Non-chemical techniques used for the capture and relocation of wildlife in South Africa

Abstract

Annually, thousands of game animals are captured and relocated across South Africa. One of the biggest causes of mortality during these translocations is stress, and as such it is the responsibility of all stakeholders involved to ensure that appropriate techniques are applied for specific species and environments. It is therefore important that there is a thorough understanding of these methods not only from a management perspective but also in terms of applied animal welfare. This review provides detailed descriptions of the various non-chemical techniques that may be employed during game capture and relocation in a South African context and highlights both species suitability, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. It also gives a brief background to the South African game capture industry as well as discussing and giving guidelines for the transportation and holding of wildlife after capture.