Aspects of monitoring wild and captive Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) populations in southern Africa = Izingxenye zokubhekelela uhlobo lwengwenya yasendle nevalelwe yaseNile (Crocodylus niloticus) e-Afrikha eseningizimu.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

As biodiversity across the globe declines because of anthropogenic activities, the need for conservation efforts increases. For conservation efforts to be successful, it is imperative that detailed information about species and their populations; size and status within and outside of protected areas be collected. In freshwater systems, crocodile population demographics can provide an integrated view of ecosystem state, but the habitat and cryptic nature of crocodilians confound the derivation of population demographics for the taxa. Crocodile populations were historically monitored by fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter or limited spotlight surveys in those areas that are navigable by boat. These techniques are costly and labour-intensive; require specialised personnel and equipment, and are subject to observer bias and low accuracy in size class estimations. Furthermore, they produce population demographic data that is not verifiable as they rely on decisions and opinions of observers in the moment of surveying, often fromfast-moving platforms. Lately, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) techniques have been shown to accurately and effectively count crocodiles, but they still require costly software and hardware packages. In this study, low-cost, open-source UAV techniques were developed as an alternative method to monitor and survey crocodilians, particularly Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus), both in captivity and in the wild. In South Africa, Nile crocodiles occur in open bedrock systems with relatively little riparian vegetation, an ideal scenario for the application of UAVs. The possibility of improved population demographic data for wild Nile crocodile populations by converting size data derived from UAVs to age data was explored by radiocarbon dating Nile crocodile claws. Morphometric correction factors applicable to UAV census are derived, and a fixed-wing survey is compared with a commercial-grade UAV survey of wild Nile crocodile populations in the Kruger National Park. The limitations and applicability of these approaches for crocodilian and other ecological studies were assessed. Their future applications in ecology and management are proposed. Iqoqa Njengoba impiliswanomvelo kuwo wonke umhlaba yehla ngenxa yezenzo ezidalwe ngabantu, isidingo sokongiwa kwemvelo siyakhula. Ukuze imizamo yokongiwa kwemvelo ibe impumelelo, kuyaphoqa ukuthi kuqoqwe ulwazi olunzulu mayelana nokuphilayo kanye nezinhlobo zakho, ubungako kanye nesigaba phakathi kanye nangaphandle kwezindawo ezivikelwe. Emanzini aphilayo, uhlobo lwemiphakathi yezingwenya zingasinika iso eliyinhlanganisela lesimo sohlalonhlaliswano yokuphilayo nokungaphili, kodwa isimo sendawo yokuhlala kanye nesingachazeki sididisa ukwehlukanisa ukutholakala komphakathi wezinhlobo zezingwenya. Imiphakathi yezingwenya yayibhekelelwa emandulo ngendizamshini ehlala phezulu emoyeni, indiza enophephela emhlane noma amasaveyi angemaningi agqamile kulezo zindawo okuhambekayo kuzo ngezikebhe. Lawa masu ayabiza futhi adinga amandla okusebenza, adinga abasebenzi abaqondene kanye nemishini yokusebenza, kanti futhi ancike ekuchemeni kobukelayo kanye nezinga eliphansi ngobungako besihlawumbiselo sohlobo. Okunye futhi, akhiqiza imininingo yohlobo lwemiphakathi engathembakali njengoba ethembele ezinqumeni kanye nemibono yababukela ngesikhathi sokwenza amasaveyi, okujwayele ukuthi kube izinhlaka ezihamba ngokushesha. Kamumva nje, amasu esithuthi ezingasetshenziswa muntu ezisemoyeni, i-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) asevezwe njengakhombisa ukubalwa kwezingwenya okuqondile nokunemiphumela emihle, kodwa asadinga ubuchwepheshe obubizayo kanye nezindodla zobuxhaxhaxha bobuchwepheshe. Kulolu cwaningo, okungabizi, amasu ezizinda ezivulekile e-UAV kwaqanjwa njengenye yendlela engasetshenziswa ukubhekelela nokusaveya izingwenya, kakhulukazi izingwenya zaseNile (Crocodylus niloticus), zozimbili ezivalelwe kanye nezasendle. ENingizimu Afrikha, izingwenya zaseNile zivela ekusetshenzisweni kwamadwalamsuka avulekile anotshalovikelo olungeluningi, okuyisibonelo esincomekayo sokusebenzisa ama-UAV. Ukuba khona kwemininingo ethuthukile yezinhlobo zemiphakathi yezingwenya zasendle zeNile ngokushintsha ubungako bemininingo etholakale kuma-UAV ukukhulisa imininingo kwaphenywa ngekhabhoni yomoya ukubona izindlawu zengwenya yaseNile. Izimo zokulungisa ukusebenza kokubala kwe-UAV kutholakele, kanti futhi isaveyi yophiko olunganyakazi luqhathaniswa nesaveyi ye-UAV yohlobo lokusebenza lwemiphakathi yohlobo lwengwenya yasendle yaseNile e-Kruger National Park. Imikhawuko kanye nokusebenzeka kwalezi zindlela zokubhekelela izingwenya kanye nezinye izicwaningo zezemvelo kwahlolwa. Ukusebenza kwayo kwesikhathi esizayo emvelweni kanye nokwenganyelwa kuyaphakanyiswa.