OWL RESEARCH PROJECT:

30MARCH 2011:

EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT OWLS:

SOUTHERN WHITE FACED OWLS:

Breeding: Nests from May to November, in tree hole or old stick nests of other birds. 2-3 eggs, incubated for 30 days. Young leave nest by 1 month and are independent by 6 weeks.

Call: Bubbling series of “po’s”, the first part rather stuttered then more fluting.

Status: Until recently classed as Otis, but recent DNA evidence suggests the genus is very different. In the U.K., the breeding program for this species (which includes the World Owl Trust) is managed by a stud book.

Comments: Monotypic, was included with P. leucotis, but vocalisations and DNA are significantly different.

Races: No additional races.

BARN OWLS:

Description: A medium sized, pale coloured owl with whitish under parts. The bill is short and deep, with a sharply hooked tip. The eyes are brown, bill whitish or pale pink and the feet are pinkish, legs are feathered with buff-coloured feathers.

The upperparts are tawny-brown and pale grey, with white spots. The face and under parts are white, with small brown spots on the breast and belle. It has an obvious face-mask, which is whitish and heart shaped. The dark eyes stand out prominently on the pale face.

Name: Tyto albq

Habitat: Semi-desert to forest edges. Often found near human habitation, which provides nesting and roosting sites.

Distribution: The Barn Owl is one of the most successful and widespread predators on earth, being found across the globe, and in almost all habitats.

Diet Description: Rodents.

Socialisation: Barn Owl usually occurs in pairs and spends the day roosting in a hidden cavity, which might be in an old building, mineshaft, nest or natural cavity in rock or tree.

Reproduction: The Barn Owl breeds mainly from August to September in the Western Cape and March-May elsewhere.

Breeding: is timed to coincide with the best season for hunting when the chicks are being cared for. It does not build a nest but simply lays the eggs on a suitable depression.

The Spotted Eagle Owl:

Is a medium to large owl with prominent ear tufts. The upper-parts of the body are dusky brown with pale spots; the under-parts are whitish and finely barred. The facial disk is whitish to pale ochre and the eyes are yellow. Its height is 45cm and its weight is from 480 to 850g. The wingspan is 33cm.

Nocturnal hunters; the spotted eagle owl spends most of the day concealed in trees, rock ledges or abandoned burrows.

Name: Bubo aficanus

Size: 45cm, 480-850g

Habitat: Savannah, rocky outcrops, scrub, open and semi-open woodland, semi-deserts.

Distribution: Sub-equatorial Africa from Kenya and Uganda south to the Cape

Diet: Invertebrates, small mammals, birds and reptiles

Reproduction: July-February, 2-4 eggs laid in scrape on the ground, normally sheltered by a bush, grass or rocks. Incubation 32 days. Young leave the nest by about 5 weeks and are fledged by 7 weeks, but remain with parents for at least another 5 weeks.

Call: Song is normally 1 or 2 "double hoots", followed by a 3 syllable hoot and then 1 long drawn out hoot hoo-hoo buhoohoo-hooo.

The Verreaux's eagle-owl:

Occurs across sub-Saharan Africa, mainly occupying arid savannah and forest. It mainly eats mammals and birds, including large species such as the Pell’s fishing owl. It is an extremely agile hunter for its size, and can actually catch smaller birds in flight! It uses stick nests constructed by other birds, such as weavers, crows and raptors. Here it lays 2 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female, for about 38-39 days, who is fed at night by the male. Of the two chicks only one survives, the other obtains less food from its parents, and usually dies of starvation after 2-3 weeks. The surviving chick stays in the nest for about 2 months, after which he remains dependent on his parents for 1-2 more years.

Distribution and habitat: Occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding lowland equatorial forest. In southern Africa it is locally common in northern and central Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe,

Mozambique and northern South Africa. It generally prefers arid savannah and woodland, especially riverside forest, occasionally moving into open areas such as

grassland.

Food: Its diet consists of a wide variety of animals, most of which are vertebrates such as mamm

als and birds. It usually hunts at night, sitting on a perch in the open and searching for prey. Once it spots something it rapidly glides down to the ground,

attempting to grab the prey item with its talons. If it fails to catch anything, it often stays on the ground, trying to flush the animal out of its hiding

place. It is extremely agile on the wing, and can actually catch small birds in flight! The following food items have been recorded in its diet:

• Vertebrates
• Mammals
• Warthog piglets
• Vervet monkey -juveniles
• South African hedgehog
• Bushbabies
• fruit bats
• mongooses
• Birds:
• Warblers, sand grouse
• raptors
• flamingos
• herons
• Southern yellow-billed hornbill
• Helmeted guinea fowl
• Northern black korhaan
• Denham's bustard
• Yellow-billed duck, African black duck
• Bateleur nestlings
• Secretary bird
• Pel's fishing-owl
• reptiles
• amphibians
• Invertebrates:
• termites, beetles

Breeding:

• Usually uses stick nests constructed by other birds, such as Sociable weavers, Red-billed buffalo weavers, Hamerkops, Secretary birds and especially raptors, ranging from the small nests of goshawks to the large platforms constructed by eagles or vultures. It also occasionally uses tree cavities, as well as nests in tangles of creepers and orchids.

• Egg-laying season is from roughly May-October, peaking from June-September.
• It usually lays two eggs, one of which is slightly smaller than the other. They are incubated solely by the female for about 38-39 days, while the male feeds her at night.
• Of the two chicks only one survives, as the other obtains less food from its parents and usually dies of starvation after 2-3 weeks. The surviving chick stays in the nest for about 62-63 days, taking its first flight a few months later. It usually remains in its parent’s territo ry for a year before becoming independent; however some fledglings remain with their parents for another year, to help them raise the next chick.

Threats: Not officially threatened, however it might be vulnerable due to its low population density and reproductive rate.

MARSH OWL:

Description: Medium sized

Owl with very small, seldom visible ear tufts. Uniform brown above, fine dusky vermiculations on lighter brown below. Paler facial disk

with dark area around dark brown eyes.

Size: 29-36cm, 225-375g Range Patchy populations in NW Morocco, and West Africa, Ethiopia south to South Africa and Madagascar.

Habitat: Open country including marshes, moors, savannah, montane grassland, avoiding extensive long grass, desert and forested areas.

Food: Mainly small mammals but also birds and invertebrates.

Breeding: February-October in N Africa, September-November in SW Africa. Nest on ground in shallow, unlined scrape amongst vegetation. 2-6 eggs are incubated fro 27-28 days. By about 2 weeks the young leave the nest area, but do not fledge for another 3 weeks.

Call: A loud croaking "krrrrrrr" said to resemble the noise made by slowly bending and breaking a branch.

Status: Not globally threatened, and nominate race widespread, however the other 2 races have a very limited range and small populations.

Comments: Formerly thought to be very closely related to the Short-eared Owl, but its vocalisations suggest otherwise and DNA sampling is required to shed light on its taxonomy.

Races: No additional information.

OWL PROJECT:

30 MARCH 2011:
RESEARCH:

Why I am doing research on these owls. I want to learn more about these animals, I have to monitor them. This will happen at night, when they are most active. I want to see what activities they take place in at night. I would like to implement a night tour at the wildlife centre. This is something new, I think the guests would like.

We will have a look if it is possible to feed the owls live prey and see them hunt it down. This will give them something new and interesting to do. They will also be more active, like they would be in the wild. This is a good stimulation tool. Off course we need to check whether there are any permits regarding live feeding.

We will also test this first and see if it works and if they enjoy it. This will take place at the wildlife centre. This is exciting and new to us and the animal itself. I think it’s good to implement; it gives them something active to do. This helps them exercise there wings, which is important if we want to release them.

I will learn a lot in this planning and so also the wildlife centre staff. This will also be given to the tour guides, so that they can have the extra information. This information they can deliver to guests. If we release them again, we can maybe start a breeding programme. We also need permits for this. But then we can have an allocated area were we can put up nests for them. We must also test this to see whether they will use these nests, otherwise we only waste our money.

This will help Sondela with the mice infestation and also other small animals that have become a pest.

LEGISLATION:

PART 2:

7. Game theft act:

—Act was formed in order to protect the fielding industry of game farming. The act manages the ownership of a certain class of wild animals (game). It compromises all game kept or held for commercial or hunting purposes, including the meat, skin, carcasses or any portion of the carcass of the game. Act provides, if game escapes from a sufficiently closed camp, a pen, a kraal, or a vehicle then its owner shall retain ownership of the game.

8. Animal protection act 71 of 1962

—Act indicates- THAT any equine, bovine, sheep, goat, pig, fowl, ostrich, dog, cat or other domestic animal or bird, or any wild animal, Wild bird or reptile which is in captivity or under the control of any person.

—The Minister of Justice;

—The owner, in the relation to an animal, includes any person having the possession, charge, custody or control of that animal.

—The Police officer includes a member of any force established under any law for the carrying out of police powers, duties or Functions.

—A Veterinarian means a person registered as such under the Veterinary and Para-Veterinary Professions Act, 1982 (Act No. 19 of1982)

9. Limpopo environmental act 7 of 2003:

—This Act makes provision with respect to the protection and conservation of the environment in the Limpopo Province.

It makes provision for a wide variety of matters regarding the environment including: protected areas; hunting of wild and exotic animals; the establishment of Wildlife Councils; inland fishing and the protection and aquatic systems

—The protection of indigenous plants; the application of CITES;

—restrictions on development and environmental impact reports;

— declaration and protection of mountain catchments areas; environmental pollution;

—and the protection of biodiversity in general

10.Protocol on wildlife conservation and law enforcement:

—To establish common approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife resources.

—To assist with the effective enforcement of laws governing those resources.

—Parties undertake to, adopt and enforce legal instruments necessary, to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife resources.

—Measures for the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife resources are to be effectively enforced.

—A regional database on the status and management of wildlife is to be established to facilitate sharing of information.

—Capacity-building for effective wildlife management is to be promoted through training programs.

—Tran frontier measures such as the establishment of conservation areas are to be promoted, education and research are to be developed.

—A Wildlife Conservation Fund is to be established, and the Tribunal of the South African Development Commission is designated to settle disputes arising from the implementation or interpretation of this Protocol.

11. Cites:

—The Convention aims to ensure that no species of wild fauna or flora becomes or remains subject to unsustainable exploitation because of international trade.

—It does this by subjecting the international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls.

—These controls vary according to the degree of threat the species faces. The species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices.

—Include species threatened with extinction. Commercial trade in specimens of these species is prohibited.

—Includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction but which may become so unless trade is controlled.

—Contains species that are protected in at least one country which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

—12. International convention … biodiversity:

—The Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development.

—Conceived as a practical tool for translating the principles into reality, the Convention recognizes that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems

– it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live

13. White paper:

—Human activities such as pollution, habitat destruction, over-exploitation and foreign plant and animal invasions are resulting in the ever-increasing loss of the earth's biological wealth biodiversity.

—- Protect and maintain essential ecosystem services and biological resources required to meet basic human needs.

—Ensure ecologically sustainable economic development provision of jobs related to the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of biological resources.

—Ensure that opportunities derived from the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of biological resources favor the poor.

—Develop human resources necessary to conserve biodiversity and use biological resources sustainable.

—Increase participation in the institutions of civil society engaged in conserving and using biodiversity.

AND THAT WAS SOME OF THE LAWS WE HAD TO LOOK UP, REGARDING THE WILDLIFE CENTRE - WHERE WE SPENT OUR FIRST 6 MONTHS AS SECOND YEARS.

LEGISLATION:

16MARCH 2011: LEGISLATION PART OF THINGS:

PART1:

JUST A COUPLE OF LAWS WE LEARNED ABOUT IN OUR SECOND YEAR, REGARDING WORKING WITH WILD ANIMALS.

INDEX:

1.MIND MAP ON WILDLIFE LAWS

2.MIND MAP ON NON-WILDLIFE LAWS

3.CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC ACT 108 OF 1996

4.NEMA ACT 107 OF 1998

5.AMENDMENT ACT 46 OF 2003

6.NEMBA ACT 10 OF 2004

7.TOPS ACT 10 OF 2004

8.PROTECTED AREAS AMENDMENT ACT 31 OF 2003

9.GAME THEFT ACT

10.ANIMAL PROTECTION ACT 71 OF 1962

11.LIMPOPO ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT 7 OF 2003

12.PROTOCOL ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND LAW ACT

13.CITES

14.INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION BIODIVERSITY

15.WHITE PAPER ACT

16.WASTE ACT

LEGISLATION REGARDING TO THE WILDLIFE CENTRE:

1. Constitution of the republic of S.A. 108 of 1996:

—The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), was approved by the Constitutional Court (CC) on 4 December 1996 and took effect on 4 February 1997.

—The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. No other law or government action can supersede the provisions of the Constitution.

—The Republic of South Africa is one, sovereign, democratic state founded on the following values:

—a. Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.

—b. Non-racialism and non-sexism.

—c. Supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.

—d. Universal adult suffrage, a national common voters roll, regular elections and a multi-party system of democratic government, to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness.

2. National environmental management act 107 of 1998 (NEMA):

—To provide for co-operative, environmental governance by establishing principles for decision-making.

—On matters affecting the environment, institutions that will promote co-operative governance and procedures.

—This is for a coordinate environmental functions exercised by organs of state; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

3. National environmental management amendment act 46 of 2003:

—To amend the National Environmental Management Act, 1998, so as to define certain expressions.

—To provide for the administration and enforcement of certain national environmental management laws.

—Also to provide for matters connected therewith.

4. National environmental management; biodiversity act 10 of 2004(NEMBA) :

—To provide for the management and conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity within the framework of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998.

—The protection of species and ecosystems that warrant national protection; the sustainable use of indigenous biological resources; the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from bio-prospecting involving indigenous biological resources.

—The establishment and functions of a South African National Biodiversity Institute; and for matters connected therewith.

5.National environmental management biodiversity act 10 of 2004, threatened and protected species regulations:

—The TOPS regulations apply only to those species that are listed as threatened or protected in terms of the Biodiversity Act. Provincial legislation still applies to all species not listed as threatened or protected.

—The TOPS regulations do not replace or repeal any provincial legislation, but apply in addition to provincial legislation.

—A person may not carry out ANY restricted activity involving a TOPS specimen,

—without a TOPS permit. There are NO exemptions from any of the provisions of the TOPS regulations, to any person, organization or organ of state.

—The TOPS regulations must always be read in conjunction with the TOPS definitions, TOPS species lists and TOPS amendments.

—Provincial conservation authorities may apply stricter measures than required in terms of the TOPS regulations, but not less strict measures.

6. Protected areas amendment act 31:

—To amend the National Environment Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003, so

—As to provide for a comprehensive list in the Schedule of all national parks; to

—Provide for the assignment of national parks, special national parks and heritage

—Sites to the South African National Parks; to make provision for flight corridors.

—And permission of the management authority to fly over a special national park,

—National park or heritage site; to provide for specific areas to be available for

—Training and testing of aircraft; and to provide for the winding-up and dissolution

—Of the South African National Parks; and to provide for matters connected There with.

PUTTING OUT SALT LICK AND MINERAL BLOCKS (WILDSBLOKKE)

14 AUGUST 2010:
SALT LICK AND MINERAL BLOCKS:

SATURDAY:

Today we put out salt licks and mineral blocks. The reason why we do this is, because its winter and these blocks have a lot of minerals inside them that the animals need to stay healthy. The mineral blocks get placed in dipping barrels. The dipping barrels work like this, you place the block inside and when the animal comes to eat, he scratches himself on the pole. This releases the dip while they scratch on the pole. The dip goes onto their skin, this helps get rid of the ticks and possible they might have.

We have a lot of game on Sondela, so the dip applicators help us to control the ticks and flees. We can unfortunately not dip the game. It would take really long i we had tried, the animals would stress out and we will not be able to catch each and every animal. The cattle also gets send into the bush, this also helps to get rid of the ticks. The ticks will climb onto the cattle, we will then dip the cattle. The are use to it and it is much easier.

Another reason for putting out the lick and mineral blocks are to attract the animals to specific areas. This makes them easier to spot while on game drives and it also brings them closer to the chalets. The people love it when the animals are so close to where they stay. It is a big attraction, the most common animals that are found near the chalets are the nyala's. hey are very tame animals and you can feed them with your hand.

When we put out the mineral blocks, we always take amipor with us. Amipor is the liquid that goes into the applicators, the ones that helps get rid of the ticks. So it is safe to say that it is a pesticide. We have to refill the applicators with more amipor if needed. The 2nd Years also have to Calculate the amount that was used each time we had to refill the applicators. The 2nd years had to draw up a budget that is why they needed these figures.

and that is that for the day....

FIRE REHEARSALS ON WORKING WEEKEND:

15 AUGUST 2010
SUNDAY:
PRACTICE FIRE ALERTS:

Well here we go, I find this story a bit funny...

So it's the normal routine, welcoming on Friday, walking the horses and donkeys on Saturday morning. It's like a typical weekend. So it carries on like usual, we went to do fence checks after the horses and the donkeys.

Things that we look for when we do fence checks. Most people think we do this just to get away from the noise at the farmyard but it's not like that. We do fence check to close up to many warthog highways in one fence, a warthog highway is all the holes that goes trough from your farm to another. We check if all the wires are still in place (nothing has snapped), We check that the droppers and y-standards are still straight.

When we do fence checks we always have to carry the correct supplies:

• Binding wire
• Normal wire
• 2 Tongs and a
• Wire Puller

We also have to check the cruiser, this is so that we don't get stuck in the bush without any petrol. So tonight me And Monica worked bring and braai. We just assist the guests if they have any problems, we braai their meat and we help clear the tables... Nothing much more to say, lets move on to Sunday During lunch.

As we all know, Sunday is when all the people go back home, so their is nothing to do...... So our managers think it is very funny to pull pranks on us...

Everybody was relaxing, seeing that it is lunch off course. Everybody tired of the long weekend. And there it goes!!!! whooooweeee whoooweeee (this being the fire alarm), evrybody get the biggest fright of their lives not knowing what to do.. This was a real panic attack for everybody. Evcerybody freaks out, after about 2minutes all of us starts running to the "Pakstoor" as we were told, when we did our Training.

We had to pack everything that was needed out as quick as possible, get dressed, get your necessary equipment and get on the vehicles. How fun was that... The adrenalin was pumping through everybody's veins. We were racing to our destination, worry in everybody's eyes. How is this going to end, what will go wrong...

Is everybody in place???
GOOD. Ready , GO!!!
And there our unplanned fir rehearsal started...