KTP Predator request.

[merops]

Dear All

My name is Micho Ferreira and I am Section Ranger for the Twee Rivieren Section in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP). Due to my love for especially wildlife photography (I'm only a serious amateur), I frequently spend a lot of time in the evenings watching beautiful pictures taken by other ODP members. It always inspires me to take better photos myself.

I have a request with regards to photos of predators taken in the KTP. If the photographers can maybe give a bit more comments about their pictures e.g. where in the KTP a specific photo was taken and when, it will assist us in our management of the Park's predators. Often I recognise individual lions, leopards or cheetah in members' photos, but they don't say where and when it was shot. By getting this additional bit of info we can better study the movement of our predators. I want to thank members like Morkel Erasmus who normally say when and where he photographed an animal. This will also include both Brown and Spotted Hyaena. If a lion has got brandmarks on the shoulder or rump, that info will also be appreciated. Remember this request is only about predators in the KTP. Please don't give away information about Rhino in other Parks!

Enjoy your photography
Kind Regards

Micho Ferreira

[Andre v]

Welcome to ODP.

Dont be surprised if you dont get a good response to this thread.
To put this into context. This is your first post & your profile holds no details.

For all we know you are a poacher looking for leopard locations!!!

[JandeBeer]

For all we know you are a poacher looking for leopard locations!!!

Not only the poster but anybody that visit these forums.

[Surly Ghillie]

hi Micho,
suspicious bunch photographers are. they make a good point though regarding precise locality i.d. Open forum like this can be a great source of info why don't you channel the request through formally to the site moderators?

as to when a photo is shot, if you open the exif info tab, (look rhs under the picture) generally it'll give you a date time stamp of when the photo was shot

btw I'm headed your way last half march through mid april. I'll send up a smoke signal when I hit twee Rievieren (mar23~26).

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

I doubt whether poachers will be able to use the information more than any other resource... It does give good historical data for research though...

[Brendon Cremer]

I doubt whether poachers will be able to use the information more than any other resource... It does give good historical data for research though...

Agreed

[Chris F]

I have some pics of the three male lions at Dikbaardkolk - it is WELL KNOWN that these lions frequent this picnic spot. YET, then next three times we drove past there we did NOT see them again

point being - if I show you a pic of any animal at a waterhole, good luck to any poacher trying to use this to find the animal next time round .... these animals move about, and your pics are nothing more than historical data.



what I do find interesting is that nowhere in the park are we encouraged to send the staff these pics - even when I asked a ranger if she wanted some of the pics I took of the morning kills she just smiled and politely declined, she was not even interested in the pics of the cheeta with her cubs in another spot. now if there is a co-ordinated drive to track these animals I would expect the park to put out this request to visitors ....


maybe I am just another sceptical amateur.

[bomtek]

If I remember, I'll phone this oke tomorrow. Shouldn't be too hard, can't be many rangers with a Lions tooth mark in his boot!

[Arne]

I GPS'ed all my sightings on my vehicle nav. Works great for coming back to previous sightings, marking dens etc... Also great for writing trip reports etc.

Had you phrased your request slightly differently , say "where can i go in KTP to photograph X or Y species you probably get a flood of responses"

I would suggest the SAN Parks forums - i had a few requests from researchers in KTP for my location data.

Even though it bares very little relevance to "poaching" asking for location based data on public forums is not a good idea, for many reasons.

Conservation organisations should (and do in many cases) provide a "citizen" science contact link where interested (and willing) members of the public can submit their info.

If you see specific animals that are of relevance to your section, then i would suggest a pm to the tog concerned and rather contact offline if they are willing and your id is confirmed (so cloak and dagger, but neccessary nowadays i guess).

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

I got the app some ime ago, but really sure how available the info are to researchers, but isn't something like Project Noah perfect for this?

[merops]

Dear All

Thank you very much to those who responded positively. To those who did not understand my request, it is not about poaching at all, but rather to obtain information about where and when predators were photographed in the KTP. Like I mentioned, I am a Section Ranger, not a Researcher. Certain animals have got unique markings, therefore I recognise them on your photos submitted to the gallery. If I know where and when they were seen, it helps me and my colleagues to keep track of certain individuals.

Any disbelievers in who I am, feel free to contact Twee Rivieren in the KTP and find out if I exist.

[Chris F]

So you are interested in something like this (?) :

Dikbaardskolk, 7 January 2012 at 10:45 the three were lying in the shade of the tree. Later they moved to the shade of the picnic tables

[Chris F]

maar dan nou weer, everybody knows these three ..... especially the ladies that IGNORE the multitude of vehicles with long cameras on the lions, then getting out to go to the loo .... and half way there they SEE the lions ..... have you seen how quick a "lady" forgets all about the need to "go" .....


so maybe you are rather looking for something like this:

sunrise game drive, still before sunrise, still pretty dark. about 2 km outside Nossob, South. This kill took place seconds before we got there - we saw the dust trail of the chase. The springbuck was still kicking when these photos were taken. Only got the chance to take a few pics then she dragged the kill deeper into the bushes ....



8 January 2012 at 5:34 in the morning (the gates only open at 6:00 ... I got my best pics on the game drives ...)

[merops]

Hi Chris

Thanks. All I request is something like 7 January 2012, between Dikbaardskolk and Kameelsleep or south of Dikbaardskolk. I don't need the time on the clock. I also don't recognise all the animals, but those that I do recognise help us to learn more about their movements. Regards.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Hi Micho.
Welcome to ODP. Glad you enjoy the photos we share on here...lucky you to be able to live and work in that awesome place.

As you stated, I have no problem stating where a particular predator was photographed in the KTP. As Chris said before, good luck to the "leopard poachers" who think the cat will still be in the same location .

I have a lot of photos taken during my 2010/2011 trips which I have not uploaded yet. Obviously following the trip reports on Sanparks Forum will also aid in what you are looking for.

I am heading back your way at the end of February, it would be nice to meet up. I met with Jannie last time (November 2011).

Cheers and good luck!

Morkel

[merops]

Hi Morkel

Nou kan ek seker maar bietjie Afrikaans praat. Goed om van jou te hoor. Ek geniet gewoonlik jou fotos, en waardeer die feit dat jy gewoonlik noem waar en wanneer jy iets afgeneem het. Daarom dat ek jou naam ook gebruik het in die "thread". Jannie my kollega of soos ek hom ken as Jan, het genoem dat jy 'n gereelde besoeker is aan SANParke forum. Jy kan gerus met jou volgende besoek hoor of ek by Twee Rivieren is, en as ek nie uit in veld is nie kan ons blad skud.

Wanneer ons roofdiere (en dit is maar hoofsaaklik leeus) terugbring in die Park nadat hulle buite die Park gaan "kwaaddoen" het, merk ons hulle gewoonlik voordat ons hulle weer in die Park vrylaat en hou rekord van elkeen se onderskeie merke. Dit is ook belangrik vir ons om hul bewegings dop te hou, en hoop ons om in die toekoms radio nekbande vir die doel te bekom. Soms is daar egter ander unieke natuurlike merke aan diere wat hulle uitkenbaar maak. So was daar die Luiperd wyfie wat op 'n stadium nabyTR rondgehang het. Die kolletjies onder haar regter oog was in die vorm van 'n pylpunt. As ons dus 'n roofdier iewers vrygelaat het in die Park en ek herken weer daardie roofdier op 'n foto, is dit net goed om te weet waar en wanneer (net die datum nie die tyd) daardie dier afgeneem is. Dit help dan om te sien waar daardie dier rond-beweeg. Ek weet daar is fotos op SANParke se web, maar in die aand verkies ek om rustig tuis op ODP deur te bring, en dan is enige addisionele inligting baie welkom. Groete en geniet die fotografie!