CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND - Cat Specialist Group

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In February, a concerned member of the public informed the Cheetah Conservation Fund that there were cheetahs in a very small enclosure on a farm in the Omaruru area. The cats, the individual said, appeared to be in a poor condition. CCF immediately obtained permission from MET to remove the cheetahs. Three approximately 12 month-old cheetahs were found in a 4x6 meter cage. The cheetahs had apparently been in the small enclosure for more than five months. The cage was filthy, with rotting carcasses and old bones littering the ground. These cheetahs were captured in a game camp and were held for no particular reason and without a permit. We do not know what happened to their mother. As they are so young and very habituated, we are unable to release them back into the wild. The holding of any large 4 THREE YOUNG CHEETAHS RESCUED BY CCF With help from Raleigh’s volunteers, the female cheetahs at CCF can now be moved to the new pen, making space for the male groups in the two and three hectare pens around the centre. Two of the three cheetahs rescued by CCF carnivore in Namibia is subject to approval by MET and the granting of a permit to hold the animal. New and vastly improved guidelines have been formulated regulating the welfare of carnivores in captivity. Anyone wishing to hold a large carnivore, or already having one in captivity is urged to contact MET for a copy of the new requirements. NEW NEW CHEETAH CHEETAH PEN PEN A team of Raleigh International volunteers spent three months at the Cheetah Conservation Fund building a 64-hectare pen for the non-releasable cheetahs at CCF. With a punctured coffee tin serving as a shower (representing the only luxury in the bush camp), these young urbanites tackled the daunting task of planting poles and pulling fencing with great enthusiasm. Three different groups, each with about 12 people, spent three weeks at a time living and working in the bush. A sub-division of a game camp was already in place, so most of the main perimeter fence was up already. This camp has now been cheetah-proofed and warthog-proofed by Raleigh, who also constructed a one-hectare feeding pen and handling facilities within the larger area. This facility will ensure that all the cheetahs can be seen when fed, and caught or immobilised when necessary, for example, during annual health checks. Smaller enclosures are available in the event of injury or illness. Waterberg Waterberg Conservancy Conservancy Waterhole Waterhole Count Count The Waterberg Conservancy held its annual full moon 24-hour water hole count this year in July. Almost 70 people assisted with this years count, including volunteers from Daktari, Otjiwarongo and Khorixas youth groups, EarthWatch, CCF and Waterberg Conservancy farm staff. JACK JACK IMBERT– IMBERT– Pilot Pilot Pilot Pilot Pilot Extraordinaire Extraordinaire Extraordinaire Jack “at home” in his Cessna 172 Since 1993, Jack Imbert has been CCF’s radio tracking pilot. Jack has supported CCF’s efforts for many years, joining the CCF Board of Trustees in 1993. Besides being an outstanding pilot and physiotherapist by qualification, Jack is also a cattle farmer in the Otjiwarongo district, and has adapted his management techniques to be a predator-friendly farmer. Many of the CCF volunteers and staff were lucky enough to accompany the pilot and radiotracker on these spectacular flights over the farmlands, and on occasion over the Waterberg and around the Omatako Mountains. Many passengers were not lucky enough to escape the sometimes rather severe effects of motion-illness. These memories were fortunately often superseded by memories of sightings of wild cheetahs crossing roadways, standing on the pinnacle of a termite mound, or even playing as the plane swooped overhead. CCF’s radio tracking study represents one of the longest on-going studies of cheetahs anywhere, and doubtlessly few other pilots have made such a consistent and dedicated contribution to a research programme. While CCF paid for fuel costs, Jack donated all the flying time, making a significant financial contribution to CCF’s ability to carry out this project. In most cases, flying time averaged 3,5 hours per week, with conditions varying from the very clear but windy winter months, to the turbulent conditions of the rainy season in summer. The only occasions Jack was not helping CCF with its radio tracking was on the rare times when he went on holiday, and Dr. Arthur Bagot-Smith filled in for him. Jack’s unfailing support and enthusiasm helped to make this project the success it has been, helping to find the answers to so many questions, and unravelling so many of the mysteries surrounding cheetah movements on the Namibian farmlands. Call CCF if you have Cheetah Problems 067 306 225 CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND NEWSLETTER VOLUME 19 • SEPTEMBER 2003
EDITORIALS SHOOT OR RELEASE – AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH - Editorial-by Bonnie Schumann, CCF “Shoot or release it.” This is the advice often given to farmers calling Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism. (MET) when they have caught a cheetah on their farm. Many farmers simply shoot the captured cheetah, believing they are solving their problems this way. On the other hand, many farmers are looking for other alternatives rather than shooting one of Namibia’s valuable wildlife resources. In many cases, with extension work and by providing farmers with assistance, conflict caused by livestock loss to predators can be eased. A farmer, given the right approach, may be willing to release the captured cat and, in so doing, be an example to neighbours less willing to do so. Without help, however, a farmer will simply shoot the cheetah as told by MET, thereby closing the door on any further possible conservation. In most cases farmers are left feeling alienated and with a lasting negative attitude toward, not only predators, but also MET. Most capture efforts result in the indiscriminate trapping of cheetahs that are not necessarily causing the problem, this only compounds livestock loss issues on farms. It is all very well to have a conservation body protecting our wildlife in our reserves, but what about the wildlife living outside the boundaries of our protected areas. Without the tolerance and goodwill of Namibia’s farmers who inadvertently accommodate more than 90% of Namibia cheetahs, BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA UPDATE UPDATE In April, one of Cheetah Conservation Botswana staff spent a couple of weeks at CCF Namibia for continued training in addressing farmers and cheetah/livestock conflict issues. Then, one of CCF’s staff members, Mandy Schumann, travelled to Botswana and together they visited several farms and began collecting survey data on farming practices and conflict issues. In addition CCF staff inspected Cheetah Conservation Botswana’s new field base of operations and cheetah pens in Jwaneng. Namibia would not be the Cheetah Capital of the World, let alone have a viable cheetah population. Yes, farmers do accept that by farming in Africa they face the risk of drought, disease and predators, but the conservation of these predators outside protected areas is not the sole responsibility of the farming community. Nothing can be done to control the weather, quite a bit can be done to help control the impact of disease, and a lot can be done to negate the impact of predators on livestock. In fact, Namibia is fortunate enough to have NGOs dedicated to carnivore conservation. A typical example illustrating this issue is that of a Kamanjab farmer who called the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in February, as she was experiencing smallstock losses to cheetahs. She had been advised by the MET office to shoot the cheetahs. She would have had to shoot cheetahs indiscriminately since, as everyone knows, targeting only the culprit is notoriously difficult. Fortunately, the farmer was not willing to accept this advice, and continued to make enquiries, which led her to find out about CCF. CCF staff discussed livestock management to protect her livestock, as an alternative to shooting the elusive cheetahs. Livestock management techniques include calving kraals, calving seasons, guarding dogs or donkeys, secure fencing, and herders. In this case the farmer was in a position to and was willing to adopt livestock management techniques. She understood that without sound livestock management in place, conflict with predators would continue to exist. Shooting predators might be effortless, but is counterproductive, and a serious waste of both the farmers’ time and a valuable natural resource. In the majority of cases, captured cheetahs are releasable. Removing cheetahs simply open ranges into which other cheetahs will move. The fundamental solution to reducing predator losses lies in improving livestock management. CCF Welcomes Max and Bessie Simon joined CCF in April as Maintenance Supervisor, and Farm Supervisor, respectively. Max, a mechanic trained in Germany, is responsible for the maintenance and improvement of CCF facilities and equipment, and assists with various farm tasks. Bessie is responsible for supervising animal husbandry and farm staff. CCF’s research has shown that the majority of captures are indiscriminate and not target specific. However, in some cases habitual livestock thieves are caught—usually old animals or cubs without a mother, and are non-releasable. What happens to them? Should they be shot? CCF believes that non-releasable cheetahs can continue to be a valuable asset and resource to this country, and internationally—if kept alive. The conservation value of these captive carnivores remains a controversial issue of debate. CCF believes these carnivores can continue to have educational, conservation, and economic value outside of the free-ranging population. CCF takes a firm standpoint that the protection of the freeranging population is of utmost priority. Cheetahs should not be killed or removed indiscriminately from the wild, be it by game or livestock farmers, or by people wishing to earn an income. Many farmers in Namibia live peacefully alongside a range of predators; they have developed livestock management techniques to protect their livestock. Farmers in Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and elsewhere are following the example set by Namibia’s farmers. It is up to MET officials, agricultural extension officers, and NGOs to gather as much information as possible from predator-friendly farmers, and to make these findings available to farmers still struggling with predator conflict issues. It is important to resolve predator problems in more imaginative ways than simply reaching for a rifle. This is not only our responsibility, but also a moral obligation! CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND NEWSLETTER VOLUME 19 • SEPTEMBER 2003 5
Page 1 and 2: Number 19 September 2003 CHEETAH CO
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Page 7 and 8: LIVESTOCK GUARDING DOGS What makes
Page 9 and 10: COMMUNAL COMMUNAL CONSERVANCIES CON
Page 11 and 12: EDUCATION UPDATE OVERVIEW OF THE CO
Page 13 and 14: CHEETAH CONSERVATION ACROSS INTERNT
Page 15 and 16: NAMIBIAN CHEETAH CUBS BORN IN THE U

CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND - Cat Specialist Group

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