IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| F”rster, B.; F”rster, H. | |
| Studying cheetahs, leopards and brown hyaenas of the African savannah bushland, Namibia | |
| 2008 Full Book | |
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. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |