Ogongo Wildlife Camp too full

THE Wildlife Camp at Ogongo Agricultural College now contains more wild animals than its carrying capacity and this could lead to a shortage of grazing.

Nghilai Evaristo, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s Chief Warden for the North and Central region, told The Namibian at Ongwediva that the 1 000-hectare camp has a carrying capacity of 65 wild animals, but is now home to 157 animals. This is after the Ministry culled some of the animals in June last year, following a game count in August 2005 which found that there were 266 animals in the camp.The meat of the culled animals was sold to local communities.Nghilai said the Ministry stocked the camp with 42 animals in 1997.They included springbok, ostriches, red hartebeest, oryx, zebras and giraffe.The only species that have not been culled in the camp are the five giraffe and 2 ostriches, whose numbers have not grown.”But the number of animals we have still exceeds the carrying capacity of the camp,” Nghilai told The Namibian.He said the Ogongo Wildlife Camp was set up for research purposes at the college.There are three options for reducing the game numbers, he said – another cull, translocation to parks, or selling the animals to game farms.This is after the Ministry culled some of the animals in June last year, following a game count in August 2005 which found that there were 266 animals in the camp.The meat of the culled animals was sold to local communities.Nghilai said the Ministry stocked the camp with 42 animals in 1997.They included springbok, ostriches, red hartebeest, oryx, zebras and giraffe.The only species that have not been culled in the camp are the five giraffe and 2 ostriches, whose numbers have not grown.”But the number of animals we have still exceeds the carrying capacity of the camp,” Nghilai told The Namibian.He said the Ogongo Wildlife Camp was set up for research purposes at the college.There are three options for reducing the game numbers, he said – another cull, translocation to parks, or selling the animals to game farms.