Dropper bait tests by R. Harrison-White

About R Harrison – White

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Rob Harrison has been researching wildlife human interaction for the last 7 years. He has focused on predators mostly implicated in the stock loss conflict scenario – namely - the black backed jackal Canis mesomelas, the caracal Felis caracal and the Serval Felis serval.

He lectures on wild life human interaction at several institutions including The Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science , The Pretoria Technicon and the RSA Technicon - as well as giving numerous presentations country wide to farming bodies.

He also presents predator management courses to Nature Conservation personnel.

Rob works in association with The North West Parks and Tourism Board and is currently engaged in radio transmitter work with the above predators in Madikwe Park.

All pictures on this sight is copyrighted and may not be used by anyone for any purpose.

Bat-ear fox about to take dropper bait at 1 m

Dropper tests hanging bait camp 5 – 4X jackal pups 9m. ( 10 jackal now tested including these four)

On Wednesday 5^th June 3 droppers + pieces of meat hanging at 1m were placed approximately 30meters apart in camp No.5 . The droppers were placed on the side of a track which is used by the jackal daily in order to reach the feeding pen and especially by the pups who feed from cubes placed in the track itself.

The adults had been trapped on the night of the 2^nd June and removed leaving the 4 pups of 10 months age.

By Saturday 15 June (11 nights) - the meat had still not been touched by the juvenile jackal. It was also noticed that the jackal were not using the section of the track where the droppers had been positioned and were approaching the feeding pen from another direction!

Bat-ear Fox Taking dropper bait at 1 meter

On Saturday 15 June 2002 – Peter Schneeekluth No1 jackal bait was added to the meat hanging from the droppers at 1m.

Sunday 16 June – baits still not touched.

Monday 17^th June – baits not touched

Tuesday 18^th June – baits not touched – 14^th night

Baits not touched until experiment stopped on 5^th July 2002 when the last pup was trapped – this despite the pups going without food for 8 consecutive nights while they were being baited in the catch pen camp 5. - +/- 5-6weeks.

Tame Jackal (1 of 3) not induced to take bait at 1 m

Comment:

This further backs up the futility of trying to bait jackal with bait hanging from a dropper at 1m off the ground.

10 jackal have now been tested.

Important to note that these jackal are used to my smell and feed on cubes placed in this track in sight of the bakkie.

The droppers have not been approached or tampered with since installation which rules out disturbance and human smell as a deterrent – although the pups are used to researchers scent since birth.

Dropper bait test caracal caught Porcupine trap Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve.

Kept in kennels until 23^rd July 2003 ( caught 24/25 June) – then transferred to camp 2 ( Frank Fouquet and self)

Night 10 August 2003 - Started working with him in camp 2 on– was already coming out before I exited the camp with Kate.

Within 2 days was coming out into red light before I had left the camp.

Night 19 August 2003 - caracal waiting at gate – looks very thin and light. This is the first time that I have managed to have a good look at him. The cat was obviously hugry, brought out by the fact that on the first day that both Kate and I were in the camp before sundown – the cat was showing himself and walking towards us before we had left the camp.

Wednesday 20 August 2003 - bumped the food up dramatically with a large rabbit carcass.

Thursday 21 August 2003 – caracal no longer waiting at gate in evening as he is now most probably bloated from the rabbit the night before BUT he came out immediately I placed a large Zebra leg portion in the camp.

DROPPERS ( two) were set with baits at a meter before Zebra lag placed in camp..

Friday 22 August 2003 – Dropper baits NOT TAKEN despite the caracal being so aggressive over food for the last 9 nights – ie very hungry.

Caracal “dropper” poison bait trial 2-4^th October 2002

Motivation

Certain bodies and organizations like the Poison Working Group of the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the National Woolgrowers Association of SA have over the last two years promoted an alleged jackal specific method of applying poison bait for stock interactive jackal and caracal.

This new method of poison application involves suspending poison bait hanging from a bent dropper by a thin black thread at a height of 1meter from the ground.

It is alleged that because of the height above the ground only jackal will be able to reach the bait thus eliminating non-target animal elimination.

General.

Two male caracal felis caracal ( one adult , one juvenile U1yr) both wild trapped on a game farm approximately 12km outside Bloemhof - were placed in a 1ha holding camp on the 6^th October 2002.

Method.

The caracal wee first habituated to the researcher over a period of +/- 3 weeks so that when meat was placed at night in the camp, the caracal could be observed taking and feeding on the same - from a hide situated on the side of the camp.

Observations were viewed under infrared lighting using night sights and an infrared camera.

On the 1^st October 2002 - three droppers were placed in the camp spaced approximately 10m apart.

Pieces of meat were attached by means of a thin black thread to the droppers so that they dangled 1m from the ground.

Pieces of the same meat were placed in the immediate vicinity of each dropper.

The experiment was repeated on the night of the 2^nd October 2002.

On the night of the 3^rd October 2002 the hanging baits were replaced by a dove – also suspended 1m from the ground.

Results.

The caracal took all the pieces of meat placed under the dropper. There were aggressive interactions between the two caracal over the meat - with the juvenile cat lying on his back and trying to fend off the adult cat until he would finally leave the immediate vicinity.

On one occasion the adult male actively pursued the young male cat to the back of the camp where another “fight” took place over a piece of meat which had been taken by the juvenile cat. These interactions were accompanied by loud hissing and growling.

Although both caracal were attracted to the hanging baits and both spent time sniffing the “air” around the hanging baits whilst trying to locate the same – no hanging baits were removed.

Both caracal located the hanging baits and although staring at the baits from a distance of not more than one meter – they did not attempt to remove the same.

The baits were still hanging untouched on the mornings of the 2^nd and 3^rd October.

Both caracal removed the hanging pigeons from the droppers on the night of the 3^rd – within a few minutes.

Discussion.

The results with these two caracal followed much the same pattern as the previous caracal tested with the same method in September 2002.

It would appear that, although the location of the baits was detected – the caracal did not associate the baits hanging in the air as a food source. This reaction appears to be associated with the “form / shape ” of the food together with the fact that it is hanging in an unnatural position – in mid air.

This interpretation is backed by the almost immediate removal of the food source when the food source is changed to a more recognizable form – namely a pigeon.

The dominance of an individual territorial adult with regard to food source is an important factor with respect to caracal population control options.

Conclusion

The placing / hanging of poison bait suspended from a dropper at 1m from the ground for the attempted elimination caracal Felis caracal - is most unlikely to achieve its objective.

Bat-ear Fox Taking dropper bait at 1 metre

Dropper Poison bait experiment Cape Fox male & female 9 May 2002

Cape Fox taking dropper bait at 1 m

Motivation for research.

This new method of poison application involves suspending poison bait hanging from a bent dropper by a thin black thread at a height of 1meter from the ground – re Dr Gerhard Verdhoorn ( National Geographic Television programme and public literature , magasines) .

It is alleged that because of the height above the ground only jackal will be able to reach the bait thus eliminating non-target animal elimination.

Camp tests with both wild (even as young as 9m) and tame jackal and wild caracal have proved ineffective with this proposed system BUT serval felis serval readily take baits hanging up to 1.2 meters above the ground with this method.

The cape fox is yet another non target species which could be susceptible to this control method.

Method

Three “bent “ droppers (spaced approximately 20 meters apart) and from which dead mice ( one each dropper) was suspended by a thin black thread - were placed in a +/- 1ha holding camp - within which two wild cape foxes Vulpes charma. were being held in captivity.

The experiment was conducted and monitored at night under infra red light using infra red sensitive visual equipment.

Dropper bait mice were suspended at 700cm, 850cm and 1meter heights respectively.

Results

Within 15 minutes all baits had bee removed from the droppers.

The foxes stand on their hind legs and with apparent ease just jump the extra small distance and remove the hanging baits.

The experiment was repeated and the mice baits were lifted to 1.2meters.

The foxes removed the same within 5 minutes by the same procedure.

Comment.

It is likely that any lure or attractant used to bait black backed jackal Canis mesomelas would also attract cape fox.

The apparent ease with which these baits were removed compared with the difficulty encountered by the black backed jackal with the same experiment

( see write up BBJ) is facilitated by the physical differences in size and weight between the two species.

The cape fox appears to have the muscle control, suppleness and ability to stand on his hind legs almost perpendicular to the ground whereas the black back jackal appears awkward in attempting the same coupled with the fact that the jackal does not appear to readily associate a hanging bait as a “reachable “ food item – even tame jackal although looking at and smelling at the hanging baits stopped attempts at reaching the same.

There can be no doubt that “hanging baits” at 1 meter from a dropper to endeavor to poison black backed jackal cannot be species specific.

Both cape fox and serval Felis serval ( refer serval write up) have demonstrated apparent ease and ability to remove suspended “dropper” baits.

Dropper Poison bait experiment Serval 3 July 19- 23 / 2002

Serval taking dropper bait at 1.2 m

Motivation

This new method of poison application involves suspending poison bait hanging from a bent dropper by a thin black thread at a height of 1meter from the ground.

It is alleged that because of the height above the ground only jackal will be able to reach the bait thus eliminating non-target animal elimination.

Camp tests with both wild (even as young as 9m) and tame jackal and wild caracal have proved ineffective with this proposed system BUT cape fox readily take baits hanging up to 1.2 meters above the ground with this method.

The serval is yet another non target species which could be susceptible to this control method.

Darting.

Darted with 70mg Zolitel

8 minutes to lying flat but not totally out – 1hr 10mins to reasonably awake..

Blood taken for FIV,FIP and Feluk.

I get the feeling from the teeth wear that this is an old serval..

Weight 13.5kg – top of the range in Smithers –big cat – lean.

Neck – 26.5cm

UI RHS point broken off – 14mm

LI RHS – 11mm

UI - LHS – 16mm

LI - LHS - 11mm

Body length – front nose to tip tail – 116cm

Moved to camp 2 in the afternoon fro dropper bait tests.

Method.

The serval was first habituated over a period of two weeks to the extent that he would come out from his hiding in camp 2 at night and catch mice and take food placed out for him whilst being observed under infra red light from the hide / tower overlooking the camp..

Night 19^th July 2002.

3 X droppers were placed in the camp spaced at 10 meter intervals in the afternoon.

In the evening each dropper was baited with a piece of meat suspended from the droppers at 1meter height. Pieces of meat – the same size as those placed on the droppers were placed underneath each piece of suspended bait to attract the serval to the droppers.

Results.

The serval approached each dropper and searched for the meat on the ground under the droppers and consumed the same.

Not once did the serval locate the suspended pieces of meat t which at times were hanging no more than 500cm above his head.

Observation was halted at 8.30pm after 1 hour.

Saturday morning 20^th July 2002

All dropper baits taken!! – can you believe that?

Saturday night 20^th July 2002

Droppers were reset and baited with meat as previous night and small pieces of meat were placed on the ground under the hanging baits.

Results

Seval located by scent the pieces of meat on the ground and then reached up standing on his hind legs and took the one piece of meat from the 1^st dropper – he cuffed the meat and pulled it off the second dropper using one paw – and still went back to the first dropper and cuffed and pulled the silver paper off the cotton thread in the same manner.

Case closed.

Night 21^st July 2002

The baits on the 3 droppers were raised to a height of 1.3m.

A cage trap was placed in the camp to pre-bait prior to trapping the serval for release back to the farm in Swart Ruggens where he was initially trapped. Meat was placed in the cage trap close to the open entrance..

Results.

The serval removed all baits suspended from the droppers at 1.3m

The serval entered the cage trap with little hesitation and removed the meat.

Results Tuesday 23 July 2002

Both ewes and both lambs are fine and are standing near the back of the camp near the trees – the area where the serval usually takes cover.

The sheep seemed un- intimidated by the serval presence unlike the incidents with the previous serval tested where the sheep remained at the gate entrance of the camp which is the furthest point from the area where the serval’s usually reside in the camp..

Comment

This control method will highly likely have negative and lethal implications for serval.

Unlike the caracal who had to be “taught” to “feed” from the hanging baits by baiting with a pigeon - the serval located and took the suspended baits on the first night the option was presented to him – and with no lure applied to the meat!!.

Dropper Bait experiment SA Lombard Reserve July 18–29-2002

Motivation

This new method of poison application involves suspending poison bait from a bent dropper by means a thin black thread at a height of 1meter from the ground.

It is alleged that because of the height above the ground only jackal will be able to reach the bait thus avoiding non-target animal elimination.

Camp tests conducted at the SA Lombard Reserve with both wild (even as young as 9m) and tame jackal ( total 10as at 23 July 2002) and wild caracal ( one) have proved ineffective with this proposed system BUT cape fox ( two) Vulpes charma readily take baits hanging up to 1.3 meters above the ground with this method as do serval Felis serval.( one).

The wild jackal population and their area movements are well known on the SA Lombard Nature Reserve ( it is pointless placing bait in areas not frequented by jackal). It is in these highly frequented areas as identified by spoor, night vocalizations and sightings - that the above control option was tested. All sites used were treeless.

19 Jackal were “called in” in a population estimation census in February 2001 – there is no reason to believe that the population has dropped to date July 2002 except it is at this time when the previous years litters will be dispersing.

Vocalizations and spoors indicate a good population of jackal although no population estimates have been attempted thus far 2002.

The cape fox population appears small on the reserve with no sightings in the last 5 years and not more than two spoor sightings.

It is important to note that the jackal on the reserve have not been hunted for at least 15 years and are therefore not under hunting / trapping pressures usually associated with jackal living on farmland.

Therefore their exposure to control methods and lures used on farmland is minimal and would only occur when with jackal Groups whose territories extend outside the reserve boundaries. Jackal Group 3 and to a lesser extent jackal Group 1 may have some exposure to poison bait application with Kuretterr and Temik used in attempted control on certain farms bordering the reserve. To my knowledge no lures are used on these farms.

Method

On the afternoon of the 18^th July 2002 droppers were placed out with plain meat as bait - suspended at 1m exactly from the ground – at six selected jackal active sites see map-source map attached.

All sites 1-6 were chosen for easy identification of spoors in the sand / ground close to the droppers.

Site 1 – a crossroad with 2 jackal fecal marking spots - 4 droppers at approximately 20 meters apart – spoor located in vicinity – represented by jackal Group 1 identified by vocalizations...

Site 2 - crossroad – 2km from site 1 – two droppers +/- 20 meters apart – spoor located in vicinity and most probably represented by jackal group 1 territory..

Site 3 – intersection with road to water point – 2 droppers, +/- 20meters apart – spoor located – 1.1km from site 2 and 3.1km from site1 and presumed to most probably be another jackal territory – jackal group X.

Site 4 - 3 droppers at crossroad - North of the “stad” and presumed in another jackal territory ( Group 2) identified from vocalization and spoor. This site is 1.9km from the closest dropper at site 1 ( Group 1 territory)

Site 5 – 2 droppers - at crossroad 3.5 km from dropper 4 and presumed Jackal Group 3 as identified by vocalization, sightings and spoor.- also close to jackal “breeding” hole.

Site 6 – 2 droppers on grass track – 2.1 km from site 5 but near water point and presumed in the territory of Group 3

Despite the extremely windy conditions in the early evening – jackal vocalizations were heard in the vicinity of all sites before 21.00hrs. The wind dropped during the night at approximately 12.30 am – calling tempo was good throughout the night – temp: minus 4 at lowest.

Results morning of the 19^th July 2002

All baits untouched except one bait at site 3 which looked like it had fallen from the thread - the loop holding the pin through which the meat is threaded was intact.

Fresh spoor was detected in the close vicinity of hanging baits ( within 5 meters and closer at site 1) at :

Site 1, Site 2, site 3, site 4 and site 5 ( Site 6 is on a grass track).

A single jackal was seen close to Site 5 in the morning and close to Site 6 in the late afternoon.

Filming was done at site 1 in the morning to explain the procedure

Late Afternoon 19^th July 2002.

Another dropper was added at site 2 and at site 4.

All baits were “scented “ with Peter Schneekluth lures as follows:

Site 1 – 4 baits - Schneekluth No 1,2,3,4.

Site 2 - 3 baits – Schneekluth No1,2,3.

Site 3 – 2 baits – Schneekluth No1,2.

Site 4 – 4 baits - Schneekluth No1,2,3,4.

Site 5 – 2 baits – Schneekluth No1,2.

Site 6 – 2 baits – Schneekluth No1,2.

Results morning 20^th July 2002.

No baits had been removed BUT jackal had passed within a few meters of most droppers. There was spoor close to all droppers except at site 3 where there are several paths leading to the water hole - and of course site 6 (grass track) but jackal calling heard in this vicinity in the evening.

It is apparent that the activity of placing the “lures” on the baits at +/-5pm the previous night and the filming around site 1 in the morning had no effect on jackal movements around the droppers – on the contrary site 1 ,2,and 5 had more than two jackal passing – as evidenced by spoor.

It could be plainly seen from spoors how two jackal at site 1 circumnavigated one of the droppers merely by changing path to the other side of the road from approximately 10 meters from the dropper to approximately 8 meters the other side when the same side of the track was rejoined.

At site 5 a jackal approached to almost under the hanging bait ( spoor) but still failed to remove the same.

All baits were left untouched by the researcher but filming was done at site1 and site 5.

Results morning 21^st July 2002.

None of the 17 dropper baits had been removed.

Jackal spoor was found within 3-10 meters of baited droppers at all bait sites except site 6 (grass track) but calling was heard from this vicinity during the night.

At site 1 where stones had been placed on the road for filming purposes the previous day to illustrate the jackal circumnavigation of this dropper – no spoor was found close to this particular dropper ( spoor at 15meters) but spoor was located close to the other 3 droppers in the immediate vicinity.

Jackal spoor was located close ( 1.5m) to the dropper at Site 5 where extensive filming took place yesterday!!.

All droppers were left untouched and were not checked late afternoon.

Results morning 22^nd July 2002 – 4^th night

Two baits at site 4 and one bait at site 5 were removed.

Jackal spoors were seen in the vicinity of the droppers at site 1& 2 (right up to dropper).

Jackal spoor appeared to bypass the dropper at site 1 (where stones had been placed to indicate the jackals circumnavigation of this dropper) by leaving the track approximately 20 meters before the dropper – heading into the veldt - and rejoining the track approximately 15 meters the other side.

No jackal spoors were observed at site 3,4 or 6 ( grass track) but bird ( site 4,5) and porcupine spoor ( site 4) were associated with the removed baits.

One jackal was seen about 50 meters from site 5.

Removed Baits

Porcupine and Koran / crow spoors were seen at the removed baits droppers at site 4 and Koran/ crow spoor was seen under removed bait at site 5.

There were no jackal spore near these droppers although at site 5 jackal spoor was found approximately 20 meters from the removed bait.

Bait renewal afternoon 22^nd July 2002.

It was thought that one of the reasons that the jackal might not be taking the bait was the fact that human hands had touched the bait.

It was then decided to replaced the baits with “untouched “ Peter Schneekluth No1 lure scented “wool baits”

Method

A small piece of wool and skin was removed from a carcass and threaded onto a small brazing rod skewer of approximately 4cm length. The wool was further secured to the brazing rod using one strand of thin black thread - the open end of which was used to tie the bait onto the droppers.

The wool / skin was then dipped into a pre heated Peter Schneekluth No1 lure mixture and the soaked piece of wool / skin was then removed holding the thread - without further touching with bait. The baits so made were attached to the droppers.

In the afternoon of the 22^nd July all 17 dropper baits were changed with untouched “wool” baits soaked in Peter Schneekluth No1 lure as described above..

Many crows ( +/- 20) were seen perched close to site 4 and site 5.

Results 23^rd July 2002. – 1^st night “untouched bait” – 5^th night baits.

No baits had been removed at any droppers.

Jackal spoors were found at a distance varying between 2-8 meters

( minimal distance) from the droppers at all sites except site 6 (grass track) – including site 3,4 where no spoor was found the previous day.

At site 1 & 2 jackal past by certain droppers on the other side of the track.

At the “stone” dropper at site 1 the jackal appeared to circumnavigate the dropper by going into the grass veldt approximately 10 meters from the dropper and rejoining the track about 20 meters further on – despite the stones having been removed!1.

At site 3 - jackal spoor was found within 6 meters of the dropper.

At site 4 - spoor was found sporadically but within 12 meters of certain droppers – the jackal do not appear to use the track here as the veldt grass is extremely short. Porcupine / bird spoor was again associated with site 4.

At site 5 spoor was found within 2 meters of the one dropper.

Results Wednesday 24^th July 2002 – 2^nd night “untouched baits”- 6^th night overall baits.

One bait was removed at site 5 – the same bait as the previous time20th? - But no jackal spoor present near this dropper – bird spoor present around the dropper ( Koran,crow,kivet Gfowl??).

Jackal spoor was found at site 1 2&5 ( site 6 = grass site)

Two jackal seen within 200 meters of site 6.

At site one jackal spoor was close to ( on the other side of the track) two droppers . At the “stone” dropper the jackal leaves the track into the veldt at approximately 20 meters from the dropper – to come back to the track at about the same distance from the dropper once circumnavigated.

The jackal have also started to avoid the crossroad and are using a side track to by pass the same.

At site 2 – jackal spoor within 1.5 meters from the one dropper and also cape fox spoor ?? present crossing the road and near the dropper.

Site 3 – no spoor

Site 4 – only porcupine , hare and spring hare spoor.

Site 5 - jackal spoor close to the one dropper but bait not taken –hare ,spring hare and bird spoor present.

Site 6 – grass track but jackal heard calling from this area in the night and two jackal seen within 200 meters of the baits on the morning drive.

Very windy in the afternoon

Removed Bait at site 5 was not replaced

Results Thursday morning 25^th July 2002.

Site 1 - Jackal spoor only found at site1 and close to only one dropper . The jackal have started to by pass the crossroad altogether.

Site 2 – just the cape fox spoor.

Site 3 – one bait removed but only bird spoor under the dropper and bird feces.

Site 4 – one bait removed - only porcupine and bird spoor in the area.

Site 5 – no jackal spoor

Site 6 grass track but jackal heard (2) calling in this immediate vicinity during the night.

3 X new droppers with plain meat were erected at site 1b – close to an intersection (approx1km) near site 1 where jackal spoor is present.

Suricates were also seen close to this site on the morning drive and appear to be residing in holes near this site.

Bait at 300cm and 600cm were set close to the suricate holes to test their response to the hanging bait.

One bait was set at 900 at the road intersection itself where jackal spoor was found.

Removed baits at site 3 and 5 were replaced with meat baits at 900cm

Game Capture Team ( Nico Roux) arrived in morning and built camp in bush near site 6.

Helicopter flying in afternoon trying to catch Red Hartebeest and Black Wildebeest – mainly flying close to site1 & 6

Results Friday morning. 26 July 2002.

No jackal spoor at any site.

Cape fox spoor at site 2.

Suricate and yellow mongoose spoor at site 1b right under hanging baits at 300cm and 600cm.

Jackal heard calling close to site 6 in the evening.

Strong wind picked up at approximately midnight.

Results Saturday morning 27^th July 2002.

Site 1 -jackal spoor but not within 20 meters of any dropper. – jackal still going around “stone” dropper through the veldt but track is still used.

Site 1b – jackal spoor approximately 10 meters from the 900cm bait.

Mongoose and suricate spoor under low baits at 300cm and 600cm.

Site 2 Cape fox spoor across the road and yellow mongoose spoor under the one dropper – looks like the mongoose had attempted to take the bait by standing on his hind-legs as a lot of disturbance under the bait.

Site 4 ,5,6 not checked as a result of the game capture.

Strong wind from last night 12pm right through the day.

Helicopter flying mainly late afternoon over site 4,5,6 and game count executed in the early afternoon .

Results Sunday morning 28^th July 2002

No bait removal.

Site 1 – jackal spoor within 15 meters of the “stone” dropper but jackal not passing the dropper on the track but still circumnavigating through the veldt.

Site 1b – Both yellow mongoose and suricates seen at the den entances close to the dropper baits hanging at 300 and 600cm.

Jackal spoor within 3 meters of the 900cm bait but the jackal is circumnavigating the dropper by going through the veldt and is not using the road in the immediate vicinity of the dropper.

Yellow mongoose and suricate spoor under the hanging baits at 300 and 600cm A lot of activity yellow mongoose under the 300cm hanging bait.

Site 2 – no spoor

Site 3 – no spoor

Site 4 – jackal and porcupine spoor

Site 5 - no spoor

Site 6 – no bait removal.

In afternoon:

· fresh meat baits on the two droppers at 1b – close to the suricate / yellow mongoose holes. The 600cm bait was lowered to 200cm.

· A piece of fresh meat was also placed on the ground at both sites as well as some P. Schneekluth bait nos 1.

· A piece of fresh meat and P.Schneekluth bait No1 was also placed on the ground under the 900cm dropper at 1b.

· P.Schneekluth lure No2 and 3 were placed on earbuds approximately 30meters apart and 30 meters from the crossroad at 1b.

· P.Schneekluth bait No1.2.3 were placed on earbuds approximately 20 meters apart close to site1 and a small piece of meat placed close to the one earbud on the ground

Results Monday morning 29^th July 2002.( 7^th night PS No1 lure “untouched baits and 11^th day total hanging baits( from the 18^th July) .)

Meat bait ( no lure applied) at site 5 taken – 3^rd time here – no jackal spoor but bird spoor.

Site 1 - No spoor either near to dropper s or PSchneekluth ( PS) 1,2,3 earbuds.

Site 1b – jackal & cape fox spoor at intersection dropper ( 900cm) – meat and PS1 bait gone from ground – bird spoor present.

No meat or PS 1 bait taken at dropper sites close to suricate / mongoose holes – either on the ground or hanging but suricate spoor present at the ground baits.

Site 2 – jackal spoor within 1.5 meters of dropper

Site 3 – jackal spoor within 1.5 meters of dropper.

Site 4 – jackal spoor within 5 meters of the one dropper – porcupine, gfowl and spring hare spoor present.

Stones indicate Jacal spoor where it avoided the dropper bait!

Site 5 – meat bait taken at one dropper ( bird spoor) - jackal spoor present at intersection and within 3 meters of other dropper.

Site 6 – no bait taken.

Two jackal seen between site 5 and site 6.

This is the 7^th night that the P.Schneekluth No 1 lure “untouched” baits have hung from the droppers at a meter high.

The experiment was stopped.

Dropper baits were removed and certain droppers were removed at some sites and placed at new sites in the SA Lombard reserve for use after one month . It is hoped that the jackal will get used to the droppers during the following 30 days when the experiment, using a different lure mixture, will be retested.

Comment

It must be remembered that these jackal have not been persecuted / controlled in the reserve for at least 15 years and are only exposed to control options like poison bait on excursions into the neighboring farmland. They are therefore not exposed to the heavy persecution that jackal who are living on farmland - particularly extensive sheep farming - would encounter.

It would therefore be expected that their resistance to control options would be less due to the lack of contact with control options.

Yet despite this factor and despite walking in the close vicinity of the dropper baits they would not readily take the hanging bait.

It must also be remembered that at this time of year ( July) – when the temperatures drop to below minus 7 and are regularly below zero – that food items like insects, fruit and mice would be at a minimum.

Adult territorial jackal are also highly aggressive at this time and pair bonds are at their strongest - as a result of the females coming into estrus.

Thus one would expect many young jackal dispersals, which with the minimal food supply would logically increase the chances of bait removal.

It would appear that the jackal are avoiding the baits for two main reasons:

· A piece of meat hanging in the air at 1meter is most un-natural and the jackal physical ability does not allow easy removal at this height( RHW camp tests SA Lombard)

· The dropper are foreign objects in the jackals territory and jackal are extremely aware and wary of “new” objects in their territory.

This is evidenced by the jackals reactions at all dropper site baring site 6 and particularly where spoor can be seen to circumnavigate the droppers ( site1)

It may be advantageous to place droppers out in selected sites to get the jackal used to the mechanism – however it must be remembered that just the change in adding a thread with a piece of meat will most probably be enough to compromise any bait removal.

It has not been researched as to how long the bait must hang from the dropper before a jackal would become oblivious enough to remove it but time constraints when using poison baits would compromise both the effectivity and species selectivity of poison application:

· The poison will be broken down by both bacterial and climatic conditions ( sun ,rain, heat ) - rendering sub-lethal dosages and establishing resistance in the target species..

· The longer the bait hangs the more chance that a non – target species would be targeted ( cape fox ,serval, bat ear ( RHW SAL research)

· Animals ( including birds) may also interfere with the bait causing it to fall to the ground and thereby making it readily available to many more species who may not have been able to reach the poison bait suspended at a height of 1 meter ( Ratel- K.Begg).

Interesting that jackal movements appeared to be yet again unaffected by the movements of the researcher and field ranger ( 20^th July) in the vicinity of the droppers but movement was compromised by the placing of small stones close to the one dropper at site 1.

With reference to the night of the 21^st when 2 baits at site 4 and one at site 5 were removed most probably by birds / crows and possibly porcupine ( spoor site 4) it must be noted that the baits were not placed under trees. This would exemplify a more practical approach associated with farming in areas where trees are scarce ( Karoo). It must also be pointed out that bait sites are primarily governed by jackal movements and not by the attributes of the site itself although this would be secondary.

Of great significance is the fact that these baits were removed by non target animals other than those already tested namely cape fox and serval.

On the 22^nd – the application of “untouched “ baits dipped in Peter Schneekluth No1 lure , did not encourage bait removal nor did it appear to compromise jackal movement.

On the 25th 26^th 27th and 28^th jackal movements most probably compromised by the unusual low helicopter flying / disturbance over the reserve particularly – site 1,site 4 and site 5 and site 6.

The excessive yellow mongoose spoor under the baits at site 1b and 2 on the 27^th and 28^th would indicate great interest in the hanging baits. However these meat baits are quite hard ( placed out on the afternoon of the 26^th) and it is possible that the mongoose cannot manage to retrieve the hanging bait which would swing on contact.

The circumnavigation by the jackal of the 900cm hanging bait at site1b on the 28^th shows once again the suspicious reaction of the jackal to the “new” item on the road. On the 26^th spoor was found leading from the main road to the intersecting road. Spoor was still present on both roads but the intersection area around the dropper itself was avoided.

On the 29^th –

The meat bait removal at site 5 from the one dropper was not by a jackal and this represents the 3^rd bait removed from this dropper over the last 11 days.

There was also no jackal spoor present at the intersection dropper at site 1b where the meat and PSN01 bait had been placed on the ground under the dropper – both of which had been removed. Bird spoor was present which would point to this source of removal.

The suricata and the yellow mongoose do not appear to be interested in the fresh meat pieces placed on the gound under the two droppers close to their holes. It was thought the yellow mongoose and suricata ( from the spoor on the morning of the 28^th) had been unable to feed on the hanging baits as they would swing on contact – however the result on the morning of the 29^th dispels this standpoint.

It must be noted that a jackal had past within 6 meters of these low hanging meat baits and the baits on the ground but had made no attempt to remove them

After 11 days of testing the dropper hanging bait method as propagated by the poison group of the EWT as a solution to problem jackal control in the SA Lombard Reserve Bloemhof - not one attempted bait removal was secured by a jackal.

Up to 20 baits were used in 7 different localities of high jackal movement on the 36000ha reserve.

Both plain meat baits( one day) , meat baits scented with Peter schneekluth No 1,2,3,4 lures ( 3 nights) as well as sheep wool soaked in Peter Schneekluth No 1 lure were used( 7 nights).

A total of 6 bait removals were secured from non target bird species and possibly a porcupine.

Jackal spoor was present at most of the bait sites on each day although some sites showed no jackal spoor in the immediate vicinity of the baits on certain days.

The continued presence of spoor at all sites throughout the testing would indicate minimal disturbance from the researcher.

The visible avoidance of the individual droppers by most jackal passing by on the other side of the track would indicate resistance to the dropper and or the hanging bait. Only one hanging bait was investigated right up to the bait itself – at site 5.

Taking into account that these jackal have not been exposed to any control measures within the park for approximately 15 years and that these jackal in the SA Lombard Nature reserve could be expected to have less resistance to jackal that are continually pressured with control measures on farmland this control option has minimal chance of success in practice.