Education Bursaries 2006

The Wilderness Trust is already acknowledged as a leader in the educational process thanks to innovative programmes that aim to educate the youth of Africa, inspiring and assisting them so that they can continue to preserve their magnificent natural heritage. The Trust has begun funding bursaries for students either at graduate or post graduate level in the wildlife and environmental fields.

Education Bursary Recipient 2006 - Gayle Pedersen

Gayle Pedersen is the first recipient of the Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust's Bursary Fund. She is registered as a student at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, on the programme MSc Conservation Ecology as of January 2006, under the supervision of Dr. Alison Leslie. Prof Norman Owen-Smith is in collaboration as co-supervisor, based at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Her project aims to observe and monitor the feeding ecology and behaviour of six reintroduced white rhino, Ceratotherium simum simum, to the Makuleke region of the Kruger National Park. Particular attention will be paid to habitat use, diet selection and establishment of territory as well as an assessment of the long-term benefits of this megaherbivore's presence.

The project title is: The habitat preference and behaviour of reintroduced white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum simum, in the northern Kruger National Park

Objectives:
- Gain a better understanding of the local ecology of the white rhino in this particular area and communicate this knowledge to interested parties in the conservation community.
- Improve the availability of literature on this specific subject, as there is a substantial gap at present.
- Enhance the marketability and sustainability of ecotourism in the area.
- Lay the foundations for possible future reintroductions of numerous other species into the area

Methods used will include monitoring surveys on a daily basis, locating and observing the study group. This will be done using radio telemetry and GPS technology. In depth study of dietary selection and other aspects of behaviour will be recorded and compared to existing literature on the behaviour of reintroduced rhino.

The overall aim of this MSc project is to help in the establishment of a breeding nucleus of white rhino in the northern area of Kruger National Park - from which they have been absent for over 120 years. The project therefore is run in conjunction with the Makuleke Large Mammal Reintroduction Project.

Plan of action:
Literature review and research, proposal preparation and presentation
Commence fieldwork - familiarisation with area and study animals, consolidate ranging and behavioural data already collected
Daily monitoring of each animal and collection of data on diet selection, habitat use and general behaviour
Data analysis and statistical interpretation
Manuscript write-up
MSc thesis write-up