Page 19 - Professorial Lecture - Professor Mapaure

Management considerations must therefore include:
1. Continuous monitoring and control (if necessary) of large herbivore densities
in savanna ecosystems to make sure that they are within the carrying
capacity of the habitats.
2. Monitor rangeland health and ecological integrity in relation to herbivore
densities and intervene where necessary.
3. Develop and implement good and appropriate fire management plans.
(a) Use ‘fight fire with fire’ concept with extreme caution in protected
areas. Animals may be trapped in between the two fires and could be
burnt to death or suffer injuries. There are several such cases
recorded in the region, including in Etosha National Park few years
ago.
(b) Involve all stakeholders, including surrounding local communities, in
fire management. Participatory Fire Management (PFM) approaches
must be used in order to be effective.
(c) Complete fire exclusion in savanna ecosystems is hazardous. Allow
historical fire regimes to occur. Consider patch-mosaic burning in
protected areas.
4. Wisely ‘domesticate’ existing international Guidelines on wildlife
management, fire management, and tourism management to suit each
unique local situation.
5. Harmonize the relevant local Policies, etc. on conservation, tourism,
rangeland management, forestry, etc. to eliminate contradictions and
conflicting directives.

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