THE THUNDERBIRD
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2019
MABULA GROUND HORNBILL PROJECT
Join our journey to build a Baobab
Prof Carl Jones M.B.E set us on this course when he graciously agreed to visit the project and advise on how we were doing from a reintroduction point-of-view. He felt we needed to centralise the hand-rearing to be able to produce stock of standardized quality.
Prof Carl Jones M.B.E set us on this course when he graciously agreed to visit the project and advise on how we were doing from a reintroduction point-of-view. He felt we needed to centralise the hand-rearing to be able to produce stock of standardized quality.
In October 2014 we held a workshop so that we could gather all the rearing and ex situ experts, many of whom have been part of this project since 1996, to assess how best to undertake this project. These were the ad hoc aviaries that grew as the programme grew and this was the site chosen for construction. The land was leased to the Project by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency.
In October 2014 we held a workshop so that we could gather all the rearing and ex situ experts, many of whom have been part of this project since 1996, to assess how best to undertake this project. These were the ad hoc aviaries that grew as the programme grew and this was the site chosen for construction. The land was leased to the Project by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency.
Then the brilliant architect Gareth Leonard turned these ideas into plans. His pro bono contribution to this project is greatly appreciated and he saw it right through to completion, even though it took us three years to raise all the funds required.
Then the brilliant architect Gareth Leonard turned these ideas into plans. His pro bono contribution to this project is greatly appreciated and he saw it right through to completion, even though it took us three years to raise all the funds required.
It was built at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve as this is where our best rearer Delecia Gunn is based and the main focus, other than growing perfect reintroduction chicks, is growing an army of experienced rearers too.
It was built at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve as this is where our best rearer Delecia Gunn is based and the main focus, other than growing perfect reintroduction chicks, is growing an army of experienced rearers too.
And here in chalk we dreamed of a giant baobab tree that would rise and be the cradle for the next generation of Southern Ground-Hornbills.
And here in chalk we dreamed of a giant baobab tree that would rise and be the cradle for the next generation of Southern Ground-Hornbills.
Loskop reserve staff and community leaders sharing the dream.
Loskop reserve staff and community leaders sharing the dream.
And slowly the Baobab grew and grew.
And slowly the Baobab grew and grew.
Installing the netting was a slow and arduous job but it needed to be done carefully. Here Paige Ezzey and Lerato Mahlaela are working on a section.
Installing the netting was a slow and arduous job but it needed to be done carefully. Here Paige Ezzey and Lerato Mahlaela are working on a section.
The building team flying high.
The building team flying high.
Over 40 jobs were created and most of the team acquired new skills on site: project management, tiling, plastering, brick laying and more.
Over 40 jobs were created and most of the team acquired new skills on site: project management, tiling, plastering, brick laying and more.
The MGHP-MTPA Alliance would like to thank EVERYONE who contributed to making this dream a reality.
The MGHP-MTPA Alliance would like to thank EVERYONE who contributed to making this dream a reality.
View from the nest window.
View from the nest window.
The actual Baobab with Delecia Gunn heading into the rearing room and the aviary observation room below.
The actual Baobab with Delecia Gunn heading into the rearing room and the aviary observation room below.
The view through the aviary to the 'nest' (above) and observation (below) slits on the Baobab.
The view through the aviary to the 'nest' (above) and observation (below) slits on the Baobab.
A dream come true.
CONSERVATION PLANNING COURSE
We, in our commitment to growing conservation capacity in South Africa, co-hosted together with the National Zoo and the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group, a Conservation Planning Workshop. There were 16 national participants from five provincial nature conservation authorities, and BirdLife SA and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. This will support all of our conservation abilities to Assess-Plan-Act.
A massive loss: our Alf Rewin
It is with great sadness that we report the loss of Alf Rewin, one of our best interns, who took his own life in November. We, together with his family, are initiating a scholarship in his name to ensure that he, and his dedication to the conservation of the Southern Ground-Hornbill, is never forgotten. Alf: Your deep desire to make a difference, started with not eating animal products but was also yielding sound conservation science through your impact at the project and both are needed to drive change. You had your journeys in life - every heart ache, wicked adventure, dark moment and flash of beauty with you all the time - clearly visible to those who chose to ask. The rest of us wear ours as dull laugh or cry lines, scars or bottled inside us – how dangerous, how bland. You are a book whose cover told nothing of the angel within. Your work ethic was un-reproachable.
It is with great sadness that we report the loss of Alf Rewin, one of our best interns, who took his own life in November. We, together with his family, are initiating a scholarship in his name to ensure that he, and his dedication to the conservation of the Southern Ground-Hornbill, is never forgotten. Alf: Your deep desire to make a difference, started with not eating animal products but was also yielding sound conservation science through your impact at the project and both are needed to drive change. You had your journeys in life - every heart ache, wicked adventure, dark moment and flash of beauty with you all the time - clearly visible to those who chose to ask. The rest of us wear ours as dull laugh or cry lines, scars or bottled inside us – how dangerous, how bland. You are a book whose cover told nothing of the angel within. Your work ethic was un-reproachable.
It has been a fantastic season for the reintroduced groups. Both the Thaba Tholo group and Loskop Dam group laid for the first time in their artificial nests, one and two eggs respectively, all of which they incubated and hatched successfully. The second-hatched chick at Loskop is now being artificially reared at the Baobab, whilst its older sibling is growing at speed in the care of its parents, a hand-reared mum and wild harvested dad.
The egg at Thaba Tholo hatched but the chick was weak and dehydrated. We suspect the combination of first-time parenting, a severely dry season, and no wild-experienced male in this group, led to the chick succumbing.
WE HAVE CHANGED OUR LOOK
We decided that, as we grow and expand, that it was time to refresh our look. We felt very strongly that the last few years have really been important for expanding our focus to looking at the species outside of protected areas, often in communal farming areas, where the species is held is high regard and enjoys various levels of cultural protection. This was something we felt was important to reflect in our new look and so we have the basket or bead design to incorporate the cultural importance of the Thunder Bird.
we wish you a joyous, but conservation-minded, 2019
To all our supporters, as always a massive THANK YOU - without you we can achieve nothing
