species.

This project is supported by the IUCN Save Our Species Rapid Action Grant, co-funded by the European Union, Global Conservation Force, and Genesis K9.

Earthly Eating: Mandel Bread

EARTHLY EATING

CHOCOLATE-CHIP MANDEL BREAD

Each month, we bring you delicious, nutritious, and eco-friendly recipes that our staff members love! This month’s Earthly Eating recipe is recommended by the EWT’s Head of Marketing, Sizie Modise, and it is her sister in law, Tracey Heldenmuth’s, Chocolate-chip Mandel Bread

Chocolate chip Mandel Bread

Chocolate-chip Mandel Bread fresh out the oven, Photo credit: Tracey Heldenmuth

What is it?

Like biscotti, Mandel bread is crunchy. However, it’s made with more fat than biscotti, so the resulting cookie is a bit richer and less dry. You don’t need to dip it in coffee or tea to enjoy it – it’s delicious all on its own.

Serving: 8–10

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2/3 cup of sugar
3/4 veg oil
Mini chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder

Preparation:

Mix ingredients and flatten into a rectangle on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper

Bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 20-25 minutes. Take out for 10 minutes. Slice and turn slices on their sides and cook for another 10 minutes to crisp. Take out and enjoy

Science Snippets: Why did the Wild Dog cross the fence?

SCIENCE SNIPPETS: WHY DID THE WILD DOG CROSS THE FENCE?

ERIN ADAMS AND LIZANNE ROXBURGH, THE EWT’S CONSERVATION PLANNING AND SCIENCE UNIT

Within South Africa, fences are used to contain wildlife in reserves to protect them, particularly in human-dominated landscapes where they could easily come into conflict with people if they leave the reserve. This is especially true for medium to large-sized carnivores. However, they do cross these fences, and once outside, they are exposed to risks such as snaring, persecution, and collisions with vehicles, and any livestock they kill can incur high costs in the form of retaliatory killings by farmers. However, the reasons why they cross fences are not well understood.

African Wild Dog conservation, especially in southern Africa, often includes the translocation of wild dogs from one or more reserves and the formation of a new pack in a different reserve to ensure that genetic diversity is maintained and that population sizes are appropriate. In a recent publication co-authored by EWT scientists*, the reason behind why African Wild Dog packs cross reserve fences was investigated. Using a long-term dataset, they studied 32 Wild Dog packs across five reserves in the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa over 14 years. During this time, they recorded 154 events when Wild Dogs crossed fences. They looked at several factors that could be linked to fence crossings, including prey densities, rainfall, wild dog pack size, and the number of lions in the reserve.

The scientists found that the age of the pack (i.e., whether it was newly formed or well-established) and the fence integrity affected whether or not Wild Dog packs crossed the reserve fence. When fence integrity was poor, the probability of packs crossing the fence was higher, especially with newly established packs. This happens in their exploratory phase when they look for territories to occupy in the new reserve. When fence integrity was average, more established wild dog packs were more likely to escape to increase the size of their territories. When fence integrity was good, the probability of packs crossing fences was very low. Reserve management should ensure that the fence’s integrity is good to prevent these crossings. It is also important to carefully manage packs that reach about 3.5 years old, as this is when they would be more likely to expand their territories and attempt to cross the fence.

*Stone, D. W., Kelly, C., Marneweck, D. G., Druce, D. J., Hopcraft, J. G. C., & Marneweck, C. J. (2022). Fence management and time since pack formation influence African Wild Dog escapes from protected areas in South Africa. Journal for Nature Conservation, 70, 126291.

Secrets of the Soutpansberg

Cyrintha Joubert, the EWT’s Soutpansberg Protected Area, Water Conservation Project Coordinator

There are 18 recognised centres of endemism in southern Africa – localised areas with high species diversity found nowhere else. The Soutpansberg Mountain Range is one of these and has the highest plant diversity of all these centres. Many of the Soutpansberg endemic species are rare and threatened. Around 3,000 vascular plant species occur in the 6,800 km² Soutpansberg Mountains. Six biomes are found in the mountains: forest, thicket, savannah, grassland, fynbos, and wetland.

Not only are the species living in the mountains of high conservation value, but they also hold cultural value and have medicinal properties that are sought-after for traditional healing practices and mainstream pharmaceuticals. The EWT strives to conserve these plants in collaboration with partners in the Soutpansberg, ensuring that those who depend on them for any purpose can legally access the species they need sustainably. Here are a few secrets of the Soutpansberg that you may come across should you be lucky enough to visit the area or hike the recently established Old Salt Trail.

Monkey Orange

Strychnos spinosa

The genus name, Strychnos, is taken from the Greek word for deadly, which refers to poisonous alkaloids contained in the seed integuments. “Spinosa” refers to the spines. The poison strychnine is derived from an Asian species of Strychnos. The seeds should be avoided as they are poisonous or could have purgative effects. The fruit only appears after good rains and has a smooth, hard, yellow look when ripe. Inside the outer ‘shell’ is tightly packed seeds surrounded by a fleshy, edible covering. Most of this plant is used medicinally, with the roots and leaves used to treat certain snake bites. After the seeds have been removed, the dried fruits are used as musical instruments.

Sour Plum or Monkey Plum

Ximenia caffra

A sour worm with no added sugar! This is an extremely versatile plant, and all parts are used. While the fruit can be eaten fresh, it tastes slightly sour and is often made into jams, desserts, or jellies. As the wood is hard, it is used for making pot handles, firewood, and even for construction purposes. The oil extraction from the seeds has various uses, from cosmetics to the softening of leather. The fruit is high in potassium, and the leaves and roots are used to treat coughs, body pains, and even malaria.

Stem fruit

Englerophytum magalismontanum

This small to medium-sized evergreen tree has delicious fruits which are extremely high in Vitamin C with a content of 40 mg per 100 g. The fruit is fleshy and contains sticky, milky latex when picked and the skin removed. The tree fruits from December to February. When ripe, the fruit is bright red and can be eaten fresh or used to make jam, wine, and even vinegar. These plants’ roots are also used medicinally to treat rheumatism and abdominal pain. They have beautiful silky golden hairs on the back of the leaves, and the tree has a silvery look from afar.

Transvaal Red Milkwood

Mimusops zeyheri

The botanical name is derived from the Greek mimo, meaning ape, and ops, meaning resembling an ape. This might reference the flowers’ colour or the corolla’s shape. This tree is fairly popular amongst humans, birds, and various primates as it has tasty ripe yellow fruit with a high Vitamin C content.

Some more mobile endemic species to find in the Soutpansberg Mountains

Pienaar's Flat Gecko

Afroedura pienaari

A widespread and abundant gecko that shelters in rock cracks and under loose barks in trees. At night, it forages on rocks, trees, vegetation, and the ground.

Cryptic Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus incognitus

This shy gecko lives on trees and rocks and is restricted to the higher altitudes in the mist belt.

Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus soutpansbergensis

A shy gecko that lives in the rocky areas throughout the Soutpansberg

Soutpansberg Worm Lizard

Chirindia langi occidentalis

This lizard is rarely encountered as it spends its life underground. It is locally common in certain areas and absent in others.

Soutpansberg Purple-glossed Snake

Amblyodipsas microphthalma ssp. nigra

A near-endemic to the Soutpansberg. These snakes spend most of their time underground and occasionally come to the surface to feed and disperse. They can be found in virtually any habitat, from the hot bushveld areas to the montane grassland on top of the Soutpansberg and throughout the mountain range. Limpopo’s only near-endemic snake!

Soutpansberg Hadogenes Scorpion

Hadogenes soutpansbergensis

The only described endemic scorpion in the Soutpansberg. These large flattened scorpions prefer to live in rock cracks and are widespread and abundant in the Western Soutpansberg.

Soutpansberg Flat Lizard

Platysaurus relictus

Endemic to the western Soutpansberg, these colourful lizards live on rocks in warm and hot areas. They live in small colonies and feed on insects, fruits, and plants.

A word from the CEO November 2022

Word from the CEO

Yolan Friedmann

The older I have got – and I have definitely gotten older this year– the more I realise that life is really much simpler than we make it out to be. Within just my career, I can attest to the fact that the conservation/environmental sector follows the same cycle: making simple solutions seem much more technical, complicated, and high-tech than what they actually are: simple.

To demonstrate, our sector is full of jargon and terminology that evolves every few years, mostly in synchrony with the international gatherings of important bodies such as government signatories to multi-lateral agreements, the expiry of international treaties, or the upcoming renewal of same, perhaps all designed to give new impetus to age-old concepts in a way that ensures that they make their way into renewed commitments and invigorated negotiations, but which are simply all about doing the right thing. But why does ‘doing the right thing’ need to have clever new names and technical descriptions to gain traction? Let me demonstrate: At the upcoming Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CoP), as well as the impending United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change CoP, our leaders will be negotiating our futures around concepts such as “Nature Positive”, “No Nett Loss”, “Net-Zero Standard”, and “Clean Development Mechanism” whilst terms like “future-proofing”, “resilience”, “natural capital”, and “carbon offsetting” will be more common than “hello” and “how are you?”. This is on the back of the evolution of terms like “sustainable use” and hot on the heels of the demise of the term “sustainable development”, which is so last season…

However, underneath it all are some very simple concepts which appear to be beyond human beings to adopt, no matter how you spin it. Live simply, honestly, and fairly; don’t use more than you really need; share; don’t waste; live compassionately and with consideration for others that live on the same planet; do business with minimal impact and maximum benefit to the most for now, and into the future; don’t be greedy; and live with kindness. These are really not complicated concepts; yet, we seem to need complex terms that sound important enough for leaders to shake hands over the documents that espouse them and lock them in as the solutions that will save humanity from destruction. The problem with this is that it alienates ordinary human beings from doing what is right, and changing our lives by ourselves and for our own benefit, along the lines of the concepts above. We stand back and wait for new agreements with complex language and confusing jargon to be adopted and driven by leaders who we know will almost never really take them seriously.

In the run-up to both Conferences of the Parties, we hold out for stronger commitments to more aggressive targets and more effective change that will lead to better futures. But we must remember that the truth is far simpler and more achievable if we all learn that it comes down to some simple truths humans have been hardwired to know for millennia. Don’t hold out for technical agreements and confusing jargon, do what is right and important right now. Make that change today to a diet, a lifestyle, a business and a home that is less impactful and kinder to the planet. Buy local, eat less, waste nothing, repurpose and recycle, consume less, live lighter, be less greedy, love more and want less, share more, destroy less and nurture more, and be more aware of the impact we all have, which can be positive or a blight on the natural world around us. Imagine if all people and all national policies ensured that this is how all people lived worldwide. Life really is sometimes that simple.

As 2022 races towards an end and we all get a little older, may the wisdom we have gained be to live with more kindness and grace and nurture the natural world that gives us all life.