All the wildlife ranches need to be equipped with a full range of suitable, well-maintained vehicles.
Ground vehicles
4 4 Wheel drive vehicles will be able to navigate through most of the terrain present on the game reserve
A variety of vehicles are needed on a multi-purpose ranch for all the different tasks. The objectives of the ranch will determine what type and how many vehicles are necessary. But the following should be available on a ranch:
• A light two-or four-wheel-drive truck, depending on the terrain, is used for general ranch work.
• A well-equipped and preferably four-wheel-drive hunting vehicle that complies with the following specifications and has equipment in excellent conditions as listed below:
The vehicle should be well maintained, appropriate to and suitable for the terrain, and be able to move as silently as possible. Avoid rattling vehicles at all costs because this creates an unfavourable impression on any visitor.
The box section should be fitted with comfortable seats.
Provision should be made for the safe transport of the clients, firearms, binoculars, photographic and hunting equipment, and supplies.
An electric winch mounted on the vehicle is recommended to ease the loading of animals. It is also handy should the vehicle get stuck.
A large canvas sheet is necessary for loading and covering trophy animals.
A complete toolkit for doing all minor repairs in the field.
Two-way radio and/or Cell phone.
Maps of the area.
Global positioning systems (GPS) equipment.
Provision, a fire extinguisher and a well-equipped first-aid kit.
• A tractor with a flatbed trailer with sides that can drop to ease the loading and offloading of material.
• A large truck can also be used to transport animals.
• A road grader, a bulldozer or a front-end loader.
• A grass slasher for clearing roads, road shoulders and airstrips.
• A motorcycle and bicycles for general patrolling.
A tractor with a flatbed trailer can be very useful for transporting things
The use of four-wheel-drive vehicles will ensure that rugged and remote areas can be reached. This is especially convenient when trophy animals are hunted that would normally have to be carried with great care and difficulty over rugged terrain. To ensure that all the vehicles on a wildlife ranch remain in good working order, they should be inspected daily and serviced regularly.
In remote areas where workshops and spare parts are scarce, a stock of spare parts for essential repairs must be kept in supply. The following general spare parts and equipment are also recommended per vehicle:
The recommended spare parts and equipment which should be kept in each vehicle on a game ranch in case of emergency.
| Recommended Spare Parts and Equipment per Vehicle |
| A jack and jack handle. |
| A plank of 1 m x 0.3 m to use as a jack base in sand and mud. |
| A set of spanners, pliers, screwdrivers and files. |
| A wheel pump. |
| Jumper cables. |
| Spark plugs and a spark plug spanner. |
| A wheel spanner for wheel nuts, and tyre levers for removing the tyre. |
| A heavy hummer. |
| A saw for wood and metal. |
| Soldering equipment and material. |
| Assorted bolts, nuts, and flat and spring washers. |
| Assorted self-trapping screws. |
| Assorted electric wire ends and connectors. |
| Electric cord, insulation tape and masking tape. |
| Extra tubes, patches and solution for repairing a flat tyre. |
| Preferably two complete spare wheels. |
| An axe. |
| A spade. |
| A spare distributor, condenser, fuel pump, fan belt, fuel pipe, brake fluid, fuses, globes, clamps, radiator hoses and a radiator cap. |
| An inspection lamp and torch with fully charged batteries. |
| Fuel and oil filters. |
| Battery acid. |
| Spare fuel, a hose of 3 m length and a filtered fuel funnel. |
| Spare water and oil. |
| A tow rope or tow bar. |
| Water for the vehicle. |
| Water for human consumption is kept and used separately from that kept for the vehicle. |
| Binding wire of 2.0 mm thickness. |
| A pair of fire-resistant gloves. |
| A fire extinguisher. |
The four-wheel drive will not always be used, but it is very useful in sandy and muddy terrains. The wheel pressure can be reduced to 1 BAR in sandy areas, so that road traction is improved. Before driving through water, mud or deep sand, the road should be inspected first, even when driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle. It is strongly recommended that a vehicle should have a permanent two-way radio or cell phone. This is very valuable in crises.
Aircraft
Aerial game counts from a helicopter Pilansberg wildlife Trust
Aircrafts have an important role to play in modern wildlife management. These include unmanned drones and manned aircraft. The following situations usually apply:
Aerial game census
Helicopters are preferred instead of fixed-wing aeroplanes in the savanna areas of southern Africa. A fixed-wing aircraft can be used to count dark-coloured animals, like the African savanna buffalo, the black rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros, because they contrast well with their environment. A microlight aircraft or gyrocopter can also be used with reasonable success, but it is extremely dangerous to fly in anything but ideal environmental conditions.
Age and sex ratios
Knowledge of the age and sex ratios of animal populations on a ranch is important for planning harvesting quotas and for the optimum utilization of animals. In areas with dense vegetation, the use of a helicopter to collect this information is recommended. In areas with sparse vegetation large herds of plains animals can be photographed from the air with a digital video recorder. The age structure and sex ratios can then be determined from the images at a larger stage by using a computer.
Sick and injured animals
Animals suffering from dangerous contagious diseases can be tracked down and killed from the air. Injured animals can be immobilized from a helicopter and given veterinary treatment. Helicopters are especially useful in managing rare or endangered animals, for example in the immunization of roan antelope against anthrax.
Field surveys and maps
Satelite image where vegetation types can be mapped and in this one specifically wildebeest migration can be noted Satelite Imaging Corporation
A stereo aerial photograph or satellite image of the vegetation is essential for initially distinguishing the main veld types on a wildlife ranch. This technique allows the wildlife manager to apply further refined botanical survey techniques on the ground. Remote terrain mapping can be done by Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), Remote Airborne Mapping System (RAMSTM), Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) or Airborne Laser Terrain Mapper (ALTM). Modern satellite images can be extremely useful for studying vegetation on large tracts of land.
Culling and capture
Helicopters can assist with mass animal capture and directing animals in a specific direction
It is considered a standard culling technique to shoot springbok with a 12-gauge shotgun from a helicopter. The disadvantage of this technique is that it can only be used in areas with sparse vegetation. Helicopters are also invaluable for mass animal capture, for culling animals when necessary, or for slinging an animal such as a rhinoceros out from a wilderness area where there are no roads.
Characteristics of aircraft
The prospective buyer or lessee of a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft should require from the different agents about the availability, characteristics and prices or rental costs of the different types of aircraft on the market. A compromise should be reached between the cost factors, the increased visibility offered by a high-wing aeroplane, the number of seats for persons such as those helping with animal counts, and the flying speed for the optimum utilization of the aeroplane or helicopter. The ability of an aeroplane or helicopter to fly at low speeds is important for doing animal count or research work. A higher-flying speed is essential for transport purposes. The aircraft should satisfy the requirements of both low and high-flying speeds so that it can be used optimally. It should therefore have a wide range of operational speeds. The number of seats is usually directly related to the running cost of the aircraft. The greater the number of seats, the higher the running costs. A helicopter or fixed-wing aeroplane with high wings and four seats is adequate for most animal counts, while a two-seater helicopter is ideal for animal capture or harvesting animals by shooting them from the air. Among other things, the reliability of aerial counts is determined by the number of observers and it is therefore directly related to the number of seats on the aircraft.
In terms of visibility, the distinction lies mainly between low-wing and high-wing aircraft. The doors on high-wing aeroplanes can be removed easily to increase visibility. Moreover, a high-wing aircraft offers approximately 25% more visibility than a low-wing one. Visibility is especially important when an animal count is being done.
Important requirements
Fixed wing aircraft which is used for certain aerial counts Wikimedia Commons
To use an aircraft for economic gain in the wildlife industry, the following legal requirements must be met:
• A type-G10 aircraft operating licence.
• An aircraft operator’s certificate.
• A valid commercial pilot’s licence.
• A wildlife gradation.