Re-introduction of rock hyraxes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Summary

Rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis), locally extinct in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province for about a decade from an unknown cause despite ongoing unmonitored reintroductions purchased at wildlife auctions, were the subject of the first monitored reintroduction attempt, conducted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal at the 656-hectare Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve using two source groups captured from a pest population near Ladysmith, 150 km away. Seventeen hyraxes held in captivity for an unrelated 16-month research study were hard-released in November 2006 after three months of disease screening, marked with colored ear tags and monitored on a tapering daily-to-monthly schedule; only 58% were seen the day after release, several dispersed to unplanned sites along the cliff face, all pups died within weeks, and by 87 days post-release no captive-sourced hyrax could be located at all. A second release of nine wild-caught hyraxes, including six pregnant females, followed in October 2007 after a 14-day pre-release holding period during which several newborn pups died in captivity; released animals were radio-collared and tracked daily, but nearly all died within 18 days, mostly predated by caracal and crowned eagle, with one presumed drowned and one juvenile's fate unknown. Major difficulties included the ethical and practical tension between anesthetizing pregnant females for health checks versus release-timing stress, ear tags that pulled out, a radio collar that slipped off, and the apparent breakdown of social cohesion among hastily assembled release groups. The project rates itself a Failure, recommending future attempts instead capture intact family groups or allow artificially formed groups to bond for months in predator-secure enclosures before release.