Lions are social, territorial animals that form prides of 2-18 individuals and hold territories ranging in size from 20 to 500 square km. My aim was to investigate the effect of ecological processes on lion spatial demography, specifically to determine the effect of habitat structure, prey availability, and rainfall (predictability and variability) on lion group dynamics. I worked with an extensive database of lion observations (approximately -+7000 over 29 years) from the Kruger National Park that had been recorded on monthly predator returns and in ranger diaries. I used the hypothesis of ideal free distribution to explain group dynamics across four physical habitat structures, namely, thickets, woodlands, mountainous areas and open tree savanna. There were larger groups of adults and more sightings than expected in the open tree savanna, while subadult and cub group sizes peaked in the woodlands. Using the resource dispersion hypothesis (RDH) as a base, I investigated lion group dynamics in relation to prey availability, I found agreement with the RDH, in that larger groups formed where their favoured prey species were in greatest abundance. Exclusively adult male and exclusively adult female group sizes increased with increasing buffalo abundance, while groups of adult males and adult females in mixed groups increased with increasing impala abundance. I used the mechanism of risk sensitive foraging to explain the influence of rainfall on lion group dynamics. While group dynamics did not differ significantly across averaged mean annual rainfall regions or across seasons, it did differ between variability regions and between two years of extreme rainfall. The lions exhibited risk-prone behaviour across variability regions, forming larger groups in more variable environments. Finally, I combined the three factors to determine the relative importance of each in determining lion group dynamics across seasons. Wildebeest were important to adult female group dynamics, impala and buffalo to adult males, while buffalo abundance influenced functional group size. In the wet season, larger functional groups occurred in the areas of medium rainfall variability regardless of buffalo abundance. In the dry season, more groups of females than solitary females occurred in more variable environments with this trend reversed for males. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

A major challenge in savanna rangeland studies is estimating woody vegetation cover and densities over large areas where field based census alone is impractical. It is therefore crucial that the management and conservation oriented research in savannas identify data sources that provides quick, timely and economical means to obtain information on vegetation cover. Satellite remote sensing can provide such information. Remote sensing investigations, however, require establishing statistical relationships between field and remotely sensed data. Usually regression is the empirical method applied to field and remotely sensed data for the spatial estimation of woody vegetation variables. Geostatistical techniques, which take spatial autocorrelation of variables into consideration, have rarely been used for this purpose. We investigated the possibility of improving woody biomass predictions in tropical savannas using cokriging. Cokriging was used to evaluate the cross-correlated information between SPOT (Satellites Pour l’Observation de la Terre or Earth-observing Satellites)-derived vegetation variables and field sampled woody vegetation percentage canopy cover and density. The main focus was to estimate woody density and map the distribution of woody cover in an African savanna environment. In order to select the best SPOT-derived vegetation variable that best correlate with field sampled woody variables, several spectral vegetation and texture indices were evaluated. Next, variogram models were developed: one for woody canopy cover and density, one for the best SPOT-derived vegetation variable, and a crossvariogram between woody variables and best SPOT-derived data. These variograms were then used in cokriging to estimate woody density and map its spatial distribution. Results obtained indicate that through cokriging, the estimation accuracy can be improved compared to ordinary kriging and stepwise linear regression. Cokriging therefore provided a method to combine field and remotely sensed data to accurately estimate woody cover variables. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

Extensive seasonal collections along with absolute counts of all the arthropods attracted to medium- and large mammal carcasses resulted in the most complete record of carrion-fauna in Africa to date. The abundance of these species and their seasonal, successional, and diel patterns of carcass-attendance are discussed. More than 98% of species were insects and their presence at the carcass habitat could be classified as obligate, opportunistic, or incidental. A recognisable community of carrion-associated arthropods consistently attracted to the carcass habitat is described, comprising sarcophages, coprophages, keratophages, detritivores, predators and parasites. The interactions and functional ecology of these arthropods is described. The blow-flies Chrysomyia albiceps (Wd.) and C. marginalis (Wd.) were found to be pivotal or key species due to the impact of their larvae on carcass decomposition and their influence on other members of the community. In view of the importance of these blow-flies, their abundance, and the potential role of the adults as dispersal agents of disease organisms, studies were performed to clarify the population dynamics of the two species. The biology and ecology of the immature stages is discussed, including such aspects as the availability of mammal carcasses for oviposition and larval development, and mortality of larvae in the digestive tracts of vultures. By feeding a radioactive isotope of phosphorous (p[32]) to a reared population of adult flies, the dispersal and flight ranges, habitat preferences and population densities of both blow-fly species were studied. The seasonal abundance of C albiceps, C. marginalis, and Lucilia spp. was monitored by monthly trapping at three sites in the study area. Further studies using radioactively-marked blood in a carcass under natural conditions revealed that the distribution of flyspecks deposited by blow-flies is largely dependent upon vegetational structure in the immediate vicinity of the carcass, and the majority of such droplets occurred near the carcass between one and three metres above ground. A distinction in fly-specks was made between vomit droplets, faecal droplets, and the newly tenned discard droplets. The feeding behaviour of C. albiceps and C. marginalis is discussed with reference to the transmission of anthrax in the northern K.N.P. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1984.

The conscious creation and marketing of a destination brand and image is a feature of the present age. Brands can affect tourists' choices and behaviour and are therefore important in destination marketing. Marketing organisations devote considerable time to creating brands and channelling them through various media sources to the target markets. The success of the destination brand can be measured and defined by the expectations of the tourists. This study measured the SANParks brand by focusing on the current Kudu logo. It was the first time such a brand measure was done on any of the South African National Parks. Measuring brands can be done either internally, by employees and management of SANParks, or externally through visitor questionnaires. This study focused on external measurement. Primary data was gathered by means of 618 (n=618) structured, self-completion electronic questionnaires. Twenty four perceptions and eight emotions related to the Kudu brand were tested. A factor analysis was conducted on the correlation of these pre-established perceptions and emotions. Three factors - a successful brand, service and a positive brand image emerged as perceptions. Two factors related to emotions were divided into positive and negative emotions towards the Kudu brand. The findings indicated that most respondents relate SANParks Kudu logo to only the Kruger National Park and respondents clearly indicated that they do not want the Kudu logo to change. This study proved the Kudu brand to be successful, but it is recommended that SANParks differentiate the Kudu logo to create a unique culture and identity for every National Park in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The conscious creation and marketing of a destination brand and image is a feature of the present age. Brands can affect tourists' choices and behaviour and are therefore important in destination marketing. Marketing organisations devote considerable time to creating brands and channelling them through various media sources to the target markets. The success of the destination brand can be measured and defined by the expectations of the tourists. This study measured the SANParks brand by focusing on the current Kudu logo. It was the first time such a brand measure was done on any of the South African National Parks. Measuring brands can be done either internally, by employees and management of SANParks, or externally through visitor questionnaires. This study focused on external measurement. Primary data was gathered by means of 618 (n=618) structured, self-completion electronic questionnaires. Twenty four perceptions and eight emotions related to the Kudu brand were tested. A factor analysis was conducted on the correlation of these pre-established perceptions and emotions. Three factors - a successful brand, service and a positive brand image emerged as perceptions. Two factors related to emotions were divided into positive and negative emotions towards the Kudu brand. The findings indicated that most respondents relate SANParks Kudu logo to only the Kruger National Park and respondents clearly indicated that they do not want the Kudu logo to change. This study proved the Kudu brand to be successful, but it is recommended that SANParks differentiate the Kudu logo to create a unique culture and identity for every National Park in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Thesis. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 27, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

One in Four is an ad campaign targeted at raising awareness of on-campus sexual assault and the effects that assault has on survivors. This ad campaign will include testimonies of survivors of sexual assault within the Claremont Colleges and will be shared through social media and printed on physical flyers. This thesis will explore how marketing strategies, such as, social norms marketing, has the potential to change the audiences behavior in relation to their peers’ behavior. It will also explore the work of the Guerrilla Girls and how anonymity was crucial to their success. In addition, One in Four will examine the work of Barbara Kruger and her use of graphics and red text. Through the use of various marketing strategies and influence of the work of the Guerrilla Girls and Barbara Kruger, One In Four will be successful in it's goal of raising awareness, destigmatizing sexual assault and have survivors feel that their stories are important and they are not alone.

This thesis explores landscape change in one of Africa’s biggest parks from the perspectives of its managers, the international conservation community, and media in South Africa and the United States. The surprising history of Kruger's elephant population reflects the complicated relationship between shifting wildlife management approaches, environmental ethics, and understandings of African nature, which continue to influence future conservation priorities. Elephants, because of their capacity to drive ecosystem change, expose a history of conflict over what nature means in the Kruger Park and how it should be managed. Current management philosophies in the park reflect the need to prepare for an uncertain future but also to confront an unsettled inheritance of the past. I delve into the 20th century chronicles of science, landscape aesthetics, wilderness ethics, and international politics that inform conservation in Kruger today.

M.Sc. / The Olifants- and Luvuvhu rivers both flow through the Kruger National Park (KNP). The Olifants River (OR) is a major tributary of the Limpopo River with water quality being less than desirable due to high concentrations of pollutants as a result of the activities in the upper catchment. The crocodile population of the river declined from 1000 in 2008 to 347 in 2009 due to pansteatitis. Labeobarbus marequensis in the upper catchment also showed symptoms of the disease (Templehoff, 2010). This raised concern about the health of the fish in the OR, particularly in the section flowing through the KNP. The Luvuvhu River (LR) is also a tributary of the Limpopo River with main land uses in the catchment being agriculture, mining and communal lands. Of concern is the finding of DDT residues in water, sediment, and domestic and indigenous biota upstream of the sites sampled in this study (Barnhoorn et al., 2009) which raised concerns about the health of fish in the lower reaches of the river flowing through the KNP. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the health status of [9] selected fish species from the OR and LR in the KNP using a histology-based health assessment protocol (HBHA). The species selected for this study included Hydrocynus vittatus, Labeobarbus marequensis, Labeo cylindricus and Labeo rosae. The OR was sampled in September 2009 and May 2010 while the LR was sampled in November 2009 and April 2010. A necropsy was done to determine if there were any internal or external macroscopic alterations with any alterations noted on a score sheet. Blood was taken for haematocrit (Hct), leukocrit (Lct) and total plasma protein (TP) determination. As part of the HBHA, a necropsy-based health assessment index (HAI) was applied using a modified protocol of Adams et al. (1993) where the necropsy and blood parameters were used to calculate the mean and sum HAI for the different species sampled on each sampling trip. Biometric indices including the condition factor, hepatosomatic index, splenosomatic index and the gonadosomatic index were calculated. Age was determined using otoliths for tigerfish and scales for the other species. Samples of selected organs (liver, kidney, gill, testes or ovaries) were taken for histological analysis. Microscope slides were assessed qualitatively to identify any histological alterations present. These results were semi-quantitatively assessed according to the protocol of Van Dyk et al. (2009a) from which an organ index and fish index were calculated. The organ index is an indication of the number and severity of histological alterations in a particular organ of a selected species. The organ indices were classed according to the classes of Van Dyk et al. (2009a) with Class 1 (<10) being tissue with slight histological alterations; Class 2 (10-25) being tissue with moderate histological alterations. The fish index is a sum of all of the organ indices for any given fish sampled.