international studbook hartmann's mountain zebra - Marwell Zoo
international studbook hartmann's mountain zebra - Marwell Zoo
international studbook hartmann's mountain zebra - Marwell Zoo
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Specific pilot project activities to be undertaken:<br />
1) Identify and engage individuals/institutions in Namibia and South Africa for collaboration<br />
- capture/handling/collaring (Ministry of Environment and Tourism)<br />
- data collection and field work (PolyTechnikon and University of Namibia)<br />
- genetic analysis (University of Witwaterstrand, South Africa)<br />
- other parallel <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong> studies (Gondwanaland, Namib Park/Gobabeb Research Center)<br />
2) Collate and assess available data on landscape, resource and human use variables within the study region<br />
- Determine where observational/collaring/fecal sampling efforts should be stratified to obtain a<br />
representative sample of <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong> space use across the range of habitat variables in the study<br />
region.<br />
- Identify any important data/knowledge gaps that exist<br />
3) Establish genetic methods<br />
- Investigate whether days-old <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong> feces contain usable quantities of DNA.<br />
- Determine which genetic markers are the most variable in the northern Namibian <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong><br />
population, and will thus be most useful in the future for identifying individuals.<br />
4) Collect observational and location data on <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong>s and establish appropriate methods for doing<br />
so<br />
- Investigate group sizes, compositions (especially number of foals), and locations in northwestern<br />
Namibia; also attempt to identify dominant grass species present/grazed on by <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong>s.<br />
- If the research team is present during a “critical period” (i.e., drought or early rains), attempt to locate<br />
congregations of <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong>s.<br />
5) Investigate local traditional/expert ecological knowledge<br />
- Obtain existing traditional/expert knowledge about the seasonal movements and locations of <strong>mountain</strong><br />
<strong>zebra</strong>s, particularly during the early rains, across the study area.<br />
- Find out if there is local knowledge of annual patterns in regards to where the animals mate, and where<br />
they give birth during typical and atypical years.<br />
Study Area: The study will focus on the Kunene Region of northwestern Namibia, a landscape that receives<br />
less than 200mm of rainfall, yet supports a full assemblage of free-ranging, native wildlife including<br />
elephant, lion, black rhino and a suite of ungulates. This arid, open landscape also supports local<br />
communities that continue a tradition of livestock herding while embracing consumptive and nonconsumptive<br />
tourism. A strong community-based conservation approach has resulted in a regional mosaic of<br />
defined community groupings or ‘conservancies’ and are implementing various land uses practices to acquire<br />
benefits (mainly economical) from their resources including photo safaris, trophy/subsistence hunting, and<br />
traditional livestock farming. Within this conservancy land matrix, a new “people’s park” of approximately<br />
7,500 km 2 is currently being negotiated, which will secure key wildlife habitat between Etosha National Park<br />
in north-central Namibia and Skeleton Coast National Park in the west. This proposed protected area will be<br />
mainly managed for non-consumptive tourism. This region is also a stronghold for <strong>mountain</strong> <strong>zebra</strong>s, in that<br />
several thousand <strong>zebra</strong>s are thought to occur there.<br />
Project time frame:<br />
If we are able to obtain adequate funding, we will conduct the field work for the pilot project in<br />
Spring 2009. DNA will be extracted from the fecal samples in a wildlife genetics laboratory in Namibia by<br />
mid-late 2009. Quantitative PCR assays and genotyping will be completed in early and mid 2010,<br />
respectively. As soon as quantitative PCR results are available, we can prepare the genetic sampling<br />
protocols for the long-term project and apply for long-term funding. We will prepare 6-month updates on our<br />
project and provide them to all institutions providing funding for this project.<br />
AII