| KGR Honey Badger Project 1 Purpose The purpose of this project is to carry out a research study of the African honey badger (Mellivora capensis) population at Kudu Game Ranch (KGR), Lydenburg. This study aims to determine and record the density, behaviour, and demographics of the resident honey badger population. The study shall be known as the KGR Honey Bader Project and will be a sub project of the Ingwe Leopard Project and be licensed and supervised by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency 1.1 Project Area Kudu Game Ranch is located 10km outside the Town of Lydenburg on the R37. At 24059’50.17” degrees South and 30024’00.49” degrees East. The defined area consists of 5000 ha’s of mountainous grasslands, sparse protea/burkea open woodland, riverine thickets and afro-montane forest patches. The confluence of the Dorps and Spekboom rivers is on Kudu Game Ranch and the Spekboom River forms the Northern boundary of the property. 2 Background In South Africa honey badgers are a specially protected "red data" species and are considered "Near-threatened" in the South African Red Data list (2004) and are listed on appendix III of the CITES agreement. The honey badger has not been well studied despite its extensive distribution. There have been no detailed studies outside of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, (now called the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park). It is therefore crucial to conduct further population studies with an emphasis on regions that fall outside of formally protected area’s (National Parks). The honey badger is a medium-sized carnivore that ranges throughout Southern Africa. They have been found in elevations ranging from sea level to 1700 m, from dry grasslands to moist deciduous forest. They prefer broken hilly country with plentiful shelter. Although the honey badgers’ distribution is extensive, they occur at low densities and their home ranges seem to be extensive. They are strongly territorial and populations are becoming increasingly fragmented. This is mainly due to conflict between man and nature and habitat transformation. Outside of protected areas the honey badger is also actively persecuted by small livestock farmers, they are killed for traditional medicine and their pelts appear for sale in traditional markets in South Africa. Furthermore, a strong lack of empirical data is visible from published literature regarding their range use and habitat relatedness in order to carry out modelling or make predictions of population trends or estimations of population sizes. Apart from man, the honey badger is considered the most destructive mammalian predator of honeybees in Africa and conflict between beekeepers and the honey badger has been recorded throughout their range. They are also frequently inadvertently killed by the non- selective use of poisons and gin traps that are used to kill other problem animals of a similar size. Little is known about the reproductive habits of this species, and the available data is inconsistent. The gestation period is given as about 6 months in several references. Two zoos report gestation periods of 153 and 162 days, which would indicate delayed implantation. Reports from Africa and Israel indicate that the gestation period is 6-8 weeks. They do not appear to have a fixed breeding season, and since they cover such an extensive geographic range, the breeding season, time of birth, and even the gestation period likely varies depending on geography. The most complete report of the honey badger's life cycle comes from the work of Colleen and Keith Begg from the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa. Honey badger social interaction is very poorly studied to date. A healthy Honey badger population in Kudu Game Ranch and the wider Lydenburg area should be regarded as an asset. Most livestock farmers judge this animal actually as vermin. Through the KGR Honey Badger Project, it will be possible to determine the status of this Badger population. Moreover, as a landowner focussed project, it will ensure the KGR benefit from the results. 3 Methodology This project will be financed primarily from private sponsorship and will be of utmost importance in order to launch a high-impact investigation with the needed continuity. The proposed project will take at least two to three years in order to obtain viable and sufficient data. After initial set up, the running costs will be the major financial component over the life span of the project. It is intended to minimise these costs by the use of volunteer research assistants and under the auspice of scientists from Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency. Baseline data such as daily movements, home range size, and use of home range, behaviour, and diet are important for a thorough understanding of the species in question. 3.1 Capture and monitoring This project aims to identify and monitor all honey badgers whose home range includes Kudu Game Ranch. It is intended to capture up to four resident honey badgers, preferably two males and two females, to enable radio telemetry implants. There are currently no defined methods for capturing honey badger in an area similar to KGR and therefore it is intended to utilise the services of wildlife capture experts to develop a method for capture. Following capture, an animal will be sedated and removed to a sterile environment for implantation. Implants are sealed with neutral (biologically inert) epoxy resin or wax. The implant can either be subcutaneous (under the skin), or in the peritoneal cavity (under the muscle layer). As well as being used for visual reasons, implants can be used as part of studies to monitor the animals’ body temperature or heart rate. Despite the initially invasive nature of this technique, one of the key advantages of implants is that they may be much less irritating to the animal than an external tag. Any captured honey badger will also be ear-notched according to a specified code in order to be able to identify study animals on camera traps or when physically been observed. This is a common practise with species where it is difficult to distinguish between different individuals. These ear-clips will be preserved and used in a DNA study and the rest of the biomaterial will be banked in a bio-bank for further needed studies. However, implanted transmitters have a limited range. Transmitters are expensive to implant, as they require the services of a veterinarian. Animals also need to be held for a period in order to recover from the effects of a general anaesthetic. Volunteers taking part in the monitoring of data points or assisting in the collection of data will be a fixed team, dedicated to the project. One of their main objectives will be to have continuous contact with the sponsor and KGR board. Spoor recognition and casting, together with camera trap surveillance and radio telemetry tracking will be the primary methods used to track and identify all honey badgers at Kudu Game Ranch. Radio telemetry is a tool used to gain a thorough understanding of that population and its dynamics as well as to identify any potential threats to its survival. This information can then be used to formulate management plans for the long-term conservation of the species. Monitoring will be done is such a way as to minimise the affects on the species that could occur from the close proximity of humans with adverse affects on the animals behaviour. That in turn could result in an unrealistic outcome of the study or possibly having a negative affect on the study animal. The monitoring therefore has no intensions to habituate the study animals exclusively for tourism purposes but limited habituation will be necessary in order to do much needed observations and data capturing such as feeding habits etc. 3.2 Aim • To determine the status of the honey badger population in Kudu Game Ranch and the Lydenburg Magisterial District via the establishment of subprojects. • To determine the home ranges of honey badgers. • To determine the gestation period and social interaction of honey badgers • To make recommendations as to the management of the mentioned population. • To use this project as a flagship project for conservation of Honey badgers within the province. • Determine what threats exists to the KGR honey badger population • DNA bio-samples to be collected of local honey badger population 3.3 Objectives: • Determine the dynamics of the honey badger population in the study area. • Determine their behaviours and the impact of the human population within the study area. • Determine abundance of natural food and prey species. • Formulate policy and make recommendations for the management of the Honey badger population in order to promote a sustainable co-existence of Honey badger and human populations. • Determine what time periods are spend outside KGR perimeters • Collect ear clips for DNA sampling and analyses 3.4 Key Questions: • How many established territories are there in the study area? • What are the age structure and sex ratio of the honey badger population? • Which periods are the highest activities? • What is the typical habitat preference in these areas? • What are the agricultural practises in the above-mentioned areas? • What methods can be used to spot honey badgers with the least disturbance? • Can KGR effectively preserve it’s current honey badger population • Can KGR act as an important source area for honey badgers to the adjacent areas or does it form part of a sink area for this species in this area. 3.4.1 Phase 1 – Set Up • Registration of the Project with MPTA and Kudu Game Ranch • Complete a Project life span cost estimate. • Confirm funding • Purchase equipment and specialist assistance: o Six Camera Traps with remote access facility for 24 hour monitoring o Four radio markers (abdominal implant devices). o One Telemetry Receiver with scanner o Dan Inject darts & needles- Zoletil100 immobilising drugs o Clopixol Acuphase tranquilliser’s o Two weeks professional wildlife capture expert o Veterinary surgeon fees o Material to build cages for captures o Establish holding facilities for captured Honey badgers if necessary. Note: Plan of temporary holding facility to be developed and included later. 3.4.2 Phase 2 - Passive and active methods of monitoring/data collection. Determine all possible core-areas. All localities highly likely to be visited by certain Honey badgers at a regular basis using the following methods: Passive methods • Infrared Trail Monitors: • Spoor analyses: • Make casts of each known animal’s tracks Active methods • Capture of Honey badger utilising baited traps The development of more adequate capture methods will form part of the capture process: • Radio Transmitter implants by Veterinary surgeon • Post operative incarceration and monitoring of recovering animal, to ensure correct healing of implants • Release and monitoring via radio telemetry tracking. This will be carried out on a regular determined interval to determine specific animal’s movements. Movement of each animal will be correlated with data gathered from passive methods. • Seeing that these animals are mainly nocturnal observation time will be between 18:00 until 06:00 hours. 3.4.3 Phase 3. Once proper knowledge has been obtained of the behaviour and home ranges of the study animals, it will also be possible to establish if the geographical borders of study area extend beyond Kudu Game Ranch. In the case that study animals regularly traverse outside of the boundaries of Kudu Game Ranch, then this will be assessed, with an aim of obtaining permission and support from the associated landowners, such that the study area an be expanded to allow for a comprehensive territorial study. The study area will be established as the home range of four radio tagged animals. Monitoring will continue on a regular basis for up to two years or until the radio tracking devices fail. Implanted animals will be re-captured before the transmitting system runs completely down and these implants will then either be removed or replaced with new systems should further studies be needed. Animals’ health and welfare would be a high priority and therefore the needed care would be taken should animals’ need any veterinary care and kept in the temporary holding facilities should the veterinarian recommend that animals can be released back into its home-range as soon as they are fit to be released. |
Protecting African Wildlife Conservation Trust
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