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Game
thrives at the Canyon
Intro: Game populations have recovered in Gondwana Cañon
Park at the Fish River Canyon. The positive results
of the latest game count in August support the management’s
resolve to continue the reintroduction of species which
once were indigenous and common to the area but which
subsequently became locally extinct due to human actions.
by Sven-Eric Kanzler
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56 Springbok,
180 m. The pen is trembling ever so slightly –
whether it’s the chilly temperatures or sheer
joy is difficult to say. Just a moment ago the vast
plain seemed totally deserted. But no sooner had the
vehicle pushed over the little rise than the herd appeared
in front of us as if from nowhere. A glorious sight
of nimble gazelles flying across the plain in the bright
light of the rising sun! Against the imposing backdrop
of the mountains and gorges of the Fish River Canyon... |
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Game
count in Gondwana Cañon Park. Seven teams
are on their way in the 1,120 km² private
nature reserve on the eastern fringe of the Fish
River Canyon. Standing, behind the driver’s
cab, for better visibility; wrapped in several
layers of clothing, a hood or woolly cap covering
most of the face, against the biting wind. Despite
the cold front and the darkness everybody crawled
out of their cosy beds just after five, slowly
recovered their senses in the restaurant while
having coffee and a bite to eat and then clambered
onto the vehicles.
In the evening, when all the teams have returned
and their sightings have been fed into the computer,
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Despite the cold front
and the darkness team no. 7 is on its way to the
game count.
Photo: sek |
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it already becomes clear that the effort has been
more than worth it: according to projections the
park is home to about 4,500 Springbok, 620 Gemsbok,
560 Kudu and 420 Mountain Zebra. This is an incredible
increase compared to 1997, when game populations
were estimated at 500 Springbok, 40 Gemsbok, 30
Kudu and 20 Mountain Zebra. The only regret is
that the four Giraffe, released two years ago,
were nowhere to be seen. |
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The
number of Mountain Zebra in Gondwana Cañon Park
has increased immensely. Photo: Gondwana Desert Collection |
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Multiplier
for small Game
The seven routes for the count were selected and then
standardised to cover the diversity of terrains in the
Park, such as open plains, rocky ground, inselbergs
and rivers. Each team sets out with a satellite map
which has the specific route drawn onto it. The area
in question is divided into quadrants of 2 km x 2 km.
Counting is done without binoculars. This means that
in effect road corridors with a sighting width of about
1,000 m are covered. At each sighting the species and
number of animals are recorded, the distance (at right
angles from the road at the time of the sighting) and
the quadrant. Young animals are counted separately. |
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Computer
projections for each game species are calculated
from the data. This includes a correction factor
for the proportion of each zone covered by the
area of the road corridor, and a correction factor
for the visibility of different species. Smaller
species are more difficult to spot than larger
ones, and each species thus needs its own compensation
factor, which is worked out statistically based
on actual sighting frequencies at different distances.
Naturally this counting method is not suited for
nocturnal animals. Nor does this method yield
reliable results for species at very low density,
because a chance sighting would influence the
final result dramatically. An example is the Hartebeest:
40 were reintroduced in the Gondwana Cañon
Park two years ago (the last animals were shot
near Ai-Ais over 60 years ago), and they tend
to distribute themselves in |
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No mirage: Giraffe at
the Fish River Canyon.
Photo: Michaela Kanzler
 Image
Download (1,15 MB) |
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separate herds. If no herds are spotted during
the count, then an underestimation would occur.
If by chance all three herds were spotted, then
an over-estimation would result. The method is
designed for plains game that is relatively common.
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Game
has also moved into the Park
The count yields reliable and realistic results for
larger antelope like Gemsbok and Kudu, and also for
Springbok and Mountain Zebra. Correct interpretation
of results is also important, of course. During the
presentation, Gondwana Director Chris Brown and conservationist
Jo Tagg therefore point out that numerous influences
have to be taken into consideration and more figures
based on experience are still needed. The numbers from
last year’s count, when visibility was obstructed
by a haze, should probably be adjusted upwards, they
say. Park Manager Otto von Kaschke agrees. He regularly
carries out sample counts in various areas. |
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The Hartebeest,
for instance, are monitored by using the ‘known
group’ method: local management staff monitor
groups which are known since re-introduction and
record births and deaths, thus keeping track of
their numbers.
The growth rates, Brown explains, are not only
the result of reproduction but also due to animals
moving into the area. From the mountainous terrain
and the rivers of Ai Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier
Park in the west, game - especially Mountain Zebra
– move eastwards to higher rainfall areas
in dryer times. Similar movements occur with the
Gemsbok, which move to the grassy plains of the
Gondwana Cañon Park. This proves yet again
how important it is in arid ecosystems to increase
the area to wildlife and allow them to move –
this is their most important coping strategy in
dry times – and thus the most important
management objective is to dismantle the remaining
fences between wildlife friendly neighbours, Brown
emphasises. |
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The Gondwana Caņon Park
covers an area of 1,120 km˛.
Source: Gondwana Desert Collection
Image
Download (224 KB) |
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Land
can still support more Game
The game count certainly does not merely supply
material for statistics; instead, it forms a solid
basis for taking care of the game and planning
future steps. An important figure calculated from
the count is biomass per hectare, which is calculated
from the total number of animals, the weight specific
to a species and the available area. To prevent
the agonising death of hundreds of animals after
poor rains, and severe destruction of the rangelands,
great care is taken to ensure that the land’s
viability is not exceeded.
The biomass of wildlife in the Park has increased
from just over 4 kg/ha last year to more than
5 kg/ha at present. However, the land can easily
cope with about 8 kg/ha, even if rainfall is below
average.
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Chalets of the Caņon
Lodge, one of the accommodation establishments
in Gondwana Caņon Park.
Photo: Gondwana Desert Collection |
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At
the end of the discussion it is time to take stock and
look ahead:
- Valuable data have been collected, indicating population
changes over time and distribution of game over the
area. The data allows management to estimate wildlife
populations and biomass, which is essential for rangeland
management, ensuring that there is the right 'mix' of
species.
- Game numbers have recovered well. This is great news,
especially for the south where European hunters from
the Cape wiped out many animal species more than 100
years ago – including Rhino, Elephant and Giraffe.
- The reintroduction of game needs to be continued.
The release of another 12 Giraffe and 20 Hartebeest
is envisaged to enlarge the gene pool; Burchell’s
Zebra, Blue Wildebeest and Eland should be released
during the next years to increase diversity and bring
these species back to the south. This would also fill
niches in the food chain, which in turn would make natural
regulation of animal numbers more flexible. Predators
like Jackal, Caracal, Brown Hyena and Leopard are already
present in the park, and it is expected that, with the
increased game numbers and predator-friendly policy,
Cheetah would move into the area sooner or later.
- The fences left between the national and the private
park, as well as along the road, should be dismantled
to increase the free movement of animals even further.
- Co-operation between the two parks should be enhanced
further. Patrick Lane, Chief Control Warden for Southern
Parks of the Ministry for Environment and Tourism, took
part in the game count and would like to see the neighbouring
areas of ‘his’ park included in future counts.
- And last, but not least, game counts are an excellent
tool to educate and train people about wildlife management
and nature conservation. A whole string of people, including
park management and lodge staff, shareholders and neighbours,
enthusiastically share in an activity which highlights
wildlife as the greatest asset of the Gondwana operation.
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In conclusion,
Gondwana Director Chris Brown expresses his thanks to
the volunteers. But the most beautiful gesture of thanks
comes from nature herself: the next morning, shortly
after departing from Cañon Village, the light-coloured
frame of a Giraffe is illuminated against the dark rock
plateau west of the road - feeding on a quiver tree. |
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