South Africa became part of the international world in 1994, an event that led to its involvement in UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MaB) in 1995. The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve in the Limpopo Province in turn received international recognition in March 2001. With its diverse natural and cultural features, low development impact and clear land use zonation pattern, the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve forms an ideal eco-destination as defined by the IUCN. The Limpopo Province is one of the poorest provinces in the country. As such one of its main objectives is economic growth aim at combating poverty. Tourism has been identified as one of the economic pillars in the Province. To achieve economic growth in the tourism field it must thus be ensured that the tourist destinations are well planned and protected. The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve strategically and physically links the poorer rural communities of Bakenberg in the west to the existing wildlife/game industry on private land, an aspect that provides excellent opportunities to enhance community tourism development initiatives supported by private industry and government. With its large representation of stakeholders on the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve Management Committee, it serves as an ideal forum for discussing the integrated development plan of the Waterberg and devise means to meet the challenges posed by the unique features of the area. One of the identified challenges is to ensure that the land use zonation pattern in the Waterberg (on which the eco-destination depends) be protected by means of appropriate legislation and land use management practices. Despite the fact that biosphere reserves have not yet been described as a protected area category within the South African legislative framework, a number of prescriptions have been promulgated which directly influence the protection of land uses occurring in a biosphere reserve. These are: the Municipal System Act (South Africa, 2000), the proposed Land Use Management Bill (South Africa, Department of Land Affairs, 2001) and portions of the new National Environmental Management: Protected Area Bill (South Africa, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2002) which provide for the protection of "buffer zones". The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve links the economic strategy of the Limpopo Province with the conservation of its unique conservation features. It further endorses the current zonation pattern in the Waterberg District where the major developments e.g. mining and large industries, take place on the periphery of the district with the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve forming a natural wilderness zone in the centre. The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, therefore, serves as an ideal land use model for ecotourism development in the Waterberg. / Thesis (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Plant Science / unrestricted

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are the most endangered large carnivore in Southern Africa. There are as little as 5,000 individuals globally and less than 450 African wild dogs in South Africa alone. African wild dogs are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Therefore, the time has never been more crucial to conserve the species. With increased human encroachment and inhabitation in and around protected areas, so are increased conflicts between humans and carnivores. Human-wild dog conflict is likely to rise where a common resource is found. Human-carnivore conflicts have often been induced by the uncomfortably close inhabitation of humans in areas predominantly occupied by large carnivores. For this reason, it is becoming vital to establish a harmonious relationship between carnivores and humans. This research investigated the extent and causes of human-carnivore conflict specific to private landowners and the African wild dog in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa between April 2018 and January 2019. The causes of conflict in the Waterberg and levels of tolerance by the farmers for African wild dogs were investigated. The methodology was two-fold, using spatial analyses and an online survey. Three African wild dogs from the same pack were collared using telemetry collars (Tag 2651, Tag 2953 and Tag 3017). These data were used for the spatial analysis part of the research, using Geographic Information System (GIS) to determine the African wild dogs’ home ranges, movement patterns, and proximities to commonalities with humans and preferred land use. The private landowners possibly experiencing human-carnivore conflict were surveyed using an online survey (n = 81), and this information was used to determine the extent of conflict and tolerance of African wild dogs amongst the farmers in the Waterberg. The information gathered will be used by the Endangered Wildlife Trust to develop an early warning system for private landowners affected by the presence of free-roaming African wild dogs in the area. In general, English speaking farmers in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve were more tolerant of African wild dogs compared with Afrikaans speaking farmers. Results also showed that areas near food and water sources are high potential conflict hotspots. The results also showed that African wild dog movement patterns in Waterberg Biosphere Reserve have an influence on conflict hotspot areas during denning season, wet and dry months, different phases of the moon, and overall hunting patterns of African wild dogs. This research facilitated an understanding of aspects of utilisation, persecution, and how to mitigate conflict between humans and African wild dogs within the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve. / Dissertation (MSc (Environment and Society))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / GreenMatter Fellowship Mapula Trust Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) National Research Foundation (NRF) / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / MSc (Environment and Society) / Unrestricted