In The Beginning
Kruger National Park
The appointment of a veterinarian in Kruger Park in the early 1970s was the start of what would become Veterinary Wildlife Services (VWS). However, attempts at catching wildlife and developing the required techniques started long before this. Since these early days, VWS has undergone significant developments and changes with increases in veterinary and operations capacity, and expertise, building of animal holding facilities, and the design and manufacture of vehicles for the translocation of wildlife, especially elephant and rhino. VWS has contributed to wildlife conservation through the translocation and re-introduction of animals including white and black rhino, elephants and multiple antelope species into their former ranges within South Africa and surrounding countries. Implementing in-house veterinary focused research and facilitating projects by South African and international academic institutions has become a primary component of VWS activities. Recently, VWS has created and manages a Biobank which supports knowledge generation through the provision of biological samples collected from wildlife species and kept under appropriate conditions in long-term storage.
As early as 1912/13, a number of attempts at catching antelope using nets were made in the Kruger National park but these did not prove successful as animals were often injured, so further efforts were abandoned. A request in 1928 to test an “automatic hypodermic bullet” that only drugs an animal was turned down by the Board as the Warden felt conducting such an experiment in the Park would create a dangerous precedent.
It was only in the late 1950s and early 1960s research started on the use of drugs in the immobilization of wildlife. This effort was stimulated by the appointment of the first State Veterinarian to the Kruger Park. Initial experiments were done on numerous species including impala and wildebeest and included drugs such as scoline, flaxedil, morphine, largactil and trilaphon. Interestingly, in 1961 three hippo were captured in the Olifants River and translocated to Addo Elephant National Park, a challenging enterprise even with today’s resources and knowledge. A crossbow developed by Mr G van Rooyen, the Parks first Instrument Maker, was initially used to deliver the darts; however, this proved too cumbersome for use from a helicopter and a single-barrel dart rifle was subsequently adopted. Much of the success in early wildlife chemical capture was ascribed to the drug, M99 (etorphine), which is still used widely today in the wildlife industry. In 1966, new drugs and tranquillizers, including fentanyl and azaperone, became available and were extensively tested. The first use of mass capture bomas constructed from plastic sheeting was demonstrated in Kruger Park in 1969 by the then Natal Parks Board and a 100 zebra were successfully captured.
The early development of capture techniques not only facilitated the marking of animals for research purposes, but allowed for the reintroduction back into the park of animals which had become extinct. In October 1961, the first of four white rhino were captured in Umfolozi (KZN) and released into an enclosure at Pretoriuskop, KNP. During the 1960s and 1970s a total of 128 white rhino were subsequently reintroduced into the Park. In the late 1960s, cheetah from Namibia were released into the southern areas of Kruger. Twenty black rhino were received from Natal Parks Board in 1971. A total of 69 black rhino were reintroduced by July, 1982.
In 1973, the Board approved the appointment of a Veterinary Ecologist and Technician to undertake veterinary research on diseases important to wildlife conservation. The first Veterinary ecologist was Dr V de Vos with Mr IJ Whyte as Technician. Their duties included the further development of methods and procedures for use in animal capture and inoculation of wildlife against disease. These initial appointments morphed overtime into the current Veterinary Wildlife Services (VWS).
Dr De Vos was promoted to Assistant Head: Research and Information in 1979 and the Veterinary Ecologist post remained vacant until the appointment of Dr JP Raath in 1987. Mr Johan Malan was appointed Veterinary Technologist in the same year. These appointments gave a substantial boost to research in various aspects of game capture and translocation. Considerable improvements were also made to game capture equipment between 1985 and 1994. New rhino crates were designed and built, and a crush-and-capture pen that could be erected within a few hours was completed. Elephant crates were designed and built, and approximately 300 elephant were translocated from Kruger to other conservation organisations between 1986 and 1993. Holding pens at Skukuza were completed in 1992 to facilitate the sale of rhinoceros to private owners and translocation of animals to other national parks.
Veterinary Wildlife Services has expanded since the early 1990’s to include dedicated Operations staff that manage animals in holding bomas and assist with the capture of wildlife for both translocation and research projects. A small Veterinary unit supports capture operations, ensures the welfare of animals in holding facilities and facilitates research. The rhino holding bomas were upgraded and enlarged to cater for the increased availability and private sector demand for white rhino. A breeding programme was established which allowed for buffalo free-of-disease to be bred within KNP and translocated to other national parks. In 2001, a dedicated home for VWS was built and opened within Skukuza. This building contains offices, laboratories, necropsy facilities, student accommodation, an auditorium and holding facilities for research animals. Most recently a Biobank has been established to store wildlife biological materials in support of conservation focused research.
Kimberley
Veterinary Wildlife Services: Kimberley (VWS: KMB) formally known as the “Game Capture Unit” first operated from Rondevlei in 1993 and then established a permanent office in Kimberley during 1994. This unit was located centrally in South Africa to facilitate supporting those National Parks in the central and southern areas of South Africa rather than those situated in the north of the country that is Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe National Park and Marakele National Park. Dr Anthony Hall Martin, Director for Conservation Services at the time, head hunted Dr Pete Morkel and moved Brian Beauchamp from Kruger National Park as wildlife veterinarian and operations manager to start a game capture unit in Kimberley. At the same time, Scientific Services also opened its Kimberley office and shared office space with VWS: KMB.
Over the years the capacity of the unit gradually increased to meet a growing requirement to translocate animals between national parks and capture wildlife for sale to the private sector. By 1996, two drivers for the transport trucks and two capture assistants had been added to the team. In 1997, VWS: KMB moved to the old licence testing ground on the southern outskirts of Kimberley which provide additional space for offices and the construction of animal holding facilities, staff accommodation, a workshop and covered parking for trucks and other equipment.
The current VWS: KMB unit consist of 19 permanent staff and is well equipment to work with a large variety of wildlife species found in national parks around the country. This capacity allows for the mass capture and translocation of large groups of antelope species, and the chemical capture of individual animals such as rhino, elephants and large predators. The unit’s premises also have a fully equipped laboratory and biobank of biological samples to support veterinary focused research. There is also overnight accommodation for staff and guests wishing to spend time at the unit’s facility.