Moses Selebatso's History and Research

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Moses Selebatso is a PhD Student in Natural Resources Management with the University of Botswana (Okavango Research Institute). He holds a Master of Science Degree in Tropical Ecology and Natural Resources Management from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Moses has more than 15 years of experience in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation in Botswana.

Moses is Motswana born in Serowe, 11th August, 1973. He grew up in Seolwane village in the eastern Botswana, known as Tswapong region, where his family originates. He is the only son of Theko and Berlinah Selebatso, and has 4 sisters. Moses got married to Eda (of Gaobinelwe family) from Serowe in 2007, on the 10th August, a day before his birthday! Eda is a Project Manager at the Ministry of Health. Eda and Moses are blessed with 3 children, Moses Setso (son), Betsi (daughter) and Moatsisi (Son), aged 5, 3 and 3 weeks, respectively.

Moses started his career with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ecology at the University of Botswana in 1998. He developed his interest in Ecology when he was undertaking his pre-entry science course at the University of Botswana in 1994. Moses’ first permanent job was with the Government of Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) as a Wildlife Biologist for 8 years. He did his Master of Science in 2004-2006. While at DWNP Moses was involved in a number of research projects including Aerial surveys, road and spoor counts, monitoring, and movement studies of large ungulates in the Kalahari ecosystem. Moses joined Conservation International in 2007 to 2010 as a Biodiversity Manager for the Western Kgalagadi Conservation Corridor (WKCC) Project. In the WKCC Moses was coordinating the Biodiversity component of the project which included Human Wildlife Conflict studies, Resource inventory and spoor surveys using experienced Basarwa (san) and Bakgalagadi trackers, satellite tracking of wildebeest, and the assessment of ecological corridor option and viability and informed the Tourism and Corridor Development and Management Planning process.

Moses joined the Kalahari Research and Conservation in 2011 as a PhD student studying wildebeest in the Central Kalahari and Kutse Game Reserve. He had two reasons for undertaking this project as a PhD student. He wanted to develop his skills and he wanted to contribute to saving the Kalahari ecosystem. Moses believes that Botswana’s present and future economy is dependent on natural resources, and that wildlife-based tourism will be the main driver of this economy. Botswana needs local human resource capacity to take part in the development of management of these resources. With his experience in the Kalahari region, and his previous involvement in the monitoring and tracking of the Kalahari ungulates, most was the most suited candidate to undertake the wildebeest focused study. Through this study Moses is trying to assess the viability of the CKGR as an independent habitat for conservation of the wildebeest population, considering the reserve as an isolated remnant of the historical large habitat for the population. Moses envisions that after his PhD he will be better positioned to provide educated contributions to natural resources management of the country, and particularly inform ecosystem oriented approach to addressing the declining Kalahari wildlife populations.

Climatic patterns in the semi-arid regions of sub Saharan Africa are very unpredictable and periods of drought can cause very dramatic effects on wildlife populations, especially on water-dependent species. The survival of the populations in the system depends on their mobility on habitat heterogeneity in response to the seasonal and climatic changes. The Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) in Botswana were recorded to make long distance movement between the Kalahari Transfrontier Park (KTP) and the Boteti through the CKGR, Lake Ngami and Lake Xau during drought periods. Access to the Boteti River, Lake Xau and Lake Ngami was removed from the southern part of the system by the veterinary cordon fence along the north and north-eastern boundary of the CKGR. There has also been habitat loss between the CKGR and the KTP through human and livestock encroachment, and landuse changes. The general decline in wildlife populations in the Kalahari is associated with the trends in land-use and habitat changes. The wildebeest is one the most affected species, understandably because they are one of the most mobile and water-dependent ungulates in the region, but yet have restricted movements.

In an attempt to address the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, the CKGR management introduced artificial waterholes in the reserve. Wildlife surveys show that the wildebeest population continues to decline and they are estimated to be less a thousand in 2012.

The available information, however, does not explain the actual causes of the population decline, but it has been suggested that the main cause could be loss of access to key habitats (water and forage) and fragmentation associated with fences, and livestock and human population increase and over-exploitation.

Spatial and temporal variability of both biological and physical characteristics of the environment play a significant role in the timing and directions of selecting a suitable habitat, and effectively affect the fitness of an individual and eventually survival of the population. Water quality has been reported to affect the health of wildlife populations and so compromise the survival of populations. Understanding the relationship between the wildebeest population and the heterogeneity and variability of the CKGR environment is critical in determining the viability of the system and development of management interventions for sound species conservation. This study will investigate the factors that influence the decline of the wildebeest population to inform the development of management interventions towards the survival of the CKGR wildebeest population.

The study is guided by the objectives:

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1. Determine the demographic patterns of the CKGR wildebeest population

2. Determine the movement patterns of  the CKGR wildebeest population

3. Determine habitat selection and use of the CKGR wildebeest population

4. Determine dietary selection of the CKGR wildebeest population

5. Determine the influence of water availability and quality of the CKGR wildebeest population

 

The study started in 2011 and it has deployed a total number of 18 satellite collars on wildebeest.  The project is experiencing a high mortality of the wildebeest. Only four of the collared wildebeests survived for a year with a collar, and just 2 of them made it to 14 months! To date 8 wildebeests are confirmed dead (with possible additional one likely as the collar failed and the animal has never been sighted for the last 9 months), and two collar failures.  This leaves only 7 collars currently on animals, with just two of them collared before September last year. This represents 53% mortality rate of the study animals! The 2012 aerial survey report that estimated a loss of close to two thirds of the 2007 population leaving less than 1000 individuals. Looking at the long term trends of the population, and a closer look at the last five year, it is almost evident that the population may crash or struggle to recover unless focused and intensive management of the population is put in place. Currently the study identifies water availability as the main limiting factor to the survival of the species.

Data from the collared animals show that most of the wildebeest population and its movement is concentrating in the northern half of the CKGR. See map of all movement to date (and table at the end of the report).

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