Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
- Jackals and caracals remain Karoo livestock producers’ greatest concern, with their numbers appearing to have increased since rain broke the drought in parts of the region.
- Joint and co-ordinated action is needed to step up control measures against problem animals like jackals and caracals.
- The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project has led to the purchase of several farms that are no longer inhabited, creating breeding colonies for problem animals.
- Kemp says organised agriculture, government, and producer organisations need to work more closely to address problems that are out of the producer’s control.
- At farm level, producers will need to join hands and employ appropriate control methods in a co-ordinated manner to combat the challenge effectively.
Jackals and caracals remain Karoo livestock producers’ greatest concern. Despite sustained efforts to keep them in check, their numbers appear to have increased since rain broke the drought in parts of this region. If well co-ordinated control measures were to fail, it could force producers to opt for different farming activities or, worse yet, to suspend their farming operations.
Theroux Kemp, the Northern Cape vice-chairperson of the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA) and chairperson of the Predation Management Forum (PMF), farms Merino sheep on Perdegrasvlei and leased land near Fraserburg. Eradicating problem animals, he says, is a difficult task that has kept producers occupied for years without any noteworthy progress.
In fact, there are areas of the Karoo in which species and problem animal numbers have increased – the damage they cause amounts to millions of rand. The newest animals on the list are warthogs, crows and kudus, animals that were rarely found or not at all present in the region.
Problems with warthogs
Producers near Colesberg say warthogs have now progressed to catching lambs and have injured bigger sheep so badly that they had to be culled. In 2021 reports were received of warthogs in the Southern Free State that caught and ate lambs and sheep. According to these producers, the sheep were not afraid of the warthogs, meaning the latter could easily infiltrate the flock.
According to Kemp, this part of the Karoo was not known for its warthogs, with only a few here and there. They are mainly herbivores that are excellent at adapting to whatever food is available. They do eat carrion at times but rarely catch prey. However, their range is now wider, and their numbers have expanded.
Warthogs also destroy infrastructure. They damage fences and dig holes under jackal-proof fences, which leads to jackals and caracals having easy access to lambing camps.
Cost of fences
Jackal-proof fences were erected years ago with government assistance. New fences are unfortunately not economically feasible and small-stock producers are only able to maintain fences – not replace them.
Meanwhile, says Kemp, a new threat has emerged, with reports by producers stating that crows in certain areas, especially near railway lines such as in De Aar, are targeting small stock. These birds overnight alongside railway lines in their thousands, likely to search for carrion next to the tracks in the morning. Some crows had even pecked out the eyes of young lambs, killed them and fed on the carcasses.
There are also reports of crows attacking ewes while they are lambing, and then eating the newborn lamb. Ewes are also injured in the process, at times so bad that they need to be culled. Large sheep are not spared, often sustaining eye injuries.
A growing kudu issue
Kudus are another new challenge. They were rarely if ever seen around Fraserburg, Loxton, Carnarvon, and neighbouring areas. Their numbers have since expanded to such an extent that it is dangerous for motorists to drive on roads at dusk and late at night.
The prolonged drought has probably exacerbated the issue. Producers who cultivate lucerne as fodder for times of need, have to cope with scores of kudu descending on their fields. Producers are not financially able to put deterrents in place to protect their crops.
Contributing to the issue of problem animals is the fact that the Fraserburg, Merweville and Beaufort West areas border the Karoo National Park. The park’s fences are not always well maintained and often do not meet the standard for keeping animals inside. The lion, Sylvester, is one famous park resident that escaped and roamed the area for days.
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, an international project aimed at establishing the biggest radio telescope in the world between Carnarvon and Vanwyksvlei, has led to the purchase of several farms that are no longer inhabited or cultivated. Some of these farms now house breeding colonies of problem animals.
The biggest headache
However, jackals and caracals remain the biggest headache for Karoo cattle producers. While producers go the extra mile and use various techniques to control these pests, little progress has been made and jackal and caracal numbers are on the rise.
The most common strategies to control jackals and caracals are cages and traps, employing the call and shoot method at night, hunting them from helicopters during the daytime, and using trained hunters on foot. Each farm has a different degree of success with each method, and in most cases one of the methods will prove to be unsuccessful.
Some farms do not have jackal-proof fencing, which makes controlling the animals very difficult. Whatever the producer does takes time, energy and hard work, and most of the time these endeavours are not successful, which can be disheartening. Kemp says co-operation and the co-ordinated use of different control methods are essential to at least make some progress.
Producers team up
The Oukloof farming group near Fraserburg has teamed up and is making a concerted effort to get problem animals under control. The group deploys night or professional hunters on all farms simultaneously to control these animals. This prevents animals from simply escaping to other farms where they hide and attack sheep the next day. Jackals that stay on one farm sometimes cause damage on others.
Kemp says livestock producers are serious about sustainable predation management. The NWGA, Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO), SA Mohair, and Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA) established the Predation Management Forum in June 2009, since the challenge of problem animals extends across farm and provincial borders. Co-ordinated control is necessary and must adhere to legislation and be based on scientifically proven methods.
Niel Viljoen, a problem animal specialist, has done a lot of research on problem animals in the Northern Cape and other provinces. He is putting this knowledge to work, offering training courses in the Northern Cape, in collaboration with the NWGA and RPO, so that especially hunters on foot can achieve greater success.
Well versed in animal habits
The knowledge that these hunters and farm workers gain during the courses can be of great value for the livestock producer. Kemp believes that producers can learn a great deal by attending such courses themselves and getting to know the habits and ways of animals.
Hunting jackals and caracals does not involve walking into a shop, buying a gun and ammunition, a device that mimics the jackal’s call, and then heading out into the veld at night. You will be wasting your time and money hunting animals this way and might end up doing more harm than good. Along with growing concerns over problem animals, this is an opportunity for young hunters to receive training and make a career out of controlling these animals.
Kemp says organised agriculture, government and producer organisations need to work more closely to address problems that are out of the producer’s control. At farm level, producers will need to join hands and employ appropriate control methods in a co-ordinated manner to successfully combat the challenge. – Andries Gouws, Stockfarm
For more information, contact Theroux Kemp on 079 566 5653 or email perdegrasvlei@gmail.com.
