Assessing the outcomes and consequences of large carnivore reintroductions to the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Banasiak, Natalia Matgorzata
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Carnivores -- Reintroduction , Wildlife reintroduction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/11963 , vital:27011
- Description: Reintroduction is a potentially powerful tool available to conservationists to cope with species population declines. Nonetheless, it is poorly understood and past reviews tend to indicate poor results. Reintroduction, under the sensu stricto IUCN definition, must have a primary objective of conservation; however species can be released to sites in their indigenous range (reintroduction sensu lato) to meet other objectives. The outcomes of these reintroductions s.l need to be assessed to determine how effectively they achieve their varied objectives. A Web of Science review revealed that only 32.1% of 131 publications on reintroduction provided clearly defined success criteria. Using economic, ecological, conservation and problem animal management objectives as reintroduction s.l. drivers, I developed context-dependent success definitions for each objective to use in reintroduction outcome assessments. These success criteria were then used to assess the reintroductions s.l. of large carnivores, namely lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyaena, and brown hyaena, to 16 private- and state-owned reserves in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Ecotourism and ecological restoration were the most common objectives for the reintroduction of top predators to these reserves. Overall the reintroductions of large carnivores have been successful in meeting their objectives. Only African wild dogs have failed to establish in the province. Causes of objective-specific failures for the other species in some reserves included introductions of same-sex populations, lack of breeding events and changes in reserve management objectives. Assessments for leopard and brown hyaena were inconclusive due to lack of monitoring data. The reintroduction of large carnivores to the Eastern Cape Province has also resulted in the emergence of human-carnivore conflict on neighbouring properties. Carnivores have reportedly escaped from 8 reserves (61.5% of reserves) in the Eastern Cape. A total of 75 conflict events on 68 neighbouring properties (36.7% of neighbouring properties) have been reported. There is a major gap in research around conflict resulting from carnivore reintroductions and future research is required to fully understand the situation in the province in order to develop effective mitigation methods. An adaptive management approach to reintroductions is encouraged to improve monitoring and ensure reintroductions continue to meet their objectives. Furthermore, emerging consequences, such as human-wildlife conflict, and related mitigation strategies should be incorporated into management of reintroduced populations. Communities surrounding reintroduction sites should be educated on lifting baselines where conflict-causing species are recovering to ensure continued success of reintroduction undertakings. National management plans should be developed for all large carnivore species to improve the conservation value of small, fenced reserves that are typical of South African conservation, through a managed metapopulation approach. Management plans should include social, political, and economic factors that can influence the success of reintroductions and ultimate conservation outcomes.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Leading strategic change: driving the transformation in the provision of legal services to the Eastern Cape Provincial government
- Authors: Beningfield, Perry Guy
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Politics and government Legal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Organizational change Strategic planning Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:755 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003876
- Description: Effective change leadership is important to any organisation undergoing fundamental transformation. In particular, the ability of senior public sector leaders to successfully drive strategic change is crucial to meeting the developmental and service delivery challenges faced by the Province of the Eastern Cape in ensuring the effective, efficient and innovative government demanded by all its various stakeholders. The creation on 3 October of a Shared Legal Service situated in the Office of the Premier provided a unique opportunity to examine the leadership of this change initiative in the context of the organisational culture that existed in the provincial public service. This thesis consequently probes the phenomenon of effective change leadership by means of an examination of the understandings of the three change agents involved in driving the transformation of the provision of legal advisory services to the provincial administration and its constituent departments. The picture which emerges from the insights of the participants is one that casts a shadow over the validity of the contemporary theory of transformational leadership. Furthermore, the research conducted has identified the need to view the nature of effective change leadership through a more nuanced, situation-specific lens: one that appreciates the role of relationships and emotions, and that recognises the importance of culture and its impact on the success of organisational transformation. The case study of the Shared Legal Service change initiative provides useful insights into the many and varied challenges faced by public sector leaders in driving strategic transformation in the provincial administration. It offers an example of successful change leadership and demonstrates the need for change agents within the public service to harness more emotionally resonant and relational forms of leadership if they are to soar to new heights in meeting the service delivery expectations of all who look to provincial government to deliver the fruits of democracy.
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- Date Issued: 2006