Makgadikgadi Zebra Migration Project

The overall aim is to determine the ecological impact of the Makgadikgadi game fence and provide sound ecological information to the Department of Wildlife that can be used to assist in the long-term management of the region.

About the Project
The Makgadikgadi Zebra Migration Research Project sets out to examine and quantify the ecological impact of the 2004 fencing of the Makgadikgadi ecosystem, with a specific focus on the migratory zebra and wildebeest populations. To achieve this, data examining the spatial distribution, foraging behaviour and population dynamics of the zebra and wildebeest herds will be collected, analysed and compared with pre-fence data. These data will enable the researchers to determine the impact of competition between livestock and wildlife for grazing and water resources. The project also looks to determine the current size of the zebra and wildebeest populations as well as the predation rates of lions upon these herds.

The position of the game fence, along the south-western boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park (MPNP), coincides with the dry-season range of the migratory zebra and wildebeest populations. During the dry season, environmental constraints on foraging behaviour are at their peak and wildlife within the Makgadikgadi is reliant on the waterholes situated near the fence. Therefore, the project is focusing its data collection on the dry season when any impact caused by the Makgadikgadi fence will be at its greatest.

The fencing of the Makgadikgadi system provides a rare opportunity in ecological research to investigate, through partial experimental design, the impact of a large fencing policy on the fluid dynamics of a large mammal community. The results of the project could be used to provide a model and strategy for future fencing policies in conflict situations in other parts of Botswana, and Africa. 

The project aims to gather data in the field for two full dry seasons over a three-year period and will form part of a PhD research project awarded by the University of Bristol. After its completion it is hoped that a long-term monitoring project will continue to assist with management objectives for MPNP. 

The project is in partnership with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) of Botswana and the University of Botswana's Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre (HOORC).

Methodology
The study is focusing on data collection during the dry season (typically from March/April to October/November) when the migratory zebra population is resident around the waterholes provided along the Boteti River. During this time there is no surface water available within the park and all water requirements of the migratory herds must be satisfied by these waterholes. In the wet season, rainfall initiates the migratory movement of the zebra and wildebeest to the open grasslands of the Makgadikgadi to the East of the Boteti River.

The electrified Makgadikgadi wildlife fence is aligned along the western and southern boundary of the MPNP, following the path of the Boteti River, which forms the traditional boundary of the National Park. The fence now forms an artificial boundary to the dry season home range of the zebra and wildebeest populations and may significantly affect dry season behaviour. The dry season is also the limiting season for the migratory population and the fence may have alleviated or aggravated these limiting factors.

Therefore, the project's energy and data collection will be focused on the dry season to determine the impact of these factors and provide DWNP with the most pragmatic and cost-efficient management approach to conserve this migratory population. 

10 zebra will be fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars in the first year of the project to identify large-scale patterns of zebra movement across the Makgadikgadi and smaller scale patch selection strategies, as well as to identify macro and micro grazing patches, distances covered and speeds travelled by each zebra to find these grazing resources. Using activity sensors and correlating these data with observation data, the collars can also be used to identify the length of time devoted to each major activity (grazing, moving and resting) and how these change through the season. These data will be compared with similar pre-fence data to help determine how movement patterns and foraging strategies have changed.

Ten wildebeest mares will be collared with VHF collars to monitor movement patterns. As zebra are the keystone species within the system there is a greater focus on their ecology. However, VHF collared wildebeest will be tracked on a monthly basis to identify home ranges and patch selection strategies and how these have changed since pre-fence conditions.

All collars will be used to track known individuals during fieldwork, enabling direct behavioural observations to be made and identification of selected grazing sites. Collars will also be used to assess mortality rates within the migratory population. 

Water samples will be taken from all pumped waterholes located within the dry season range of the zebra population. Samples will be collected monthly and analysed to assess changing water quality throughout the dry season to determine if this affects patch selection by zebra in surrounding grazing sites.

Aerial censuses of zebra and wildebeest herds are being conducted at the beginning and end of each dry season. This will be combined with ground surveys to accurately determine population size and yearling recruitment.

Community involvement
The project will also assess the response of local communities to the installation of the fence and look at whether the fence is perceived as having had a positive or negative impact on the local area, with specific reference to grazing availability for cattle and livestock predation by predators. 

Prior to the erection of the fence, cattle were fitted with GPS collars to determine their foraging patterns and resource use both inside and outside of the National Park. The project will continue with this approach and place collars on cattle to see how the fence has altered foraging patterns around family homesteads. Household questionnaires throughout the Boteti region will provide detailed information on the economic importance of cattle to the rural community and help quantify the impact of the fence on these communities. 

The project will work in collaboration with a local safari operator to help diversify local livelihoods. The fence provides the potential for local communities to benefit from the proximity of the migration, without suffering from the consequences of the human-wildlife conflict. Researchers and safari operators will work with these communities to help develop community-run campsites overlooking zebra-filled waterholes, with this project focusing its attention on capacity building and guide training - teaching potential guides about the migration and ecology of the Makgadikgadi.