Mamba research in Afrikaans

[Bushviper]

Slangnavorsing weer op dreef
2012-03-21 21:56


Nelspruit. – ’n Navorsingsprojek in die Laeveld om met behulp van mikroskyfies die bewegings van swart mambas na te vors, het ná ’n geldtekort van twee jaar nuwe stukrag gekry.

Mnr. Chris Hobkirk, slangkenner van die Mpumalanga-Toerisme-en-Parke-agentskap (MTPA) het die projek begin.

Beeld het in 2007 berig Hobkirk was nie baie optimisties dat van die gemerkte mambas sommer maklik weer opgespoor sal word nie.

“Daar bestaan ’n mite dat mambas altyd terugkeer na die plek waar hulle gevang word, maar dis nog nooit wetenskaplik bewys nie,” het hy destyds gesê.

Die skyfies, wat elk ’n unieke nommer het, is net onder die slang se vel, sowat ’n derde van sy lengte van sy stertpunt af, ingeplant.

“Dit is op ’n plek waar die lyf nie rek as die reptiel gevreet het nie,” het Hobkirk gesê.

Die eerste mamba is op 18 Junie 2007 gemerk en vrygelaat. Hobkirk het sedertdien 91 mambas gemerk en vrygelaat.

Hy het vandeesweek bevestig ses mambas is binne die eerste twee jaar weer gevang.

Een van die mambas is presies een jaar en een dag nadat hy in Nelspruit aangekeer is, weer gevang – in presies dieselfde voëlhok!

“Dit het vir ons waardevolle inligting gegee oor onder meer die bewegings van die reptiele. Maar baie navorsing lê nog voor,” het Hobkirk gesê.

Die projek het egter in 2010 tot stilstand gekom toe die verskaffer van die mikroskyfies hul borgskap onttrek het.

’n Prokureursfirma van Witrivier, Lüneburg en Janse van Vuuren, het begin vanjaar by die projek betrokke geraak.

“Ons kon sedertdien weer vyf mambas vang en met skyfies, eintlik wil ek eerder sê hulle eie ID-boek, toerus,” het Hobkirk gesê.

- Mense wat meer oor die projek wil uitvind, kan Hobkirk by 013 759 5487 skakel.

Summary in English. Mamba research is back on track after a law firm has paid for microchips to be inserted into mambas that have been removed and released. Of the 91 mambas tagged 6 have been caught again and 1 was found in the same aviary where it was caught one year and day earlier.

[Jacquesvw]

Baie interessant, dankie.

[Bushviper]

Just one drawback. I have already had a call where the guy insists that if I intend to release the snake he would rather kill it now because it will come back again. Pity they dont read that the research is not complete yet.

I did promise to keep the snake and he let me catch it. Released it about 10 km away. I want to see it fight its way through two shopping centres and a highway to get back to his pool pump.

[Jacquesvw]

Just one drawback. I have already had a call where the guy insists that if I intend to release the snake he would rather kill it now because it will come back again. Pity they dont read that the research is not complete yet.

I did promise to keep the snake and he let me catch it. Released it about 10 km away. I want to see it fight its way through two shopping centres and a highway to get back to his pool pump.

Yes, having a similar quarrel with the owner of the neighboring farm. They used to call me to remove snakes when they came across them, but once they heard I release them about 8km away they are killing them now, because they also believe they will make their way back.

[Jacquesvw]

I have to add thought that my neighbors keep finding snakes around the house not because the snakes are returning, but because their yard is a mess with scrap metal all over the place as well as overgrown grass and weed wherever you look.