Grey Rhebuck Relocated to West Coast National Park
by Mike Lodge
About two years ago, the former Park Manager of West Coast National Park approached the Honorary Rangers of the West Coast Region to start a project to relocate a breeding herd of Grey Rhebuck (Pelea capreolus) to the Park. The SANParks structure had been unable to offer an acceptable source for these animals and so the Honorary Rangers used their wide contact base to find someone in the privare sector... Little did they know then what a thrilling and exciting project this would turn out to be!
About ten years proir to this release, SANParks had released a herd of Grey Rhebuck into the Postberg area on the Langebaan peninsula. The latest census however had not revealed any confirmed sightings of these elusive animals in the Park.
The Honorary Rangers started by raising the required funds, which took them about 19 months. The method deployed was very simple. They built a small display explaining their needs and attached a collection box to it. This was installed at all their events for the public at large to contribute to. Through these donations, they raised the princely sum of R65,000, which included an anonymous donation of R22,000.
When they had about R50,000 or so, they started work on sourcing a willing seller, and after a number of false starts, managed to find a private Game Capturer who was familiar with the region. This gentleman traced a source in Beaufort West, but it turned out that relocating these animals would not have been ideal due to the vast difference between the Beaufort West semi-desert veld type and the coastal fynbos in the West Coast National Park. Concerns were raised that the animals would experience serious difficulties in adjusting to the strangely different biome.
After further hard work, he traced another source in the Overberg area for the Honorary Rangers, which upon investigation was much more acceptable to the authorities, and they decided to proceed with negotiations with the farmer. After a number of detail hiccups, the day for capture was finally set for Sunday 13 August. The plan was that the capture team (three Honorary Rangers and the private game capture team, backed up by various willing local farmers with bakkies who knew all the farm roads) would start at first light by meeting the helicopter on top of one of the many hills.
"After the chopper arrived at 08h45 it landed on the very muddy hilltop amid much flying debris. The highly experienced pilot and his veterinary doctor assistant immediately set about, making the required arrangements with the rest of the team who then departed in their various vehicles for the other surrounding hilltops. Hand-held radios were issued to all the drivers for co-ordination purposes. While the bakkies were finding their way to the tops of the surrounding hills, the chopper team busied themselves setting up the net guns and refueling after their trip in from Mossel Bay.
Before long, amidst more flying debris, the chopper took off and headed out in the direction of the nearest valley, leaving two Honorary Rangers alone on the top of the hill with the transporting trailer and a syringe to administer the drug that each animal was to receive to counter various parasite loads that might exist in their bodies. We rapidly set up a control sheet, defined and set up an “assembly line” process and spread fresh straw out into the trailer in expectation of the first animals.
Within moments we heard the first gunshot and the helicopter landing, and less than a minute later, saw the chopper taking the first animal up to the top of the nearest hill to the waiting bakkie before flying off again for the next target. About 15 minutes later, the first vehicle arrived with two sedated animals still wrapped up in their nets. We administered the parasite drug sub-cutaneously, unwrapped the nets from the animals and took them into the dark trailer where they promptly lay down with their heads looking around slowly and apparently quite disinterestedly. After this, they came thick and fast, with the trailer having to move twice to other hilltops to be nearer the delivery radius reach for the bakkies, and by the time we caught our breath at 12h45, we had 12 females (6 were diagnosed as being pregnant, of which three were reckoned to drop in the coming week) and three males safely inside the trailer.
After thanking the pilot, the vet, the farmer and all the interested and willing helpers, we set off for the West Coast National Park with half a ton of drowsy Grey Rhebuck on board. We stopped every 45 minutes to check on our charges and arrived at 16h20 to be greeted by a welcoming committee of all the HRs, most of the Park staff and a couple of invited guests, all smiling, cheering and clapping. The trailer was positioned in a spot that would offer good, sunny views for the cameras, being in a huge field of the white flowers that herald the start of the West Coast flower season, the spectators were arranged in their required positions, and the door was opened (amidst great trepidation by some, I might add!) to reveal all 15 animals still lying down quite peacefully and at ease.
It was then a simple job to gently take each animal, remove the short hosepipes that we had placed on the lethal horns of the males, guide it to the door and let it go. Some stood quietly peering at the sight of their new home before taking off for the nearest rise while others simply made a bolt for freedom. Their headlong dash would have slowed down just over the crest due to the effects of the calming drug that had been administered when they were caught, and hopefully would have all spent the night in reasonably close proximity to one another.
After the last animal was over the hill, someone broke out a bottle of pink champagne and we all drank a toast to the future success of this species in our Park. Sometime in the middle of the celebrations, one of the Section Rangers told me that a herd of 10 of these animals had been spotted earlier in the week, still in the Postberg section from the release 12 years previously and that he was sure he knew where another two were. This means that they are at least holding their own against the caracal, and with the new arrivals and fresh genes, their future sure looks bright, indeed!"
The HRs would like to thank all parties who helped make this release such a success;
• Mr. S. Mitchell, his father-in law and Jan Raats from Down South Wildlife
• Mr. V. van der Bijl, the owner of the source farm, and his staff
• All the willing helpers from the surrounding farm on the day
• All our donors, including our anonymous sponsor and also young Maryke Fourie from the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Council whose junior members, under her suggestion and leadership, have collected R12,000 towards this HR Project, with the prospect of more to come!
The HRs are delighted to have been involved in this project and are proud to say that we have made a very positive difference to the SANParks offering on the West Coast for the pride and joy of all South Africans. Long may the Grey Rhebuck survive there.