Biodiversity Consulting

Aerial Game Census reports and wildlife management recommendations 

Aerial game counts are a vital part of Biodiversity management on game farms and wildlife reserves. An accurate census ensures that management have intimate knowledge of the infrastructure and ecological status of the area. Biodiversity management aspects such as general game condition, sex ratios, breeding performance, quality of breeding stock, excess bulls etc can be monitored. The general condition of animals will determine their breeding performance, an aspect linked to the vegetation condition and grazing / browsing capacity of the property. Future planning and management of a reserve becomes possible once a full picture of the environment has been obtained. It is therefore essential that aerial game surveys coupled with ground based ecological monitoring are carried out on an annual basis.”

A Biodiversity report typically consist of the following statistics and recommendations:

  • An Aerial photo of the Game Reserve or PA (Protected Area)
  • Introduction and History
  • Background and Methodology
  • Census Results
  • Game management observations with reference to the game census results
  • Summary and remarks
  • Recommendations
  • References
  • Annexure 1 – Game Prices
  • Annexure 2 – Aerial Game count track (Flight path during Survey)
  • Annexure 3 – Game count data sheet

Example

Prescribed maximum stocking rate per species and suggested adjustment figures listed.

 

 

Feed Class

 

 

Species

 

Present Numbers

 

Recommended maximum numbers (Rounded off)

 

Adjustment Number of individuals that should be removed during the 2016 season.

 

Browsers

Kudu (0.54)

61

40

3 bulls & 15 cows and 3 young

Giraffe (1.58)

43

16

20 bulls & 7 cows

Grey Duiker (0.09)

4

20

 

 

 

Intermediate Feeders

Impala (0.19)

240

100

90 rams & 30 ewes and 20 lambs

Ostrich (0.3)

92

20

54 males & 18 females

Springbuck (0.15)

1

0

All

Eland (1.08)

59

37

 14 Bulls & 8 cows

Nyala (0.23)

21

40

 

Steenbok (0.06)

3

20

 

 

 

 

 

Selective Grazers

 

Warthog (0.25)

24

50

 

Blue Wildebeest (0.5)

265

40

150 bulls & 75 cows

Sable Antelope (0.56)

15

52

 

Blesbok (0.22)

34

0

All

Red Hartebeest (0.37)

53

25

18 Bulls & 10 cows

Tsessebe (0.38)

111

37

54 Bulls & 20 cows

Mountain Reedbuck (0.13)

5

14

 

 

Bulk Grazers

Burchell’s Zebra (0.66)

82

50

27 stallions & 5 mares

White Rhino (2.75)

11

10

4 Young bulls

Waterbuck (0.5)

33

20

3 Bulls & 10 cows

Gemsbok (0.56)

5

35

 

Example

aerial game count

 

Species

Details

Aerial census species code

Species totals

Blesbok

Rams

BR

10

 

Ewes & yearlings

BL

24

Duiker common

 

D

4

Eland

Bulls

EB

6

 

Cows & young

E

53

Gemsbok

Bulls

GBB

1

 

Cows & young

GB

4

Giraffe

Bulls

G♂

4

 

Cows & young

G

39

Impala

Rams

IR

49

 

Ewes & yearlings

I

191

Kudu

Bulls

KB

15

 

Cows & calves

KO

46

Nyala

Bulls

NB

5

 

Ewes & young

N

17

Ostrich

Males

O♂

30

 

Females & immature

O

62

Red Hartebeest

Bulls

RHB

7

 

Cows & young

RH

46

Reedbuck (mountain)

Rams

MRR

1

 

Ewes & young

MR

4

Rhinoceros (white)

Bulls

WRB

5

 

Cows

 

5

 

Calves

 

1

Sable antelope

Bulls

SB

8

 

Cows & young

S

7

Springbok

Rams

SPR

1

 

Ewes & yearlings

SP

 

Steenbok

Rams

ST

3

Tsessebe

Bulls

TB

15

 

Cows & young

T

96

Warthog

 

VV

24

Waterbuck

Bulls

WBB

7

 

Cows & young

WB

27

Wildebeest

Bulls

BWB

31

 

Cows & yearlings

BW

234

Zebra (Burchell’s)

Stallions

ZS

22

 

Mares & young

Z

60

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Alberton, Gauteng

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