Research and management of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) in Ndumo Game Reserve
Pooley, Simon (2024) Research and management of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) in Ndumo Game Reserve. African Journal of Wildlife Research , ISSN 2410-7220. (In Press)
Abstract
This paper provides background on human interactions with Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) in the Ndumo region from the 1890s, through to the period of formal conservation in Ndumo Game Reserve from c.1951. It explains how serious population declines in the 1950s-60s led the Natal Parks, Fish and Game Preservation Board to prioritize crocodile research and conservation in this reserve. The work of Tony (A.C.) Pooley from 1962-74 is discussed, a foundational period for crocodile research and conservation in South Africa, in which Ndumo became renowned for crocodile research and conservation, with its Experimental Crocodile Restocking Station. Research and conservation management were intertwined throughout this period, and both are profiled as they unfolded in the reserve. Next, the period from the 1980s to the present is discussed, including periods under KwaZulu Bureau of Natural Resources and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife management. The paper concludes with a brief reflection on the management challenges of the current situation, including habitat destruction within the game reserve, population decline (data are provided for all recorded annual counts), locals’ attitudes to crocodiles, and seasonal movements of crocodiles between South Africa and Mozambique.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | Nile crocodile, crocodile research, crocodile management, environmental history, South Africa, Ndumo Game Reserve, history of science, natural history, crocodile ecology |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Simon Pooley |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Apr 2024 16:12 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Apr 2024 16:12 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/53291 |
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