[botswanapredatorforum] Re: Report on Setata Fence
- From: "Mark Bing" <bing@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:14:58 +0200
Re: [botswanapredatorforum] Re: Report on Setata FenceHi Hendrik
The CKGR and Eastern Ghanzi have always been in fairly close proximity, and
that area has always had predator problems, and probably always will. Farmers
South of Khutse, keep their animals in at night, in Lion proof kraals, probably
not a bad idea where you are either. The disadvantage of this system, is you
need switched on herders to get them all in at night, and calf weaning weights
drop about 20%, if they are not crib fed in the kraals. However, because the
bulls are kept in at night too, your conception rates increase substantially,
as the bulls are available to the cows when they are the most receptive. The
one offsets the other. However get on top of you pasteurella, and paratyphoid
vaccinations please, and make sure your cribs dont leak, or you may get
coccidiosis. Herders on horseback patrolling also helps, ie the more human
activity the better.
Put branches around your kraals, good for bush clearing your swartak. Put the
stems of the branches pointing into the kraal, not outwards. This is adequate,
and the lion should not get in.
Most Lion kills are made at night. A worker should sleep at the kraal, as late
stragglers often get killed at the front gate waiting to be let in. I found in
Lobatse, where we dont kill our leopard, that with bomas I picked up a lot of
anaplasma, getting the cattle in at night, and your disease control is a
little better too. I know all these things mean a little more intensive
management but it is not a bad idea, re disease control etc.
We are trying and testing these methods economically at the moment, to find the
positive and negative aspects of these mgts. You could keep good records too,
and possibly join the predator friendly beef innitiative later, where we hope
to get a 30% EU premium on beef marketed to the EU.
Thanks
----- Original Message -----
From: Elephant Sanctuary
To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 7:17 PM
Subject: [botswanapredatorforum] Re: Report on Setata Fence
Hear hear Hendrik!
I have been reading with interest what everybody had to say since the start
of this debate.
For the past 10 years we have 4 boreholes in the Phemelo and Makgalo area
west of the Okavango delta and although we do not farm with cattle - we are
surrounded by cattle and goat farmers. It is a remote area with very little
Government activity in the area. I know through experience that the farmers in
that area do not care what the law or the educated experts who sit in Gabs or
elsewhere have to say - if lions or wild dogs kill their life stock they track
them down and destroy them. End of the story.
They did cut their losses by 95% since they started to kraal their cattle at
night instead of letting them roam free during the night.
Not sure what Hendrik and the farmers in his area are doing with their cattle
at night.
Chris Kruger
From: botswanapredatorforum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:botswanapredatorforum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Hendrik Jerling
Sent: 12 February 2008 03:29 PM
To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [botswanapredatorforum] Re: Report on Setata Fence
Dear Ladies and Gents
With respect you are all writing a lot around the issues but the reality is
there are lions leaving the game parks and coming to the farms killing cattle
and game on the farms. ( I can only speak for the eastern Ghanzi farms
bordering the CKGR) We captured at least 15 lions over the past few years at
our own cost some of the lions were given to DWNP to be released again in the
CKGR and others were kept in captivity by one Game farmer (with permission and
monitored so no danger of canned industry by DWNP)
Last week there were another lion killing 3 cattle which we (very dangerously
and at our cost) captured again which DWNP released again somewhere in the
CKGR. We could have shot these lion which would have been mush cheaper and
safer but we decided for the capture option as farmers are not going out to
kill all predators we just want to earn a living like everyone else so it is
easy to sit somewhere reading half of what is happening and then writing long
letters but not solving the problem.So please come forward with concrete
solutions to the problems that will benefit all parties.
Thanks
Hendrik Jerling
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard White
To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 4:02 PM
Subject: [botswanapredatorforum] Re: Report on Setata Fence
Dear Dereck,
I won't reply in detail but there a few points I would like to make:
you say:
can we assume that you can throw some cash at someone and hope that the
correct education will sort of find itself?
People value what contributes to their livelihood and may take care of it
if they have some proprietorial rights over it. This is just a simple rule of
economics and easily verified with a little observation: e.g. ask the question
"why do people value and care for their livestock?"
you also say:
we have a program in Kenya and plans for one in Rwanda where the
educators are Maasai, (and Rwandan) who are very much part of the community
Well are they? The cultural gap between urbanised Batswana whose livelihood
is salary based and rural Batswana whose livelihood depends on natural
resources is enormous. Consider the parallel comparison of kugels and bagels
from Jo'burg and your average Boer farmer. They may speak the 'same' language
and belong to the same tribe but the cultural gap is vast.
and again:
are we to write off predators in an ever increasing pattern as livestock
increases, (as it will) because in essence, livestock and predators are
unlikely to co exist.
That maybe the case. What predators require is very large tracts of
protected land upon which they can maintain viable populations. However, the
experience of the developed countries suggests that there will not be endless
unlimited expansion of crop-land or livestock because urbanisation will limit
human land demands in time. What we do need to do is to focus on raising
peoples per capita income rapidly and ensuring child survival as these two
factors together encourage people to limit family size and thus population
growth.
Finally:
Can you get it to me? I am happy to assist in this, my limited
intelligence not withstanding.
No sorry, a copy has gone to the VP and the Minister of Environment
Wildlife and Tourism. There are risks in allowing additional copies into the
open and I have taken enough already.
Regards
Richard White
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