THE THUNDERBIRD

MABULA GROUND HORNBILL PROJECT
NEWSLETTER

The Baobab Rearing Centre, a collaboration with Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, in the last rays of the winter sun.

The Baobab Rearing Centre, a collaboration with Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, in the last rays of the winter sun.

Sweethearts

Janovski2010 and Mudzanzene2013 (reared by Delecia Gunn), and pictured below, are getting to know each other and getting to know their new territory, which currently spans three properties: Rotavi Game Reserve, Lalakama and a tiny tip of Mabula (because the mean Mabula group is keeping them out). A gorgeous new fresh-out-the-workshop nest will be installed for them next week.

super nests by
super South Africans

(and Florien from France) - these amazing people volunteered their time and energy to help us build the next batch of nests for installation before the breeding season.

Students from the Tshwane University of Technology: Industrial Design

This time, instead of having to hand cut the Isoboard, with all the ensuing mess and room for error, the boards were cut and labelled by the robotic arm at the Tshwane University of Technology Industrial Design Department.

This time, instead of having to hand cut the Isoboard, with all the ensuing mess and room for error, the boards were cut and labelled by the robotic arm at the Tshwane University of Technology Industrial Design Department.

It has been beautiful to work alongside young South Africans committing to protecting their heritage. These students, despite their academic pressures, gave us some of their precious time to help us build the next batch of nests, seven in total. Their lecturer Kyle Brand, who led the design of the nests, has managed to instill a new sense of pride in their department's success and encouraged these students to get out into the bush. Once again, without AMT Composites and Isoboard we couldn't have done it.

Their pretty city clothes and shoes took a beating.

Their pretty city clothes and shoes took a beating.

They managed to get the resin in their hair.

They managed to get the resin in their hair.

The protective rubber gloves didn't do a very protective job.

The protective rubber gloves didn't do a very protective job.

THANK YOU Obakeng Letswalo, Cinderella Mthembo, Maraliza Visser, Lucindy Naude, Onkgopotse Mothibe, Mikhail Ayub, and the sister duo Sihle and Buhle Gqadu.

THANK YOU Obakeng Letswalo, Cinderella Mthembo, Maraliza Visser, Lucindy Naude, Onkgopotse Mothibe, Mikhail Ayub, and the sister duo Sihle and Buhle Gqadu.

Nest installation

The first batch of five nests are being stalled

Hein Nel and Florien van Huffel getting a beast of a nest up for the Loskop reintroduced group.

Hein Nel and Florien van Huffel getting a beast of a nest up for the Loskop reintroduced group.

Ideally, according the awesome research by Dr Kate Carstens, the nests should be placed 6 meters high and in areas where contiguous groups occur, with an inter-nest spacing of 10 km.

Ideally, according the awesome research by Dr Kate Carstens, the nests should be placed 6 meters high and in areas where contiguous groups occur, with an inter-nest spacing of 10 km.

Meet the team: Patience Shito

Patience doing interviews for our ongoing Populations-and-Perceptions research project, that now spans three countries and six languages.

Patience doing interviews for our ongoing Populations-and-Perceptions research project, that now spans three countries and six languages.

Her gorgeous son Muku is loved to bits by the whole team.

Her gorgeous son Muku is loved to bits by the whole team.

Patience doing her Environmental Awareness thing.

Patience doing her Environmental Awareness thing.

Whether it was watching birds, catching insects or swimming in a river, I have always been happiest close to nature. It was a given that I would choose a career path in the conservation field. A brief excursion into rural Zimbabwe after university led to my first encounter with Southern Ground-Hornbills. I then volunteered at an NGO that did ground-hornbill research and education in Southern Zimbabwe for two years and this culminated in my internship at the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project.

Having only encountered the birds from a distance in my work in Zimbabwe, it was exciting to finally get close enough to the captive birds to observe their various behaviours and vocalisations as well as characteristics. Being with the project has been a rewarding journey, and I have learnt, and I am still learning so much.

Be it handling a hornbill, to tracking, research, public speaking and interacting with scientists in various fora, life as part of the team is always interesting. I have ample opportunity to pursue my passion for education and awareness, helping wherever required to reach out to learners, individuals, private landowners and rural communities. I am always cognisant of the fact that the continued existence of Southern Ground-hornbills outside of protected areas depends on their co-existence with man. With this in mind I structured my MSc thesis around the influence of human activities as well as cultural beliefs on the persistence of Southern Ground-hornbills in the Limpopo River Valley. I am proud to be part of a team that is so dedicated to their work and I have learnt much from each and every one.

A grisly discovery made by the team: the carcasses of three poisoned dogs and two ground-hornbills

poisoning of Africa's wildlife:
one of its greatest threats

The team responded swiftly and the Limpopo provincial nature conservation (LEDET) enforcement team came to investigate the scene.

The team responded swiftly and the Limpopo provincial nature conservation (LEDET) enforcement team came to investigate the scene.

The carcasses were transferred, with strict chain-of-custody, for forensic post-mortem but unfortunately, as the carcasses were at least three-weeks old, we were not able to get enough material to know what pesticide caused these deaths. The scene has however been safely decontaminated.

The carcasses were transferred, with strict chain-of-custody, for forensic post-mortem but unfortunately, as the carcasses were at least three-weeks old, we were not able to get enough material to know what pesticide caused these deaths. The scene has however been safely decontaminated.

Luckily the same week the national Wildlife Poisoning Prevention Working Group held a 2-day meeting and we were able to contribute data and energy to help this incredible group become effective. Our vultures certainly cannot afford for us not to be effective.

Luckily the same week the national Wildlife Poisoning Prevention Working Group held a 2-day meeting and we were able to contribute data and energy to help this incredible group become effective. Our vultures certainly cannot afford for us not to be effective.

OTHER BITS & PIECES

Sophie trained Justin Makovere, from Zaagkuilsdrift Bird Sanctuary, on how to administer the Newcastle's Disease Vaccine, via the equivalent ground-hornbill chocolate: a dead mouse.

Sophie trained Justin Makovere, from Zaagkuilsdrift Bird Sanctuary, on how to administer the Newcastle's Disease Vaccine, via the equivalent ground-hornbill chocolate: a dead mouse.

MTPA were dismantling an old camp at Loskop Dam and donated us these sections of fencing.

MTPA were dismantling an old camp at Loskop Dam and donated us these sections of fencing.

Ertjies Rhom and Florien van Huffel doing the heavy lifting.

Ertjies Rhom and Florien van Huffel doing the heavy lifting.

And we carefully recycled them into our new garage doors. RECYCLE REUSE

And we carefully recycled them into our new garage doors. RECYCLE REUSE

Gratuitous pretty photo of Ngumu in flight by Heinrich Nel

Gratuitous pretty photo of Ngumu in flight by Heinrich Nel

needs, wants & wishes

Young HB narrowly escaping the young cheetah males on Mabula

Young HB narrowly escaping the young cheetah males on Mabula

Needs: 6m container for storage of reintroduction gear, 1 x vehicle tyre compressor, Anchor megavox 8000 speakers x 2

Wants: 2 x Grumbach incubators, 3 x Samsung phones for use by monitors using CyberTracker, 2 x 4-cell Maglite torches

Wishes: Satellite phone, 1 x vehicle wrap for our old Mazda

thank you for taking the time to read our news and your support