Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology: Information Technology, Durban Institute of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2005. / Throughout Africa, growing human populations and resulting loss of wildlife habitat is a critical issue for most animal species. It is more and more common for privately owned small or medium sized farms to reintroduce wildlife on their land and such protected areas are fast becoming the only refuges available to wild animals. However a comprehensive understanding of the complex ecological processes taking place is vital for the effective management of restricted areas and the conservation of biodiversity. Due to the enormous complexity of an ecological system and the long periods of the related dynamics, it is very difficult to analyse the interaction between animals and plant populations without suitable computer models. In this thesis, the dynamics between elephant and trees (a major food source) are considered using computer simulations. / M

Thesis (MTech. degree in Nature Conservation)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2011. / The study was conducted on the Botsalano Game Reserve with the support of the North West Tourism and Parks Agency. No formal management plan is available for the game reserve and therefore the need for an ecological management plan and guidelines for the formulation of a vegetation monitoring plan constituted the basis of the study. The objectives of the study were: 1. To classify and map the plant communities of the Botsalano Game Reserve; 2. To provide quantitative data, collected during a formal vegetation classification, for use by the reserve management in terms of current vegetation condition; 3. To ascertain whether a classification of the vegetation on the BGR could be used for the objective placement of vegetation monitoring sites. Monitoring site placement will be based on representation of plant communities, reflecting community and topographical unit utilization and thus stocking rates based on management decisions.

The aim of this study is to determine the value of the Big 5 from a visitor’s perspective. This study will focus on determining the stated preference or contingent value (CV) of the Big 5 through a survey of tourists’, visiting the Kruger National Park, willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation. The CV method is based on the principle of stated preferences, since participants are asked to state how much they are willing to pay for specific goods or services. Literature indicates that there is a relationship between education, income, professional standing, marital status, age, characteristics of visit, number of children and nationality and a tourist’s willingness to pay. By estimating the effect these variables have on a tourist’s willingness to pay will assist parks and private game reserves in future decisions concerning the conservation of wildlife. Additionally this information is also invaluable for marketing as well as pricing purposes since it gives a specific monetary value. The study found that visitors to the Kruger National Park (KNP) assigned a significant amount (34.64%) of total average spending to experience the Big 5. The value per species also differed. The main determinants of visitors’ willingness-to-pay for simply viewing the Big 5 include age, the marital status and the role of the Big 5 during decision to visit the KNP. Noticeable differences between international literature and this research are the determinants like education, income, age and country of residence. / Thesis (MCom (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The aim of this study is to determine the value of the Big 5 from a visitor’s perspective. This study will focus on determining the stated preference or contingent value (CV) of the Big 5 through a survey of tourists’, visiting the Kruger National Park, willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation. The CV method is based on the principle of stated preferences, since participants are asked to state how much they are willing to pay for specific goods or services. Literature indicates that there is a relationship between education, income, professional standing, marital status, age, characteristics of visit, number of children and nationality and a tourist’s willingness to pay. By estimating the effect these variables have on a tourist’s willingness to pay will assist parks and private game reserves in future decisions concerning the conservation of wildlife. Additionally this information is also invaluable for marketing as well as pricing purposes since it gives a specific monetary value. The study found that visitors to the Kruger National Park (KNP) assigned a significant amount (34.64%) of total average spending to experience the Big 5. The value per species also differed. The main determinants of visitors’ willingness-to-pay for simply viewing the Big 5 include age, the marital status and the role of the Big 5 during decision to visit the KNP. Noticeable differences between international literature and this research are the determinants like education, income, age and country of residence. / Thesis (MCom (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Thesis (M.Sc.(Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2000. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

The objective of this project is to link the statistical theory used in the ecological sciences with an actual project that was developed for the South African National Parks Scientific Services. It investigates the changes that have occurred in the herbaceous and woody structure due to the closure of artificial waterpoints; including the impacts that elephants and other herbivores have on the vegetation of the Kruger National Park. This project was designed in conjunction with South African National Parks (SANP) Scientific Services and it is a registered project with this department. The results of this project will be submitted to Scientific Services in accordance with the terms and conditions of a SANP research project. A major concern within the KNP is the declining numbers of rare antelope and numerous projects have been developed to investigate possible ways of halting this decline and thus protecting the heterogeneity of the Kruger National Park. Three different datasets were investigated, covering three aspects of vegetation structure and composition within the KNP. The first investigated the changes that have occurred since the N'washitsumbe enclosure in the Far Northern KNP was fenced off from the rest of the park. The results show that over the 40 years since the enclosure was built, changes have occurred which have resulted in a significant difference in the abundance of Increaser 2 and Decreaser grass species between the inside and the outside of the enclosure. Increaser 2 and Decreaser categories are the result of a grass species classification depending on whether the species thrives or is depressed by heavy grazing. The difference in grass species composition and structure between the inside and the outside of the enclosure indicates that the grazing animals within the KNP have influenced the grass composition in a way that favours the dominant animals. This has resulted in a declining roan antelope population - one of the species that is considered as a 'rare antelope'. Many artificial waterpoints (boreholes and dams) have also been closed throughout the KNP in the hope of resulting in a change in vegetation structure and composition in favour of the roan. Veld condition assessment data for 87 boreholes throughout the Park was analyzed to determine whether the veld in the vicinity is beginning to change towards a more Decreaser dominated sward which would favour the roan. The results were analyzed for the different regions of the Park; and they indicate that changes are becoming evident; however, the results are not particularly conclusive, yet. The majority of the boreholes were closed between 1994 and 1998 which means that not a lot of data were available to be analyzed. A similar study conducted in another 10 years time might reveal more meaningful results. However the results are moving in the direction hoped for by the management of the KNP. The results show that the grass composition has a higher proportion of Decreaser grasses since the closure of the waterpoints, and the grass biomass around these areas has also improved. The results were analyzed on an individual basis; and then on a regional basis as the minimal data meant that the individual analyses did not provide any significant results. A third study was then done on the impact that the rapidly increasing elephant population on the vegetation within the Riparian zone along three rivers in the Far Northern region of the KNP. The riparian zone is an important part of the landscape, in terms of providing food for many animals as well as shade. The elephant population has increased substantially since the termination of the culling program and this means that the feeding requirements of the population has increased which could result in severe damage upon the vegetation, as elephants can be very destructive feeders. The results show surprising differences between the three years of data that were analyzed; however the results indicate that the elephants are targeting specific height ranges of trees when feeding; however they do not seem to consistently target specific tree species. This is positive for the diversity of the Riparian zone as this region is very important both ecologically and aesthetically for the tourists who visit the Park.

The study was conducted in the Greater Kruger National Park Complex (GKNP), which consists of the Kruger National Park (KNP) and adjacent private game reserves and focuses primarily on the following objectives: • To monitor and evaluate the standard of the existing disease surveillance programmes for the following diseases, Foot and Mouth, Anthrax, Tuberculosis, Brucellosis and Rabies, within the Kruger National Park and adjacent private game reserves by evaluating the level of competency and knowledge in field rangers, field guides and trails rangers with regard to these specific diseases. It can be stated that important differences exist between disease surveillance techniques used for domestic animals and those used for wildlife (Bengis, R.G., Kock, R.A., & Fischer, J., 2002). According to Morner, T., Obendorf, D.L., Artios, M., & Woodford, M.H., 2002, it is more difficult to monitor diseases in wildlife than in domestic animals because wild animals are not constrained by boundaries and can roam over large. distances. For significant diseases in wildlife, an active surveillance programme may be the preferred approach with the aim to collect a certain number of samples from a target population (live or dead animals) to determine the point prevalence of certain pathogens. Active veterinary participation is essential in protected area management, with emphasis on training of technicians, rangers and field biologists with regard to specific diseases and their clinical signs, surveillance and sampling techniques, data collection, and reporting. For the purpose of this study, data collection was conducted by means of a questionnaire drawn up according to the related critical points as described in the Dufour grid (Dufour, 1998). The results of this study clearly showed a need to address certain important aspects regarding a wildlife disease programme within the GKNP. A more efficient wildlife disease surveillance programme, which included more specific and “hands-on” trained staff, would definitely ensure a better early warning system which would detect new or emerging disease outbreaks. / M. Tech. (Nature Conservation))

Rangers, as vanguards of wildlife conservation, are constantly fighting off armed poachers. That makes their work stressful and dangerous. In spite of this, their needs are neglected and are not considered as the focus is on saving wildlife. Undoubtedly, the African continent is not spared from the unrelenting poaching menace that threatens to drive the world’s wildlife spicies into extinction. In response to this scourge, countries, in their quest to safeguard these species from extermination, have signed various treaties, continuously come up with different strategies and pledged their support to fight illegal wildlife trading. This study was conducted at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HIP) and Mkhuze Game Reserve, which are under the management of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Wildlife Management. These parks have turned into a battlefield between poachers and rangers. The intrinsic case study approach, which is explorative and interpretive in perspective, was used to unravel and describe the experiences from the world view of rangers. A descriptive qualitative research design was used to gain insight from the rangers about their challenges and needs in the workplace. Furthermore, developmental research was used to design and develop a tailor- made technology – a ranger resilience-building model – to assist rangers to deal with their workplace challenges. Focus group discussions were conducted with a group of rangers, while individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers in order to solicit information from purposively selected sample of rangers and managers at HIP and Mkhuze Game Reserve, that assisted in the development of the model. Ethical considerations, which involve the informed consent of the participants, confidentiality and privacy, participants’ right to withdraw from the study and the management of information, were applied to ensure that the participants were protected from harm. The collected data was analysed by using codes and themes that best described the experiences of the rangers, and data verification was done before the process of model development. It was evident that rangers are faced with a variety of workplace challenges, such as poor quality of work life, unpleasant living conditions, coupled with poor amenities, inadequte wellness interventions, and the poor management and implementation of policies by the Human Resources (HR) Department. Nevertheless, teamwork and their cultural practices were positive aspects that promoted their coping capacities in dealing with their everyday challenges. / Social Work / D. Litt. et Phil.(Social Work)

Social media has become one of the defining features of the technological advances known as Web 2.0. As social media has increased in popularity, so businesses are expected to participate. Social media platforms enable businesses to widely broadcast a message as well as interact directly with individual customers. Customers are also able to interact directly with one another and share information and reviews about products and services offered. This suits the tourism industry particularly well. Internationally, research has shown that individuals use social media and other online tools to research potential holiday destinations. In addition social media is used during travel to share snapshots and commentary as well as after travel, through reviews and recommendations on platforms such as TripAdvisor. However, few studies have investigated how tourism destinations use social media to attract new clients and retain existing clients. Very little research has been done on tourism and social media in South Africa despite the importance of this industry to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This study focused on four-star establishments within the photographic wildlife tourism industry in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. An initial survey of social media participation was carried out within the framework set out by Chan and Guillet (2011); this was then followed up with interviews with selected managers. Results showed that, in general, Private Game Reserves (PGRs) had embraced social media as a communication and marketing platform; despite concerns raised about the lack of control over content as well as poor understanding of the influence social media might have on the bottom line. TripAdvisor, Facebook and Twitter were the most commonly used platforms due to management familiarity with the platform and their ease of use. Few lodges utilised blogs or content sites such as YouTube and management cited time commitments associated with this type of platform as a reason for non-participation. However, although most PGRs or lodges had a profile on social media, this did not always mean active participation. Frequently, lodges began updating but gradually stopped after a few months. It was noted however that only one of the lodges interviewed retained an individual whose sole responsibility was social media; generally lodges did not feel that a dedicated person was necessary. This may result in a lack of time available on the part of the individual responsible or simply be a case of not understanding the platform or how to use it effectively. However, none of the PGRs with poor social media participation responded to interview requests and therefore it was not possible to determine the reasons for their poor participation. Among those lodges that actively participated, most succeed in retaining fans and followers through consistent posting of relevant and interesting content as well as customised responses that encouraged fans or followers’ interaction. However, there did not appear to be any evidence of using social media to learn about fans and followers in order to better customise the lodge offerings. This may not be necessary in this type of industry as PGRs sell a specific product and have a limited ability to customise offerings. In addition, there may be other sources of market information which lodges prefer to use. Special offers, competitions and promotions had limited success on social media. Generally, lodges used social media to promote links to a dedicated competition or promotions page. In conclusion, the managers interviewed felt strongly that social media had made a measureable impact on the tourism industry and was a channel that was here to stay. Further research around the best practice and most effective use will enable PGRs to develop and maintain effective strategies for social media participation.

The primary aim of this research study was to determine the current state of practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the ecotourism based private game reserve (PGR) industry in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. According to Carroll (1991) four kind of responsibilities constitute total CSR, namely economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities. Given the context of this research a fifth responsibility concerning environmental responsibilities was added to Carroll 's (1991) pyramid ofCSR. A descriptive and illustrative case study approach, within the phenomenological research paradigm, was used for the purpose of this research. The unit of analysis is the Indalo group, the Association of Eastern Cape Private Game Reserves, made up of 12 ecotourism based PORs. As the current research focused on eight of the twelve PGRs a mUltiple case study was employed. To give effect to the aim a number of research objectives were identified. Firstly to desclibe and assess the current practice in implementing CSR within the ecotourism based PGR industry in the Eastern Cape Province. Secondly, to assess and evaluate the involvement of ecotourism based PGRs in the Eastern Cape Province in each of the five responsibilities comprising CSR. Thirdly, to identify the challenges faced by ecotourism based PGRs in the Eastern Cape Province with regard to the implementation of CSR initiatives. Lastly to provide pertinent conclusions and recommendations with regard to CSR strategies within the ecotourism based PGR industry in the Eastern Cape Province. Data were collected by means of in-depth interviews with the managers of each reserve. In addition the researcher conducted focus interviews with administrative employees at each of the member reserves of the Indalo group. Additionally the managers of each reserve were requested to respond to a structured five point Likert scale questionnaire based on the research by Aupperle, Carroll and Hatfield (1985). This research study found that the current practice at the Indalo group is towards a strategic, long term approach to CSR that aids in the development of a 'sustainable organisation.' The aspect of ' empowerment' emerged as the essence of the current practice ofCSR of the Indalo group. Based on the current practice it was concluded that the Indalo group is actively involved in the specific components of CSR namely, environmental, economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities. With regard to the environmental responsibilities it was concluded that the environment is the foundation upon which all other components of CSR rest. In addition it was concluded that the economic responsibilities, if managed well, are key to unlocking the CSR potential of a reserve as well as ensuring widespread economic development. In terms of the legal and ethical responsibilities it was concluded that tourism policies both at the national and international level have not aided in the development of a CSR agenda of the Indalo group. Furthermore managers of the reserves have been instrumental in cultivating their own legal culture of CSR based on their experience in the tourism industry and their ethical stances. In terms of the philanthropic responsibilities it can be concluded that charitable activities that are long term and strategic in nature allow for direct and indirect benefits to all parties involved. Overall, it can further be concluded that despite Hudson and Miller's (2005:5) view that the "tourism industry is well hehind other industries in terms of CSR" the Indalo group is moving forward in terms of rooting CSR into their everyday operations.