Good-bye WE

Badger Release

We finally managed to release our two Honey Badgers at Kudu Game Ranch. Until release they had been cared for by our friends at the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for over two months. This gave us time to arrange for the requisite permits and hopefully a sufficient gap to allow the badgers homing instincts to diminish. The delay also allowed us time to implant a radio tracker in one badger, such that we could monitor his progress via telemetry.
The second badger was sedated and given a VHF collar, not an easy task I can tell you. Catching and sedating him took four of us and resulted in one bitten shin and one badly chewed finger amongst the capture team. To be honest, our efforts were all in vain because no sooner had he recovered from sedation, than he managed to pull the collar off. We had expected him to shed the collar within a few days, and after we'd established his home range, but he was having none of it; and left the collar in the bottom of his transport cage. That leaves us with one badger to track, which is being monitored by volunteers from Kudu Game Ranch. Last night he wandered off the property and headed towards Lydenburg. Presumably to create havoc there. We'll do our best to follow him where ever he goes, but it won't now be easy as he's traversing a number of properties. This is new territory for us all, as we simply do not have data on Badger behaviour in these area's. What we do know is that badgers have a large home range and can trek for 25kms or more in one session. We just hope he takes an about turn and heads back to Kudu Ranch soon.
Written by Will Fox

UK tour raises some great questions

Some great questions have been raised by University students during my recent lecture tour in the UK, which have focused our thoughts on the direction of the ILP for the next years. Sure, we’re growing rapidly but it’s important to ensure that we focus on our core aims first and foremost. The object of our research is to gather data on the density and behaviour of leopards (and other carnivores) outside of formally protected areas. And why? Well it is in these areas (the largest land mass of South Africa) that leopards are in conflict with humans and in these areas where they are the last of the big five remaining truly wild.
So how can we conserve the dwindling leopard population. As said, first we need data, but also we need to develop wildlife management methods and techniques. Within this we need to become more than a pure research project and tackle some of the other issues. Education is undoubtedly a major factor. We need to get the message across in the right way. But we also need to develop and employ pragmatic management solutions. We will need a holding facility to temporarily detain problem animals, sufficient to give us time to ensure that any relocation does not compromise the genetic dynamics of an area and importantly that we do not create a problem in that area. Whether that be with local livestock, people, or other leopards.
All of this will mean we need more staff. Dedicated people who have a passion for wildlife conservation. We’ll also need more funding. But here is where we can offer something a little different. We want to create an ILP membership scheme (say$8 annual fee). However rather then just ask for a membership fee, in return we want to offer something more than a badge or membership card. Membership will then entitle folks to a 10% discount off an African Conservation Safari. As with everything we do, we look to our friends to give us their input and feedback, so if you have any thoughts on this concept then I'd love to hear from you.
Written by Will Fox