The Need to Address Black-Backed Jackal and Caracal Predation in South Africa

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Wildlife Damage Management Conferences -- Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center Proceedings for 2013 The Need to Address Black-backed Jackal and Caracal Predation in South Africa David L. Bergman United States Department of Agriculture, [email protected] HO De Waal University of the Free State Nico L. Avenant University of the Free State Michael J. Bodenchuk Texas Wildlife Services Program, [email protected] Michael C. Marlow United States Department of Agriculture See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_wdmconfproc Bergman, David L.; Waal, HO De; Avenant, Nico L.; Bodenchuk, Michael J.; Marlow, Michael C.; and Nolte, Dale L., "The Need to Address Black-backed Jackal and Caracal Predation in South Africa" (2013). Wildlife Damage Management Conferences -- Proceedings. 165. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_wdmconfproc/165 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wildlife Damage Management Conferences -- Proceedings by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors David L. Bergman, HO De Waal, Nico L. Avenant, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Michael C. Marlow, and Dale L. Nolte This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ icwdm_wdmconfproc/165 The Need to Address Black-backed Jackal and Caracal Predation in South Africa David L. Bergman United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Phoenix, Arizona HO De Waal Department of Animal Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, African Large Predator Research Unit, Universi- ty of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa Nico L. Avenant National Museum and Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfon- tein, South Africa Michael J. Bodenchuk United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, San Antonio, Texas Michael C. Marlow and Dale L. Nolte United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA ABSTRACT: Prior to 1990, the four provincial governments of South Africa had a variety of programs in place to manage predation by black-backed jackals and caracals through lethal and nonlethal management in close cooperation with livestock farmers. During the 1990s the official programmes were phased out due to a multitude of factors including lower predation rates. Today, thousands of livestock (primari- ly sheep and goats, but also cattle and wildlife) are lost each day in South Africa due to black-backed jackal and caracal predation. The actual numbers are not known because not all losses are accounted or reported. It also does not account for the scores of cattle and wildlife lost to black-backed jackals and caracals, nor does it include livestock predation from other predators. To address the losses, the major producer organizations including the National Wool Growers’ Association of South Africa, the South Af- rican Mohair Growers’ Association, the Red Meat Producers Organization, and Wildlife Ranching SA formed the Predation Management Forum in 2009. The overall goal of the Predation Management Forum is to address predation by black-backed jackals and caracals by reestablishing a national program to include the national government of South Africa, provincial governments, and producers. Currently, the Predation Management Forum is actively engaging in initiatives to address predation in South Africa to ensure food security, biodiversity, and jobs. KEY WORDS: black-backed jackal, caracal, cattle, goats, livestock, predation, sheep, South Africa, wildlife damage management Proceedings of the 15th Wildlife Damage Management Conference. (J. B. Armstrong, G. R. Gallagher, Eds). 2013. Pp. 86-94. _____________________________________________________________________________________ 86 INTRODUCTION Predation has been recognized as a man- paid for half of the cost of installation and one agement issue for livestock owners for centuries half of the maintenance (Agriculture Union of in southern Africa (Stadler 2006). When the Cape Colony 1908). The Fencing Act of 1912, Nguni-speaking people migrated into present and amended in 1922, provided for loans and day South Africa, notably the northern and east- mechanisms for individuals and neighbors to ern parts, predation of their cattle (Bos spp.) install vermin-proof fencing (Beinart 1998). caused them to design kraals - an enclosed area By 1914, hunting clubs were replacing poi- around the homestead that protects livestock soning clubs (Beinart 1998). Black-backed from predation (Spocter 2012). Following the jackals continued to be considered the worst arrival of the Dutch colonists at Table Bay in form of vermin known to man in his struggle to 1652, the first Governor Jan van Riebeeck insti- colonize South Africa (Fitzsimons 1919b; p tuted the first bounty system in 1656 for preda- 103). It should be noted that the primary focus tors to protect and maintain a viable source of was on the black-backed jackal occurring widely livestock and food for the colonists, but primari- in the country; the side-striped jackal (Canis ly to supply ships rounding the Cape en route to adustis) occurred mostly in the north-eastern and from Batavia. In 1659, the Dutch colonists parts of South Africa (ALPRU 2013). Livestock used the Liesbeeck River, a hedge row, and a producers and ostrich (Struthio camelus) farmers fence to create a defensive barrier to protect used firearms, trapping, strychnine, bounties, livestock from predation. fencing, and dogs. Caracals were also consid- Over centuries and in part due to the demise ered an agriculture pest with farmers controlling of large predators during subsequent centuries, them by shooting, trapping, dogs, and toxicants black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) and (Fitzsimons 1919a; p 155). It was estimated that caracals (Caracal caracal) became the primary in 1916, 7.5-10% of the 15 million wool sheep predators of livestock and wildlife in southern in the Cape were killed by vermin each year Africa. A number of tactics were developed (Beinart 1998). In 1924, the Vermin Extermina- and/or promoted to mitigate predation effects in tion Commission estimated that annual losses the 19th and 20th Century. Throughout the ma- were 1.5 million sheep. jority of the 19th Century, black-backed jackals Around World War I, an outspoken vocal were minimally or not even discussed as a game proponent for black-backed jackal control, Sir animal, thus shooting was only used for wildlife Frederic de Waal, Administrator of the Cape, damage management (Brayden 1899). Lord stated that South Africa should follow the exam- Charles Somerset, British Governor of the Cape, ple of the United States wherein the government brought the art of English fox hunting to South engaged in a campaign against the coyote (Canis Africa during the early 1800’s as a control tech- latrans) through the hiring of specialist hunters nique for black-backed jackals (Beinart 1998). and trappers (Beinart 1998). During the war and Poisoning clubs began to target predators post war years, from 1914-1923, over 317,000 through coordination and education in the 1880s black-backed jackals and >25,000 caracals were (Beinart 1998). The government renewed boun- taken. ties for jackals and subsidized the use of strych- Prior to and during World War II, prussic nine. acid was used in glass vials hung around sheep Due to the potential toll on non-targets and necks or placed in animal carcasses to poison predator aversion to bitter-tasting strychnine, a predators (Hey 1964). The Provincial Admin- movement was made towards vermin-proof istration of the Cape phased out bounties be- fencing in the early 20th century. Fencing was tween 1951 and 1957. Bounties were replaced made compulsory in sheep (Ovis aries) produc- by supplementing hunting clubs in the Cape ing areas and consisted of cyclone woven wire Province and providing educational programs fence (vermin proof), Kitselman woven fence or (Gunter 2008). The governments of the Trans- wire-netting fencing (Wilson 1904). Fencing vaal and Cape established hound breeding and was cost-shared by the government who research stations to further assist hunters in managing predators (Hey 1964, Gunter 2008). 87 In 1957, problem animal control was allocated in Pretoria (De Waal 2009a). A culmination of to the Department of Nature Conservation in the the process was the Problem Animal Control Province of the Cape of Good Hope (Hey 1974). Forum at the Golden Gate Highlands National Shortly thereafter in 1959, Dr. Douglas Hey, Park which brought together the National Wool Director of Nature Conservation, Cape Provin- Growers’ Association of South Africa, the Red cial Administration, visited the United States on Meat Producers’ Organization, Nature Conser- a fact finding mission. Following Dr. Hey’s vis- vation and Administrations of the four provinc- it, an official with the US Fish and Wildlife Ser- es, and representatives from problem animal vice (precursor to today’s US Department of control organizations and the Regional Services Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Councils (Fair 1993).

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