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N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Experience (PTY) Research Report October, 2018

~ Conservation through Innovation ~

Photo by Johnny Chen

A monthly report on the account of the status, accomplishmen ts, activity and overall update about the research initiatives of the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Experience.

N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Experience (PTY) October, 2018

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N/a’an ku sê Research Programme

Monthly Report – October 2018

We would like to acknowledge our donors, supporters, and partners and the significant contribution you make to N/a'an ku sê's research projects. Without your support, we would not be able to undertake our crucial work and so from us, and the wildlife we work to conserve and protect - THANK YOU.

We are always in need of equipment such as GPS collars, camera traps and batteries. If you would like to become a donor or make further donations, you can do so via the website: http://naankuse.com/donations or contact [email protected] for more information.

Disclaimer: This summarised report describes research activities carried out in October, 2018 and is intended for a public audience. The report is by no means comprehensive. It presents a selection of some of the most important research activities. Results are preliminary and must be understood as such. Moreover, results are for informative purposes only. No content of this report shall be copied or reproduced by any person, institution or organization under any circumstances without prior written approval from the N/a’an ku sê Foundation. All work is carried out with the necessary government permits. Any questions or inquiries regarding this report should be addressed to the author at [email protected].

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N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary Contributed by: Tanja Baetcke, Shauna Jenkins, Marlice van Vuuren, Rudie van Vuuren, Lauren Hoffman, Kobus Hoffman, Iván Phillipson, Lisa Roche, Devon Freas, Stu Munro, and Burton Julius

HUMAN - CONFLICT Rapid Response Unit (RRU) Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is one of the biggest conservation threats to large carnivore populations in Namibia. With more than 40% of land use in Namibia dedicated to privately owned commercial farms, human-carnivore conflict is not only likely, but also inevitable. are being widely persecuted by landowners who believe they are preying on their . N/a’an ku sê started its Rapid Response Unit (RRU) in 2008 to mitigate human- carnivore conflict and conserve large carnivore populations in Namibia. The RRU works with farmers across Namibia to offer practical, effective and affordable solutions to mitigate human- carnivore conflict and help farmers to co-exist with carnivores on their land. We advise farmers on livestock protection strategies, educate on large carnivore behaviour and ecology and where necessary fit GPS collars on suspected livestock killers. Since 2008 the collaring method has proven to be the most effective method to mitigate conflict; we send daily coordinates to the affected landowner and together we analyse if the is preying on livestock. In 90% of the cases the GPS collar data has proven that the collared animal is in fact not a problem animal, which in turn leads the farmers to tolerate the carnivore on his land, prevents persecutions, and creates more safe space for carnivores in Namibia. Wherever possible our aim is to release any captured carnivore immediately backs into its home range. A total of 125 RRU consultations were carried out between 2015 and June 2017 relating to 77 captured large carnivores and 48 requests for advice. The 77 captured carnivores involved 53 leopards (69%), 15 (19%), two spotted hyaena (3%), four brown hyaena (5%) and three African wild (4%). The results of which include 33 large carnivores being released on site. Of these 33 carnivores released on site, 22 (28%) were fitted with GPS tracking collars for intense monitoring and the coordinates were shared with the affected landowner(s). 11 carnivores (14% of captured carnivores) were released on site without a collar. 16 cases (21% of cases) involved translocation of the carnivores when farmers were unwilling for them to be released back onto their land, and 13 (17%) cases resulted in carnivores being placed in

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temporary and / or permanent captivity. 12 carnivores (16% of captured predators) were lethally removed by the farmers before contacting N/a’an ku sê, one (1%) carnivore were euthanized, and two (3%) carnivores died before N/a’an ku sê could respond.

Project Update HWC Rapid Response Unit (RRU) Cases during October During October, the RRU received a total of five wildlife conflict calls. These calls involved three and a pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) (Fig. 1). Farmers outside Ruacana town, named after the Ruacana Falls in northern Namibia, along the Kunene River that borders to Angola. Given the sensitive nature and conservation importance of this , we contacted the Namibian Police Force (Nampol) department dealing with wildlife species of this national and international significance. The farmers were relieved and happy that we could assist them and provide them with the correct contacts and procedures to follow and rescue this animal.

Figure 1: African Pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in Namibia by Google Images.

Coincidently, the RRU received large carnivore conflict calls from within the same district for two months in a row now. Two of the three leopard conflict cases came yet again from outside the ‘Garden Town of Namibia’, Okahandja (Fig. 2). As always, working swiftly with the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and our staff, we managed to get to the farm. This so happened during the N/a’an ku sê Vet Course that we offer biannually. This gave the vet students on the course to participate in a hands-on experience, while learning the nuances of wildlife medicine, as well gaining a first hand account of the stark realities of practicing

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conservation in Namibia. The first two leopard this farmer caught proved too young to collar. Dr. Hoffman and his vet team assessment the wellbeing of the two young leopard, took samples, built a profile on the two individuals released them. This situation also presented the farmer with valuable opportunity to understand leopard ecology and behavior, which led him to understand why it was important for us to release the two young leopard. Within a short period of time, the same farmer caught an adult leopard, which happened to be the presumed culprit. The RRU team with Dr. Hoffman, our resident veterinarian, responded, collared and released this leopard on the farm. Sarabi, is the name of the newly collared leopard that we monitor remotely and send the farmers updates about.

Figure 2: ( pardus) in Namibia by Google Images.

Our neighboring farmers of the immediate N/a’an ku sê site reported leopard sightings and livestock losses. We’ve responded immediately to the farmers. We’ve deployed several camera traps along our borders and on the farms to monitor these leopard in the area. The monitoring is the first step in mitigating the conflict by gathering data needed to build a lawful case and to identify the individual leopard.

The last case involved an African Wild (Lycaon pictus) (Fig. 3). A farmer traveling between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja towns came across a dead wild dog carcass. It has been hit and killed by a car. The farmer called a number of conservation organizations, including us. We were then able to redirect his message and concern to the right organization. This incident is an example of the important role N/a’an ku sê plays within wildlife conservation in the country.

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Figure 3: (Lycaon pictus) in Namibia by Google Images.

N/a’an ku sê HWC Management and Mitigation The HWC RRU continues to monitor and manage our collared predators on farms. We still track and send daily farmer updates remotely, using the GPS data from the software. We monitor and track both and leopard on farms throughout the country. Both of these species’ wild population numbers are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Zannier Reserve Wildlife Tracking and Monitoring We continue to monitor the Zannier Reserve wildlife that we introduced. Here below follows an update about the research activities with the released wildlife.

Cheetah ( jubatus) Kitty The female cheetah, Kitty, died this month (Fig. 4). We tracked her frequently and keep up with her kills. At this time, the cause of her death is yet to be determined.

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Figure 4: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) Kitty in a relaxed and comfortable posture on the Zannier Reserve by a N/a’an ku sê volunteer.

African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) The Wild Dogs continue to do very well (Fig. 5). Their and feeding activity picked up and they now hunt every four days. We track them three times a week and keep gathering data about their movements and behavior on the reserve. They consistently hunt two species, Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) (Fig. 6) and Red (Alcelaphus buselaphus caama) (Fig. 7).

Figure 5: African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) pack on the Zannier Reserve by Toran Read.

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Figure 6: (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) bull in Namibia by Google Images.

Figure 7: (Alcelaphus buselaphus caama) in Namibia by Google Images.

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Lion (Panthera leo) October 4th marked a significant event. This was the day that N/a’an ku sê successfully translocated and released two desert-adapted, female lioness from Northwestern Namibia onto the Zannier Reserve (Fig. 8). These lioness with their cubs, came from a conflict situation. In research, creating the heat maps is an important and useful tool for monitoring the collared we have here on the reserve. The animals included in these maps are the pack of five African Wild Dogs, Inara the leopard, and the two female lionesses. These animals in particular are of interest because they are all up for future release. Because some of the animals, like the wild dogs, have never had exposure to other predators, it is extremely important for us to monitor their interactions within the reserve so as to gauge their likelihood of success in the wild. The three maps included here demonstrate the difference in home range for all three animals since the release of the in early October.

Figure 8: Two female Desert-adapted lioness (Panthera leo) in Namibia by Google Images.

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Figure 9: A Heat Map depicting the movement behavior of the African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) before and after the (Panthera leo) were released onto the Zannier Reserve by Devon Freas.

Figure 10: A Heat Map depicting the movement behavior of the African Wild Dogs, leopard (Inara) and the lion (Panthera leo) on the Zannier Reserve by Devon Freas.

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Leopard (Panthera pardus) Inara Our young, female leopard left the Zannier Reserve on where she had been released. This marks the second time she left the reserve. While she came back the first time, she hasn’t been back yet. This month, we were able to formulate a rough home range of hers, once we accumulated enough data to portray this in a heat map (Fig. 11).

Figure 11: Heat Map of leopard (Panthera pardus) Inara before and after the lion (Panthera leo) were released onto the Zannier Reserve by Devon Freas.

Figure 12: Google Earth image of GPS collared and released leopard (Panthera pardus) Inara on one of the neighboring properties by Lisa Roche.

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Behind the Scenes (BTS) at N/a’an ku sê Behind the Scenes (BTS) at N/a’an ku sé continues to play an integral part of our efforts in raising the public’s biodiversity awareness to both our domestic and international guests who visit us. We strongly believe in education and conducting presentation dialogues with our visitors. The BTS presentations have continued productively over the month of October and to visiting guests, two school groups, and a delegate of Finish educators. As always, the department appreciates the opportunity to interact with visitors, especially those who return research feedback about how we could improve our research initiatives. Our department, as always, remains excited about this particular opportunity, as it helps us as researchers learn from the public’s perspectives as well. There could not have been a better platform to engage in for new, fresh, and eager perspectives about the efforts we commit ourselves. It also remains an afresh reminder of why we do, what we do. It is a constant reinforcement. It is a point of self- reflection.

N/a’an ku sê Tour Guides’ Presentations The research department continued conducting and delivering its weekly presentations to the tour guides. The primary objectives with which these presentations are delivered remain part of the professional development and public biodiversity awareness raising. The secondary objectives of the presentations are to train and equip our guides with intercultural communication skills and competencies to best relate and connect with the national and international guests who visit us. The topics for the September presentations included: 1) the differences between and significance of (Raphicerus campestris) (Fig. 13) and Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) (Fig. 14); 2) the importance and proper usage of conservation technology, especially radio telemetry; and 3) the role of camera traps in our daily conservation work. We choose these topics of presentations to keep building the knowledge base of our guides and to ensure that their work with the guests are informative, fun, and enriching.

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Figure 13: Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris) buck in Namibia by Google Images.

Figure 14: Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) buck in Namibia by Google Images.

N/a’an ku sé EIS Participation N/a’an ku sê participates in the national Environmental Information Service (EIS) that builds on data sets collected through public participation. This is a highly valuable way to learn more about the distribution of wildlife species throughout the country. Since March, 2018, through its research sites, N/a’an ku sê has been an active member and we constantly submit data from live

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sightings, camera traps, and spoor. Sightings of all wildlife (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, birds etc.) are recorded with a photograph, date, and GPS location and then submitted onto this national, online citizen science platform. To date, we’ve submitted close to 2,500 sighting records and more records will be submitted.

Figure 15: A male ostrich (Struthio camelus australis) in Namibia by Google Images.

Highlights for October The highlights for the month of October included: 1) the release of five lion onto the Zannier Reserve (Fig. 12 and 13); 2) documenting two lion kills, an ostrich (Fig. 15); and 3) deploying more camera traps onto the North Side property of N/a’an ku sê to monitor our latest leopard involved in perceived carnivore conflict.

October Plans for Next Month Plans for include tracking of the African wild dog, the lion, and continuing our game counts.

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Map of the N/a’an ku sé Research Study Site

Figure 16: Map showing the 13 regions of Namibia and from which regions we receive the most conflict calls. The RRU assist farmers throughout Namibia and the study site covers all 13 regions of Namibia.

References Cheetah IUCN population status. Website link: (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/219/0). Accessed during September, 2018.

Environmental Information Service (IES): Namibia’s one-stop shop for environmental information (http://www.the-eis.com). Accessed during September, 2018.

International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Website link: (http://www.iucnredlist.org). Accessed during September, 2018.

Leopard IUCN population status. Website link: (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15954/0). Accessed during September, 2018. 15

Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) Website. Website link: (http://www.met.gov.na). Accessed during September, 2018.

Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). Regulations for Large Carnivores in Captivity: Government of Namibia Nature Conservation Ordinance, 1975. Definition of “wildlife rehabilitation”, No. 4911, Page 2. Government Gazette. Published on March 29, 2012. Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Main Website. Website link: (http://naankuse.com). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Kanaan Website. Website link: (http://naankuse.com/sites/kanaan-naankuse-desert-retreat/). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Neuras Website. Website link: (http://naankuse.com/sites/neuras-wine-and-wildlife-estate/). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Mangetti Website. Website link: (http://naankuse.com/sites/mangetti/). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Applied Filed Research Projects. Website link: (http://naankuse.com/conservation/conservation-research-projects/). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Rapid Response Unit (RRU). Website link: (http://naankuse.com/project/rapid- response/). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Zannier Reserve and Omaanda Lodge. Website link: (http://www.zannierhotels.com/omaanda/). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Experience (PTY) (http://naankuse.com). Accessed during September, 2018.

N/a’an ku sê Zannier Reserve and Omaanda Lodge Website. (http://www.zannierhotels.com/omaanda/zannier-reserve/). Accessed during September, 2018.

Southern African Wildlife Book 2nd Edition by Mike Unwin, May 2005 updated in 2012. Accessed during September, 2018.

White-backed Vulture IUCN population status. Website link: (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22695189/0). Accessed during September, 2018.

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GAME CENSUS Herbivores are the predominant prey for all free-roaming predators. If the number of available game prey is low, conflict can occur as predators could potentially prey on livestock. The general size and diversity of herbivore populations is also an indication of ecosystem health. Assessing game species and populations is important for the general management of land, as is maintaining sustainable stocking rates, and assessing biodiversity and preventing overgrazing, bush encroachment and/or desertification.

Project Update

N/a’an ku sê - North Side

Figure 17: Game Count maximum number of animals counted monthly on N/a’an ku sê’s North Side.

Figure 18: Game Count estimations of the total number of animals by month on N/a’an ku sê’s North Side.

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Zannier Reserve of N/a’an ku sê

Figure 19: Game Count maximum number of animals counted monthly on N/a’an ku sê’s Zannier Reserve.

Figure 20: Game Count estimations of the total number of animals by month on the Zannier Reserve.

Plans for next month We plan to continue collecting data about our wildlife species with the game counts.

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Footprint Identification Technology (FIT) Project Contributed by: Shauna Jenkins

The Footprint Identification Technique (FIT) is an award-winning non-invasive monitoring technique used to gain a better understanding of population density and geographical distribution of elusive and worldwide. N/a’an ku sê has been collaborating with the founders of WildTrack, the developers of FIT, since 2008 to better understand the Namibian cheetah (Acinoynx jubatus) population through using footprint data to identify individuals and their age-class and sex.

October has been predominantly focused on the search for signs of free-roaming large carnivore across the property, with areas of carnivore sightings from previous years being investigated on a regular basis. This has included reports of cheetah being visually sighted running across the roads on our property and the areas seared for footprints post report. In addition to this, work has continued with our habituated cheetah, with three of our young cheetah starting their next session of FIT this month.

The area outside of the male leopard (Panthera pardus) Keanu’s enclosure, which yielded the collection of over 79 hind footprints in September, continued to be a popular site for leopard activity with an additional three trails of footprints being obtained throughout the month. Due to the regular evidence of leopard movement in this area, two camera traps were situated in the hopes of obtaining images of the individual, allowing for identification to occur using their spot pattern. Two weeks of monitoring by the camera traps produced results, with a male leopard caught on the camera traps and the footprints measured and deemed to be the same as those previously obtained in the area.

These camera traps will remain in situ for several weeks to try to determine the frequency of visitation. In addition, a further five camera traps have been placed on the property in areas of reported carnivore activity. These will continue to be monitored regularly throughout November, with work also continuing completely the FIT data sets of the habituated cheetah started this month.

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Figure 21: Camera trap image of a free-roaming leopard (Panthera pardus) near Keanu’s enclosure

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N/a’an ku sê - Neuras Wine and Wildlife Estate Contributed by: Douglas Anderson and Karoline Sletten

African leopard ecology study While the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently classifies the African leopard (Panthera pardus) as “Vulnerable” with populations in decline, they also highlight a lack of reliable information regarding species numbers (IUCN, 2016). As such major conservation actions must be put into place to prevent the leopard from sinking to the status of “Endangered”. Despite southern Africa being a stronghold for leopard populations, sub-Saharan Africa has seen an estimated 30% decline in leopard numbers in the last twenty-two years (Pacifici et al. 2013 & Balme et al. 2013), with over 20% of their previous range now lost (Gerngross, 2016). Although prey populations in West and have declined, prey populations in Southern African have increased, but as almost half of the land use in Namibia is devoted to livestock farming, humans and wildlife regularly come into conflict with each other (Craigie et al. 2010). Despite being considered the healthiest leopard populations in the world, leopards suffer from continual discrimination from humans. They pose a real threat to livestock resulting in them being largely considered a problem animal amongst livestock farmers, and are as such at great risk of persecution. Many leopards are trapped and shot every year due to a culture of intolerance and negative perceptions. This persecution is one of the biggest challenges in the conservation of this species (Thorn et al. 2013). While one study suggests that Namibia has healthy leopard populations in most areas except the highly populated north, the coastal deserts, and the south east arid farmlands (Stein 2011), initial observations suggest that the arid farmlands surrounding Neuras and the Tsauchab River valley area appear to possess healthy numbers of leopards

This study aims to provide preliminary results regarding leopard ecology in the Tsauchab River valley area of Namibia by establishing: • population density • the geographic profile of home ranges • prey preference • public opinion regarding leopards from local landowners.

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The intention of these objectives is to provide reliable, up to date knowledge that can be used to strengthen wildlife management decision-making, and to assist in human-wildlife conflict mitigation.

Project Update October ended up being a return to the disappointing times of August for leopard activity on and around Neuras. Eighteen motion activated camera traps set out at twelve different locations across Neuras and three neighbouring properties only managed to record four images of a single leopard in one instance (Fig. 22).

Figure 22: Google Earth image of Neuras and neighbouring properties, indicating the locations of active camera traps. Cameras that were successful in recording leopard activity this month have been highlighted in green.

The abnormally low level of leopard activity this month meant that the volunteers and Neuras research team were able to dedicate more time to trying to identify the leopards already photographed in the area. Thankfully though, the leopard photographed in this instance, on the southern property of Donker Gange, was an easy one for the team to recognise. The unmistakable figure of the male leopard that has been frequenting the area over the last six months, “Individual O” now renamed as “Joe”, is a regular to the marking tree where the camera trap is positioned (Fig. 23).

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Figure 23: One of the photographs taken by the camera trap at the site “DG Dassie Den MT” on the property of Donker Gange.

Marking trees like this one are used by leopards to facilitate scent communication. Each leopard possesses a very unique pheromone scent that is sprayed on such tree. This allows an individual to communicate such things as territorial boundaries or sexual availability to others who visit the site.

While not much, these photos have been added to the library of camera trap data already collected and catalogued. Once data collection is finished this catalogue will undergo analysis to determine such things as population density and home range size/profiles for leopards in the Tsauchab river valley.

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Game Counts In October efforts were made to try and increase the number of counts carried out on Neuras. With only few game counts being carried out in previous months the team aimed to drive more counts to gain a better indication of herd sizes around the property. As a result, the north sector was counted four times, and the south sector being counted a more promising five times.

Figure 24: Average number of animals present per count on the north route for Neuras throughout 2018.

This month there was a small decrease in the number of oryx counted on the north side of the property, while ostrich numbers remained constant (Fig. 24). There was a marked increase in the abundance of observed moving in the area though, with one herd of forty individuals, including many juveniles and sub-adults being spotted towards the end of the month. Sadly though, this was balanced out by no sightings of jackals, steenbok, warthog or .

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Figure 25: Average number of animals present per count on the south route for Neuras throughout 2018.

Counts from the south side highlighted a notable contrast to the species in the two different areas of the property. Kudu sightings in October increased on September’s numbers, and small numbers of springbok were seen for the first time in three months (Fig. 25). The amount of ostrich counted remained constant on the south side also, but numbers of steenbok and zebra were down on last months’, with no warthog being spotted at all.

Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy Project The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy Project (QCCP) aims to reintroduce various indigenous tree and plant species back out into the Namibian bush in areas where desertification – the process by which the desert landscape takes over areas that used to support vegetation – has take over the landscape. This month the volunteers resumed pruning and replanting of young specimens into bigger growth bags to encourage good growth. In addition to this general maintenance, twenty young camel thorn (acacia erioloba) trees were sold to a nearby property this month. Lodges and other properties are able to buy the specimens grown in the nursery so that they may grow out in their respective landscapes, rebuilding some of the vegetation lost from the environment with

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the hope that in years to come they will be able to provide some much-needed food and shade to the local wildlife.

Highlights for October This month volunteers helped to get the Neuras wine production back on the go again with over 700 bottles of wine being labelled and boxed ready for sale (Fig. 26).

Figure 26: Volunteers labelling bottles in the Neuras wine cellar.

Over the last two weeks of the month various teams spent hours sticking labels onto bottle filled with the Neuras Triple Cultivar SMG Blend. As a boutique winery, almost the entire production process, from harvesting grapes, to washing bottles is all done by hand. Once this final batch of SMG is finished being labelled and boxed ready for storage, that will be the Neuras wine production finished for this year, until harvesting begins again in early 2019.

The last couple weeks of the month also brought some drama to the program when one of the Neuras cheetahs began showing signs of diminished health. After noticing a gradual change in his behaviour, the team realised the largest of the seven cheetahs housed at Neuras, Joris, showed a sudden drop in body weight paired with a significant decrease in his energy that is associated with his dominant position within the group. Thus, the N/a’an ku sê vet was called out to investigate the cause of his deterioration. After darting Joris and giving him a full

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examination, the diagnosis of a bacterial infection of his intestinal tract seemed to be the cause of his discomfort. To combat this Joris was treated symptomatically and given IV fluids, antibiotics, anti-emetics (for nausea and abdominal pain) and vitamins. Treatment proved effective and Joris ate again the following morning (Fig. 27).

Figure 27: Neuras staff assisting the N/a’an ku sê vetinarian with Joris’s treatment.

The end of the month also brought some hope for next month with heavy rainfall finally arriving on Neuras. Starting around 1pm on Monday 22nd, the rains continued to pound the wine estate into the evening and all through the night (Fig. 28).

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Figure 28: Hailstones and heavy rain falling around the Neuras lodge.

When morning came and the clouds cleared the rain meters showed the full extent of the deluge (Fig. 29). After a total of 57mm of rain fell across the property in under twenty-four hours it will be exciting to see how the property slowly begins to transform into next month as the vegetation drinks up all the water and begins to flourish. With all the rivers on the property flowing hopefully the greater surrounding area also benefitted from the welcomed rain, which would be fantastic for the wild animal populations that occupy the Tsauchab river area.

Figure 29: Rain meter by the Neuras vineyard showing 57mm of rain collected.

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Map of the Study Site

Figure 30: Google Earth image showing Neuras and the surrounding properties.

Plans for next month Looking towards next month the team will be continuing to bring the data collection for the Neuras leopard project to a close. With plans being put together for a new project to take over from the leopard study, more time will be spent researching the potential new topic in order to produce a summary proposal. With no sightings of Scar, Neuras’s resident collared male leopard, since July there are growing concerns as to his current whereabouts. With more camera traps being set up within his home range the team is hopeful that November might give better success in finding him again. The increased efforts to carry out more game counts will also continue through November to hopefully get a better indication of the game numbers moving in the Neuras area.

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References Balme, G.A., Batchelor, A., Woronin Britz, N., Seymour, G., Grover, M., Hes, L., Macdonald, D.W. and Hunter, L.T.B. 2013. Reproductive success of female leopards Panthera pardus: the importance of top-down processes. Review 43: 221-237

Craigie, I.D., Baillie, J.E.M., Balmford, A., Carbone, C., Collen, B., Green, R.E. and Hutton, J.M. 2010. Large mammal population declines in Africa’s protected areas. Biological Conservation 143: 2221-2228

FIT (Footprint Identification Technique) website (http://conservationfit.org) Gerngross, P. 2016. Panthera pardus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016-3

IUCN Red List website (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/15954/0) Published 2016

Pacifici, M., Santini, L., Di Marco, M., Baisero, D., Francucci, L., Grottolo Marasini, G., Visconti, P. and Rondinini, C. 2013. Generation length for . Nature Conservation 5: 87–94.

Stein, A.B. 2011. Namibian National Leopard Survey. Unpublished Report.

Thorn, M., Green, M., Scott, D. and Marnewick, K. 2013. Characteristics and determinants of human-carnivore conflict in South African farmland. Biodiversity Conservation 22: 1715-1730.

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N/a’an ku sê - Kanaan Desert Retreat Contributed by: Karl S. Fester and Georgina Hockings

PROJECT NAME: Spotted Hyaena Population, Spatial Ecology, Behaviour, and Conflict Mitigation in South-West Namibia

Subproject: Spotted Hyaena Hunting Ecology and Encounter Probability for Conflict Mitigation Abstract: The Kanaan research programme is focused on researching the spotted hyaenas (Crocuta Crocuta) of the Namib Desert. The aims of our study are to identify the population dynamics, prey preferences, spatial ecology, and to use our findings for conflict mitigation methods between carnivores and farmers who report problems with spotted hyaenas.

With an estimated free-roaming population of 2000-3000 individuals within Namibia’s protected and farming areas (Lindsey et al., 2013; Mills & Hofer, 1998), and less than 100 individuals estimated within the Namib Naukluft National Park (Mills & Hofer, 1998), proper conflict mitigation strategies must be established to prevent any future population declines of this species. Financial losses due to spotted hyaena depredation on livestock, reported by Namibian farmers in 2013, was 73.7% where they occurred on commercial farmlands (Lindsey et al. 2013). This has caused a low tolerance for spotted hyaenas in areas where their densities are reported to be declining (Gasaway, Mossestad & Stander, 1989; Mills & Hofer, 1998).

This low tolerance raises many questions regarding the spotted hyaenas of the Namib Desert landscape. How have the population dynamics changed since any previous studies in the Namib landscape (Tilson & Henschel, 1986)? Have their sizes changed in the past 30 years, and what are the limiting factors determining the social cohesion and distributions of spotted hyaenas in the Namib (Tilson & Henschel, 1986; Skinner & van Aarde, 1981)? With the findings that our research on spotted hyaenas will produce, we aim to update the population density and distributions maps of spotted hyaenas in southwest Namibia. Through our Hunting Ecology and Encounter Probability Study we aim to reduce conflict by identifying high conflict situations and providing the proper information to reduce those situations.

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Project Update Since the start of our spotted hyaena study on Kanaan in July 2016, we have identified 17 individual spotted hyaenas and their movements in the area belonging either to two clans, or being nomadic males (Fig. 31) through the use of motion-sensor cameras and sightings. Currently only 7 individuals are still seen in the study area. We have also recorded and mapped out 24 confirmed kill (image 4) and 14 confirmed scavenge sites from the local spotted hyaenas, and cross referenced it to the estimated densities of the main prey species in the area (Fig. 32). This data aided in establishing the protocols for our bait site study. Between July 2016 and March 2017, our bait site study, as part of our Hunting Ecology and Encounter Probability Study, was the determining test for calculating the encounter probabilities at different locations in relation to frequently visited areas such as water sources and marking (latrine) sites. The data from the bait sites and kill/scavenge sites also helped to determine the optimal location to dart and collar a spotted hyaena. On June 28, 2017, a male belonging to the north clan was successfully darted, collared and released (image 2&3), and has subsequently provided us with invaluable spatial ecology data, further cave locations, and kill sites.

Clan Adult Adult Subadult Subadult Juvenile Female Male Female Male North 1 1 1 1

South 1 1

Nomadic 1

Figure 31: Spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) clan structures of two identified family groups on Kanaan.

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Figure 32: Extents of territory ranges of two spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) clans residing on Kanaan.

Figure 33: Two young members of the north clan playing at one of the waterholes.

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Prey Species Densities on Kanaan's North (162km²) and South (190km²) Sides

1.2 ² 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 North

Density per km South Oryx Jackal Kudu Ostrich Springbok Birds of Prey Species

Figure 34: Densities of identified spotted hyaena prey species on both Kanaan’s north and south sides for October 2018, based on the Line-Transect Game Counting technique (Buckland & Turnock, 1992; Norton- Griffiths, 1978). Highlights for October In October, activity from both clans was slow around Kanaan. This may coincide with a population drop of their main prey species, oryx, in the area (Fig. 32). Their visitations do, however, continue around Kanaan at the main centres of their territories (Fig. 33 & 35).

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Map of the Study Site

Plans for next month Plans for next month are to prepare for another hopeful darting attempt of both clans. As we continue to monitor their movements and visitations mainly through our motion-sensor cameras, we will begin revisiting and re-mapping known cave and den locations of both clans found on Kanaan. The main focus of this will be location of the sites chosen and mapping out bone assemblages found at each site.

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Figure 35: N169 receiving his GPS/VHF collar.

Figure 36: Spotted hyaena N169 sighted out in the field after a successful tracking.

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Figure 37: Volunteers investigating a spotted hyaena kill site.

Figure 38: A young north clan member cooling off in a water trough.

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References Buckland, S. T., & Turnock, B, J. 1992. A Robust Line Transect Method. Biometrics 48(3): 901- 909. Gasaway, W.C., Mossestad, K.T., & Stander, P.E. 1989. Demography of Spotted Hyaenas in an arid , , South /Namibia. Madoqua 16(2): 121- 127.

Lindsey, P.A., Havemann, C.P., Lines, R., Palazy, L., Price, A.E., et al. 2013. Determinants of Persistence and Tolerance of Carnivores on Namibian Ranches: Implications for Conservation on Southern African Private Lands. PLoS ONE 8(1): e5245B. doi.10.1371/journal.pone.0052458.

Mills, M.G.L. & Hofer, H. 1998. Hyaenas, Status, Survey and Conservation Action Plan. Cambridge: IUCN Hyaena Specialist group.

Norton-Griffiths, M. 1978. Counting Animals. Ecological Monitoring Programme. Pp. 1- 135.

Skinne, r J. D., & Van Aarde, R. J. 1981. The distribution and ecology of the brown hyaena Hyaena brunnea and spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta in the central Namib Desert. Madoqua. Vol. 12, No. 4. Pp. 231-239.

Tilson, R. L., & Henschel, J. R. 1986. Spatial arrangement of spotted hyaena groups in a desert environment, Namibia. African Journal of Ecology, Vol. 24, pp. 173-180.

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N/a’an ku sê - Mangetti Contributed by: Katrin Hils and Meg Sparrow

ELEPHANT AND WILD DOG RESEARCH PROJECT The (Loxodonta Africana) and wild dog (Lycaon pictus) population living in the Greater Mangetti Complex, Kavango Region, north-east Namibia, face the same challenges as wildlife elsewhere: sustaining a viable population in a highly anthropized area, where human-wildlife conflict is common. In light of this challenge, N/a’an ku sê initiated a project to assess the human-wildlife conflict and implement measures to mitigate this conflict. In the Greater Mangetti complex, many inhabitants consider a nuisance as they are blamed for significant damage to infrastructure including water installations and livestock fencing areas. As a result of this conflict, elephants are barely tolerated.

In light of this conflict, N/a’an ku sê, collared two elephant cows (both of the GPS collars has since failed) in October 2014 to begin the assessment of human-elephant conflict levels in the area. The herd of the collared elephant cows are continuously damaging fences, including the veterinary quarantine fence, thus interfering with livestock and veterinary management and resulting in expensive repair costs. Wild dogs mainly hunt medium-sized antelope but still do present a danger to livestock in some areas. Consequently, wild dogs are still viewed as pests by local farming communities, thus are regularly persecuted by landowners and eliminated from livestock production areas due to perceived or actual . Direct indiscriminate persecution of individuals currently presents the most significant threat to the species.

Furthermore, the loss of wild dog habitat dedicated to cattle or small stock and, recently, game ranching, drastically increases the human – wild dog interface across much of the remaining wild dog range in the country and is one of the most severe threats to wild dog conservation in Namibia. Therefore, the Mangetti Complex must be regarded as a high conflict zone due to its predominant use for livestock production. In the future, the aim will be to further alleviate the existing level of conflict with and antagonism towards elephants and wild dogs in support of their conservation and management for the benefit of all.

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Map of the study site

Figure 39: Map of the Mangetti Research Study Site. Project Update

African Wild Dog During October, the Mangetti Team continued to monitor the packs of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) which inhabit the Kavango Cattle Ranch (KCR) and the Mangetti National Park (MNP). Done through the use of motion-sensitive trail cameras which are distributed across the study sites, the team aims to monitor pack movements and the number of individuals within those packs. Cameras were redistributed in late September and early October according to previous years’ data in areas where wild dog activity was captured, as well as in areas where spoor was identified. Following the redistribution of cameras in September, images of Pack ‘Picasso’ were captured each week. This provided the team with an insight into their movement patterns, appearing to still have a somewhat restricted range due to the age and size of the puppies, remaining within an estimated area of 40km2 for three weeks. The images of the puppies captured allowed the team to begin building up an ID database for the puppies to determine how many puppies exist within the Pack and to continue monitoring them and their survival over the next few months.

Despite having redistributed the cameras monitoring Pack ‘Rembrandt’ in late September and early October, the Pack had remained elusive, having not been seen on camera in two months. Based on there being no activity captured in the KCR, the team decided to once again place cameras in the Namibian Defence Force Veterans Area (NDF). Two cameras were positioned in

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the NDF based on previous capture data as well as according to information gained from speaking with the local Post Masters. Their information indicated that there is a Pack that exists within the NDF and with cameras once again within the area, the team hopes to capture the activity of the Pack to determine whether it is known or unknown.

In mid-October, the team were very excited when Pack ‘Rembrandt’ was once again captured on camera in the KCR, with puppies in tow. Following that initial return, the team were very pleased to have the Pack captured on two additional cameras distributed in the area within the same week. The team is now able to begin building an ID database for the Pack ‘Rembrandt’ puppies that will allow for individual numbers to be established, and better monitoring of their progress and survival in the coming months.

No African wild dogs were captured on the camera traps located within the MNP area during October.

African Elephant The activity of the resident elephant herd continued to be monitored by the team using the GPS location information provided by the collar fitted on elephant cow NDC1. Their movement over the past month followed their usual trajectory of movement between Section 2 of the KCR and the NDF. The herd spent the majority of their time moving within the Quarantine Zone with some sporadic movement to the east and west. During late September and early October, the herd did cross out of the KCR and into the Southern Farmlands, moving into farm ‘Stilte’, ‘Bulhoek’ and ‘Sukkelsoek’. Since then, the herd remained largely in the eastern part of the KCR, crossing in and out of the Quarantine Zone (Fig. 40). At the beginning of October, the team commenced the preliminary monitoring stage of the proposed ‘Elephant Friendly Trough Project’ set to begin in January 2019 should funding be granted. The aim of the project will be to establish a water source accessible by the whole herd, from the smallest calves to the largest bulls. Dams are largely inaccessible as a drinking source to the calves as they are too high, resulting in damage occurring as mother elephants try to allow access for their calves to drink. This preliminary monitoring consists of camera trap monitoring of the water dam at the Centre Post of Block B41 (Fig. 43), one of the Blocks selected to have a trough built as the elephants frequent it as a drinking source. As a part of the camera

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trap monitoring, elephant visits are recorded, with bull or herd visits documented and preliminary herd structure and individual identification begun.

Herd structure and basic ageing of individuals were performed on all images captured of the herd to establish a basic understanding of the sex and age ratios using an established protocol produced by EHRA (Elephant Human Relation Aid, Namibia). As the monitoring stage continues, an identification database for the bulls will be established using unique identifying characteristics of the ears, tusks and tail from camera trap images, as well as footprint identification when clear fresh spoor is available for photographing.

The team is continuing to work to build relationships with the KCR and Southern Farmers to understand their concerns and work to reduce the impact that the herd have on infrastructure.

Figure 40: Map of the study area showing the complete movements of the herd between September 24th th and October 24 , as described by the GPS collar fitted to elephant cow NDC1. Highlights for October During October, images of the puppies of both Pack ‘Picasso’ (Fig. 40) and Pack ‘Rembrandt’ (Fig. 41) were captured. It is always a thrilling moment when the African wild dogs are seen on camera but even more so when puppies are seen. Having seen the Pack ‘Picasso’ puppies on camera early on, it is exciting for the team to see how they are growing, many of them now at least half the size of the adults. Seeing Pack ‘Rembrandt’ after two months, and having their puppies on camera after having last seen them in early July, was a major highlight of October, with mingled excitement and relief.

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A chance sighting of the elephant herd while going out to check camera traps provided the team and volunteers with a rare sighting of a recently born elephant calf. With the team monitoring the herd via the GPS collar fitted on NDC1, they believe that the recent behaviour of the herd showing little movement within the NDF suggests that the herd remained largely stationary while the calf was born and until it was old enough to keep up with the herd.

Defined as a research intern project, identification of the leopards captured on camera traps over the duration of the project since 2014 was continued using ‘Hotspotter’, with some individuals being identified over multiple years. ‘Hotspotter’ uses images of individuals which are inputted into the software and compared against each other to identify unique markings and characteristics. The software automatically compares a photo to all previously inputted images and detects strong similarities which we then review by eye and determine their correctness. Through this, we were able to positively identify individual leopards caught on camera traps throughout the KCR by spot patterns and unique identifying marks. One male, ‘Styx’ (Fig. 43 & 44) has been identified over 2016 to 2018, covering a territory stretching from the West in Section 3 into the NDF in the East. Plans for next month Over the end of October and throughout November, the team will continue to monitor the resident packs within the KCR and NDF using camera traps and spoor sightings. Cameras will be redistributed to capture pack movement based on previous years’ data and spoor, with the packs anticipated to increase their movement range as the puppies continue to grow. Individual identification of the puppies will continue to be established as more images are obtained.

The movement of the elephant herd will continue to be monitored using the GPS location data provided by NDC1s collar. The team will also use telemetry tracking equipment to attempt to get visual sightings of the herd to monitor numbers and structure where possible. Additionally, work with the Southern Farmers and the KCR to mitigate the impacts of the elephants will be continued.

The preliminary trough monitoring will continue with camera traps to establish herd structure with age and sex ratios, as well as how the herd use the dam and other nearby water sources.

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Once a number of photographs of elephant spoor for the bulls have been established, the team hope to utilise the ‘Hot Spotter’ technology (as described for the Leopard identification) to identify individual elephant bulls based on the unique patters of their spoor. By doing so, the team hopes to build up an identification database over time and establish how many individual bulls exist within the KCR as well as the territories they hold.

Figure 41: Puppies from pack ‘Picasso’ captured on camera at Block B26 South Post.

Figure 42: Puppies (plus ‘Bandit’) from pack ‘Rembrandt’ captured on camera at the NDF Gate.

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Figure 43: Adult elephant bulls and cows drinking at the Block B41 dam.

Figure 43: Leopard ‘Styx’ identified as having existed within the KCR since 2016.

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Figure 44: Identification of ‘Styx’ using ‘Hot Spotter’ technology.

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