An Embracing Commitment to the Environment Over the Years
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AN EMBRACING COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT OVER THE YEARS Jwaneng Mine’s mining footprint is exercises. PARTNERING WITH CHEETAH DONATING ANIMALS TO KHAMA considerably smaller than the total As the park developed, however, new area for biodiversity conservation: the wildlife was introduced and it was CONSERVATION BOTSWANA RHINO SANCTUARY AND MOKOLODI total mining licence area is 10 886 not beyond the scope of the General hectares, while the conservation area Jwaneng Mine has donated 80 animals to both and game parks is more than 15 000 Manager’s duties to assist in park Khama Rhino Sanctuary and Mokolodi Nature hectares. activities. Former GM Dave Deacon, for example, assisted with off loading Foundation as part of its commitment to Good environmental stewardship a gemsbok, delivered from Kimberley conservation of natural resources. This includes involves responding proactively to and was involved in introducing 40 eland to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary and a address and manage environmental giraffe into the reserve. number of elands, wildebeests, red hartebeests issues through innovation. It also and zebras donated to the Mokolodi Nature involves building competence and Over the years the park has increased consistency as well as working in Foundation. partnership with government and from 5 926 hectares to 17 006 NGOs to address issues of local and hectares, and animals have been national significance. imported to introduce new blood and reintroduce animal species that The area that was to become Jwana previously occupied the area. The Game Park was initially a fenced park has been fenced with electrified mine lease area surrounding Jwaneng fencing and 12 waterholes fed with Mine, populated by limited numbers of hartebeest, wildebeest, springbok, pipes from the mine’s water system have been constructed. Jwaneng Mine is heavily involved in conservation projects to preserve ostrich and other smaller animals. the natural wildlife and habitat of the area. During devastating droughts in 1985, large herds of hartebeest migrated Jwana Game Park accommodates towards this area in search of water about 1 700 animals including red Jwaneng Mine places specific emphasis on the and over 100 hartebeest managed hartebeest, impala, springbok, development of the Jwana Game Park Master to break through the fences into the steenbok, duiker, wildebeest, Plan to address long term ecological, educational lease area. gemsbok, kudu, eland, white rhino, and social needs and optimise the use of this Several waterholes were built in 1986 giraffe, zebra, warthog, baboon, valuable resource. and 1987 and the influx of animals cheetah, ostrich, leopard, caracal and resulted in an increase in poaching numerous smaller animal species. The mine is also working on finishing a long in the area. In late 1987 the external The development of Jwana Game term memorandum of understanding with security fence was raised, both to Park disproves the traditional image the Cheetah Conservation Botswana Group to improve mine security and to protect of mining companies threatening the wildlife. fully support their scientific and educational conservation as Jwaneng Mine and efforts. Through the Cheetah Project, the mine In 1994 Jwana Game Park was Debswana actively work towards continues to educate surrounding farmers on the established as a wildlife conservation revitalising these areas for the benefit need to conserve wildlife, particularly cheetahs area for education and conservation of all. and other predators. JWANENG: A BIRDER’S PARADISE Eagle’s nest. These eagles are the biggest and Nearby, a pair of Lappet-faced Vultures the logs in suitable areas within the park. RAPTOR DIARIES AND OTHER most powerful of all African eagles and to be (Torgos tracheliotus) bred in the canopy Hornbills, starlings and rollers readily ADVENTURES able to watch them at such close quarters was of a low thorn tree about 3.5 metres above occupied the logs the following nesting by Mike Soroczynski indeed a thrill. ground level. Sadly, each time I visited the season. hide the chick had already been fed and lay Photography started just after the solitary in the nest, crop bulging. Being opportunistic So, although those were memorable I arrived in Jwaneng in November 1986 as a egg had hatched. Each weekend for the next feeders, I never saw the adults at the nest. highlights of birding in Jwaneng, there was surveyor and immediately became involved in three months was spent photographing the This was the pattern for the following four much more to see. In the nine years I worked the Botswana Bird Club checklist census. This magnificent adult eagles as they tended to breeding seasons when observations yielded there, I recorded more than 250 bird species, entailed monthly recordings of individual their chick. Decapitated mongooses were only a well fed chick. My fortune changed including several “specials” or rarities. bird species seen in a 50 kilometre square the main prey item, but guinea fowl and in my last year in Jwaneng, however, when I grid. Records were submitted regularly and scrub hare were also on the menu. A later managed to see and photograph the chick soon a comprehensive species list was starting examination of the nest contents even being fed by the enormous adult. to develop. revealed the remains of the hind leg of a PARTNERING TO PRESERVE steenbok! Other favourite photographed nesting sites Among the spectacular bird sightings were were those of the Black-chested Snake Eagle THE KORI BUSTARD Summer Palaearctic migrant waders, which and Secretary Bird. It was easy to see why the were attracted to the irrigation dam at the The mine is actively engaged with a number former was so named. Snakes formed the of environmental organisations and in golf club as well as the municipal sewage bulk of prey brought in to feed the chick. 2008 partnered with Birdlife Botswana to treatment plant. I even recall a rare recording The Lappet-face Vulture is classified On one occasion, an adult flew into the nest preserve the Kori Bustard. of a south Atlantic sea bird called a Grey as vulnerable since only a small, with a reptilian tail hanging from its beak. No Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) seen at the declining population remains. This is due to poisoning, persecution and sooner had it perched at the edge of the nest sewage ponds. ecosystem alterations. Photo: Mike than a foot reached out to grab the tail. I was Soroczynski © so surprised when the chick pulled out a one My greatest privilege in Jwaneng, however, metre-long Cape Cobra from the adult’s beak was being able to photograph raptors, which that I almost fell four metres from the enjoyed the safety of the mine’s security area. hide. I did manage to get one solitary photo of the moment though. I was privileged to have been able to erect observation platforms (or hides) near several As Chairman of the local raptors’ nests. In doing so, photographic and Jwaneng Hunters and Wildlife written breeding records were obtained and Conservation Society, submitted to the Botswana Bird Club (now I initiated a nest log Birdlife Botswana) – part of a worldwide body campaign at of societies involved in the welfare and study Tholo Park. of our feathered friends. An activities day was The most exciting of the observation hides organised Kori Bustard was one that was erected close to a Martial to erect .