Animal Population Management Database

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Since 1998, our scouts have been issued with a GPS and a set of books specially designed to record sightings of wildlife and other related events that they encounter during their patrols.

Records include sightings of rhinos and other wildlife; the size and age and sex structure of herds; mortalities and their causes; movements of wildlife into and out of the reserve; raptor and vulture nests; insect outbreaks; quelea nesting colonies; fence breaks; and poaching activity. Each record has an associated GPS co-ordinate.

Books are collected at monthly intervals and the data is captured by research technicians into a specially constructed Animal Population Management Database (APMD). Records of game introductions and translocations are also stored in the APMD. Our managers can access the information and use custom-built queries to draft reports.

The APMD is in the process of being integrated with Quantum GIS so that maps showing the spatial distribution of queried events can be automatically displayed. Information extracted from the APMD has been used to explain trends in wildlife populations and guide management decisions.