Where Are We Now?
The constant flux in the demands faced by Veterinary Wildlife Services in supporting the conservation of South African ecosystems has resulted in a dynamic team consisting of dedicated individuals that are well trained in their areas of expertise. The proficiency and resources of this team is constantly evolving to ensure that is well equipped to meet current challenges and those that will emerge in the future.
Historically, VWS was established to provide veterinary and operations support to Kruger National Park and was responsible for pioneering many of the techniques and equipment still used in the capture and translocation of animals for management purposes. The scope of responsibilities and field of operations have increased over the years and support is now provided to all twenty three national parks across South Africa.
Veterinary Wildlife Services implements multiple conservation activities. In the smaller isolated parks this might include contracepting some species to limit population sizes, ensuring genetic flow between populations by capturing and moving animals, and establishing new breeding populations for species that are endangered. With the expansion of parks such as Addo Elephant National Park and the inclusion of coastal marine sections, Veterinary Wildlife Services is developing the techniques and expertise required to manage these areas. The increase in poaching, especially rhinoceros and other species in Kruger National Park has demanded the refocusing of resources on assisting and treating injured animals, the rapid translocation to safety of orphan rhinoceroses suspended below a helicopter and investigating animals killed with poisons.
Veterinary Wildlife Services has always been involved in monitoring and investigating disease outbreaks in national park, this component of our work is dynamic with the emergence of new disease such as bird flu in seabirds and tuberculosis in rhinoceros. Well established African disease such as African Horse Sickness and Foot-and-Mouth Disease still provide challenges and restrictions on the movements of wildlife within South Africa. It is predicted that climate changes will bring its own set of challenges as weather patterns change, vegetation distributions are altered, species assemblages become modified and new diseases emerge.
As the management of wildlife is not static and constantly changing with drivers such as socioeconomic requirements, the desire of people around the world to connect with nature, impacts on biological systems of land use changes caused by humans, and new emerging diseases there is a constant need to understand how these will impact national parks. This requirement has result in a significant investment by Veterinary Wildlife Services in promoting research and developing techniques required to respond appropriately to these changes.