Английская Википедия:Erindi Private Game Reserve
Erindi Private Game Reserve is a wildlife and ecological reserve in central Namibia, situated southeast of Omaruru[1] on the regional border of Erongo and Otjozondjupa. Originally a set of three adjacent cattle farms, the Шаблон:Convert estate was converted into a wildlife reserve starting in the 1990s.
History
“Erindi” is a word taken from the local Herero language, meaning “place of water”. In 1986, Chris Joubert, and his brother Gert Joubert bought land from the Imperial Cold Storage and Supply Company (ICS), initially to run a cattle farm. Due to low profitability, game was introduced to the farm in the early 1990s. To avoid competition with the cattle, plains game was introduced. Шаблон:Convert were fenced in 1992 and 55 giraffes were held there.Шаблон:Cn
Geography
Geology
The Erindi reserve today comprises Шаблон:Circa Шаблон:Convert and consists of the farms Erindi, Constantia, and Otjimukara.[1] It is located on a central plateau in Namibia's highlands. The terrain is made up of eroded soils from adjacent mountains. The Erongo Mountains in the reserve's west have been linked to the Post-Karoo Complex.[2] The area's geology is dominated by granite, basalt, and volcanic rocks. The Omataku Mountains to the east are inselbergs that rise intermittently throughout the lowlands. These are made up of Etjo sandstone and magmatic rock. This evolved over millions of years. Erindi Private Game Reserve has elements of both mountain ranges. The reserve is traversed by two perennial rivers. When there is substantial rainfall, the Slang River rushes to the south, while the Otjimakuru River runs just outside the northern boundary.
Climate
In Omaruru, the summers are long, hot, and partly cloudy; the winters are short, cool, windy, and clear; and it is dry year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 9 °C to 34 °C (49 °F to 94 °F) and is rarely below 5 °C (42 °F) or above 38 °C (100 °F).[3] Namibia itself has extreme temperatures that fluctuate greatly between day and night. In summer the minimum summer temperature recorded is 17 °C and the maximum 43 °C. In winter temperatures range between 1 °C at night and 28 °C during the day.
Flora
Erindi Private Game Reserve has vegetation ranging from savannah plains to thorny bushveld and rocky mountains. It is classified as an arid to semi-arid category. Ephemeral rivers that flow after heavy rainfall[4] weave in and around the reserve, providing relief to large trees. Plant life is diverse, and unique species manage to flourish in harsh conditions. Endemic plants include the Phantom tree; tall succulent Kobas,[5] and numerous Acacia species. There are over 72 tree species, 75 grass species, and an unknown number of flower species in Erindi Private Game Reserve. Scientists have recorded many of the species, but this research is ongoing.
Fauna
The region where Erindi was founded, had many naturally occurring animal species in fairly large numbers. After cattle farming was phased out, the owners reintroduced more endemic species.
The large carnivores that can be found in the reserve include the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), leopard (Panthera pardus), lion (Panthera leo), brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Medium-sized carnivores include the serval (Leptilaurus serval), caracal (Caracal caracal), African wildcat (Felis lybica), bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas), Cape fox (Vulpes chama), ground pangolin (Manis teminckii), aardvark (Orycteropus afer), aardwolf (Proteles cristatus), and honey badger (Mellivora capensis). Small carnivores include the striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus), the small-spotted genet (Genetta genetta), yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), Kaokoland slender mongoose (Galerella flavescens), banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), and meerkat (Suricata suricatta).
The large herbivores on Erindi include the African elephant, hippopotamus, Southern giraffe, and common eland. Medium-sized herbivores include the Hartmann’s Mountain zebra, Plains zebra, waterbuck, springbok, impala, Greater kudu, blesbok, Black wildebeest, Blue wildebeest, Red hartebeest, and gemsbok (oryx). Small herbivores can be found in a range of territories across Erindi Private Game Reserve. Species like the Common duiker, Steenbuck, Klipspringer, Damara (Kirk's) dik-dik, Rock hyrax and Scrub hare.
Erindi habitats support the aardvark (Orycteropus afer), a nocturnal burrowing mammal native to Africa. It uses a long snout to sniff out food, mainly ants and termites, which it digs out using sharp claws and powerful legs. Several species of rodents and bats also inhabit the area, feeding on insect populations.
The common warthog is the only well-known endemic omnivore on Erindi. Erindi is also home to over 300 endemic bird species.
Wildlife projects
Erindi Private Game Reserve houses a number of wildlife conservation projects.
Global Leopard Project
In Namibia, leopards (Panthera pardus) are considered ‘problem animals’ since farmers perceive them as a threat to livestock. In 2010, the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism declared a moratorium on leopard hunting and in 2011 launched a census program to try to manage the sustainability of the leopard population. The stability of Leopard populations is governed by complex interactions between individuals and thus groups must be studied on a long-term basis to understand the positions of individual leopards within a group. Their shy and elusive nature compounds the challenge of observing them closely and over sustained periods for research.
The Global Leopard Project is a registered foundation established in Erindi Private Game Reserve in 2007, with research, communication, and conservation as the core strategy. Many Erindi leopards are studied, tracked, and monitored using visuals and GPS collars. The data collected from these wild leopards is shared widely to assist in the sustainable use of the species by other researchers, farmers, hunters, and any other interested parties. Guests at Erindi can support the foundation by participating in the specialized Leopard Project Drive, Leopard Project Presentation, and Leopard Project Walk.
Cheetah Conservation Project
The cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is classified as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List. Cheetahs are one of Africa’s most endangered big cats, whose numbers have declined by 90% over the past century. There are only about 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild today.[6] The main reason for the decline is human-wildlife conflict, disappearing habitat, poaching by humans and the illegal taking of cheetahs from the wild for the exotic pet trade, and loss of sufficient prey base.
A group of four cheetahs was released into Erindi in 2012, and since then more cheetahs have been successfully rewilded into the Erindi landscape, including a female that has now raised a litter of wild cubs.[7] Released cheetahs are normally fitted with special GPS monitoring collars by which conservation staff can follow and monitor their movements and behaviors in the time after release. Monitoring is undertaken in order to assist reserve planning efforts and to provide care, medical treatment, supplemental food and water if needed, or to facilitate the recapture of an animal that needs more intense assistance or recovery.
In 2014, Erindi Private Game Reserve was invited to the Annual CCF Gala and presented with the award for the 2014 Cheetah Conservation Business of the Year by Laurie Marker and Uahekua Herunga, Namibia’s Minister of Environment and Tourism.[8]
African Wild Dog Project
The African wild dog, or African Painted Dog (Lycaon pictus)), is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only extant member of the genus Lycaon, it is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The adult African wild dog has few natural predators, but habitat fragmentation, human persecution, and domestic animal diseases have slashed its surviving numbers. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the African wild dog is one of the rarest and most endangered mammals in the world. Current population estimates are between 3,000 and 6,600, with only about 1,400 of these being breeding adults.
The African wild dog conservation program at Erindi Private Game Reserve began in 2007 when owner Gert Joubert decided to create a safe haven for a natural African wild dog population, and two groups of animals were brought into the reserve.
Despite natural and human-created conflicts over the years, causing some ups and downs for the project, at present there is a strong pack of 23 members on Erindi, which are carefully monitored and vaccinated regularly due to their susceptibility to domestic-animal-borne diseases.[9]
Pangolin Project
A species of pangolin or scaly anteater, called the ground pangolin (Manis temminckii) is a solitary, nocturnal mammal that lives in savannah woodland and scrub habitats in southern, central, and east Africa. Its diet consists mainly of ants and termites which it scoops up with its long, specially adapted tongue. Pangolin populations worldwide are sharply decreasing due to hunting, illegal poaching, and habitat degradation. The world's most trafficked mammal, pangolins are being illegally poached in unsustainable numbers. Many ground pangolins have been located on Erindi and had VHF tracking transmitters affixed to their scales to enable research and monitoring of these wild animals.[10]
San Rock Art
Ancient San tribes once inhabited the region, with more than 100 individually engraved animal depictions discovered on Erindi’s one particular rock site.[11] The National Museum’s Rock Art Department of South Africa surveyed the area and confirmed that the rock art on Erindi’s “Big Bushman” Mountain is fine-lined San engravings.[11] The San are hunter-gatherer people, indigenous to southern Africa. They belong to the Khoisan group that speak the “click” languages. Researchers' interpretation of the San people is that their beliefs and rituals are very much a part of their art.
Some of the animal engravings include giraffe, elephant, eland, hyena, ostrich, kudu, reptiles, buffalo and other plains game. According to the National Museum’s Rock Art Department, the rock depictions on Erindi are over 700 years old.[11] San rock paintings are usually found in caves and on large boulders, and in many cases, these caves were used as shelters. San rock engravings are cut onto the rock surface and usually found in rocky outcrops and riverbeds. Today, there are still San families living on the reserve, but since they are a nomadic tribe, they tend to disappear from time to time. To see and learn about San mythology and their art, Erindi offers several educational opportunities.
Gallery
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Erindi animals
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Game drives on Erindi
References
External links
Erindi Private Game Reserve official website
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- Nature reserves in Namibia
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- Buildings and structures in Otjozondjupa Region
- Tourism in Namibia
- Otjiherero words and phrases
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