conservation champion Archives - Page 4 of 6

CAREERS IN CONSERVATION – Catherine Kuhn

Catherine is the Biodiversity Disclosure Project Manager with the EWT’s National Business and Biodiversity Network. Here is a little bit about Catherine’s journey to a career in conservation.

Job title: NBBN Biodiversity Disclosure Project Manager.

What do you do in your day-day work? A lot of my role involves the administrative and project management side of the work we do with businesses and corporates – guiding them in their quest to align with the global sustainability targets and providing capacity building and awareness around the various projects that we do.

Location: Cape Town.

Where did you grow up? Call me a Southern Suburbs girl, I grew up under the foothills of Table Mountain, Kenilworth, Cape Town.

What are your hobbies/things you like to do in your spare time? Spending as much time as I can in the mountains! On a typical weekend I will be rock climbing with my husband, or hiking, kloofing, trail running, and / or walking the dogs!

Any pets? Yes, my two crazy Jack Russells, Hansel and Lappies! They make me mad on a daily basis, but I love them to absolute bits.

Favourite animal and why: A Cape Dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion pumulim). I grew up with them in my garden and used to always search for them. They are misunderstood, fascinating and beautiful creatures!

Favourite food? Any Indian food, and then of course – Chocolate!

Pet peeve? People who throw their cigarette butts on the ground or out of their car window. Any littering in general!

Why did you want to work for the EWT? EWT has been doing amazing work for many, many years, and has grown so much as an organisation. The diversity in the different projects, the passion that the individuals have to make a positive difference in the world and the potential to grow in this organisation is quite a drawcard.

What excites you about this new position? What excites me the most is the potential for positive environmental change and influence in the business sphere and facilitating the move towards businesses having a positive influence over the protection of biodiversity. And of course, all the learning that will come with that, and the potential for growth for myself in such an important sector.

What are you passionate about? My conservation passions lie in mind-set change and capacity building for communities and corporates. I am also passionate about awareness building when it comes to habitat and species protection. My conservation interests also lie in human-wildlife conflict as well as carnivore conservation efforts.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and who did it come from? The best advice I have received is that they key to success is simple: Show up and be willing! The advice came from my husband, and I think Jordan Peterson said it.

What is your go-to feel-good song? ‘Crazy’ by Lost Frequencies and Zonderling.

EWT Vulture Safe Zone field officer teaches herself Xhosa to better communicate with local communities

By Danielle du Toit

I am of the strong opinion that ‘we only fear that which we do not know’.

Take spiders for example, I’m sure they give most people the heebie-jeebies, but read more about them and you’ll learn that South Africa has over 2,000 species of spiders, but only three of these species can cause major health issues from a bite (that piece of information didn’t help me either, but it did give me a small comfort knowing that the likelihood of a spider trying to kill me in my sleep is next to zero). My point is that if we approach situations in which we allow fear to blind us then we miss out on, at the very least, a learning experience, and at the most, a chance to be more than what we thought we were capable of.

Since joining the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Birds of Prey Program, I have worked extensively in remote areas, often on my own. In a country where safety is often a concern about a woman working alone in the field, I’m often told to avoid being in areas with no network coverage (what if I get a flat tyre and can’t call someone?), places where I’m the only woman (what if there’s only men and they threaten me?) and where I’m far off the beaten track (how can anyone help me if I’m in the world’s armpit?).

I am quite aware of the threats to my safety, especially at a time when gender-based violence is a concern. But, these concerns are not going to stop me from doing my job. The day I let fear stop me from doing it, is the day I hang up my khakis. So, for those who are scared, I urge you to read further, because these are my experiences; encounters I wouldn’t trade for the world.

Among the extreme remote areas I have visited and experienced include parts of the former Transkei region of the Eastern Cape, the Lesotho highlands and small towns in the Northern Cape.

When I travelled to the Transkei for community outreach and vulture conservation awareness about birds of prey last year, I challenged myself to learn how to speak basic Xhosa so that I could better communicate with the local community.

Luckily, I have a friend that has kept me in line since Grade 6 and she taught me some ground rules about Xhosa. Most importantly is that Xhosa is a language of clicks. The ‘c’ sound is a click pronounced when the tip of the tongue is pressed against one’s teeth. The ‘x’ click is pronounced by pulling one’s tongue down from the back of your palate. The ‘q’ sound is pronounced with the tongue pulling down from middle of the palate and should make an echo sound in your skull, deafen you even, if you’re doing it right. After weeks of practicing and Hlumela sending me voice notes mostly consisting of her laughing at my ‘whiteness’ and coaching me, I was finally able to, with confidence, introduce myself to people: “Molweni. Igama lam nguDanielle. Niyawundi xolela ndyizama uthetha isiXhosa” (Hello, my name is Danielle. I must apologise to everyone; I’m trying to learn to speak Xhosa.)

Hlumela said I should add: “Ayihambi kakuhle”. It’s not going well.

When the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Birds of Prey team visited a local community and their chief in the former Transkei in July 2023, I was instructed to firstly, wear a skirt to the chief’s place, secondly, to listen intently while the chief or elders speak. Thirdly, I was told to NEVER say no to the bread. This was more of a private notation by one of our colleagues, Nosi, who was actually just telling me that the bread is so delicious you can’t possibly turn it down.

We were in the area to do community outreach and awareness raising about vulture conservation with the CEET (Conservation Exposure Education and Training) and Meat Naturally.

I was on my best behaviour until a fight broke out between the chief’s wife and one of her chickens. The angry woman had proceeded to line that chicken up in her sights and kick it a good ten metres in a perfect arch off her stoep (verandah), her slipper following suite. I don’t know where the Springboks are recruiting their next flyhalf, but I could point them in the direction of her house. The chief, telling us to ‘hleka, hleka’ (laugh, laugh), followed this incident with an opening prayer before mentioning something about the presence of Mlungus (white people). My Xhosa is not advanced enough as yet to understand every word, but as it turned out, the chief was happy about our work in the area. In fact, he wanted us back as soon as possible.

The Northern Cape is a far cry from the highlands of Lesotho, or the rolling green hills of the Transkei. It is vast area known for its red sand and Camel Thorn trees. The roads are straight, cutting through an arid landscape, and the people are not to be trifled with.

My first trip to the Kalahari was with the EWT’s Ronelle ‘make a plan’ Visagie, who has been doing raptor conservation and extension work since long before I was born. We’d been monitoring White-Backed Vulture nests along the Molopo River and had time to pop in to see a local landowner she’d known for years. My first impression of Kallie had a lot more to do with the .38 revolver on his hip than anything else. He welcomed us into his kitchen for a cup of strong coffee. There I was greeted by a black cat with half an ear and scars on his face; a CV of sorts. Funny, I thought, how our animals so reflect their human owners. Kallie had a tough exterior. His face had been brutalised by the sun, giving it the look of weathered leather, but his eyes were laser focused. Although not a tall man, he carried himself in a manner that made him appear larger than life and, if I’m being perfectly honest, a little intimidating.

The reason we had gone to see Kallie was because he had threatened to shoot the vultures as they were a threat to his lambs. Ronelle simply said: “Ag Kallie, moenie die aasvoëls dood maak nie, asseblief” (“Oh Kallie, please don’t kill the vultures.”). With those simple words, that man melted like butter and it occurred to me then that as tough as someone may seem and as difficult as they may try to be, when Ronelle spoke to them in the way that she did, he felt heard and seen, and gave up the fight right there. I guess that’s what we all want.

Culturally speaking, I am a white woman who works in rural South Africa. In my line of work, I have met so many people, ranging from Xhosa Chiefs and Basotho shepherds to Kalahari boers. The people I have met have one thing in common: we all love nature and have a passion for its conservation and protection. South Africa is a rare place where diversity is the norm. We have 12 official languages, including sign language. This excludes the dialects, cultures and subcultures. We have a rich history that can fill libraries with tales from the lush Bushveld to the dry Kalahari, from the Cape of Good Hope to Egoli (Johannesburg). South Africa is not just one thing. Nor are South Africans. If we are so surrounded by differences in our everyday lives, why do we fear them?

My daunting first Vulture poisoning as a new EWT field officer

By Kyle Walker, field officer in the Birds of Prey Programme and Carnivore Conservation Programme

It’s my first week working for the Endangered Wildlife Trust in April 2023 and I’ve just moved to the Lowveld from the Cape. The temperature in the Mopani veld is beyond uncomfortable and much to my surprise, I’m missing the Cape winds.

Having just secured a field officer position with the EWT, I am aware that it is only a matter of time before a vulture poisoning event occurs. It will be my job to respond to these events in future, although, up to this point I have only ever seen photos and videos posted on social media. My days of being an arm-chair warrior are about to change.

Mid-way through my morning meeting I’m told that the rangers in Kruger National Park’s, Mooiplaas section (or Beautiful Farm in English), have discovered a poisoning scene with an unknown number of dead vultures. The information trickles in throughout the next hour as we race up north with our mobile veterinary trailer, the EWT’s Vulture Ambulance, in tow. It sounds as if only a couple birds are still alive, but we are prepared to treat as many survivors as possible. It’s a long drive and I have time to reflect upon what I’m about to see. Thoughts like – how am I going to hold the vulture? Will I get bitten? What happens if I come in to contact with the poison? Will I cope with seeing a lot of dead animals? Will I get there in time to save a few survivors? All these thoughts consume my mind, but I sit back and concentrate on the drive ahead. After all, what’s the use if I don’t arrive at the scene in one piece.

We drive through the Phalaborwa gate with a quick wave to the guards. This is not the first time they’ve seen this vehicle. John Davies, our Raptor Conservation and Research Project coordinator, as well as my predecessors, have been attending vulture poisonings in this area since 2014 and there are not many people better equipped to handle the situation ahead.

Unlike the slow-moving cars filled with eager-eyed tourists, ours darts past with little time spared to view the herds of Elephant and Buffalo. It’s a strange feeling knowing that I’m no longer on a tourist permit and that the lives of a few animals now hang in the balance of our arrival. Up the H14 road towards Mopani, hook right towards Letaba and a further 15 km along the dirt road to the scene.

We arrive at what looks to be a very peaceful dam. An Elephant bull is slowly wading through the water and a Marabou Stork is perched atop a Leadwood tree. Our vehicle pulls up to the ranger’s vehicle and we jump out to greet everyone and get the lowdown. The area adjacent to the dam is completely open and as I get my bearings I start seeing the aftermath of the poison.

Strewn around the area are small, feathered carcasses. A Tawny Eagle below the giant Green Thorn tree, three White-backed Vultures below another tree, a Lappet-faced Vulture facedown in the open.

But, first things first, there are two very weak White-backed Vultures lying in the shade in front of us. John sets about mixing an activated charcoal mixture while instructing me on how to hold the vultures safely. Holding birds is not new to me, but never have I held one this size. With the vulture cradled in my arm and its head firmly in my hand, we begin administering fluids. The fluids are used to flush the remaining poison from the bird’s system. It is not the final solution, but it does allow us time to transport them back to a veterinary facility where they will receive the necessary care and attention. With both birds safely stowed in travel boxes, we move on to the cleanup, intermittently checking in to keep the survivors hydrated.

The scene was worse than expected. A 500 metre radius around the poisoned Buffalo carcass was searched and the field rangers are now unloading carcasses by the wing-load. We line the birds up and group them by species. It’s a hammer blow to the senses. Everything smells rancid. Some carcasses are fresh, and others are a few days old. One by one we photograph each of the 80 dead birds before pilling them up to dispose of everything. Wood, diesel and carcasses make for one big bonfire, but its not the type I enjoy watching.

With the area cleaned up we head home with the two rescued vultures. I’m burnt, dehydrated and emotionally drained. The only thing keeping my spirits intact is the hope that these two vultures make a recovery and return to the African sky.

One month later and I’m standing in Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center with our two vultures looking fit and healthy. They have made a full recovery and it’s finally time to release them. We fit each bird with a GPS satellite tracking device which we will monitor to help locate future poisoning events in the Greater Kruger National Park region.

Scenes like these have become an all-too-common feature of conservation throughout Africa. Although there have been significant inroads made regarding the treatment of poisoned wildlife, the locating of poison sources, and the management of poisoning scenes, there is still significant work to do. One positive is that, should the severity of these poisonings be controlled, and their frequency reduced, we can still maintain viable populations of avian scavengers throughout these vast landscapes.

Energy-saving cooking in Rwanda

By DR Adalbert Aineo-mucungizi

Energy-saving stoves being handed to households in Rwanda

With funding from Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium, International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust sourced and distributed 80 energy saving stoves for women from 40 households. Each household received two stoves.

The energy-saving stoves are made of clay liners, a metal casing, and vermiculite cement, which maintains heat during cooking. These stoves were supplied to women who had been cooking using the traditional three-stone open fire system, which encourages the loss of heat into the atmosphere, resulting in the use of a lot of fuel wood. Just to cook a meal, it used to take a woman and her children several hours to search for wood for fuel.

Some beneficiaries have indicated that using the energy-saving stoves has reduced wood consumption from 15-20 kg to 2-3 kg per day. This is because the beneficiary households can use pruned branches instead of entire felled trees for their fires.

The families not only use considerably less firewood, but the food is also being prepared faster. For example, one of the beneficiaries has reported that she has reduced her cooking time for beans from three hours to one. With the time saved, the women are now able to spend more time working in their gardens growing food for their families, and even for sale. This has boosted their household income and reduced the demand for wood.

Our immediate plan is to raise substantial funding to scale up this intervention to reach an additional 500 households in order to reduce pressure on the Rugezi Marsh and its catchment.

Using an energy-saving stove supplied by the African Crane Conservation Programme

Energy-saving stoves being handed to households in Rwanda

Traditional cooking methods used by the women

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.