Mahlometela

Census season

To ensure an understanding of the effects of management interventions, i.e., water hole provision, management fires, and culling, including natural phenomena such as disease outbreaks, wildlife managers need to conduct annual game counts of the various herbivore species.

In terms of high-density species, such as impala, zebra and blue wildebeest, managers are interested in population trends over time, taking into account the fluctuations in climatic conditions, especially rainfall, whilst also considering the response of the vegetation landscapes to these impacts.

“We were witness to one of the largest game reserves in the world waking up for another day in Africa.”

Ralf Kalwa is an Ecological Consultant at Malelane, a position he has held since December 2001. He established Rhengu Environmental Services in the Malelane area and is