(PHVA) Review for the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus Carunculatus) in South Africa

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(PHVA) Review for the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus Carunculatus) in South Africa Report of the Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) Review for the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) in South Africa incorporating the Supplementation Workshop of the Wattled Crane Recovery Programme (WCRP) 17th & 18th March 2009 in Glengarry, Kamberg, KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa Edited by: Mike Jordan & Kerryn Morrison Report of the Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) Review for the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) in South Africa incorporating the Supplementation workshop of the Wattled Crane Recovery Programme (WCRP) 17th & 18th March 2009 in Glengarry, Kamberg, KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa Edited by: Mike Jordan & Kerryn Morrison Published by the Endangered Wildlife Trust Johannesburg May 2010 Cover picture: Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus), © Mike Jordan. Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) Review for the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) in South Africa ‐ 17th & 18th March 2009 Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 List of delegates ................................................................................................................................ 1 Summary of progress made towards achieving targets set in the original PHVA (2000) ................ 3 LAND‐USE PATTERNS WORKING GROUP ‐ 2000 .......................................................................... 3 DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT WORKING GROUP ‐ 2000 .............................................................. 6 THREATS WORKING GROUP ‐ 2000 .............................................................................................. 8 CAPTIVE POPULATION WORKING GROUP ‐ 2000 ......................................................................... 9 Prioritisation of the projects identified during the PHVA (2000) workshop .................................. 11 Group reports from the PHVA review (2009) ................................................................................. 13 RESEARCH WORKING GROUP ‐ 2009 .......................................................................................... 14 Land Use Patterns ................................................................................................................... 14 Distribution and Habitat ......................................................................................................... 15 Additional research priorities ................................................................................................. 16 CONSERVATION ACTION WORKING GROUP ‐ 2009 ................................................................... 17 Land use Patterns ................................................................................................................... 17 Distribution and Habitat ......................................................................................................... 18 Additional conservation actions required .............................................................................. 19 THREATS WORKING GROUP ‐ 2009 ............................................................................................ 19 Additional threats identified and actions required ................................................................ 21 WATTLED CRANE RECOVERY PROGRAMME SUPPLEMENTATION WORKSHOP ‐ 2009 .............. 22 Disease Monitoring & Health Care Group .............................................................................. 22 Legal & Socio‐economic issues Group .................................................................................... 22 Project Planning Group........................................................................................................... 23 Supplementation (release) Activities ..................................................................................... 24 References ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Appendix 1 ‐ ................................................................................................................................... 27 Full report of the Wattled Crane Recovery Programme (WCRP) Supplementation Planning Workshop ....................................................................................................................................... 27 Wattled Crane PHVA Review 2009 EWT May 2010 Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) Review for the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) in South Africa ‐ 17th & 18th March 2009 Introduction A Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) workshop, facilitated by the IUCN’s Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), for the Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) in South Africa was held between 31 July and 2 August 2000 in Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga. A total of 36 people attended the workshop, representing NGOs, forestry, government, universities and zoos. That workshop reviewed the current knowledge on and status of the Wattled Crane in South Africa. It also set some clear recommendations and specific tasks to be carried out. With more than eight years passed since that original workshop, and as a result of the consideration once more of releasing Wattled Cranes into the wild, it was considered that there needed to be a review of the original PHVA to assess the progress made on those original recommendations and also to highlight any new or emerging issues requiring new recommendations and goals. The PHVA review workshop for the Wattled Crane in South Africa was held on 17 and 18 March 2009 in Glengarry, Kamberg, KwaZulu‐Natal. The workshop was facilitated by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), and was attended by 26 delegates. This document sets out the starting point from the original PHVA held in 2000, followed by the group reports from the PHVA review in 2009. On the 17th March 2009 the delegates worked in groups to review the PHVA, excluding the captive population and supplementation issues. The 18th March 2009 was set aside for reviewing the supplementation programme activities and this has been reported on separately (Pitman 2009), although a brief summary is included within this document and the full report of that meeting is included in the appendices for completeness. List of delegates Michelle Barrows [email protected] Johannesburg Zoo Doug Burden [email protected] Mondi Shanduka Cynthia Chigangaidze [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Brent Coverdale [email protected] Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Desire Dalton [email protected] National Zoological Gardens Page 1 of 42 Wattled Crane PHVA Review 2009 EWT May 2010 Henry Davies [email protected] KwaZulu-Natal Crane Foundation Ursula Franke [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Bill Howles [email protected] Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mike Jordan [email protected] IUCN SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group Osiman Mabhachi [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Athol Marchant [email protected] Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Thapelo Maseramule [email protected] Johannesburg Zoo Helena Mattison [email protected] Maryna Mattison [email protected] Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Kevin McCann [email protected] Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Kerryn Morrison [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Kirsten Oliver [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Jeanne Marie Pittman [email protected] Johannesburg Zoo Glenn Ramke [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Andre Rossouw [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Ian Rushworth [email protected] Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Nic Shaw [email protected] Hlatikulu Crane & Wetland Sanctuary Alan Smith [email protected] Tanya Smith [email protected] Endangered Wildlife Trust Tiawanna Taylor [email protected] University of KwaZulu-Natal Stephen van der Spuy [email protected] Johannesburg Zoo Page 2 of 42 Wattled Crane PHVA Review 2009 EWT May 2010 Summary of progress made towards achieving targets set in the original PHVA (2000) During the PHVA held in 2000, the delegates divided into four working groups; ‘Land‐use patterns’, ‘Distribution & habitat’, ‘Threats’ and ‘Captive population’. The main tasks derived from each of these groups are given below, followed by an update on achievements since the PHVA in italics after each of the main tasks. This was provided to the delegates for the PHVA review in 2009 as an update from which to start reviewing current needs. LAND‐USE PATTERNS WORKING GROUP ‐ 2000 In 2000 this group was tasked with assessing the historic, present and future land‐use patterns, and how these have affected or may have affected certain habitats and therefore crane numbers. Minimum Goal: to reduce the loss of active sites to zero over a five‐year period, with a maximum loss not exceeding six sites Maximum Goal: to halt the loss of active sites immediately, have no further reduction and establish at least one new potential site per year. No sites have been lost since the PHVA in 2000. Some of the pairs though may have been lost to the sites. Three totally new sites have been added to the list since 2000. 1. Develop an accurate description of what constitutes viable Wattled Crane habitat ‐ must include breeding habitat and foraging habitat with correct nutrition. a) Develop hypothesis of what constitutes an ideal site – using the appropriate literature and knowledge, etc. b) Survey all existing Wattled Crane breeding
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