Report on cycling event

CAPTIVE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT LEVEL 4

Reporting on events: The cycling race on the weekend of the 19^th and 20^th of May 2012

We were asked to help out on this weekend so the race could be conducted smoothly and in return we then received our off weekend at a later stage in the next week. The students that were supposed to be off on this weekend had to help out during the week as well.

Preparation work:

We helped out the week before this weekend to prepare the area for the event. We broke up into 2 teams and conducted the tasks that had to be done. I was in the main gate group and we did the following to prepare for the weekend:

·        We set up a separate area for parking. We had to align the droppers and attach the orange netting so it can be safe guarded from children and cyclists. We fastened the netting with binding wire at the top and bottom of the dropper so the netting would not drop to the ground in the case of someone leaning on it or a strong wind.

·        We raked the pathways that were to be used by the cyclists so there were no sickle bush in the way of their tires and so punctures would not occur.

31.05.2012

·        The branches hanging over the pathways had to be trimmed so they would not bother or hit the cyclists when they are in the race. These cuttings had to be raked out of the pathway so they would not puncture the wheels of the bicycles.

·        There is a big area that had to be cleaned for space to set up tents for the sponsors and the registration area.

·        We had to cut the grass with slashers and rake away the excess grass. There were a few trees removed to make space as well and the roots had to be dug out so the people would not trip over them.

·        There were papers and excess waste that had to be picked up and removed.

·        We also had to put up droppers for the boards showing the guests were to go if they would like to park, register, go to the bathroom and were the children’s play area is.

·        We helped set up the tents and also arranged for a baby sheep and a baby cow to come in an enclosure for the children to pet.

We had to be at the main gate at 5am on both mornings to help make fires and to show the guests where to park their cars. On Saturday we had a normal race on the tar road and the road had to be modified so cars could still pass and the cyclists could ride out of danger. On Sunday we had a mountain bike race on Sondela and had to make sure that no cyclists were left behind or hurt in the veld. We also had to tag each rider that came in at the gate with their bicycle; this was to ensure that the bicycles were not stolen whilst they enjoy some food and drink. These tags were also checked when they left the premises.

31.05.2012

We also set up a corner for the academy to promote and advertise the Sondela academy. We handed out pamphlets to the guests and I helped out at the draft machine to pour the drinks for the guests.

We had to arrange ourselves in groups to pick up the papers in the end of both days, so we each took a black bag and cleaned the area. We also helped to hand out a drink of powerade to the cyclists as soon as they finished.

Post event arrangements:

·        We had to take down the netting and droppers and put them away in the pakstoor to be re-used when they are needed. The netting had to be rolled and put away neatly so it does not weather and can be re-used.

·        Papers and garbage had to be picked up and taken away to the dumpsite with the JCB.

·        The tents had to be taken down and the gate that we made to let the guests in just alongside the main gate had to be locked so no unauthorized people could come on to the premises.

We reported to Siegv. Dyk if we had to conduct a task as he was in charge of the event and the students helping. The first years of RG and the wildlife centre were helping and the 2^nd years of these groups. At the end of each day we reported to Sieg and he gave the okay to leave and go home or finish up on a couple of things before we could leave. Johan and I also had to put up advertising banners on the game drive tractors on Friday night so they would be ready for the next day. These tractors were used to transport the guests that had perked very far and would like a lift to the gate and to their vehicles.

This event taught me that there are a lot of preparation details that need to be sorted out before an event like this could take place.

31.05.2012

You need to have enough people to conduct the tasks and you need to make sure that every group knows exactly what their task is so they don’t have to redo it because of miscommunication.

This event went very smoothly but I would suggest that there were group leaders assigned so the students don’t wonder off to different places when they see fit. There should also be more dustbins when a bunch of people like in this event comes together so the people will see them and use them instead of the floor. Selling beer to fit cyclists is not a very good idea as they end up getting very drunk and they need to drive home after the race.

I am grateful that I could have been a part of this event because now I have seen what preparation it takes to let an event like this take place without glitches.

Photos are evidence*

Dear readers.

We all have cellphones with various types of applications that we use daily. Here are a few creations with one of those applications to make evidence photos fun.

This is a great way to gather memories and share them with everyone.

Warthog fights

Dear readers.16.05.2012

This morning we moved Dot to the boma that Cheeky is in to see if they will react negatively towards each other or if they will befriend each other making good companions. Unfortunately Dot did not want to stay inside and she found her way out in between the wires.

We had the small cubs outside in the sun today so their eyes can adapt and they can get some heat and fresh air. The volunteers took them for walks so they could stretch their legs and play. The eland had been released into the 400 ha but unfortunately did not make it. We retrieved the body and the leg is said to be used as bait to lure the Leopard on the farm so we can catch it on video camera.

Sierra and Sahara are doing very well and we moved them to the enclosure next to Trigger due to the bigger space and higher fencing. Interactions are still being conducted with them.

We had also received a baby warthog that had been injured by an elder male and so we had to go fetch it, evaluate the situation and unfortunately it had to be put down. The head was not used for meat but the body was given to Lex for dinner as there was nothing wrong with the meat.

New week activities

Dear readers. 11.05.2012

Today we have no tours so we focused on cleaning and keeping the workplace neat. We trained the first years on how to prepare milk as they have been making the wrong quantities of bottles leaving us in a bit of a pinch every time.

I had the week off due to working two weekends in a row and so I had to get to know the new animals at the centre before doing night shift tonight. The one new animal is an Eland, brought off the farm itself with an ear that had been eaten off by tics.

They had to go out in the field and track it down to be darted and remove the maggots to sterilize the wound and keep it clean. Unfortunately the pests had already eaten through to the brain and the symptoms were that it had been walking in circles the whole day and that it could not see very well.

The other new animal was a baby Rooibok ewe. They had placed her with Lilo the steenbokkie as a companion and they get fed at the same times during the day and the night. She has not been given a name yet and we are currently training her to come to you when feeding her with the bottle as this is still fairly new to her.

Abby, the younger lion cub, had been taken to the vet due to dehydration and she had been placed on a drip. The meter had to drip once every three seconds and her diarrhea had gotten worse so her bum was really burning. The vet prescribed pro-kolin, which is a paste containing protexin to harden her feses that had to be given to her three times a day.

The serval kittens, Apollo and Oryn, are being taught how to drink out of bowls by pouring the milk that they would have got in bottles, into bowls and feeding them the milk in bottle caps to get them used to licking the milk. They are getting the hang of it but they still need some practice. As the day was ending we also had a new arrival volunteer, Amy that was to be staying with us for the weekend. She is a qualified vet and she was given permission to help with the lion cub were there any problems.  

Newest additions*

Dear readers.

In this line of work you need to be immune to sadness and saying goodbye as there will come a time that you have bonded so well with an animal but will then have to let it go to a better life. Our 4 princesses, Mishka, Miara, Shilo and Tosca had to go back to the breeding farm where they had come from but with no time to lose we already received two other cubs. Abby( short for Abigail), 6 days of age upon arrival, is the smaller one but very noisy when hungry. Ally(short for Alison), 5 weeks of age upon arrival, is the spitting image of Mishka when it comes to her personality. They are both very young and fragile so we keep them in the clinic under the red lights during the night and most of the day.

They drink a mixture made up of full cream milk, cooking oil, cream, egg yolks, gelatin and protexin to match the milk they would have received from their mothers. They drink very well and they need to be fed during the evening on night shift at certain times.

Alison

Abigail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report on chemically capturing Impala's

What is Chemical capture?

Depending on the species, different drugs are used by a veterinarian to immobilize animals. This can be done in order to capture individual animals (usually done with expensive animals) for translocation or to do blood test or samples etc. The amount of the drug depends on the size of the animal it is used on and in this case the amount for an impala ewe is known only to the darter.

Why chemical capture?

We conducted the activity because an outside farmer was in need of Impala ewes for the males he has on his farm, and the goal is to breed with them. His goal is 20 ewes and we do this chemically because in this way he can choose the better looking ones out of the herd which gives him a better gene pool. When conducting chemical capture you don’t use a helicopter which means the cost of the capture is less, but may build up in the cost of the drugs that need to be bought for the activity.

What chemicals are needed per Impala ewe?

In the Dart: M3080 - this is for sedation

Vitamins: Vitamin BCo (4ml), Vitamin Ease (1ml) – to boost the system to prevent it from crashing

To Revive: M5050 (0.2ml)

Dewormer: Dectomax (1ml)

Equipment needed to conduct the activity:

• Three vehicles
• Holding container
• Dart gun
• Chemicals
• Tags, tagger and permanent marker
• Syringes
• Stretcher
• Tracker and aerial

 The process of chemically capturing Impala:

1.        

Firstly  you need to set up the holding container in an area not too far away from where the capturing will take place so you don’t have to transport the animal too far every time.

2.      

 All equipment must be ready for the capture before the activity starts: tags, darts, chemicals and the tracker.

3.     

  All helpers must be divided into even groups on each vehicle so that there are people to help spot and carry the Impala.

4.     

  When the ewe is darted you need to keep an eye on it preventing you from losing track of it, otherwise you need to look for it and there is a risk of the dart falling off of the Impala.

5.      

 When the Impala has fallen after about  5min, you need to get to it as quick as possible, remove the tongue from the mouth preventing it from choking on it. The vitamins need to be given and the left ear tagged with the correct number. The number needs to be on the inside of the ear and on the left because females get tagged on the left and males on the right.

6.      

 The head needs to be held upright so she does not drown and the body needs to be aligned with the legs underneath the body. Then lifted on to the stretcher by two or three people keeping the body straight and then on to the transporting vehicle.

7.        

She needs to be revived with M5050 when in the container and you need to check her breaths when transporting. The average needs to be 20 breaths per minute.

8.     

  When she has awakened and she is stable, the transporter needs to return to the darter. In the case of the dart falling out or the ewe running into the veld, you use the tracker and aerial to find the dart.

9.        

When the quota is met you need to transport the Impalas to their destination a.s.a.p to reduce stress and make sure all chemicals are contained safely.

We transported them to the wlc to be held in captivity until the quota is met. There after they were all chased into the container to be transported to the farm where they will be used for breeding purposes.

Report on Sable operation

Team members: 1st years, 2^nd years, Faatjie, Lauren and Sieg.

The operation of the sable male was conducted at the wlc by a vet that was called in from a nearby town. This vet has conducted the operation before and so he knows what the procedure needs and how he will go to work on the injury.

Background:

A sable male has arrived at the wlc with a broken hind leg. The age of the animal is unknown and the origin as well. The vet has conducted an operation on a previous male with the same situation and so he was called in to see what he can do to fix it. Before working on the new male, he removed the splint on the previous male’s leg injury as it has healed. The steel pipes were cut off and the wound sewed where needed. The leg was cleaned with anti septic and SOS. The animal needs to be checked regularly as he will try to use the leg and he might fall because it is not strong enough to use yet.

Anti septic used to sterilize wounds and equipment.

The wound was sterilized and the sable was revived to wake up and calm down after the operation in the holding boma.

The second sable that needed the splint implemented is a little older then the first and bigger in size so we had to work carefully to maintain our own safety as these animals do tend to kick and hurt people severely. The hind leg is broken and the steel pipe needs to go internally and stabilized externally much like the first operation. All equipment needs to be sterilized before darting the animal so the procedure can flow smoothly.

Steps to the operation:

1. Dart and sedate the sable so the operation can be conducted.
2. Cover the eyes to calm the animal, secure the horns to ensure safety and lift the sale on to the sterilized stretcher by making use of good team work.
3. Ensure that the tongue is out of the mouth at all times and that the head is upright to prevent the animal from choking.
4. The vet then doses the sable with vitamins and starts the operation by drilling the incision and inserting the steel pipes to splint the leg in the correct position for healing.
5. The ends sticking out on the sides are bent and welded together to ensure that they do not hurt the animal or others.
6. The sable is then revived after the operation is finished and then kept in the holding boma.

The animals will be checked during the day when feeding and during the night on night shift to ensure that the operations were conducted correctly and that any symptoms are dealt with as soon as they are noticed.

Legislation

Dear readers.

Here with follows the notes I made on the legislation lecture we attended on the 8th of May 2012.

CAPTIVE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT LEVEL 4

Legislation lecture notes:

Conducted by Kobus Pienaar.

Legislation still runs on a Roman/Holland rights system. Romania is in charge of the world system and they run it through a church based system.

All animals and plants are resnulieus which means they actually belong to no one.

3 levels of legislation:

1.      International: CITES(convention) Trade on endangered species. (leopards)

2.      National: Environmental protection acts, NEMBA, NEMA and TOPS regulations.

·        Water law: How much water may be removed from the ground, when a dam may be created from a river.

·        KARA: Management and use of indigenous natural resources.

·        Game theft act: Poaching

·        Veterinary laws: Transport of Buffalo needs a permit because they might carry diseases, pest controlled areas will regulate the animals entering the premises to manage the pests in the area.

·        Mineral laws: Outsiders are not allowed to mine on your property.

3.      Provincial: LEMA- Limpopo environmental management act, set up in 2003, implemented in 2004.

·        All parts of an animal transported and kept needs a permit to be held (rhino horn). Part of animal counts as animal therefore a permit is needed in all situations.

·        Hunting: To kill living organisms or to remove them from their natural way of life.

·        Green hunting: Dart the animal as trophy, take a photo with it (tourists), and let it go to its natural way of life.

·        Times of the day hunting: Some animals are only allowed to be hunted at certain times of the day. Bush buck is not allowed to be hunted at night.

·        Night: 30mins after sundown and 30mins before sunrise.

·        Weapon: Any object you can use to cause any organism harm in any way, Death, immobilize and injure. You are not allowed to create your own weapons.

 Christian hunting principal: Deut 22:6

Taking the babies of an animal and leaving the mother to go free, sustainable hunting.

Poison: Poison is only allowed to be used for its specific purpose, the purpose that it was made for.

Exemption law: Refers to land that is so fenced\ enclosed that certain species of specially protected wild animals, protected wild animals or game cannot enter or escape from that land. Valid for 3 years and also expires when the ownership changes.

Exemption is thus a permit that can be issued on application of an owner and exempts the holder thereof from the requirement to obtain certain other permits.

Game includes certain bird species.

TOPS: Standing permit, catch, transport and keeping. National level, wildlife traders, rehabilitations, taxidermists need to register.

Certificate of sufficient fencing will be issued to the owner of the land.

People are not allowed to hunt carnivore animals if they are protected (leopard catching sable on your farm)

Permit is needed and the chance of getting the permit issued is very slim. If the farm is electrified and fenced around properly for breeding purposes, the permit might be issued for protection.

Animals that cannot be removed with anything else then snares and traps may be caught that way. Prohibited ways of hunting:

Not allowed without a permit-

·        By means of a snare, gin trap, trap cage, pit-fall, boma or similar method.

·        A bow and arrow or similar weapon discharging an arrow.

·        A semi automatic gun.

·        A fire arm which discharges a rim-fire-cartridge of a caliber of 5.6mm or smaller.

·        A set gun, an aircraft, an airgun

·        A shotgun- except for bird\hare hunting

·        A dog except for bird hunting

·        At night

Donations to rehabilitations: Financial laws, non-profit associations need to register and in some cases tax needs to be paid.

How to obtain a permit:

·        Reason for permit needs to be provided

·        Application for permit submitted

·        Payment, representative needs to come evaluate the property for the specific species.

·        Permit granted, might take up to 3 months to grant.

Exempted property:

When transporting animals you need to fill out a register and a copy of it must go with the vehicle. A copy of it must also go to the farm owner to where the animals are going, a copy needs to go to the conservation representatives and the original must stay at the origin of the animals.

Having an exempted property does not authorize the following actions, these require specific permits:

·        The captive keeping of animals for any purpose.

·        The capture of so called damage causing animals in trap cages, snares or gin-traps.

·        The baiting or luring of any predator for the purpose of killing/hunting.

·        The hunting of birds.

·        The captive breeding of animals.