Posted October 30, 2024 in Uncategorized
Animals of UmPhafa
This quarter has been eventful for the animals of UmPhafa, with some especially exciting news: the four Wild Dogs that bonded here and left us in early July have given birth to five pups in their new home, Makalali Game Reserve. While we haven’t had an update since, we hope they’re thriving!
Game capture and delivery were also key focuses this quarter. We received nine additional Buffalo, two male Giraffe, three male Red Hartebeest, and ten Common Reedbuck, and we relocated 75 female Kudu and 20 Zebra to new homes.
We were also thrilled to release a Wild Cat onto the reserve for the first time, an exciting milestone for UmPhafa. Additionally, one of our Field Rangers captured video footage of an Aardwolf—our first clear sighting of this shy, elusive animal, although we had previous reports of them in the area.
We’ve also been working to secure collars and permits for our new Cheetahs, hoping they’ll be with us by the fourth quarter.
It has been a busy three months, yet sadly, we faced unexpected loss when a freak snowstorm—our first snowfall in over 20 years—claimed the lives of 31 animals, mainly Wildebeest and Impala. Over 120 fish were also lost due to the cold snap, so we’ll be repopulating the dams in the coming months. Throughout winter, we provided supplemental food to our new Buffalo and added mineral licks to support the health of our animals.
Busy Field Rangers
Our Field Rangers continue their essential work patrolling the reserve daily, covering thousands of kilometers to protect it. They monitor fence lines using drones and strategically placed cameras, and although incursions remained similar to last quarter, we nearly intercepted a primary poacher in action. Using the thermal drone, we tracked his movement toward his home, seemingly carrying an animal killed the previous day. Since involving the police, poaching activity has declined, but with the school holidays approaching, the Field Rangers will stay vigilant.
This quarter, we invested in a new camera trap for the Field Rangers. Unfortunately, despite efforts to secure two trail cameras with locks and chains, poachers broke them and took the equipment.
Caring for the Reserve
This quarter saw substantial fire management, with perimeter burns completed and over 20% of the reserve treated. With recent rainfall, these areas are greening up nicely. We conducted a large block burn to clear moribund (inedible) grass and also assisted the community and neighbors with controlling wildfires that could have encroached on the reserve.
A borehole surveyor identified five possible locations for a new borehole near Sully, our intern accommodation, and we’ve selected a preferred site, hoping to establish it by year’s end.
We have also prioritized improvements to the Boma in preparation for the Cheetah arrival, including raising fence heights, adding new steel poles, and upgrading the water system. Additional reserve maintenance included installing a new gate, adding solar panels near the new borehole, preparing poplar wood for a new Hide at the Wetlands Dam area, and testing new road repairs on three steep roads, hoping for heavy rain to assess their durability
Community & Project Meetings
UmPhafa regularly engages in security and endangered species protection meetings. Virtual meetings have made it easier to stay involved. This quarter, the local historical society revisited a site we call Vertrek, known for its Anglo-Boer War gun sights. They believe the lower slopes reveal signs of habitation, possibly newer than initially thought. We hope to clean the site over the next year to learn more about its history.
Intern Program / Researchers
With 22 interns this quarter, including a university group, we stayed busy with a variety of activities. They participated in game capture and release efforts, an exciting opportunity to introduce new genes to the reserve. We also hosted 34 students from the University of KZN for their annual soil studies, with Field Rangers on hand due to the increased danger following the Buffalo release.
Thanks to sales from our small reserve souvenir shop, we acquired three new Wi-Fi-enabled, solar-powered trail cameras, which will help us capture elusive leopards.
Getting Social
We’re thrilled to have reached our target of over 4,000 Facebook followers three months ahead of schedule—thank you! Our most popular posts feature updates about the animals, with “Billy the Hyena” generating the most engagement, closely followed by the Wild Dog and Wild Cat updates.
