African Wildlife & Environment Issue 79

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

For the past 20 years an annual ecological report has been executed by an independent ecologist and his team from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Animal Production Institute, who advises with regard to the fauna and flora management. Currently the reserve is at its carrying capacity for all species and adaptive management is applied to ensure long-term sustainability. Apart from the Big Five the SGR has all the usual general game as well as things like Eland, Sable, Sharpe’s Grysbok, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena and Bush Pig. Selati is also home to the only population of the rare Lillie Cycad Encephalartos dyerianus on the planet. This cycad is listed as extremely rare by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Selati has an agreement with the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) to cultivate and assist in protecting and increasing the population growth and range of this rare cycad. Furthermore, Selati has a population of extremely rare Swazi Ordeal Trees Erythrophleum lasianthum . These species are added to the CITES Red List of trees on Selati and are the only occurrence currently noted by botanists in Limpopo. Selati employs a team of full-time wildlife researchers who manage the ongoing wildlife projects on the reserve, including monitoring of all species. This team is assisted by interns and volunteers who participate in daily activities ranging from the management of lion prides to the monitoring of endangered game. The volunteer programme draws individuals from all walks of life, local and international, who live on Selati

reserve is also the custodian of rare Black Rhino on behalf of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Conservation board.This programme, known as the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP), is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF-SA) and seeks to extend the range of the endangered Black Rhino. Selati Game Reserve was the first site in Limpopo to be selected for this project because of the high biodiversity and ecology of the reserve. Selati thus has a responsibility via the agreement to the KZN Conservation Board and the WWF- SA to provide a secure environment for these animals. In addition to Black Rhino, Selati provides a safe refuge for White Rhino as well. Selati also has a relationship with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) with regard to the introduction of endangered Cheetah. These cats have been successfully reintroduced onto Selati.The aim is to raise predator-aware Cheetahs in the wild rather than to breed them in captivity. In addition, the EWT Vulture and Raptor Conservation and Research Group is involved in the monitoring and study of vultures and raptors. Selati provides a feeding site for these vultures, which enables tagging and tracking studies of these vultures to take place. This site attracts and facilitates the study of a large number of rare Hooded-, Lappet-faced- and the vulnerable White-headed Vultures which are recorded and monitored. This EWT Group is also assisting Selati with the monitoring of Martial Eagle nests on the reserve. The reserve has also been used as a release site for endangered pangolins in collaboration with The African Pangolin Working Group.

32 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 79 (2021)