Game reserves are fenced to protect the animals within their boundries as well as neighbouring communities and their crops and livestock. The erection of fences leads to the creation of reserves that have to be managed. This involves the control of the number by of animals. The KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service’s policy is to catch surplus animals rather than cull them when this becomes essential. For more than 35 years, techniques pioneered and developed the KwaZulu-Natal Nature  

Conservation Service have been utilized in large-scale game capture operations throughout Southern Africa. The Game Capture unit was set up in the mid 1960's. To date it has caught more than 141000 animals of 41 different species. Each year the team catches between four and five thousand animals. Most of these are delivered to new habitats and approximately 600 animals per year are held in the Service‘s transit pens. Revenues derived from game sales are utilized for the Services conservation programmes.
RHINO CAPTURE:
The recovery of the white rhino from near extinction 100 years ago is one of the great success stories of African wildlife conservation. This earned the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service worldwide fame. In 1961 this gave rise to an ambitious project, dubbed ‘Operation Rhino’, which involved the transport of surplus numbers of white rhinos from their ‘home-base’, the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, to other protected areas. By the end of 1999 this worldwide distribution had reached a total of 2367 (of which 1262 have been rehabilitated in Southern African protected areas). Early rhino capture techniques pioneered by Dr Ian Player and Dr Tony Hawthorn involved darting large doses of immobilizing drugs into the animals. These animals were then followed with vehicles and horses before roping and manhandling them to the ground. This was cumbersome and dangerous as a rhino could take up to 20 minutes to go down, travelling several kilometres in the process. A breakthrough occurred in 1963 with the advent of the drug M99, a powerful morphine derivative. This drug took effect rapidly and could be administered in small doses, thus dispensing with the problem of dart wounds caused by the large volumes of drugs previously required. An antidote then enabled the team to walk the dazed animal to a waiting capture crate.

Another breakthrough occurred in the early 70s with the introduction of helicopters into game capture operations . Rhino could be located by air and darted with minimal stress. The helicopter could then guide the rhino to accessible ground before leading the ground crew to the temporarily immobilized animal. In 1992 another step was taken to facilitate capture operations when helicopters were used to airlift rhino from the Umfolozi Wilderness area for the first time. (Management policy prohibits the use of vehicles in this zone). After a rhino is darted in the usual way from a small helicopter, a powerful helicopter capable of lifting in excess of 3 tons, is directed to the spot where the animal is lying. A net is deposited and the ground crew then place the animal on it before the helicopter returns to hoist it up with ropes and slings, airlifting it directly to the recovery vehicles.With modern technology, rhino mortalities during moving operations or in the bomas have declined to less than one per cent.

MASS CAPTURE USING THE BOMA OR OELOFSE METHOD:
The following method was devised in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park by Jan Oelofse in the late 1960's while employed by the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service and is presently in use. A large funnel-shaped site (approx 300m) is constructed, using opaque plastic suspended by cables. At the widest open end a plastic curtain is used. This is closed once the animals are in the site.

They are gradually herded down to the narrowest end using a series of curtains to reduce the size of the holding area. The final crush has a loading ramp where game transport vehicles are in position to receive the animals. This commonly used method is effective for catching herd animals such as impala, wildebeest, kudu, and zebra.

NET CAPTURE:
This is probably the oldest method used in game capture. It is effective in dense bush cover for catching animals such as nyala, reedbuck, bushbuck, and duiker. Approximately 100 m of rope netting is woven through the bush and the animals are chased into the nets by a line of beaters. There are sufficient staff in the vicinity of the nets to restrain and tranquillise the animals once they are caught.

PASSIVE CAPTURE:
This is a relatively simple, inexpensive and unstressful way of catching game. Animals are attracted to a central point with food or water. The KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service uses this method for hippo capture. Once they are accustomed to the site, the construction of a capture enclosure can commence. However this is time-consuming and unsuitable for large-scale capture operations involving many animals.

DRUGS:
Drugs can be used to catch all species of game. Generally, however, unless selected animals are to be removed, the only game which are caught with the use of drugs are elephant, rhino, and giraffe.

STRESS:
Stress is a major problem in the catching of wild animals. Contrary to popular belief, animals are not fit and game capture staff strive not to over exert them during capture operations. Chasing is done fairly slowly and not during the heat of the day.

Great care is exercised while transporting newly caught animals. Animals are injected with long- and short-acting tranquillisers before transportation where necessary. Some species are transported in mass, these are usually herd animals and it is always attempted to transport these animals in family groups. Animals such as reedbuck which tend to be more solitary are transported in individual crates. Overcrowding in holding pens is also avoided. Each pen has a secluded section where an animal can retreat to feel secure. To avoid aggression and injuries, mature males are generally kept separate from females and young animals.

PENS:
Animals are placed in holding pens to prepare them for long road journeys, for export, or for the annual KwaZulu-Natal Game Auction. They are kept in pens with as little noise and disturbance as possible, and are fed on indigenous foods where possible. Gradually other foods such as lucerne, teff and cubes are introduced. Animals usually pick up condition after a week or two, and are ready for transportation between four and six weeks in the pens.

EXPORTING OF GAME:
The KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service has vast experience in the exporting of Game and for the last 30 years have exported many different types of animals all over the world.

INFORMATION:
For further information, please contact:
KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service
Game Capture
P O Box 13053
CASCADES
3202
TEL: (033) 845 1395/6/7/8
FAX: (033) 8451748
E-MAIL: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it