AN AERIAL CENSUS OF THE BASIN AREA OF THE PARQUE NACIONAL DO (LIMPOPO NATIONAL PARK) IN

16th –21st October, 2006 Ian Whyte & Billy Swanepoel. AN AERIAL SURVEY OF PNL

In response to a request from through the Ministry of Tourism (Mozambique) an aerial survey of the Parque Nacional Do Limpopo (PNL) was conducted between 16th and 21st October 2006. Two options were considered:

• A 30% survey of the whole park based on transects spaced every 3 kms.

• A total area survey of the main game area currently in PNL. The Shingwedzi River basin from the KNP boundary in the west to the “escarpment” of the Shingwedzi basin in the east.

These data would be important in understanding what has happened to the animals that were translocated there from KNP over the past few years. Total numbers of animals of respective species translocated from to Limpopo National Park between 2001 and 2006

Species 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Total Elephants 25 48 38 0 0 0 111 White Rhino 0 2 0 10 0 0 12 Buffalo 0 0 0 49 0 49 98 Blue Wildebeest 0 264 235 98 98 64 759 Impala 0 588 273 127 369 373 1730 Zebra 0 158 366 195 205 100 1024 Waterbuck 0 15 9 0 18 6 48 Giraffe 0 4 13 15 14 15 61 Roan 0 0 0 0 25 0 25 Licht. Hartebeest 0 0 0 0 7 10 17 Total 25 1079 934 494 736 617 3885 (data by courtesy of Mr Johan Malan, Operations Manager: VWS: KNP). NAVIGATION

Navigation during the survey was assisted by using software supplied by MKH Technologies, Nelspruit.

A laptop computer is connected to the aircraft’s GPS.

GIS shape files of the survey area are downloaded onto the laptop and the aircraft’s exact position is then displayed on the shape file overlay on the laptop’s screen. SELECT SHAPE FILES OF THE AREA TO BE SURVEYED: ADD RIVERS ADD ROADS SELECT SUITABLE SURVEY TRANSECT ORIENTATION ? D E L G N A OR EAST – WEST? SELECT REQUIRED STRIP WIDTH 400m? SELECT REQUIRED STRIP WIDTH 800m? During the survey the computer shows the aircrafts current position, and also captures the aircraft’s GPS coords once per second and shows them as a “pepper trail” on the screen

This area not surveyed due to aircraft electrical problems. ORIGINAL DATA FROM A CENSUS OF THE WESTERN PART OF LIMPOPO NATIONAL PARK, MOZAMBIQUE

DATE TIME LATITUDE LONGITUDE SPECIES COUNT STRIP 2006/10/16 07:12:33 AM -23.2092 31.6518 Cattle 15 a 2006/10/16 07:12:48 AM -23.2085 31.6653 Human 1 a 2006/10/16 07:13:07 AM -23.2085 31.6748 Cattle 9 d 2006/10/16 07:14:34 AM -23.2102 31.7075 Kudu 1 d 2006/10/16 07:20:38 AM -23.2188 31.6515 Cattle 20 b 2006/10/16 07:20:44 AM -23.2188 31.6483 Human 2 b 2006/10/16 07:21:01 AM -23.219 31.6393 Goat 7 b 2006/10/16 07:21:21 AM -23.2182 31.6297 Goat 15 b 2006/10/16 07:21:25 AM -23.218 31.6278 Cattle 4 a 2006/10/16 07:21:32 AM -23.2177 31.625 Goat 16 b 2006/10/16 07:23:02 AM -23.2173 31.5822 Waterbuck 3 b 2006/10/16 07:24:56 AM -23.2285 31.5655 Buffalo 1 c 2006/10/16 07:29:21 AM -23.2237 31.6977 Kudu 2 c 2006/10/16 07:32:26 AM -23.2308 31.7468 Kudu 12 b 2006/10/16 07:33:37 AM -23.2315 31.7135 Steenbuck 1 b 2006/10/16 07:34:41 AM -23.2317 31.6807 Duiker 1 b 2006/10/16 07:35:46 AM -23.2325 31.6482 Cattle 16 b 2006/10/16 07:35:50 AM -23.2325 31.6462 Human 1 a 2006/10/16 07:36:27 AM -23.2322 31.6288 Natural water 1 a 2006/10/16 07:36:40 AM -23.2322 31.6238 Natural water 1 a TOTALS FOR INDIVIDUAL SPECIES RECORDED IN LIMPOPO NATIONAL PARK, MOZAMBIQUE

SPECIES COUNT SPECIES COUNT Elephant 630 Lichtenstein's Hartebeest 7 Nyala 257 Grey Duiker 56 Kudu 273 Ground Hornbill 50 Waterbuck 86 Ostrich 36 Zebra 325 White rhino 16 Giraffe 23 Steenbuck 12 Wildebeest 358 Warthog 48 Buffalo 225 Bushpig 8 Impala 496 Bushbuck 1 Sable 62 Cattle 3142 Roan 6 Goats 527 n=630 n=16 (111) (12) n=358 n=225 (759) (98) n=257 n=273 (0) (0) n=56 n=496 (0) (1730) n=86 n=325 (48) (1024) n=62 n=23 (0) (61) n=50 n=23 14 groups (0) (0) n=3142 n=527

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sincere thanks are due to: Billy

Ian Tshediso Zeke Nater’cio Obert Guilherme Simon

Team members in the aerial survey of the Parque Nacionale do Limpopo.

From left to right: Obert Mathebula, Ramatshediso Mphuthi, Billy Swanepoel, Guilherme Dos Santos Maluleque, Ezekiel Khosa, Ian Whyte, Nater’cio Thomas Ngovene, Simon Khoza.

Also to Sandra MacFadyen and Ndiyafhi Denge for the preparation of the shape files and maps THANK YOU !!