African Wildlife and Environment Issue 67

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

for approximately one day in a year - leaving the vegetation to recover for the remaining 364 days. We all know, or should know by now, that selective overgrazing will not occur under this management regime and erosion will be minimised. 4. A team of researchers is being assembled that will investigate rangeland biodiversity issues, herd health, sociological matters with all staff and their families, economics and any other matters deemed significant. In implementing all of this, it means that existing fences are being removed, artificial water is provided throughout as stock need to drink daily, farm roads and building infrastructure is being upgraded, and accommodation and facilities for all aspects of research are being provided. Clearly this is an enormous and expensive task and one that requires multiple in-puts from many disciplines and farsighted donors. Also, it will take some time before the results are available for assessment. But for me this is a project that firstly considers biodiversity conservation as the overarching goal with farm production from livestock utilising the rangeland being another driver. In all of this the well-being of the people and the land are paramount – thus fitting neatly into WESSA’s vision of: ‘People caring for the Earth’. I have been gobsmacked by some of the recent researchbeingconductedinpartnershipwithso called conservation agencies and researchers. For more go to https://karoopredatorproject. wordpress.com/the-kkp/study-si tes/that details a partnership between the University of Cape Town, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, CapeNature and the farmers of the Central Karoo, with additional partners being the Department of Agriculture (LandCare) and the Department of Agriculture (Farmer Support & Development), known as the ‘KOUP Area Wide Planning Project’, where some 80 000 ha are being securely fenced and where all black backed jackal and caracal will be eliminated. It seems that CapeNature have a similar project in the Anysberg. And all this ‘research’ under the banner of conservation! My simple question is what are the ecological cascading implications of these actions? We know that jackals and caracals eat a huge variety of food items from fruits to insects and vertebrates, and as such play a key-stone role in ecosystem services and functions. By removing them all what will be the long-term consequences of our meddling in these rangelands even more? Eugene Moll Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape emoll@telkomsa.net

and using alternative methods to protect their livestock the “problem” remains. In the midst of all of this mayhem, little is said of the ‘by-catch’, which are all the non-target species that have been killed in the process. Nor is there good research on what the impacts of all this killing has had on ecological processes and services! In a day and age where we are hugely concerned globally about the demise of biodiversity, I am deeply worried by the lack of essential ecological information and by some of the ‘research’ still being conducted (see text box). 3. Taking into account 1 and 2 above, and because we also know that where livestock are actively herded they do not fall prey to carnivores (Namaqualand and Bushmanland, even where there are lions, like in Matabeleland in Zimbabwe and in Kenya with the Masai). So why does the killing continue, and what are the long-term ecological consequences of all these actions? Certainly, we know that some of our rangelands are becoming degraded (loss of top soil and biodiversity) so, surely, we need a new strategy where production and biodiversity conservation are the goals of management and production? Are there viable alternatives? The simple answer is that yes, I believe there are, but before we can convince those who have it in their blood to kill predators and ignore the ecological consequencesof theiractions,wehavetodemonstrate conclusively that there is an ecologically sustainable alternative. So how can this be achieved? Firstly, we need a farm with sheep and all the predators, and other animals and plants, intact and ecologically balanced. This requires long-term funding, research and multi-disciplinary teamwork. All of this is now available and in place on Kromelboog, thanks to the visionary work of the Landmark Foundation and some very far-sighted and generous funders, inclusive of the Development Bank of South Africa’s Green Fund, the GEF, Woolworths, the National Lottery and a private philanthropist. 1. Already a number of shepherds have been trained and during the 2017 lambing season no lambs were lost to predators. Those that did die were from natural causes. 2. By employing shepherds, with much better salaries than farm labourers generally get paid, and not spending millions on fencing, the profits margins should still be substantial. Also, the ‘Fair Game’ trademark for the products from the land should yield a premium retail price because it is all predator, and more importantly to me, biodiversity conservation friendly. 3. The livestock in the project (~1,900 sheep [inclusive of lambs] and ~300 cattle) are herded in a reasonably tight bunch that follow prescribed grazing routes, and their temporary overnight kraal sites are moved every few days. This means that the whole farm will eventually be grazed

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