http://www.bornfree.org.uk/blog/2010/compassionate-conservation/ Keep wild life in the wild Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:52:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://www.bornfree.org.uk/blog/2010/compassionate-conservation/#comment-31614 Neville Wells Sun, 12 Sep 2010 10:26:59 +0000 http://www.bornfree.org.uk/blog/?p=223#comment-31614 Wildcru conducted in 2008 a field trial/evaluation of US. made and patented so-called soft-catch leghold traps on the "Damage Causing Animal" better known as the black-backed jackal, which attack and kill farmers' livestock. These devices are unsuitable for ANY predator larger than a jackal, such as a leopard, but the South African Govt's Dept of Environmental Affairs persists in over-interpreting Wildcru's findings in its statements to me that "the use of soft-catch traps" has been proposed in the draft Norms and Standards to be published imminently for public comment over the next three years, provided these traps are "used properly". However it is practically impossible for a livestock farmer to replicate Wildcru's South African intensively monitored, species-specific trial and to predict the size/weight/kind of trapped animal, bird or reptile which all suffer horrendously and often accidentally. IMO this soft-catch trap trial is being used as a convenient official cover-up for cruel gintraps continuing to be used by farmers. The RSA Govt is allegedly not known for compassion towards its animal population and Wildcru should speak up publicly about this latest potential misunderstanding/official deception by RSA Govt before it is too late for the much reduced Cites Appendix 1 Vulnerable LEOPARD population of South Africa , likely to go extinct within 50 years and hence wildlife tourism. Various non-lethal livestock protection methods are available but these are not being given official credit for some unknown reason. Wildcru conducted in 2008 a field trial/evaluation of US. made and patented so-called soft-catch leghold traps on the “Damage Causing Animal” better known as the black-backed jackal, which attack and kill farmers’ livestock. These devices are unsuitable for ANY predator larger than a jackal, such as a leopard, but the South African Govt’s Dept of Environmental Affairs persists in over-interpreting Wildcru’s findings in its statements to me that “the use of soft-catch traps” has been proposed in the draft Norms and Standards to be published imminently for public comment over the next three years, provided these traps are “used properly”. However it is practically impossible for a livestock farmer to replicate Wildcru’s South African intensively monitored, species-specific trial and to predict the size/weight/kind of trapped animal, bird or reptile which all suffer horrendously and often accidentally. IMO this soft-catch trap trial is being used as a convenient official cover-up for cruel gintraps continuing to be used by farmers. The RSA Govt is allegedly not known for compassion towards its animal population and Wildcru should speak up publicly about this latest potential misunderstanding/official deception by RSA Govt before it is too late for the much reduced Cites Appendix 1 Vulnerable LEOPARD population of South Africa , likely to go extinct within 50 years and hence wildlife tourism. Various non-lethal livestock protection methods are available but these are not being given official credit for some unknown reason.

]]>