APRIL 2015 MONTHLY REPORT Compliance Management During the month of April, Leandre and Jonathan checked 70 recreational fishing and bait collecting permits. Of the 70 permits checked, 13 did not have a valid permit and were given a friendly warning. No other major incidents to report on this month. Seal at Fransmanshoek On Sunday the 5th of April, one of the visitors came up to the rangers at Fransmanshoek peninsula to report that they saw an injured South African fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) lying on the rocks a bit too close for comfort. The rangers immediately took action and drove to the site where the seal was spotted. As they got to the site they noticed that the seal was quite high up the rocks, very close to the visitors. Ruaan went closer to inspect and realized that it was a false alarm and that there was nothing wrong with the seal it was simply sunbathing. Ruaan managed to chase the seal off the rocks back into the water for the safety of the visitors and the seal itself. If anyone should comes across any type of seal on the beach or on the rocks, even though if it seems injured, keep your distance as they could be very aggressive and can do a person a lot of harm. Do not be fooled by their slow movement, they can also be very quick if they feel threatened. South African Fur Seal Fransmanshoek Maintenance During the first week of the month Leandre and the student rangers set off to Stilbaaitjie armed with yellow rope... The walkway leading to the little bay was looking a bit worn out, so it was decided that the yellow rope will be replacing the hand railings. After taking off the hand railings the rope was screwed into place, giving the walkway a fresh look. The walkway at Stilbaatjie before and after the work. After all the traffic of the Easter weekend and school holidays the rangers set off to Fransmanshoek to fix up the roads. With a large heap of gravel awaiting them they started the work, and after quite a few bakkieloads and heavy shovelling the roads and speed bumps where roadworthy once again. Lantana Clearing Whilst moving through Vleesbaai and the surrounding areas, the rangers noticed quite a few Lantana (Lantana camara) plants. Leandre decided something has to be done and the rangers set to work. During April Jonathan has continued with the conservancy’s efforts and has sprayed the lantanas in the field between the Misgunst camping area and the road leading to the 4X4 route. This area was treated in 2013 and this was just a follow up. After completing that area he started in Hoekbaai on the corner of Geelhout Street and Boekenhout Street and will continue making his way through Vleesbaai in the months to come. The rangers hope to complete the Vleesbaai and surrounding areas before moving towards Boggomsbaai. The residents in Vleesbaai must note that the Lantana plants are an invasive species and must be removed. The rangers know that some of the residents prize the Lantana plants because of the beautiful display during flowering season, but we would like to remove them from the Conservancy. Residents are welcome to report any invasive plants to the rangers, who will do their best to come and remove them. Lantana (Lantana camara) Capturing and deworming of Ostriches On Tuesday the 28th of April, Leandre received a call from Riekie van Rensburg, one of the conservancy members who asked if the student rangers, Jonathan and Ruaan, would like to come help with the capture and deworming of some Common Ostriches (Strathy camelus). Andri van Rensburg, from Misgunst farm and his team came to pick up the students at the conservancy office. At the enclosure the students assisted in putting up a boma, after which the group of forty ostriches were herded into the boma. Each individual ostrich was then caught and guided to a holding pen, where they were weighed and given the deworming medicine. The medicine was administered by opening the ostrich’s beak and squirting it down the throat with a syringe. After each individual was weighed and treated, it was released into the camp and this procedure was repeated until every individual was checked. After all the ostriches were successfully treated and released the students and the team broke down the boma and took it back into storage. The students enjoyed the experience and are grateful to Riekie and Andri for giving them the opportunity to help. Monthly Species Profile During the month Leandre and the two students started with alien clearing and there was a lot of small manatoka trees spotted and they were all sprayed. Common name: Manatoka, Mioporum Scientific Name: Myoporum tenuifolium Class: Dicotyledons (Eudicots) Order: Lamiales Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort family) Myoporum is derived from the meaning of Myo meaning be able to shut, and porus meaning pores that are found on the leaves. This enables some species in this family to survive in dry areas by closing up the pores (stomata) to prevent water loss. Conservation Status Manatoka is declared a category 3 invader plant in South Africa, which means that these plants must be controlled by the land user and there must be an attempt to slow down the spread of these plants. Manatoka may also not be planted, maintained or multiplied. Description Manatoka is an evergreen shrub or small tree between 2-6m. The leaves are thin and fleshy with entire margins. The leaves are bright green obverse and dull green on reverse, and approximately 100mm long. They have white flowers that are bell shaped and 5-8mm long, the plant usually flowers from July to October. The entire plant is poisonous and is known to invade coastal fynbos and dune vegetation. Habitat Manatoka originated in Australia and is tolerant of salt laden wind, which is why it is doing so well along the coast of South Africa. Life History Manatoka is a plant that is native to Australia and is an alien invasive in South Africa. The trees produce purple fruit, which attract birds who then help with the distribution of the plant. These plants can easily take over natural vegetation and that is why it is very important to eradicate Manatoka. This is best done when the plants are still small and are either pulled out or sprayed with herbicide. RUAAN BARNARD JONATHAN VAN DER MERWE LEANDRE VISSER FRANSMANSHOEK CONSERVANCY 082 084 2791 [email protected] .