EXPEDITION REPORT - Biosphere Expeditions

Abstract
Namibia is thought to hold one third of the global cheetah population and it is one of the
few African countries where six species of large carnivores occur. About 40% of the total
area in Namibia is used for commercial livestock farming, 40% are communal areas and
20% are national parks and restricted areas. Much of the wildlife lives outside protected
areas on private farmland. Namibian farmland, therefore, has a crucial role to play in the
sustainable management and conservation of the country’s wildlife in general and
cheetahs in particular.
Despite years of research by several organisations, so far no reliable population estimates
for large carnivores on Namibian farmland exist. The million-dollar question “How many
cheetahs does Namibia have?” still needs to be answered. This study aimed to compute
indices that reflect true population density, but found that cheetah ecology on Namibian
farmland generally makes it difficult to use spoor counts as an indirect sampling method.
Whilst it is relatively easy to determine how many different individuals range over a specific
area, it is difficult to estimate true population density.
The cheetah’s relative genetic monomorphism is potentially important to its conservation,
but to date there is no convincing evidence that the health status and reproduction of wild
populations are compromised. On the contrary, free-ranging cheetahs on Namibian
farmland are healthy, reproducing well and sustain more youngsters through to adulthood
than in East African national parks, where lions and spotted hyaenas frequently kill
cheetah offspring. Free-ranging cheetah populations are chiefly regulated by extrinsic
factors such as persecution by humans, rather than intrinsic factors such as low genetic
variability. In this context continued education of local farmers to reduce human-wildlife
conflict is an important component of large carnivore conservation.
This report presents the results of the third expedition at Okomitundu study site, which
took place from 3 September to 3 November 2007. Due to the arid climate at Okomitundu,
its carrying capacity is lower than it was in the previous study sites (Omitara and Seeis).
Furthermore, poaching activities are a serious threat at Okomitundu. These two factors
together result in lower densities of potential prey animals at Okomitundu study site and
therefore in lower densities of large carnivores, cheetahs in particular. Investigation of this
habitat was very important to depart from the regional level and to gain reliable information
on a more national scale.
The problem of game poaching is serious, but quantification of exact game losses well
nigh impossible and this study argues that effective control of poaching can only be
achieved through professional anti-poaching units, one of which is now installed locally.
Furthermore, game count data demonstrate that potential prey animals on open farmland
react to environmental factors, whereas game densities within game-proof fenced areas
do not change significantly. Game animals within this area can not move and they have to
cope with the given conditions. As a result prey availability is maintained and large
carnivores benefit from this. If the management of game-proof fenced areas is done well,
such areas may be very suitable conservation tools for rare or endangered species in
particular.
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