Environmental Conservation
Conservation context of the Eastern Cape:
Pumba Private Game Reserve is situated within the glorious Eastern Cape Province, and within the SANBI Albany Centre of Endemism. This province benefits from a maritime and continental climate and experiences rainfall all year round. This means that the nine million hectares occupied by the province are rich in faunal and floral species. In fact, the area that the reserve occupies boasts five of the seven biomes in South Africa. Although dominated by vegetation known as Succulent Thicket or Valley Bushveld (thorny, spinescent, succulent bush), there are thousands of plant species. Over 4000 of these are endemic to the Eastern Cape.
There is a similar diversity of animals, which move and live in areas depending on the vegetation, as this determines their ultimate survival. The province is home to a plethora of mammals, birds and reptiles, many of which are threatened or endangered.
PUMBA’S CONSERVATION RESPONSIBILITY
Pumba Private Game Reserve is committed to playing an active, relevant role in the conservation of the area, the upliftment of its community and the reduction of the consumption of resources. This has to be done while accommodating visitors from all over the world and showing them some of the natural treasures of Africa. Pumba has embarked on several initiatives to accomplish this balance.
1. The Green Leaf Environmental Initiative:
Pumba Private Game Reserve is committed to playing an active, relevant role in the conservation of the area, the upliftment of its community and the reduction of the consumption of resources. This has to be done while accommodating visitors from all over the world and showing them some of the natural treasures of Africa. Pumba has embarked on several initiatives to accomplish this balance.
1. The Green Leaf Environmental Initiative
The Green Leaf Environmental Standard has been designed and implemented by the Wilderness Foundation, which is a South African conservation and non-profit organisation. This standard is to be used as a tool to measure various environmental issues and factors with the aim of reducing the negative impact that human beings have on the environment and maximising the positive effects of conservation. Because this is so important to Pumba Private Game Reserve, we have embraced this tool.
At Pumba, we manage the reserve and the safari lodges through best practice, working hand-in-hand with the principles of responsible tourism and sustainable development.
The Green Leaf Environmental Standard comprises five core elements:
Each element is defined by categories with sub-indicators and weightings. Targets are annualised and measured quarterly.
Main Objectives
The Green Leaf Environmental Standard objectives are designed to:
2. Eastern Cape Association of Private Game Reserves (Indalo):
The Eastern Cape Association of Private Game Reserves, also known as Indalo, provides a neutral platform that is designed to create a responsible pattern of land use. This use must be ethically acceptable, socially responsible and ecologically sound.
Indalo gives private landowners the opportunity to meet and discuss issues and to work together towards resolving these. Specifically, Indalo enables the following:
Indalo has commissioned a biannual socio-economic survey amongst 13 private game reserves that are members of the organisation. These surveys assess the positive impact of the reserves on conservation, economic growth and social activities within the Eastern Cape. To date, the outcomes have been very positive and encouraging. This means that the reserves have been found to be contributing to the development of local skills, increasing job opportunities, improving agricultural practices, initiating community upliftment projects, and the effective management of biodiversity (in line with the Protected Areas Act). This provides a very good reflection of the Eastern Cape on a national and international scale.
MAINTAINING BIODIVERSITY AT PUMBA
1. White Lion Breeding Programme
White Lions are rare but magnificent sights. Pumba Private Game Reserve is one of only two homes to free-ranging White Lions in the whole of Southern Africa (which includes countries like Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique). At Pumba, guests will have the opportunity to see the one white male and the two split females or any of their offspring from the one litter they have had so far (none of which are pure white). It is very difficult to breed White Lions, especially within a free-ranging environment, as their mating habits are not controlled. However, Pumba’s White Lion Breeding Programme is designed to establish a pride of pure white and split-gene lions that can survive in the bushveld on their own.
2. Leopard Monitoring and Rehabilitation Programme
The leopard is a shy, elusive creature, difficult to track and control in terms of movements and population numbers. However, the experienced rangers and trackers at Pumba have noted various signs, including spoor, scats and kills, which enlighten them regarding the existence and habits of the local free-ranging leopards. These clues are particularly prevalent along the course of the rivers.
Pumba has employed the expertise of the Cape Leopard Trust to assist in implementing ways of ascertaining specific population numbers so that we are better able to protect these exquisite predators. These efforts include setting up randomly positioned motion cameras throughout the Pumba property.
Pumba has been rehabilitating several leopards that came from areas in which they were considered a nuisance (particularly farming areas). A breeding programme that involves these animals will enable Pumba to establish a population of leopards that is fairly accustomed to human interaction so that local and international guests have the opportunity to see these otherwise mysterious animals when embarking on safari drives. This will also assist our rangers to understand the species better and, therefore, have a better idea of the habits and needs of the free-ranging animals.
3. Re-assessment of the Landscape of Pumba and the Alien Invasive Plant Species Clearing Programme
The area that Pumba Private Game Reserve occupies is actually part of the catchment area of the Kariega River. This river is an important source of water for the local villages and towns, as well as for the many animals and plants. For this reason, the restoration of the watershed is of utmost importance. Part of this initiative has involved partnering with Working for Water, who is providing Pumba with herbicide to combat encroaching alien plant species.
As soil erosion is reduced and indigenous flora restored, the carrying capacity of the reserve is increased. Pumba’s rangers and experts are monitoring the effects and are basing future plans on the improved interactions between plants and animals.
4. Rare and Endangered Species Introductory Programme
Pumba Private Game Reserve falls within the Albany Hotspot of Floristic Endemism. This positioning implies a high level of responsibility for Pumba. In response to this demand, the reserve has implemented a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan. This includes a list of the threatened plant species, which will be placed on a GPS (Global Positioning System) and mapped so that the experts can monitor them. These measures will also be implemented for endemic and threatened species of mammals, birds and reptiles found on this Eastern Cape reserve.
