22 research outputs found
Divergent views on trophy hunting in Africa, and what this may mean for research and policy
No full textOver the past decade, trophy hunting in Africa has seen increased public and scientific interest. Much of that attention has come from outside of Africa, with little emphasis on local views. We circulated an online survey through international networks to explore demographic and regional differences in opinion regards support for African trophy hunting, trophy import bans, and outside funding of conservation estates supported by hunting. We received ∼5700 responses and found that location, demography, and conservation background influenced opinion. African and North American respondents showed (significantly) more support for trophy hunting than respondents from Europe or other areas, as did respondents with conservation backgrounds. Unlike North Americans, Africans supported external subsidies of wildlife areas presently funded by hunting. Many factors affected opinions on African hunting, but respondent location played a major role. Realistic policy on African trophy hunting should thus integrate African perspectives, in particular those of rural communities
Fencing Africa's protected areas : costs, benefits, and management issues
No full textThe fencing of protected areas (PAs) is highly controversial, and much remains unknown about the associated financial, ecological, and social impacts. We surveyed experts on 63 fenced and 121 unfenced PAs across 23 African countries to assess the advantages and drawbacks of fencing. Where fences exist, they are largely supported and widely viewed as effective at demarcating PA boundaries and mitigating human-wildlife conflicts. However, most fences were insufficiently funded, which limited their ability to contain conflict-prone species like elephants and lions. Fences were also frequently vandalised and caused numerous conflicts with local communities. We documented for the first time the distribution of and support for fencing in PAs across Africa. While fencing is largely limited to Southern Africa and East Africa, support for fencing is greatest in West Africa and is associated with high human and livestock densities, and high threats from bushmeat harvesting, livestock encroachment, and logging.JRBM was supported in part by Panthera and National Science Foundation Coupled Human and Natural Systems Grant 115057.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon2020-01-01hj2019Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog
Making the most of by-catch data: Assessing the feasibility of utilising non-target camera trap data for occupancy modelling of a large felid
No full textCamera traps are an increasingly used tool in ecology, having the ability to capture large numbers of photographic records in short survey periods. For many surveys, the number of non‐target records outweighs those of focal species, making them a potentially rich and often under‐utilised data source. Occupancy analysis of non‐target data represents a potential way to optimise survey output, whilst increasing “return on investment.” This study assessed the feasibility of using non‐target data from a Hartmann's mountain zebra Equus zebra hartmannae survey in Gondwana Canyon Park, southern Namibia, for occupancy analysis on leopard Panthera pardus. Using a survey design with 15 camera traps at water sources, 26 leopard events were detected over 72 days. Model fit was adequate and produced a model‐averaged occupancy of 0.64 (SE 0.36) and a detection probability of 0.24 (SE 0.07). Whilst there was a lack of precision in the final occupancy estimate, the study provided valuable pilot data for future surveys. The results highlight the ability of camera traps to obtain information‐rich datasets, which, when properly archived, can be used for providing information on a number of ecological topics, ranging far beyond that which the traps were originally deployed for.The Rufford Foundation, United Kingdom, the Whitley Fund for Nature, United Kingdom, and Parc Zoologique de Montpellier, France, funded the Mountain Zebra Project. Sarah Edwards received a post‐doctoral bursary from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/aje2019-12-01hj2018Centre for Wildlife Managemen
Leopard Panthera pardus camera trap surveys in the arid environments of northern Namibia
No full textIn Namibia, leopards (Panthera pardus) are widely distributed, used commercially as trophy animals and are often persecuted for perceived or real predation on livestock and valuable game species outside protected areas. Therefore, leopard populations living in protected areas might be important source populations and for maintaining connectivity. Little data on their population sizes and densities are available from the northern part of the country, particularly from protected areas. Here, we estimated leopard densities using a spatial capture–recapture approach in northern Namibia: (i) the Khaudum National Park (KNP) in north-east Namibia with an annual average rainfall of 450 mm and (ii) the Lower Hoanib River (LHR) in north-west Namibia with an annual average rainfall of 25 mm. With an effort of 2430 and 2074 camera trap nights in the KNP and LHR, respectively, 11 adult female and six adult male leopards were identified in the KNP, whilst only one adult female leopard was detected once in the LHR. For the KNP, a maximum likelihood approach (using the package SECR) revealed a density estimate of 2.74 leopards/100 km2, whereas a Bayesian approach (using the package SPACECAP) revealed a density estimate of 1.83 leopards/100 km2. For the LHR, no density estimate could be determined and it is suggested that the leopard density in such an arid environment is low. These are the first leopard density estimates based on camera trap surveys provided for these protected areas and thus of importance for further monitoring programs to understand leopard population dynamics. We discuss our findings with current habitat changes and conservation measures in both study areas
Leopard Panthera pardus camera trap surveys in the arid environments of northern Namibia
No full textIn Namibia, leopards (Panthera pardus) are widely distributed, used commercially as trophy animals and are often persecuted for perceived or real predation on livestock and valuable game species outside protected areas. Therefore, leopard populations living in protected areas might be important source populations and for maintaining connectivity. Little data on their population sizes and densities are available from the northern part of the country, particularly from protected areas. Here, we estimated leopard densities using a spatial capture–recapture approach in northern Namibia: (i) the Khaudum National Park (KNP) in north-east Namibia with an annual average rainfall of 450 mm and (ii) the Lower Hoanib River (LHR) in north-west Namibia with an annual average rainfall of 25 mm. With an effort of 2430 and 2074 camera trap nights in the KNP and LHR, respectively, 11 adult female and six adult male leopards were identified in the KNP, whilst only one adult female leopard was detected once in the LHR. For the KNP, a maximum likelihood approach (using the package SECR) revealed a density estimate of 2.74 leopards/100 km2, whereas a Bayesian approach (using the package SPACECAP) revealed a density estimate of 1.83 leopards/100 km2. For the LHR, no density estimate could be determined and it is suggested that the leopard density in such an arid environment is low. These are the first leopard density estimates based on camera trap surveys provided for these protected areas and thus of importance for further monitoring programs to understand leopard population dynamics. We discuss our findings with current habitat changes and conservation measures in both study areas.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The publication of this article was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – project number 491292795. This study was funded by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) in Namibia, WWF Germany and the Messerli Foundation in Switzerland. Sarah Edwards received a post-doctoral bursary from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.https://link.springer.com/journal/42991hj2023Centre for Wildlife Managemen
Savanna resilience to droughts increases with the proportion of browsing wild herbivores and plant functional diversity
No full text1. Maintaining the resilience and functionality of savannas is key to sustaining the ecosystem services they provide. This maintenance is largely dependent on the resilience of savannas to stressors, such as prolonged droughts. The resilience to drought is largely determined by the interaction of herbivores and the functional composition of vegetation. So far, our understanding and ability to predict the response of savannas to drought under different types of rangeland use and as a function of vegetation composition are still limited.
2. In this study, we used the ecohydrological, spatially-explicit savanna model EcoHyD to determine if the resilience of a savanna rangeland towards prolonged droughts can be enhanced by the choice of rangeland use type (grazer-dominated, mixed-feeders or browser-dominated) and animal density. We evaluated the ability of a Namibian savanna system to withstand droughts and recover from droughts based on its perennial grass cover and the overall species composition.
3. Generally, we determined a low resilience under high grazer densities. Most importantly, we found that functional diversification of herbivores and plants acted as resilience insurance against droughts, leading to greater resistance and recovery of perennial grasses. In particular, a higher proportion of herbivores allowed for higher resilience, probably also due to a short-term switch to more drought-resistant or unpalatable species.
4. In this case, herbivore diversification was of high self-regulatory value by reestablishing trophic complexity, reducing the need for additional management interventions.
5. Synthesis and applications: Savanna systems will be more resistant to drought if (i) a dense perennial grass cover is maintained, protecting the topsoil from heat-induced water losses and erosion, encompassing functionally important species that are particularly well adapted to water stress and that are palatable, if (ii) the grazing pressure is adjusted to the productivity of the system, and (iii) the herbivore community includes browsers
Being stressed outside the park—conservation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Namibia
No full textThe conservation of the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) is of prime importance for many African countries.
Interactions between elephants and humans are known to induce stress and thereby have the potential to affect elephants’fitness. In Namibia, anthropogenic disturbances are increasing due to increasing human population size and development, particularly near protected areas, such as national parks. In this study, we investigated elephant stress levels in relation to their land use, specifically their protection status, comparing elephants within Etosha National Park in Namibia with elephants residing outside the park. We noninvasively collected dung samples of 91 elephants and determined the concentration
of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM), an indicator of physiological stress. Elephants outside the park (N = 35) had significantly higher concentrations of fGCM than those inside ENP (N = 56), suggesting that, despite including community-based conservancies, unprotected areas are more stressful for elephants than protected areas, most likely due to increased interactions with humans. We also found that males had lower fGCM concentrations than females, but no significant
effect of age, body size or group size was detected. Additionally, herd sizes were significantly smaller and calf recruitment was potentially lower in unprotected areas. These findings underpin the importance of protected areas such as ENP, while encouraging decision-makers to continue reducing and mitigating potential human-induced disturbances.publishedVersio
GPS Telemetry Reveals a Zebra With Anthrax as Putative Cause of Death for Three Cheetahs in the Namib Desert
No full textAnthrax is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis that affects wildlife, livestock and also humans in different parts of the world. It is endemic in some parts of Africa, including Namibia, with species differing in their susceptibility to the disease. Carnivores are typically less susceptible to anthrax than herbivores. Most carnivore species survive infection and have high seroprevalence against anthrax, whereas most herbivore species have low seroprevalence and typically die quickly when infected. Several reports have shown that cheetahs, unlike most other large carnivores, are susceptible to anthrax leading to a sudden death. This finding was suggested to be linked to the low genetic variability of cheetahs which might reduce an adequate immune response and thus explain such a high susceptibility to the disease. Here, we report an incidence of three free-ranging cheetahs that died within 24 h after feeding on a mountain zebra that tested positive for anthrax in the Namib Desert. We were able to reconstruct this incidence with the data recorded in the GPS (Global Positioning System) collar worn by one of the cheetahs and retrieved in the field. It is very likely that the cheetahs died from anthrax, although Bacillus anthracis could not be isolated from tissue and soil samples by bacterial culturing. The mountain zebra is the first described case of a wild animal that tested positive for anthrax in this arid area in southwestern of Namibia. We discuss the negative laboratory results of the cheetahs in the light of new insights of their immune system and its potential to mount a response against this bacteria
Being stressed outside the park—conservation of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Namibia
No full textExploring implications of elephant movements between land use types in a semi-arid savannah landscape
No full textJournal Article, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North--West University-PotchefstroomWhile the numbers and distribution of African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) have declined in most African range States, they have been steadily increasing in much of southern Africa. In Namibia’s arid north-west, elephants are expanding beyond Protected areas (PA) into multiple types of land use, leading to socio-economic implications, both positive and negative. Our study aimed to quantify cross-land use movements and fence breaches and explore the institutional, legislative and policy implications of fencing, and a new conservation paradigm for the area. We used satellite movements of eight collared elephant herds in multiple types of land use to the south and west of Etosha National Park for one year. Of these herds, seven had home ranges spanning multiple PA/communal/commercial landscapes, often crossing fences with management or disease significance. The implications of the movements between land uses are assessed in the context of relevant policy regarding management and economics. We conclude that despite challenges to livestock disease control and fencing damage, the expansion of elephant range has resulted in economic benefits to landowners and communal conservancies through tourism and possible consumptive use opportunities, as well as an improvement in general wildlife conservation practices in the area. Regardless of these benefits and the growing interest among rural residents in supporting the establishment of elephant corridors and the removal of fences, Namibia’s legal and policy framework creates numerous implications for landowners and managers when considering fence breaches by elephants. We conclude with recommendations for holistic situational analysis of policy, law and practice and the consideration of amendments to outdated fencing requirements, thereby unlocking the economic and conservation benefits of elephant range expansion in the area
