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Select newsletter in right column
Newsletter 126
28/11/15
Satellite Tracking
In 16 years of conservation, I have had the
tigers breaking out of Tiger Canyons three times. When one thinks that I
have over 100km of electrified fence, this is not a bad
record. (This is main fence and trip wire)
One of the break outs occurred in the floods
of 2011. In these floods 400m of fence was washed away as
300mm of rain fell in the space of a few hours. This
was beyond my control.
I find it strange that the Department
of Conservation and Environment Free State put me in the
same category as the Lion breeders in the Free State.
Lions kept in overcrowded enclosures are taken to
hunting areas where they are shot in the canned Lion
industry.
Tigers at Tiger Canyons are free
ranging Tigers, hunting, mating, denning, marking
territories and fighting. It is a fact that no fence can
hold two powerful male tigers weighing 220 kg when they
are fighting.
After the recent breakout, the Department of
Conservation and Environment Free State has stipulated that all
tigers at Tiger Canyons must wear collars with satellite
tracking devices.
To all the photographers that travel to Tiger
Canyons from around the world, do not be concerned. I will fit a
transponder (weight 1kg) under the skin of the tiger, it will be
invisible. (It lasts for 2 years)
I have accepted the Departments decision in
good faith. It allows us to better keep track of the tigers. It
helps scientists doing research to map the movements of the
tigers.
In North America, a scientist tracking wolves
can off his cell phone, dial in the code of the collar on the
wolf. The GPS of the wolf will appear on the screen of the cell
phone.
This is technology, conservation and research
working together at their very best. I hope to get Tiger Canyons
up to the same standard.
The downside of the Departments decision is
this will cost well over a R1 million to implement. I intend to
raise the money through the recently formed Tigress Julie
Foundation and then approach cell phone companies in South
Africa including MTN, CELL C, Virgin, Vodacom and Telkom.
The potential mileage for a sponsor to make a
television commercial is enormous. If anyone can help put me in
contact with potential sponsors, I would greatly appreciate it.
I would like to thank Wiempie Geyer and
Werner Boing and the
Department of Conservation and Environment of the Free State
for their understanding and support.
Tread Lightly on the Earth
JV
Drought:
The present drought ravaging the Karoo of
South Africa, is ruthlessly exposing the farming system in
the region.
If one goes back 200 years, a population
of 100 million springbuck would have moved through the
region. (The minimum estimate for the Springbuck was 100
million, the maximum was 300 million)
The rain in the Karoo is often isolated
thunder showers. The springbuck and other animals follow
these thunder showers feeding off the new grass. Once they
have grazed the new grass, the springbuck move on, resting
the area.
The thousands of fences that criss cross
the Karoo today, take away the very thing that enabled the
area to support millions of animals. It removes their
mobility!
Today animals are confined by wire
fences. They are forced to stay on the land. They cannot
move. They trample onto a water points provided by
windmills. The land becomes degraded and productivity drops,
it is called desertification.
Therefore what was once a Garden of Eden
under a migratory system, now becomes a desert under a
fenced system.
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Tread lightly on the
Earth
[email protected]
Copyright 2007 @jvbigcats All rights reserved |
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