Fundraising

The Hluhluwe Hilltop Honorary Officers, were given an opportunity by SPAR to raise funds at their SPAR suppliers golf day,we are extremely great full for the support we received from everyone.

Umbombwe Forest Trail

Hluhluwe Hilltop Honorary Officers fixing the bridge at the Umbombwe Forest trail @ Hilltop HIP.

Gyms for the fore front Field Ranger’s

The Section Rangers were looking for Gym equipment to build small gyms in the remote Field Ranger Camps where the teams can use the time between patrols to do exercises and build up their physical strength to assist them in conducting their physical tasks.
The Hluhluwe Hilltop Honorary Officers took to the challenge to help create these small remote gyms. Our main aim is to provide weight training access as their patrols during the day ...keep their aerobic fitness up, weights will improve leg strength for hills; chasing poachers etc. and a stronger upper body will help in long extended patrols where they carry heavy backpacks (40kg).We have started with equipping 5 camps with gym equipment to help the H.I.P field rangers keep fit in there down time to help fight the war against poaching and to show that people do care and appreciated their efforts.

The Hluhluwe Hilltop Honorary Officers would like to thank our sponsors that help make this project a possibility. Thank you for the support from RBCT, Duys, Gym Africa and Leomat.
The project is still on going and we will be working at equipping more camps with gym equipment. If you would like to help with this project and sponsor equipment or funds or anyone who has old equipment, weights, barbells, dumbbells or benches and would like to donate please email admin@hilltophonoraryofficers.co.za or contact Sharon van Vollenhoven on 0827279442

 

 

 

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park bursting at the seams with elephants - WESSA

2016-03-01 08:41 - Louzel Lombard

Cape Town - The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) has embarked on an elephant monitoring project in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal in a bid to provide essential data to support and strengthen Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s management of elephant populations in the park as well as enhance a broader understanding of how best to manage elephant populations in closed systems.

The elephant population in the park is fast approaching its maximum capacity, and this is causing problems in the closed environment.

Elephants are known as a keystone species because they have a disproportionate ability to alter their habitat and to dramatically affect other species in the ecosystems in which they live.

They therefore require extensive ranges to maintain healthy populations and, as ecological engineers, "they can be either a threat or an asset to biodiversity in a closed system," WESSA says.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is a medium-sized reserve of 96 000ha with a growing elephant population, which is fast approaching the reserve’s ecological carrying capacity of around 1 000 individuals.

While this is wonderful news for the elephant population as a whole, the elephant are becoming too many for the park's ecosystem to handle. Therefore, the park's management have been implementing a contraception programme where adult cows are darted from a helicopter with a contraceptive as part of an Elephant Management Plan to control numbers.

If this method proves effective it will provide an attractive alternative to culling or trans-location.


Advance elephant monitoring needed

A key aim of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park's Elephant Management Plan, drawn up by Park Ecologist Dave Druce and others, is to “Maintain the elephant population in a state that does not jeopardise the conservation of biodiversity elements, priority biological assets or the maintenance of ecological processes within the Park”.

In support of the contraception programme, accurate on-the-ground tracking and data collection is essential to inform elephant conservation and broader management strategies in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, WESSA says.

Although 18 of the park’s adult cow elephants are fitted with tracking collars, it has been more than two years since the last field monitor was employed and data was collected.

Chris Galliers from WESSA’s Biodiversity Programme has now facilitated a resumption of the monitoring work to redress the data gap and ensure close observation of the contraceptive programme.

This builds on WESSA’s 2014 funding support for a full aerial count of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park elephant and rhino populations.

Some recently accessed funding has now allowed WESSA to appoint Timothy Kuiper as an elephant research monitor in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

Kuiper is working under Druce where his monitoring activities include building up the individual elephant photograph database and field ID kits; collecting data on herd demographics and family structure; monitoring elephant movements from GPS collar data; and assisting on the ground with contraception operations.

The current project duration is for five months, but it is hoped that this work can be continued if additional funding is secured. The project is also collaborating with Michelle Henley from Elephants Alive - a long term WESSA partner and member of the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group - to draw on her expertise as well as to ensure that there is shared learning with her work on elephant populations in the Lowveld.

WESSA has been involved in elephant conservation issues for most of its 90-year existence.

Elephants and their conservation were central to WESSAs successful campaigning for the establishment of the Kruger National Park in 1926, the Addo Elephant National Park in 1931 and the later expansion of Addo in 2002.

This latest project supports the overall aim of WESSA’s Biodiversity Programme, which is to promote harmonious and integrated management between people and nature in conservation work.

The vast amounts of elephant in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, despite the overall dire stance of elephants elsewhere, is but a small example of the highly complicated system of managing wild animals in closed environments.

Conservation journalist Scott Ramsay for Traveller24 recently wrote how elephants higher up in Africa have declined with 97% in less than a century.

"Accurate estimates suggest that there were 12 million elephants in the early 1900s," Ramsay found. And today there are only 350 000, which includes both savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) and forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis).

WESSA, however, says it is excited and optimistic that this venture will add value to the work that Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is doing to protect these magnificent creatures, that it will improve our understanding around the management of closed elephant populations in South Africa and enhance decision-making by reserve managers.

 

Rhinos flourish in a South African wildlife park

Christopher Torchia, Associated Press

Updated 5:26 am, Sunday, February 28, 2016

Photo: Denis Farrell, AP

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In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 young rhinos eat in their enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. Rhino calves that have lost their mothers are especially vulnerable and can spend several years under the care of conservationists before being released back into the wild. less

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 young rhinos eat in their enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. Rhino calves that have lost ... more

Photo: Denis Farrell, AP

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In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a baby rhino stands with its dehorned mother in their enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. Rhinos have been slaughtered in increasing numbers to meet demand for their horns in Asia, particularly Vietnam. less

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a baby rhino stands with its dehorned mother in their enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. ... more

Photo: Denis Farrell, AP

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In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 young rhinos walk about their enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. Rhino calves that have lost their mothers are especially vulnerable and can spend several years under the care of conservationists before being released back into the wild. less

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 young rhinos walk about their enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. Rhino calves that have ... more

Photo: Denis Farrell, AP

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In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 young rhinos nap in an enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. Rhino calves that have lost their mothers are especially vulnerable and can spend several years under the care of conservationists before being released back into the wild. less

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 young rhinos nap in an enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa. Rhino calves that have lost ... more

Photo: Denis Farrell, AP

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In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a young rhino, whose mother was killed by poachers, stands in its enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa after being rescued two nights earlier. The bulky baby , while sedated, was hoisted into a rescue helicopter, whose seats and doors had been removed, and taken to the refuge. less

In this photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a young rhino, whose mother was killed by poachers, stands in its enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province ... more

Photo: Denis Farrell, AP

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FILE - In this file photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a young rhino, whose mother was killed by poachers, stands in its enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal province South Africa after being rescued two nights earlier. The bulky baby , while sedated, was hoisted into a rescue helicopter, whose seats and doors had been removed, and taken to the refuge. less

FILE - In this file photo taken Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 a young rhino, whose mother was killed by poachers, stands in its enclosure at a rhino orphanage in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal ... more

HLUHLUWE-IMFOLOZI GAME RESERVE, South Africa (AP) — During the rescue of a South African rhino calf whose mother was killed by poachers, six heavily perspiring men squeezed the sedated orphan into a helicopter whose seats and doors had been removed to make more space, according to a witness account. The rhino's behind stuck out of the aircraft a bit, but the improvised airlift in February was a success.

Days later, an Associated Press team saw the jittery calf trotting around a holding pen at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, a wildlife area whose tradition as a rhino refuge contrasts with an otherwise grim picture in which rhinos have been slaughtered in increasing numbers to meet demand for their horns in parts of Asia, especially Vietnam.

The disoriented calf, which collided noisily with an enclosure door at one point, could spend a couple of years under human care until it is resilient enough to return to the wild. It is the guest of conservationists whose predecessors, many decades ago, chased darted rhinos through thorny bush on horseback, or noosed them while speeding alongside the galloping beasts in open trucks.

The storied history at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, the last redoubt of southern white rhinos a century ago and then a gene pool for distribution of surplus rhinos elsewhere in Africa and in Western zoos and parks, is a source of hope among groups struggling for a formula to curb poaching. In the late 19th century, there were estimated to be fewer than 100 of that type of rhino because of uncontrolled hunting, posing a crisis comparable in some ways to today's challenge.

"They were where we are now — in dire straits, with their backs against the wall," said Werner Myburgh, chief executive officer of the Peace Parks Foundation, a group that promotes cross-border conservation areas.

Today, there are about 20,000 southern white rhinos, most of them in South Africa. There are only three northern white rhinos left in the world, living at a Kenyan conservancy. The critically endangered black rhinos number about 5,000. Other kinds of threatened rhinos live in parts of Asia.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, formerly split into two parks, transfers roughly 100 rhinos annually, many going to other conservation areas or private farms, said Cedric Coetzee, manager of rhino security in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, which includes the park.

"We're still in a sustainable model here," Coetzee said.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi was among the first areas in Africa where wildlife was formally protected in the late 19th century, and had also been a former royal Zulu hunting ground with some restrictions on the killing of animals.

"It's one area where we all meet together," Coetzee said. "It's got steep, steep traditions in Zulu history and it's got steep, steep traditions in white history as well."

The park is under less pressure from infiltration than South Africa's Kruger National Park, which is particularly vulnerable because it borders Mozambique, where many rhino poaching teams are based.

Still, the threat looms. Poachers killed 24 rhinos in KwaZulu-Natal province as of Feb. 25 this year, an increase of 16 percent over the same period in 2015. Nationwide, poachers killed 1,175 rhinos in South Africa in 2015, down 40 from the previous year, according to the government.

The facility in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park where the white rhino calf was taken after its helicopter ride can house several dozen rhinos. On a recent afternoon, two black rhino calves snacked on leaves and one approached visitors at a barrier, seemingly content to be patted on its head.

The man credited with saving southern white rhinos is Ian Player, the late South African conservationist and brother of golfer Gary Player who pioneered rhino capture and relocation methods in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi area, starting in the late 1950s. He worked closely with Zulu tracker Maqgubu Ntombela in a relationship that defied the racial divisions of the era's white minority rule.

"There's a lot of good energy" at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, said Coetzee, the rhino security manager.

“SPAR good for You" (us), Christmas hampers H.I.P 2015

“SPAR good for You" (us).

 What a treat the HIP Field Staff and APU of Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park got on the weekend of the 28 Nov 2015. The Hilltop Hluhluwe Honorary Officers Christmas hamper project was a great success this year again thanks to SPAR for sponsoring great hampers filled with staple foods and luxury items and the support from Imfolozi Honorary Officers. The hampers were distributed to both the Hluhluwe and Imfolozi Field Staff and APU Rangers, our front line defences to say a thank you for their dedication and hard work that is often unseen.
The hampers were well received with smiles all around. We would like to say thank you to SPAR for the great hamper and their time and effort that was put into making this project a great success. Wow what a hamper it was SPAR really out did themselves this year.

KZNsightings is run & manned by Hluhluwe Hilltop Honorary Officers

Share what you have spotted in the Hluhluwe- Imfolozi , Mkuze , Ithala and Isimangaliso wetland Park  live!

Improve your game reserve experiences and join one of the social network sites  below.

 The  isimangaliso and Ithala network is new and may take some time to get full participation – so expect it to be slow at first especially on weekdays.  The Hluhluwe Imfolozi network has been running for over a year now , so has some good participation and some great sightings.

·           Cell phone connectivity at the parks is poor in places, it may take time for   updates to come through. The administrator will  transfer feeds as often as possible

·           Please only use Whatsapp  for reporting, use twitter for discussions, photos etc. Groups are limited to 100 people by Whatsapp thus, When not in the park, please leave the Whatsapp groups to avoid the nuisance factor and keep admin down.  Join twitter or like us on Face book and follow and create a list allowing you to follow up whenever you want to see what has been reported. 

·           Photos will not be distributed across groups but will be placed on Twitter and face book so when at home the best option is one of these sites.

How it works  

   

·           he network maybe be slow on weekdays, but keep on reporting as you are assisting with the HO Tracking Process.

·           Cell phone connectivity at the Imfolozi –Hluhluwe is poor in places, it may take time for face book and Whatsapp updates to come through. The administrator will  transfer feeds as often as possible

·           Use Whatsapp for reporting, use twitter and facebook for discussions, photos etc. Groups are limited to 100 people by Whatsapp thus, when not in the park, please leave the Whatsapp and BBM groups to avoid the nuisance factor and keep admin down.

·            Join twitter or like us on Face book and follow and create a list allowing you to follow up whenever you want to see what has been reported. 

·           Photos will not be distributed across groups to reduce data demands but will be placed on Twitter and face book so when at home the best option is one of these sites.

·           Citizen Scientists Support the HIP scientific Services: Remember to send your photos of lions preferably with brands or Collars, Wild Dogs, Cheetahs, Leopards (preferably side profile), Black Rhino (preferably with ears erect), and Vultures with wing Tags. 

·           Please try and report your sightings in the following manner:

Most of all have fun and see as much as you can

Download flyer here

more info see www.kznsightings.co.za