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Kruger National Park

KNP Scientific Services

Research

Increasing demands on park resources and escalating impacts of development around the park necessitate new approaches in research. To meet all these challenges, the research section has been organized into three branches, the Species Research (focuses on traditional species projects), Systems Research (aims to understand a broader ecosystem functioning and interaction) and the Environmental Impact Research (Social ecology, deals with human influences, often originating outside the park’s boundaries).

We have a strong team of specialist scientists working on different fields. Our scientists together with external scientists (mainly from academic institutions) have conducted groundbreaking research in many topics including but not restricted to, safe procedures for the chemical immobilization of wild animals, population studies; fire behavior, vegetation landscapes, aerial game census techniques. The data on this research and more can be viewed and/or downloaded from our GIS Visual Catalogue and Kruger Data Repository. Some significant social and cultural research has also been conducted over the years in Kruger National Park, although there is general agreement that this needs more emphasis. Social research often requires specific interlinkage with biophysical and economic research and understanding, hence contributing towards a holistic understanding. Because of the central role of values in conservation, and the fact that human behaviour is often the key to resource management, the understanding generated by such social research may well form the often missing hub around which the conservation wheel can turn far more successfully in future. Social research is now co-ordinated by the newly-formed People and Conservation Department.

Important Protocols for Researchers Working in Kruger

Click here to download the below information as well as a map with ranger contact details and location as a .PDF document. Click on the links provided below to download the SANParks Proposal Format, for more information on the Registration Procedure as well as past Annual Project Reports:

Registration Procedure Information
SANParks Proposal Format
Project Reports 2003
Project List - 2004 and Project Reports 2004
Project List - 2005

A. Park entry: Please send the following information to Patricia Khoza (for research in the south & central region of the park) or Sharon Thompson (for research in the northern region of the park) a few days before arrival to enable arrangement of a gate permit:
-Date of entry
-Gate of entry
-Car registration number
-Number of people

B. Koedoekop Decals: Decals must be applied for in writing if researchers are intending to conduct fieldwork in areas where tourists can see the vehicle. The decals indicate to tourists that the vehicle is official. The application letter must be sent to Thembi Khoza well in advance. Please note that the permit for decals is issued to an individual. If there are going to be multiple drivers of the vehicle, this information must be disclosed in the application letter. Decals do not entitle researchers to drive at 65km/hr (one has to be in official uniform to qualify for this) and they cannot be swapped between researchers or vehicles. A refundable deposit of R100 must be paid on receipt of decals.

C. Accommodation in KNP: There is limited research accommodation in these camps, bookings should be made timeously.
-Phalaborwa (max. 4 people, no bedding or towels) – book through Jacques Venter
-Shingwedzi (max. 20 in guest rooms, and 14 in permanent tents) – book through Sharon Thompson (click here for details of facilities at Shingwedzi Research Camp)
-Skukuza (max. 33 in huts and 12 camping) – book through Patricia Khoza (click here for details of facilities at Skukuza Research Camp)
-Tshokwane (max. 2 people)
Costs: R60 per person per night for huts and permanent tents (will increase in April 2008 to R70), R25 for camping space.

D. Game guards: All researchers who are working outside their vehicles and outside of the tourist camp area must be accompanied by a trained, armed Game guard. Game guards should not be used as field assistants, as this will jeopardize their function to guard you. If you intend using a game guard please arrange well in advance (at least 2 weeks).

Costs: R100 – hiring daily fee
An additional overtime/weekend hourly fee is also applicable should the guard work overtime or on weekends:
R30 – per hour overtime from Monday to Friday
R30 – per hour on Saturdays
R40 – per hour on Sundays and Public holidays
R65 – per day S & T (if the game guard has to spend nights away from their place or work/residence)

Payment:
Hiring daily fee (R100) – Recieve an invoice from Patricia Khoza and pay at Finance window, Skukuza
Overtime Costs – Recieve an invoice from Patricia Khoza and pay at Finance window, Skukuza. Details with Patricia Khoza & Sharon Thompson
S&T costs – Recieve an invoice from Patricia Khoza and pay at Finance window, Skukuza. Details with Patricia Khoza & Sharon Thompson

E. Section rangers: Each part of KNP has a section ranger (see figure below). They are ultimately responsible for what occurs in their sections. The local section ranger has to be informed of your research in his area, i.e. what you will be doing, when (dates and times of day) and where you will be in the area. The section ranger can restrict use of certain roads. Your KNP liaison (Thembi Khoza for the southern region & Sharon Thompson for the northern region) will forward the above information regarding your field work to the section ranger. Please note that each researcher must phone the relevant section ranger, at least a day before they do fieldwork in that area to remind them of your activities. Updated contact information for all section rangers in KNP can be found below.

F. Communication: Please copy your KNP coordinator in all your correspondence.

G. Project proposals: Proposals have to be handed in to the coordinators at least two weeks before the meeting date.

H. How to contact us:
Thembi Khoza (Scientific Liason, Skukuza): thembik@sanparks.org; 0137354254
Patricia Khoza (Scientific Services, Skukuza): patriciak@sanparks.org; 0137354234
Sharon Thompson (Scienitific Services, Phalaborwa): sharont@sanparks.org; 0137353545

Project proposals: Proposals have to be handed in to the coordinators at least two weeks before the meeting date.

Submission Deadline	Project Meetings	Conservation Meetings
08 January 2008	22 January 2008	07 February 2008
04 February 2008	19 February 2008	20 March 2008
25 March 2008	08 April 2008	15 May 2008
03 June 2008	17 June 2008	17 July 2008
05 August 2008	19 August 2008	18 September 2008
30 September 2008	14 October 2008	05 November 2008

Data and Metadata requirements

We are busy establishing a data catalogue that is available through the internet. You can view the current datasets at the web page http://dataknp.sanparks.org/sanparks The spatial feature is not working yet as we are busy with this but the text search will work.

We have already added most of the KNP datasets and would like to add the research datasets as the projects are completed. For us to be able to do this efficiently could you please submit the original unprocessed data and metadata in the following way

General metadata required for the whole studies data :

1. The final report needs to be completed as requested.
2. Abstract for the dataset.
3. Geographic coverage. Area of the study needs to be stipulated eg Entire KNP or where you are working with transects the beginning and end point coordinates need to be given. If points are used then a GPS point for each should be given.
4. Temporal coverage. The dates that the data was collected.
5. Keywords.
6. Taxonomic coverage of the dataset. Please provide the genus and specie name of the individuals that were sampled in your dataset. This can be provided in a table format.
7. Data Usage rights. Enter a paragraph that describes the intended usage rights of the data. Specifically include any restrictions( scientific, technical, ethical) to sharing your data within the public scientific domain.If your dataset is lead time protected please include the length of this period.
8. Access control .If you do want to restrict the dataset but have certain people that you would like to be able to access this data they should be mentioned here.
9. Methods. The methods of the study should be discussed here. If you already have them in your project proposal please just copy and paste them.
10. People and organizations. Please supply the contact details of the people that you would like to be associated with the dataset and also the role that they played on the dataset e.g metadata provider, principal investigator.

The metadata needed for each dataset is as follows:

1. GIS data and Imagery - Each shape file needs to be submitted with a FGDC xml metadata document that can be made via the metadata tool of Arc catalogue. Any imagery needs to be accompanied by a text file that indicates the level of processing of the image.
2. Spreadsheet or column data - Excel spreadsheet and any other column data ( eg Access tables) need to be exported as text files. For each column in the text file the following information is needed:

• Column heading
• Column description
• Type of variable i.e numeric, date/time, enumerated( i.e if you have codes you need to describe all the codes used. This description may be in another text file then just indicate that here.
• Measurement unit eg mm, parts per million(ppm) etc.
• Precision of the measurement i.e if your measurements are in meters and your precision is 1 it means that your measurement is accurate to the nearest meter.
• Bounds if the variable that you measured can only take on certain values stipulate them eg if a value can only be between 0 1 and 1 say min =0 max = 1.
  

This data and metadata need to be submitted to JudithK@sanparks.org and Cc. to ThembiK@sanparks.org or visa versa. If your data does not fit in any of the above categories please contactJudithK@sanparks.org for help.