Pidwa Leopard Project - South Africa

Product Details

The work you could be involved in on this project is unbelievable. Experience all facets of conservation in real terms. Your contribution to this worthwhile project is vital!

Urgently needed - volunteers to assist in capturing, darting and collaring a young female Leopard. This project begins will run through July and possibly into August this year.

You can also combine this project with the Monkey Rehabilitation Project where you will get hands-on experience with injured and orphaned animals.

The reserve
The Pidwa Game Reserve (the site of this project) is situated in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, about 60km from the Kruger National Park and close to the town of Hoedspruit. It is adjacent to the well-known Makalali Private Game Reserve.

It measures approx. 25,000 acres and is home to the Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo and Elephant). The Reserve forms part of a unique ecosystem called the Kruger to Canyon Biosphere, which is well-known for its bio-diversity in South Africa.

Your efforts will lead to the more efficient, ecological and economical running of Pidwa Game Reserve. Also, the exchange of valuable data collected by you will fulfil the needs of the Greater Makalali Conservancy. In other words, you'll be helping to sustain the quality of life and freedom of the many animals now being supported by Pidwa Game Reserve.

Your work
You'll be involved in some of the project elements listed below...

Identifying Predator/Prey Relations
AIMS: To investigate the impact of predators on different herbivore populations on the reserve for more effective conservation and management of these valuable resources.

A lot of your time will be spent in the field with the aim of locating and tracking key individual animals and packs of animals to ascertain their spacial movements, group composition, kill frequency and interactions, as well as prey distribution and population structure. This will include Lion and Spotted Hyena tracking and data collection.

Leopard Research
There is a serious lack of information and data available on Leopard in the Reserve. No-one knows how many leopards are in the Reserve, or how they fare. Pidwa works with the Provincial Department of Nature Conservation to help gather vital research data within the Greater Makalali Conservancy. The first step is to establish a population count because there are great concerns regarding the protection of these animals.

The first phase of this project begins around 2nd July. Our volunteers will be involved in baiting traps to attract a young female leopard that has been identified in the centre of the Reserve so that she can be darted and collared and subsequently tracked and monitored.

- You will go out with a ranger and a vet every night to put fresh bait into a tree where the leopard's tracks have indicated that she visits. This baiting takes place around last light (about 4.30 to 5.00 p.m.)
- You will then back off and observe from a hide. This is an all-night activity that lasts until sunrise.
- This process will need to be repeated with fresh bait every day until such time as the Leopard takes the bait and can be darted. It could take one week, or it could take as long as two months. Leopards are notoriously elusive and on this
- Reserve they are not desperate for food because there is an abundance of plains game for them to feed on.
- When the Leopard does finally take the bait, you'll observe the vet as he darts her to anaesthetise her in preparation for collaring. 
- Once darted, you'll assist the attaching the collar and taking down any data, such as measurements, state of health, etc. 
- You'll also assist in releasing the Leopard. 
- Once released, you will assist in tracking and monitoring the Leopard - this is work which will have to be carried out every day and will include noting down details of all feeding kills, territorial markings and scat analysis. The data collected will be transferred to the Geographical Mapping System and shared with regional project co-ordinators.

This is a tremendously exciting aspect of the project and if you can possibly time your project to include June and/or July 2005, you may be lucky enough to be involved in the darting process - A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED OPPORTUNITY!

Plains Game Sex/Age RatiosAIMS: To accurate record sex and age ratios of herbivore species on the Reserve in order to establish an optimal ratio to increase productivity.

This work will be carried out in conjunction with aerial game counts to give a more accurate idea of species composition. Daily collection of data will also be done via general movement through the Reserve.

Specific data collection will be carried out on important, keystone herbivores (Rhino, Hippo, Giraffe and Buffalo) and their use of plant species, movement patterns and differential habitat utilisation. Waterhole counts will also be carried out.

Elephant Impact ProjectAIM: To investigate the impact of elephant populations in Pidwa Game Reserve in order to contribute to the conservation and management of riverside flora amongst others:

The Makalali Research team has made tremendous progress with Elephant tracking and monitoring within the Greater Conservancy. Pidwa, together with your help, will contribute to the research data collected in order to ensure a holistic approach with regards to controlling Elephant impact on vegetation.

Nyala Breeding Initiative
AIM: To increase the Nyala population size to a sustainable ratio through effective ecologically-sound breeding processes.

You will assist Reserve Management in feeding and monitoring the small Nyala population on the Reserve. You will also play a key role in the time-to-time re-location of these animals from the breeding camp to the greater reserve.

Vegetation Monitoring
AIM: To record record the effect that different browsers (Including Elephant), burning, bush clearing and water point distribution is having on the vegetation in Pidwa Game Reserve.

Low impact, permanent fixed-point photography points are used by the Reserve as "photograph sites" throughout the year to assess the changes in vegetation over a period of time. Extensive vegetation transects (mapped walks through the bush to count the number and frequency of plant species per square foot) are carried out in order to complete the vegetation map of the conservancy. The data collected from these transects is also used to compare areas of low and high Elephant impact across the Reserve.

Ecological Baseline CollectionsAIM: To build up a database, over a period of time, of all smaller species Fauna & Flora

As volunteers contribute their efforts to the general research and it progresses over time, data on the above will be collected and entered into a centralised database. All information gathered will then be processed into an Eco-guide for the Reserve.

Alien Plant Mapping & Controlling, Bush ClearingBeing unnatural in the savannah system, alien plants may have negative effects on the Reserve, such as invading watercourses and causing drastic reductions in volumes of water available to the natural system, overcrowding indigenous plant species causing them to decline or die - alien plants are the number one cause of extinction of indigenous plants and related organisms worldwide.

Volunteers will assist Reserve Management in the collection of data with regards to the spread of Alien plants over the reserve. All data will be logged on data sheets, which will include a GPS fix on every group or invested area. This data is then transferred and plotted on a Geographical Mapping System. This will enable Reserve Management in turn to methodically eradicate all exotic species on the reserve

Other Activities
- Lectures and inset sessions
- Social get-togethers with other project volunteers in the area
- Eating out at neighbouring up-market game lodges (costs for these will be to your own account).

Accommodation and leisure
You will stay in a well-appointed house inside the Reserve, which also serves as the Headquarters from where operations take place.

Bedrooms are well appointed, with separate male and female quarters. All linen is provided and an in-house laundry that you can use.

Food is supplied but you will have to prepare it yourself. There is a a fully equipped kitchen for you to use.

Trips are made into town once a week in order for volunteers to make phone calls home or go through emails.

Work carried out will sometimes be intense and volunteers could expect to contribute long hours. However, time-out is always arranged with a variety of day trips, adventure activities, etc, to choose from. These excursions are at the request of volunteers and for their own account and convenient times and durations for the excursions must be arranged with your Project Supervisor.

Projects will, at times, require you to sleep over in the bush. You can also expect to do a lot of tracking by vehicle or on foot.

Travellers' placements are very flexible & can be combined with any other Travellers placement & tailor made to your own requirements!