Rowles first runner-up as best game ranger
Colin Rowles, a reserve warden at Klaserie Private Nature Reserve was named the first runner-up as the best game ranger at the African Conservation Awards.
“Recognition at this international level would be both humbling and an absolute honour. Although I am a runner-up in this prestigious award, it is the highlight of my conservation career. The recognition would boost my confidence and provide me with renewed enthusiasm to elevate my conservation endeavours to far greater heights, to further my commitment towards conserving one of Africa’s last wild places for the continued enjoyment and benefit of future generations.
“A special thank you to the founders of this prestigious award, and Patron Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco for providing the platform for the recognition of those on the front line of conservation in Africa,” he said. Colin is the manager of the 60 000ha at the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. He is responsible for the reserve conservation work and management of departmental managers of security, technical, and administration services respectively.
These include departmental managers of 14 technical staff, and 38 security staff members including field rangers, gate guards, and operations control room staff members. “The warden is an ex-officio member of the reserve’s executive committee reporting to the chairman. “I am to ensure that the reserve landowners abide by the provisions of the reserves constitution, and additionally the enforcement of all legislation, both provincial and national, which is applicable to the formally proclaimed Klaserie Private Nature Reserve,” he added.
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As the warden, he is responsible for ongoing and regular engagements with external stakeholders such as the Association of Private Nature Reserves, the Greater Lebombo Transfrontier Conservation Area, Sanparks, and the provincial authorities of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. Colin says security-related engagements are coordinated with the police and the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation. His environmental conservation responsibilities include planning and execution of the annual censuses which
includes both an aerial census over a 4-day period and a carnivore census which takes place over 11 consecutive nights.
He is also responsible to plan and execute herbivore reduction programmes based on census results. This means he has to plan for, motivate and execute game capture programmes when applicable. “I prepare annual professional hunting programmes based on aerial census results and conclude all administration in this regard such as appointing credible hunting outfitters and applying for the relevant permits from the provincial authorities.”
Under his guidance, the coordination of the annual vegetation assessments conducted by the Agricultural Research Council is carried out. This includes an annual fixed-point photographic survey. “Alien plant eradication, both terrestrial and aquatic is carried out as well as the coordination and support of research projects. The implementation of the controlled burning programmes is carried out, such as where and when applicable as well as maintaining environmental monitoring data sets, climate and rainfall, predation statistics, and mortalities,” he added.
