Remember the Black Eagle Conservation Project

 

The Black Eagle is a fairly common resident of South Africa and is said to be one of the most thoroughly researched eagles in the country. 

 

They are found at sea level from the Cape Province to the Drakensberg in Natal, in the North West Province and up into Africa. Mountain terrains with cliffs, rock ledges and caves are preferred as habitat by the black eagle, with the ledges providing nesting sites and abundant prey.

 

When the Watler Sisulu National Botanical Garden was established in 1982, the black eagles were already nesting on the cliffs next to the Witpoortjie Falls. Despite increasing urbanisation and development within their immediate hunting area, the pair breeding at the Gardens has stayed, regardless of their existence being challenged by influx of visitors, noise and lack of prey. The interference within and around the territory escalated with stray and domestic dogs and vagrans, who feed on the eagles’ principal prey, the dassie. The pair have had to adapt their prey base to include guinea fowl, francolin, red rock rabbit and in very desperate cases, chickens.

 

The Black Eagle Monitoring Project was initiated in 1992 with its aims being the following: educate and inform the public on black eagles, conserve and secure the black eagle pair in the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens and to monitor and obtain vital information on their breeding cycle.

 

In 1998, the Black Eagle Monitoring Group became affiliated to the Gardens and subsequently the project was renamed the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans and was registered as a non-profit organisation that consists of a 7-member committee and approximately 30 dedicated volunteer members. For the next three years since 2006, the project placed a ring on the juvenile eagle’s tarsus and took blood samples for correct sexing and DNA.

 

This project proves how much can be learned and achieved by the voluntary efforts of a passionate amateur team. The importance of preserving the ‘Black Eagles of Roodekrans’ will remain the top priority of the project. Monitoring will continue as it is only through a thorough knowledge of these raptors that any arising problems can be rectified.

 

A live camera was installed on the cliff watching over the nests of the black eagle pair. To view the feed from this camera, go to: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/africam-black-eagle.

 

The Black Eagles are a part of our South African heritage and we should all give our support to this project to ensure the survival of these spectacular birds!

 

 

Written by Marleen Theunissen

Creative writer at ATKA SA

How the rising petrol price affects business

Fuel price hikes is one thing that a business cannot avoid. Petrol is made from crude oil, which is extracted from the ground and then refined and exported from the main oil-producing nations to the rest of the world.

 

 

As with other goods, if the supply of oil increases, price will decrease and vice versa. The recent increases in the fuel price have much to do with political conflicts in the large oil-producing nations of the Middle East. Uprisings like these can change the fuel price in two ways – it may lead to a decrease in supply or the anticipation of future drops in supply will lead to other countries stockpiling oil and therefore raising the demand and price of oil.

 

The consistent rise of the fuel price has forced business to re-evaluate logistics costs. The rise in the price will lead to increased road and delivery costs, which have seen businesses streamline delivery processes in order to stabilize costs. Another strategy considered by businesses is to reduce petrol-related costs by planning smarter travel routes and shipments. Business owners have also started to actively outsource logistics to external partners in order to reduce costs and simplify delivery structures.

 

The increasing pressure in the current economic climate is on business to become and remain competitive, both locally and globally. A problem experienced by South Africa is also that foreign investors find our country less attractive. Many companies use South Africa as a gateway into Africa, but fuel costs are piling up on existing logistical costs leading to foreign businesses to look for alternative entry points into Africa.

To top this off, the average rand/US Dollar exchange rate had weakened in the last couple of months, causing fuel prices to rise even more.

 

In the long run, the upward petrol price trajectory will have a negative impact on all industries, especially the logistics industry, as firms with low revenues will most likely be unable to compete with the bigger market players who find themselves in a much better position to absorb these cost increases.

 

Smart logistics strategies could help to improve customer services and reduce product costs and unnecessary pressure on business owners. However, this needs to be done with much diligence and care, as failure of these systems could have far reaching negative effects. As far as the foreseeable future is concerned, petrol prices will keep on rising. It is therefore becoming imperative for businesses to create alternatives regarding transportation in order to reduce overhead costs effectively.

 

 

Written By Marleen Theunissen 

Creative Writer for ATKA SA