Vincent Shacks

Okavango Crocodile Monitoring Programme

Hatching of crocodiles at a wild nest.

Adult crocodile caught in a box trap.

The Okavango Crocodile Monitoring programme aims to fill the common gap between scientific research and conservation management at ground level. The programmes main objectives are taken from a management plan drawn up by the Okavango Crocodile Research Project (2002-2006).

The aim is to carry out all of the follow-up objectives of the research project as well as to begin training in monitoring of the population. This will be done by setting up a monitoring system for the local wildlife department. Sustainable utilization practices such as crocodile farming and hunting, require that effective monitoring take place alongside these activities. Local wildlife departments require training in these monitoring practices in order for trends to be established and quotas to be adjusted.

The project also wishes to answer new research questions for the area including those on baseline contaminant levels in crocodiles. This project will look at the levels of pesticides and other heavy metals in crocodile tissue to assess baseline levels and also assess whether these metals are acting as endocrine disruptors in breeding adults.

Pesticides such as DDT were used in the past for the control of Tsetse flies and it is believed that increasing agricultural activity in Namibia and Angola may also lead to increased pesticide use along the catchment of the Okavango river.

Nesting habitat in the Okavango River (Panhandle) is vulnerable to human disturbances. Nest numbers in the panhandle have decreased significantly since the 1980's and this is primarily due to irresponsible crocodile farming activities and increasing human populations along the panhandle.

The programme aims to assist crocodile farms with release programmes and educate surrounding communities on the importance of crocodiles for the system.

For more information contact vshacks@gmail.com

Project Update: November 2008

The last three months have seen the OCMP grow into a useful and reputable programme for the region. The team completed a full spotlight survey of the Okavango River in 6 nights, covering a total area of 265km at night. The results from the survey were encouraging and showed that the population numbers are still stable along this stretch of river.

The OCMP were also asked by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) to devise a release programme for the farmed reared animals at the Krokovango crocodile farm. The farm have collected eggs from the wild for the past three seasons and have now begun the process of releasing 5% of their collected stock. 88 crocodiles of approximately 1.3 meters in length were released at specifically designated sites. Each crocodile was marked, measured and genetic samples were kept for future reference.

The monitoring team plan to carry out recapture sessions and attempt to assess movement and body condition change in these released animals. This release is the first of its kind in Botswana and a major step in the right direction for crocodile ranching in Southern Africa.

Final Report

Below is the final report of the Okavango Crocodile Monitoring Programme for the period of March 2008 - March 2009. Vince says "As the first year of the project we were very pleased with our progress as a monitoring programme. The Department of Wildlife in Botswana have shown great responses to our work and attempts to collaborate with them. Among the goals achieved we were very pleased to be part of the first ever release of farm raised crocodiles into the wild as part of our sustainable utilisattion scheme. We are also pleased to announce the start of a very intensive PhD study on Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs) in Crocodiles of the Okavango".

Read about the activities undertaken and findings of this project in the final report below.

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