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Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH)

Senseless jackal slaughter by SANPARKS in SA

8/27/2016

18 Comments

 
Picture
​        Massacre of jackals by scientists in SA National parks
 
In 2010 SANPARKS culled over 300 jackals in three National Parks in what was the largest massacre of a wild predator species ever executed in South Africa. They believed (wrongly, as it turned out) that jackals were causing the reduction of springbok populations in the parks.
 
Following the cull in the Karoo National Park, SANPARKS discarded 132 jackal carcasses without any scientific investigation.
 
They then released 2500 springbok into the Karoo National Park.
 
Despite the horrific jackal slaughter, see photo of jackal heads above, a count of the springbok population a mere 6 months after their release, showed that an estimated 2000 springbok had died. Clearly, SANPARKS had misinterpreted the reason for the decline in the number of Springbok.
 
Unwilling or unable to accept that the jackal cull had been a ghastly mistake, SANPARKS and NMMU scientists Graham Kerley, L, Minnie and G. Gaylard went ahead and once again decided to massacre more than  300 jackals in the three national parks between 2011 and 2013.
 
To make this whole wasted exercise worse, the authors then published a paper with the Journal of Applied Ecology London, where they sought to analyse the difference between age group structures of the jackals massacred in the three parks, where ‘they had not been persecuted previously’, and those animals on farmland, where they are continually persecuted.
 
The 2010 massacre would have vitiated the findings, since thereafter, the few surviving parks jackals could hardly be put forward as ‘un-persecuted.’  So, the authors dealt with this inconvenient truth by ignoring it.  Unbelievably, the authors decided not to disclose the 2010 jackal massacres in their paper.
 
So 600 jackals were slaughtered for no good scientific reason, other than to produce a tendentious, unscientific and flawed paper. This worthless paper was then published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, giving it an unmerited credibility.
 
Despite demand by concerned conservationists, researchers and scientists, the Journal has failed to withdraw the paper and publish an apology.

Complain to:

Prof Andrew Leitch, NMMU, Port Elizabeth Andrew.Leitch@nmmu.ac.za
​

Dr Erika Newton, Editor, Journal of Applied Ecology. Erika@britishecologicalsociety.org


18 Comments
Sean parry
8/27/2016 05:36:10 am

Why? How backward you are.

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Anjelica Lewis
8/27/2016 05:55:07 am

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Hein Fourie
8/27/2016 06:45:25 am

I actually find this article as a cry for attention. We are currently in 2016 and by the looks of it, Dr Erika, you couldn't find the response that you wanted from the authorities that you complained at.

I can fully promise you that there was clear scientific proof for the culling, or massacre as you say, of these jackals. SAN Parks do extensive research before deciding in a culling like this.

A 2 minute Google search revealed all documentation and scientific research done on this specific culling in 2010 and the ongoing management of small predators in all national parks lacking large predators.

Writing an article of this caliber without your proof of your findings and research is nothing more than hateful speech.

But I can't expect much more from a foreign desk jockey like yourself to understand or even comprehend the management of of our national parks.

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Rob Harrison White
8/27/2016 08:54:55 pm

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Sarah
8/27/2016 08:59:15 pm

Let nature take care of itself, you dumb twat.

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Peter Apps
7/21/2019 03:32:08 am

As soon as fences go up and artificial water points are provided nature is no longer the sole caretaker and wildlife populations sometimes have to be managed.

GPC
8/28/2016 08:35:35 am

How arrogant to think the "extensive research" is not imperfect. Don't screw with Mother Nature lest you eventually suffer the consequences. Mass killings are not acceptable. Predator haters abound - hunters under the guise of "CONServationists".

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Carla de vries
8/27/2016 07:39:50 am

I can't believe this.once more this proves the stupidity of people

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Pallas Photos
8/27/2016 01:25:20 pm

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BARBARA BAKER
8/27/2016 01:38:27 pm

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Rob Harrison White
8/27/2016 09:04:29 pm

Actually Hein Fourie you are mistaken as I did the research on the outcomes of the cull with respect to the springbok demise in the Karoo - and the failure with respect to "saving" the springbok population was not disclosed by SANPARKS. In addition an in house document from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's own science Dept. also suggested that there should be no culling until at least a baseline data set was obtained on the jackal - springbok conflict premise. Coupled with this there is no getting away from the fact that the authors and SANPARKS were untruthful to the public of SA as well as the publishing journal - and which ever way you look at that - its not good!!

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Denine Mishoe
8/27/2016 11:08:52 pm

FINALLY someone speaks the TRUTH!! Thank You Sir! As someone above stated, I did the 2 minute google search and found quite a bit more than they seemed to because I came away with the fact that SansPark basically DID murdered those jackals and then swept their mistake under the rug and only published what made them look good; which was nothing about the first killings! What's next? Lions? Elephants? Rhinos? SHAME ON YOU!

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Hein Fourie
8/29/2016 04:01:46 am

Rob, thanks for the information. I will give you a call later today. I should not have engaged on a public platform with to many "office conservationists" able to quickly write a chirp.

Reply
Linda Park
8/27/2016 11:39:34 pm

This is a stinging indictment on so many "research" projects that have no basis other than a means to obtain grant money.
Both these fools should not be allowed to publish anything ever again except an acknowledgement that they lied and covered up. 600 Jackal murdered and still the Springbok are not surviving! What is next in your firing line? Truly disgusting.

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Eileen Christensen
8/28/2016 10:17:54 am

Jackals are part of the balance of Nature. Killing them disrupts the balance, leading to overpopulation of one or more other species.

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Beatric
8/28/2016 12:35:42 pm

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Ashleigh Olsen link
8/28/2016 01:41:07 pm

Jackals are persecuted across the countries farmlands as 'vermon'. They deserve to be protected in 'protected areas. This is an archaic and brutal killing of these animals and what purpose did it serve? SANParks is also responsible for killing get more baboons here in the Cape Peninsula than any other cause. You are meant to be protecting our wildlife not killing it. The public does not support this, wake up SANPARKS. If they say they need to control small predator numbers since the large predators have been taken out....can they not see how the balance is messed up by ignorant interference. Why not restore the ecosystem by reintroducing natural predators to the jackal.

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Christian B Poirier
8/28/2016 07:54:12 pm

" Innocent Animals " ............

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