Research for species conservation Habitat preservation and stabilization of wild animal populationsThe Central Kalahari Game Reserve is a large protected area situated in the south of Botswana. This virtually untouched ecosystem of the size of Denmark is located in the heart of the giant Kalahari semi-desert which stretches across several countries and is one of the last intact wildlife areas. SAVE supports the professional and efficient field research of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) team. New solutions and strategies: the CKGR-projectThe CKGR project is a unique research project that examines the interactions between predators and herbivores and the human impact on their relationship.
The central question is to determine the factors which are responsible for the dramatic decline in some of the populations. Therefore, the research teams study the natural habits/attributes of animals such as migration routes, food selection, social behavior, population size and dispersal, but also potential hazards such as diseases, bush fires and poaching. 
Radio-collaring of a female cheetah in the Kalahari.
Another focus of the study is the relation of predator numbers to prey densities and the farmer-predator conflict. Therefore, individual animals are fitted with GPS-collars and monitored by satellite. The research covers the whole spectrum of species of the Central Kalahari: lions, wild dogs, hyenas, cheetahs and leopards as well as wildebeest, gemsbok and springbok. Basic research shall give more detailed answers to the question which solutions and strategies could stabilize wildlife populations in the long term. |