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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