The Lion and Elephant Monitoring Programme at Tembe Elephant Park is in desperate need of funding to continue animal monitoring operations. 

If you or your Company are able to assist with funding towards conservation as either a once off donation, or monthly grant towards the outstanding project costs of R23k per month it will be an enormous help. 

Please note: This is a Non Profit initiative. All funds raised go towards Elephant and Lion Monitoring as part of conservation in Tembe Elephant Park! 

A little about Tembe Elephant Park

It is a 30 000 hectare (300 square km) park on the Mozambique border;

Promulgated Game Reserve in 1983 at the request of the Tembe people;

Administered by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife;

Big 5 including black and white rhino populations;

Protects unique and endangered tropical sand forest;

Only KZN park which is home to Suni antelope;

At the heart of the proposed Usutu Tembe Futi Trans Frontier Park;

Approx 450 kilometers of beach sand roads;

All animals are disease free (Bovine or feline TB, Corridor sickness, feline aids, Anthrax, Foot and Mouth).

Consider the following:

 

Elephant Monitoring   

 

There are approx 220 indigenous elephant in Tembe Elephant Park (which currently has a carrying capacity of 160 Elephant) which due to their high numbers, are destroying the sand forest habitat. 

Solutions to the Elephant population dilemma are as follows:

• Increase the size of the park – Minimum of 2 years before this comes into effect;
• Contraceptive dart the breeding females – Phase I and II helicopter darting complete for 2008, intensive monitoring of breeding herds now required to monitor breeding herd behavior

The Elephant Monitor (local community member) is required to:

• Maintain identikits of ID’d elephant and create new ones for newly identified animals;
• Record movement and behavior of ID’d animals and build up database;
• Monitor the “Big Tuskers”;
• Monitor the breeding herds for any specific change in behavior once no new calves are born.

 

 

Lion Monitoring  

 

 

 

Monitoring occurs daily using Radio Telemetry methods. There are currently 15 Lions in Tembe Elephant Park. 2 Males and 2 Females were introduced in 2002. Cubs are darted and collared when they reach sub-adult age.  

The Lion Monitor (local community member) is required to:

• “Sweep” the main camp daily (using the radio receiver set to unique collar frequency) to determine the presence of lions due to the related danger to staff and Lodge guests;
• “Sweep” the swamp reed beds in the East of the park to establish if lions are present in order to allow local communities access to the swamps to harvest reeds;
• Patrol the fence line to monitor activity;
• Record the movement and behavior of the prides;
• Make positive contact with every lion at least once a week.

 Funding

Already provided:

• 1 Vehicle - University of Natal;
• 1 Vehicle - Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife;
• 1 Vehicle - O.Osberg;
• Telemetry equipment, GPS, camera, computer, radios - Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife;
• Collars (Elephant and Lion) - Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife;
• Printers and stationery - O.Osberg.

Required:

• Monthly Salaries required – R9 500;
• Monthly Fuel cost R9 000;
• Monthly Vehicle Maintenance – R1 000;
• Monthly Communications - R1 500;
• Monthly Insurance – R1 500

 Any and all contributions are gratefully accepted.

 Kind regards 

Oscar Osberg

Cell: 0726 520 337 (+27 South Aftrica)

e-mail: oscar@sasportsafari.com

Post address:

Research Camp

Tembe Elephant Park

Pvt Bag X356

KwaNgwanase

South Africa

3973