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IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Dogs on the trail of South Africa's endangered tortoises
A conservation official, working as part of the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Dryland Conservation Project, talks about a critically endangered female Geometric tortoise, that they found with specially trained dogs on a private reserve in the Boland district of the Western Cape. Image: RODGER BOSCH / AFP Snout pressed to the ground, a border collie named Delta zigzagged through the shrubs on a private nature reserve near Cape Town, frantically sniffing for critically endangered tortoises. The dog stopped abruptly in front of a small bush and lay down, signalling a find as Delta's handler moved in to search the surrounding area. Hidden in the tall grass was a tiny reptile, its shell marked with yellow star-like patterns - a clear sign it was a geometric tortoise, a species found only at the southern tip of Africa. "It's an adult female, you can tell by its flat belly," said Esther Matthew, the dog's handler and a conservation officer for South Africa's Endangered Wildlife Trust. She explained that the organisation uses canines to sniff out the endangered species by "building positive association with the tortoises' odour", throwing Delta a foam frisbee as a reward. Dogs are five times more effective than humans at this type of search and "also help us find the smaller tortoises which are often overlooked, the hatchlings and the juveniles", Matthew said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Dog-handler Esther Matthew, and Collie dog, Delta, working as part of the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Dryland Conservation Project, play a short game of frisbee as a reward for locating a critically endangered Geometric tortoise on a private reserve in the Boland district of the Western Cape. Image: RODGER BOSCH / AFP "We've seen a dramatic increase in the number of finds with the dogs." The help has become crucial in studying and protecting the geometric tortoise, found only in South Africa's Western Cape province and on the verge of extinction. The species' population was already as low as 1 500 individuals in the wild in the early 1990s, according to biologist Andrew Turner, who works for the conservation authority Cape Nature. It is now estimated at only several hundred animals with "declines pretty much across the entire remaining range of this species", he said. On the nature reserve, Delta and Matthew - helped by colleagues searching the bushes with sticks - found a dozen of the hardy reptiles. "We record all the tortoises we can find, all the data, measurements and weight," Delta's handler explained. With the species' natural habitat shrinking due to agriculture and urban expansion, these surveys have become all the more critical, Turner said. "There are very few places left in the Western Cape that still support these tortoises. It's really just a couple of nature reserves and pieces of good habitat left on people's private property," he added. "The remaining patches of vegetation are not really connected to each other anymore. There are farmlands in between, roads, towns and industries so there is limited ability for the tortoises to disperse and rescue other populations." This fragmentation makes them all the more vulnerable to droughts, predation and fires, which scientists argue have become more frequent and intense thanks to climate change. Poaching - of the tortoises and the plants they feed on - is also a threat, Turner said. "They are down to such small levels that they actually need as much assistance as they can get," he said. To save the species, the Endangered Wildlife Trust has looked at building "partnerships" with landowners and communities living in the animals' habitat. "The biggest thing is... creating corridors where species can work through," said Zanne Brink, who leads the organisation's dry lands conservation programme. "Our biggest challenge is to get enough information to prevent critical biodiversity areas from being lost to unsustainable land use." | AFP
Sinar Daily
13-07-2025
- Science
- Sinar Daily
Dogs on the trail of South Africa's endangered tortoises
Hidden in the tall grass was a tiny reptile, its shell marked with yellow star-like patterns - a clear sign it was a geometric tortoise, a species found only at the southern tip of Africa. 13 Jul 2025 06:00pm A conservation official, working as part of the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Dryland Conservation Project, talks about a critically endangered female Geometric tortoise in the Boland district of the Western Cape on June 30, 2025. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP) BOLAND - Snout pressed to the ground, a border collie named Delta zigzagged through the shrubs on a private nature reserve near Cape Town, frantically sniffing for critically endangered tortoises. The dog stopped abruptly in front of a small bush and lay down, signalling a find as Delta's handler moved in to search the surrounding area. Trained dogs are being used in South Africa to help locate and then track a critically endangered species of tortoise. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP) Hidden in the tall grass was a tiny reptile, its shell marked with yellow star-like patterns -- a clear sign it was a geometric tortoise, a species found only at the southern tip of Africa. "It's an adult female, you can tell by its flat belly," said Esther Matthew, the dog's handler and a conservation officer for South Africa's Endangered Wildlife Trust. She explained that the organisation uses canines to sniff out the endangered species by "building positive association with the tortoises' odour", throwing Delta a foam frisbee as a reward. Dogs are five times more effective than humans at this type of search and "also help us find the smaller tortoises which are often overlooked, the hatchlings and the juveniles", Matthew said. "We've seen a dramatic increase in the number of finds with the dogs." Shrinking numbers The help has become crucial in studying and protecting the geometric tortoise, found only in South Africa's Western Cape province and on the verge of extinction. The species' population was already as low as 1,500 individuals in the wild in the early 1990s, according to biologist Andrew Turner, who works for the conservation authority Cape Nature. It is now estimated at only several hundred animals with "declines pretty much across the entire remaining range of this species", he told AFP. On the nature reserve, Delta and Matthew -- helped by colleagues searching the bushes with sticks -- found a dozen of the hardy reptiles. "We record all the tortoises we can find, all the data, measurements and weight," Delta's handler explained. 'Creating corridors' With the species' natural habitat shrinking due to agriculture and urban expansion, these surveys have become all the more critical, Turner said. "There are very few places left in the Western Cape that still support these tortoises. It's really just a couple of nature reserves and pieces of good habitat left on people's private property," he added. "The remaining patches of vegetation are not really connected to each other anymore. There are farmlands in between, roads, towns and industries so there is limited ability for the tortoises to disperse and rescue other populations." This fragmentation makes them all the more vulnerable to droughts, predation and fires, which scientists argue have become more frequent and intense thanks to climate change. Poaching -- of the tortoises and the plants they feed on -- is also a threat, Turner said. "They are down to such small levels that they actually need as much assistance as they can get," he said. To save the species, the Endangered Wildlife Trust has looked at building "partnerships" with landowners and communities living in the animals' habitat. "The biggest thing is... creating corridors where species can work through," explained Zanne Brink, who leads the organisation's dry lands conservation programme. "Our biggest challenge is to get enough information to prevent critical biodiversity areas from being lost to unsustainable land use." - AFP More Like This
The Citizen
26-04-2025
- General
- The Citizen
The fight to save the penguins
SANParks manages three of the last remaining colonies of penguins in South Africa. African Penguins walk on the beach at the Boulders penguin colony, which is a popular tourist destination, in Simon's Town, near in Cape Town, on November 1, 2024. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has changed the African Penguin from Endangered to Critically Endangered. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP) Managing the last remaining colonies of penguins in the country, the SA National Parks (SANParks) has committed to wage a concerted effort to stabilise and increase the species population. In marking World Penguin Day on Friday, SANParks said it wanted to grow and preserve the iconic seabird for future generations, steering it away from being on the brink of extinction. The special day is celebrated annually on 25 April to highlight the unique characteristics and conservation challenges faced by the penguin species globally. SANParks manages three of the last remaining colonies of penguins in South Africa. Two of these, consisting of about 3 000 breeding pairs, are found in the Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area, at the St Croix and Bird Islands. According to SANParks head of communications JP Louw, the biodiversity management plan (BMP) for African penguins has ensured 'a collaborative effort involving key stakeholders, including conservation NGOS (non-governmental organisations) and government agencies like the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE)'. Louw said the Spheniscus demersus was among African penguins, native to the southern and southwestern coasts of the continent 'currently standing out due to the significant conservation efforts currently underway to protect it'. No-fishing zones 'In a landmark development last month, the DFFE, South African conservationists and fishing industry groups, agreed to establish no-fishing zones around six major African penguin breeding colonies. 'SANParks, as a lead colony manager, plays a crucial role in managing penguin populations at key breeding sites. 'The BMP includes habitat restoration, installation and monitoring of artificial nest structures and managing predation in the colonies. 'Joint initiatives also focus on penguin monitoring, including tracking population dynamics, assessing breeding success, and rehabilitating injured or sick birds.,' said Louw. He said efforts were 'further supported by public awareness campaigns, promoting sustainable practices among local communities and tourists'. No mining in national parks Meanwhile, Louw said SANParks has 'taken note of reports related to Kropz Elandsfontein (Pty) Limited, requesting to explore the possibility of de-proclamation of a portion of land that is part of the West Coast National Park'. 'SANParks cannot allow any mining activities within a declared national park, as this is prohibited under section 48(1)(a) of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003. 'We have communicated this official position to Kropz and other relevant stakeholders,' he said.
