9th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium

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https://hdl.handle.net/10217/180913

The 9th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, "Wildlife: The Key to Prosperity for Rural Communities," was held September 12-16, 2016 at Hotel Safari and the Safari Court in Windhoek, Namibia to "tell the world that private and communal conservation is important, it can fill fragmented gaps, and we need to include everyone in the quest for a planet that supports wild animals, wildness, and appreciation of wild things." These digital collections include materials from the 9th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium as well as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2nd African Buffalo Symposium.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 78

Open Access
Beef Industry
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1974-03-20) Don
Open Access
Tet Ansanm
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014-02-25) McGreevy, John
Open Access
The history of the exotic industry in Texas
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Seale, Charly, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
The beginning of the Exotic Industry in the United States and its effect on the rural economy.
Open Access
Management of free-ranging hunted wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Storass, Torstein, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
In Europe, wild reindeer was an important source of human food during the last glaciation. Presently the last remnants of the wild European mountain living reindeer survive in southern Norwegian mountains where they move nomadically between summer and winter ranges. The reindeer ranges belong to different counties and municipalities and are owned by private persons and public institutions. The ranges are threatened by human development, and reindeer is a hunted species. The landowner has the hunting rights on own grounds. During a long political process, each reindeer mountain range has been defined, and regional development plans with zones of no development, buffer zones and zones with some development have been approved. A board of landowners and a national board with members from each municipality manage the reindeer according to the plan and National regulations. The national board has the right to oppose all development plans inside the reindeer ranges and will usually be heard by National authorities. The landowner board make harvest plans that must be approved by the national board. In this talk, I will describe the management system that is one example of how a vulnerable hunted species and its habitat crossing private and political borders may be managed.
Open Access
Sustainably managing buffalo trophy quality
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Robertson, Kevin, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
To be successful, wildlife utilization needs to be financially, ecologically and genetically sustainable. Regarding buffalo, trophy hunters invariably target the highest scoring, largest-horned bulls with little regard to their age or breeding status. This is a situation compounded by ill-conceived trophy scoring methods which actively encourage the hunting of pre-breeding or active breeding bulls. Over time the 'best' trophy genetics have consequently been lost and as a result trophy quality is dropping. This presentation will in detail explain the Taylor first molar teeth buffalo aging process and demonstrate how it is possible to age live buffalo bulls accurately. It will also help participants to identify breeding age bulls and those considered to be of post breeding age. The presentation will also demonstrate how to trophy score live buffalo accurately. Suggestions will also be made as to how to change public opinion as to what should constitute a 'real' buffalo trophy.
Open Access
Escherichia coli population structure and antibiotic resistance at a buffalo/cattle interface in southern Africa
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Mercat, M., author; Clermont, O., author; Massot, M., author; Ruppe, E., author; de Garine-Wichatitsky, M., author; Miguel, E, author; Valls Fox, H., author; Cornelis, D., author; Andremont, A., author; Denamur, E., author; Caron, A., author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Human/livestock/wildlife interfaces create favorable conditions for microorganisms spill over between hosts. In landscapes where human expansion encroaches into natural ecosystems, the resulting epidemics are a major cause of human/wildlife conflicts that challenge the sustainable coexistence between Mankind and Nature. Escherichia coli is a well-known bacteria, ubiquitous and harboring antibiotic resistance. It provides a good model to understand the diffusion of antibiotic resistance between hosts and the environment. This is also a good candidate to explore the mechanisms of microorganism transmission between hosts and could be used to track pathogen transmission. We used phenotypic and molecular characterization techniques to describe antibiotic resistance and the diversity of E.coli populations found in sympatric African buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) and cattle populations at the Hwange National Park interface, Zimbabwe. Although the structure of E. coli populations was similar between cattle and buffalo populations, we found a gradient of antibiotic resistance, highest in cattle, intermediate in buffalo that were in contact with cattle, and lowest in isolated buffalo. The types and molecular characterization of antibiotic resistance further confirm the observed gradient and suggest that antibiotic resistance is spreading from human to animal populations. We demonstrate that there is a risk of antibiotic resistance diffusion between wildlife, livestock and human populations, with unknown consequences on the health of host populations. These results also confirm that E. coli could be used as a tool to identify transmission pathways in multi-host systems, in an attempt to characterize pathogen spread and risks of emergence.
Open Access
Program of the 9th international wildlife ranching symposium: wildlife - the key to prosperity for rural communities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Abstracts of parallel sessions are included. Symposium includes 4 Plenary sessions, and parallel sessions covering Wildlife Management; Sustainable Use of Wildlife; and IUCN 2nd African Buffalo Symposium.
Open Access
Sustainable vs unsustainable trends in game ranching in Africa
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Schack, Wilhelm, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Wildlife Ranching was born at the time when passionate individuals thought it was possible to conserve the dwindling wildlife resources of Africa by commercialising the utilization of animals and other natural resources. These pioneering individuals started to perceive realistic outcomes for wildlife management in Africa at a stage when most natural resources were becoming, or were already, under immense pressure from the ever expanding human population but also from the ever increasing sophistication of ruthless exploiters as personalised by poaching syndicates and money grabbers. The initial successes in this regard of pioneers like Ian Player, Norman Atherstone, Zacharias Young, Alec Rough and Jan Oelofse are today legendary, but greatly obscured by the tremendous tide of commercialisation that got a very strong foothold in a venture these days often referred to as an 'industry'. In terms of the long view regarding planetary health, commitment to social responsibility, participation by the less privileged, poverty alleviation and food security, it will be to the advantage of every individual on earth to contemplate the wise and sustainable management and utilization of our natural resources and through that the ultimate wellbeing of humankind. This presentation deals with topics like rhino horn trade, breeding of colour variant antelopes and methods to engage African communities in wildlife ranching to ultimately ensure positive outcomes for human advancement, food security, conservation ethics, and a heritable and healthy earth for posterity from an African perspective.
Open Access
Institutions, governance, and the economic performance of protected areas in southern Africa
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Chidakel, Alex, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Though wildlife enjoys an economic comparative advantage in dryland areas of southern Africa, public and private investment in this land use varies significantly. This variation exists both between countries with different institutional regimes for wildlife, and between land ownership categories within countries. From an institutional economic perspective, allocation of resources to wildlife-based land uses, and value generated inconsequence, is hypothesized to be in relation to the degree to which rights to own wildlife and responsibility for management are devolved to the scale at which wildlife is produced. Within and between country variation in tenurial and management arrangements therefore presents an opportunity to test predicted relationships with economic efficiency and to explore the implications of institutions on the equity of value distribution. Economic impact analyses, which measure local value in terms of production, income, jobs, and value added, are becoming increasingly common of national parks, though their application to non-public protected areas (PAs) is rare. In this study, impact analysis is applied to both sets of PAs through an ongoing cross-sectional comparison of the economic value of public, private, and communal protected areas of the Greater Kruger Area of South Africa, and of the southern Luangwa Valley in Zambia. It's hypothesized that the value of PAs to which resources are allocated by the state is greater than that of PAs on private and communal land where institutions for wildlife are centralized (Zambia), and vice versa where institutions are devolved (South Africa). Only results for the Luangwa system are here described.
Open Access
Balepye rhino conservation and sustainable livelihoods: game ranching presentation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Maenetja, Dipati Benjamin, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
International trade in rhino horn was banned in the 1970's and this ban has had the same effect as the prohibition of alcohol did in the US by creating a black market. Banning trade has only contributed to increasing poaching as also evidenced by South Africa's ban of domestic trade in rhino horn being followed by a spike in poaching. Legalising trade will take away control of trade from black markets and let regulated markets take over thus crippling criminal syndicates and curbing rhino poaching. The ban on international trade of rhino horn and all other interventions, including anti-poaching units and awareness campaigns, have failed to effectively protect rhinos. Sustainable utilisation of rhinos is the only logical option left to save rhinos. Sustainable utilisation requires legalizing trade and has been proven in the past to be effective as seen with animals such as ostriches, crocodiles and others. Sustainable use of South America's vicuñahas resulted in the animal being saved from extinction while contributing to conservation and alleviating poverty, the same can be achieved with rhinos through legalisation of trade. For this reason rhino horn can be sustainably utilised by harvesting it regularly through dehorning without killing the animal. When harvesting you get about 30 to 60 kilograms of rhino horn from a single rhino that is kept alive over a period of time. Through poaching or pseudo hunting you only get about 1-3kg and at times even 6kg from a full grown adult and the rhino is killed.
Open Access
Trophy hunting & sustainability: temporal dynamics in trophy size & harvesting patterns of wild herbivores
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Muposhi, V. K., author; Gandiwa, E., author; Bartels, P., author; Makuza, S. M., author; Madiri, T. H., author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
We explored the trophy quality and trends in harvesting patterns (i.e., 2004-2015) of buffalo (Syncerus caffer), elephant (Loxodonta africana), kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) and sable (Hippotragus niger) in Matetsi Safari Area, northwest Zimbabwe. We used long-term data on horn and tusk size, age, quota size allocation and offtake levels of selected species. We used linear mixed models to analyse the effect of year, area and age on the trophy size, quota size and offtake levels. One sample t-test was used to compare observed trophy size with Safari Club International (SCI) minimum score. Trophy sizes for buffalo and elephant were below the SCI minimum score. Kudu trophy sizes were within the minimum score threshold whereas sable trophy sizes were above the SCI minimum score between 2004 and 2015.Age at harvest for buffalo, kudu and sable increased whilst that of elephant remained constant between 2004 and 2015. Quota size allocated for buffalo and the corresponding offtake levels declined over time. Offtake levels of elephant and kudu declined whilst the quota size did not change in the same period. The quota size for sable increased whilst the offtake levels fluctuated without changing for the period 2004-2015. The trophy size and harvesting patterns in some species pose a conservation and management dilemma on the sustainability of trophy hunting. We recommend: (1) temporal and spatial rotational resting of hunting areas to create refuge to improve trophy quality and maintenance of genetic diversity, (2) introduction of variable trophy fee pricing system based on trophy size.
Open Access
Rabies in kudus and eland?? Implications to the game industry in Namibia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Tubbesing, Ulf, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Open Access
Does age influence biltong hunters behaviour?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) van der Merwe, Peet, author; Saayman, Melville, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
When looking at market segmentation, age is often used to segment tourism markets. This was also the case with this study, where age was used to perform a market segmentation of South African biltong hunters. The aim was to determine how age affects hunters' behaviour. Data were obtained during the 2015 national hunters' survey. During this time, 492 completed questionnaires were obtained. The results showed that age does affect hunters' behaviour. Firstly, the results revealed that the main motive for hunters to hunt is to escape, to be in nature and to obtain meat; and secondly, age affects hunters' spending and motives to hunt. This research will help product owners to develop different products for hunters based on their age.
Open Access
The controversy around the conservation value of captive-bred lions
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Potgieter, Pieter, JJS, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
The conservation value of captive-bred lions is seriously questioned by most conservation minded people - to such an extent that they refuse to admit that these lions can make an enormous contribution towards the enhancement of the lion in the wild. Reasons offered range from alleged genetic contamination to captive-bred lions' alleged inability to adapt to conditions in the wild, including their alleged inability to acquire the social skills to function successfully in a pride. These allegations seem to be inspired by either a lack of understanding of the realities driving the decline of lion populations in Africa or a misunderstanding of the objectives and intentions of the captive-bred lion industry of South Africa or both. Notwithstanding unethical conduct and practices by lion farmers uncovered from time to time the industry at large is functioning on the principle of sustainable use. It exploits, by consumptive as well as non-consumptive use, a very esteemed and iconic game species economically, thereby generating a livelihood for self and for local communities. However, the industry is acutely aware of its responsibility to contribute to the survival and welfare of the lions in the wild. This responsibility is operationalised through various projects, including scientific research, financial support for lion conservation and, ultimately, there-establishment of lions in areas in Africa where they have become extinct.
Open Access
Effects of divergent migratory strategies on access to resources for Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer)
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Bennitt, Emily, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Populations of large herbivores frequently display divergent migratory strategies, a likely consequence of the trade-off between the costs and benefits of migration. Globally, physical and environmental barriers disrupt migrations, leading to increased residency, which can have detrimental consequences. In the Okavango Delta, Botswana, veterinary cordon fences erected in 1982 may have caused enforced residency in some subpopulations of Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer). We used data from GPS enabled collars fitted to females in 1 resident and 1 migratory subpopulation of buffalo to test the hypotheses that (i) residents have access to less productive forage than migrants, (ii) residents occupy smaller home ranges and live in smaller herds than migrants, (iii) reproductive productivity is lower in resident herds, and (iv) residents have poorer body condition than migrants. Forage characteristics varied between resident and migrant ranges, both between and within seasons. Reproductive productivity and body condition did not differ between subpopulations, but residents occupied smaller home ranges during the rainy season and lived in smaller herds than migrants. The area that residents occupied was located in a more central region of the Okavango Delta than that of migrants; therefore, this area would receive higher levels of nutrients from the annual flood, which would have increased heterogeneity in resident ranges, thereby potentially compensating for effects of disrupted migrations. These results highlight the importance of conserving landscapes with spatially and temporally heterogeneous resources to buffer effects of anthropogenic activities such as artificial barriers on migrations.
Open Access
Cawston Game Ranch, Zimbabwe: facts and figures
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Booth, Vernon R., author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Cawston Game Ranch, located in Matabeleland Province in Zimbabwe, has operated as a trophy hunting destination since its inception in 1987. The ranch is situated in a semi-arid region with limited arable soils and subject to high rainfall variability. The ranch is surrounded by resettlement and subsistence farmers and their families. Vegetation is dominated by Colophospermum mopane – Acacia species on basalt soils. There are no perennial river systems requiring the maintenance of an extensive artificial game water supply system strategically located across the ranch. The 128 km2 property is surrounded by a 2.4 m high, 13 strand game fence. A mixture of grazers and mixed feeders make up the 17 species of ungulates with large predators limited to leopard and brown hyena. There are no buffalo, lion or elephant. Approximately 9,000 animals have been harvested over a 20-yearperiod. Rifle and bow trophy hunting and cropping are main source of revenue together with irregular live sales of impala, giraffe, sable, wildebeest, kudu and warthog. The founder populations have been monitored annually using robust road strip count surveys since 1997. These data have been analysed using the programme DISTANCE (Buckland, S.T., Anderson, D.R. Burnham, K.P. and Laake, J.L. 1993) to monitor changes in population estimates. A relationship using an abundance index for different species to estimate population numbers has been developed that provides game ranch managers with a simple tool to track population changes and hence establish sustainable quota offtakes without necessarily having to use complex and expensive survey techniques.
Open Access
Game meat as alternative food source for Africa: a retailer perspective
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Slabbert, E., author; Saayman, M., author; van der Merwe, P., author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
The issue of food (in) security is critical in many parts of the world including Africa. Citizens have the right to sufficient food, water and social security which means sufficient provision of food on a day-to-day basis. South Africa has the largest privately owned wildlife industry in the world where game farmers utilise more or less 16.8% of South Africa's agricultural land (semi-arid which is best for wildlife farming) for wildlife related activities. This holds enormous potential for Africa in terms of food security. The effective and safe provision of game meat in South Africa and the export thereof can play an important role in contributing to food security. Qualitative research will be done through interviews with major distributors of game meat in South Africa to determine the magnitude of this industry from a supply perspective. Specific attention is given to distributors' perspective of consumer preferences in terms of species, the amount and types of game meat sold and the general consumption patterns of this market. The fact that the wildlife industry lacks data on the consumption of game meat in South Africa hampers the growth of this industry. This information will therefore contribute to growth but also inform stakeholders on the current status of this industry from a supply perspective.
Open Access
Controversial cuisine
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Cawthorn, Donna, author; Hoffman, Louw, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Open Access
Rhino in crisis
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Jones, Pelham, author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
Private reserves in South Africa with rhino extend over 2 million ha and are home to 33% of the nation's rhino population (some 6200 animals, more than the rest of Africa combined). This conservation effort is carried out with no government assistance and very limited NGO assistance at huge sacrifice to reserve owners and their staff. The presentation covers the impact of poaching on private reserves, interventions to negate the risk and actions of poachers as well as addressing some of the successes achieved in reducing this transnational criminal activity. The need for trade in rhino horn is discussed to bring much need revenue back to support conservation efforts.
Open Access
Phylogeography and conservation genomics of the African lion (Panthera leo) at a continental and local scale based on mitochondrial and nuclear molecular markers
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016-09) Smitz, N., author; Jouvenet, O., author; Bertrand, L., author; Ligate, F., author; Ikanda, D., author; Chardonnet, P., author; Crosmary, W.-G., author; Cornélis, D., author; Gillet, F., author; Melletti, M., author; Fusari, A., author; Michaux, J., author; International Wildlife Ranching Symposium, publisher
The African lion (Panthera leo) is listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List, mainly threatened by indiscriminate killing, primarily as a result of retaliatory or pre-emptive killing to protect human life and livestock, and prey base depletion. Habitat loss and conversion has led to a number of subpopulations becoming small and isolated. With the weakened connectivity between the main strongholds, genetic drift and loss of genetic diversity could affect the genetic health of the species. In the present study, we investigated the evolutionary history of the species at different scales of time and space. A total of 182 samples were used, including a larger number of 77 samples from Tanzanian protected areas. The mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was sequenced and the specimens were genotyped for 11 microsatellites and more than 9,000 SNPs. The preliminary results indicate that the lion is structured into two lineages at the continental scale (West-Central vs South-Eastern), a pattern observed within many other large African savanna species displaying large distribution ranges. Pleistocene climatic oscillations and biogeographical barriers were proposed as the main factors to have driven the lineage sorting. The first results based on microsatellites highlighted that the Tanzanian population displayed good level of genetic diversities with no signs of inbreeding. Indication of isolation-by-distance nevertheless highlighted a potential future impact of fragmentation on the population genetic health. SNPs allowed to identify 3 populations of lions in Tanzania, geographically structured. Using various molecular markers, the present work will further explore the taxonomy and the evolutionary history of the African lion for bringing insights in its conservation requirements.

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