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Between the 25th and 29th of September 2006, a field survey was carried out by a team of 21 people comprising staff of CapeNature and the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Riverine Rabbit Working Group (EWT-RRWG).

In total 15 Riverine Rabbits (Bunolagus monticularis) were recorded in the Ceres Karoo, Klein Karoo and in the Cape Winelands of the Western Cape. Additional Riverine Rabbit sightings confirmed the presence of this species along tributaries of the Groot / Doring River, the Touws River as well as the Breede River in vegetation that differs vastly from riverine habitats on the plateau of the Upper and Central Karoo.

Two of the areas where the animals were found are known for their rich diversity in plants, in particular succulents, that occur nowhere else in the world and have therefore been identified as priority areas for conservation action. With the discovery of a population near Touwsrivier in 2004, it has since been recognised that the Riverine Rabbit is more widely spread throughout the Western Cape than was previously believed.

These recent field surveys have led conservationists and scientists to realise that we do not fully know the distribution range of this species as it has recently been located in some of the least expected areas of South Africa’s semi-arid Karoo region. Highlights of the one-week field survey organised by CapeNature and the RRWG included sightings of Riverine Rabbits on Sanbona, a private wildlife reserve between Montagu and Barrydale and sightings in the Cape Winelands. The Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is situated in the Little Karoo between the Warmwaterberg and Route 62, less than three hours’ drive from Cape Town.

The name “San Bona” means “vision of the San people” and the reserve aims to bring indigenous species back to the Little Karoo and to manage, develop and rehabilitate the environment within the reserve to create a sustainable natural ecosystem through sound conservation principles. The 54 000ha reserve is the first in the Western Cape and Karoo region to have free-roaming mega-herbivores and large predators.

The 15 re-introduced mammal species which historically occurred in the Karoo region include lion, elephant, Black Rhino, buffalo, Leopard, Cheetah, Hippopotamus, Brown Hyeana, Plain’s Zebra, Kudu, Gemsbuck, Eland, Springbuck, Red Hartebeest and Bontebok.

“It was a great pleasure for us to accommodate and assist CapeNature and the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Riverine Rabbit Working Group during the field survey in the reserve. We are thrilled that we sighted five Riverine Rabbits and are now not only able to add this Critically Endangered species to our species list but to also contribute to its conservation and maybe even assist in future research to gain more data on the species’ ecology”, stated Assistant Wildlife Manager Sanbona Jan Coetzee.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve could become an important role-player in Riverine Rabbit conservation in the Klein Karoo as it already functions as a refuge for the species from agricultural activities, hunting and poaching. The reserve’s management team will in future monitor the newly discovered Riverine Rabbit population and cooperate closely with CapeNature and the EWT-RRWG to manage the species on the reserve. To the great astonishment of the survey team, a Riverine Rabbit was also flushed out of dense vegetation adjacent to the Breede River near Robertson (on the property of Graham Beck Wines). The central Breede River Valley is not only another hotspot for conservation action within the Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP) but also a priority area of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI), a pioneering partnership between the South African wine industry and the conservation sector.

The Riverine Rabbit was sighted on one of Graham Beck’s properties in a remnant patch of so-called Robertson Karoo Veldt close to the highly threatened Breede Sand Fynbos vegetation. Until then, it had been uncertain how far the distribution of the species extends into the Cape Winelands and the species now stands a good chance of long-term protection in this area due to the conservation action of several landowners. In 2006 Graham Beck Wines was awarded the champion title of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative due to their efforts in conserving and restoring 1 885ha of natural vegetation including Succulent Karoo and Breede Sand Fynbos.

“I am very excited that the occurrence of the Riverine Rabbit was confirmed on the land that we put aside for conservation” said Mossie Basson, Conservation Manager at Graham Beck Wines, “and I will gladly assist in raising awareness amongst our neighbours. Our area is known for its unique biodiversity that is under threat and the Riverine Rabbit is now another threatened species that needs our attention.” The EWT-RRWG is offering the public an opportunity to participate in the annual Riverine Rabbit field surveys in the Karoo and to assist in locating more areas where this Critically Endangered species may occur. Many thanks to Colin and Nolene Osner who were the first EWT supporters to take part in the RRWG’s field work in September 2006.

The EWT-RRWG is proudly supported by: Agri-Expo, The Elizabeth Wakeman Henderson Charitable Foundation, the Mazda Wildlife Fund, Rand Merchant Bank, The Green Trust, WWF-SA, Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations, Chicago Zoological Society and the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA.

This article is made available with the kind perission of www.ewt.org.za