Guest guest Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 Special delivery on man-made island November 28 2008 at 06:18PM Related Articles N Cape conservation officials suspended By John YeldConservationists are popping the champagne corks to celebrate the arrival of more than 100 newcomers to the world who, with a bit of luck, could be followed soon by a thousand or more others of their kind.These newcomers are Lesser Flamingo chicks that have just hatched on the specially-constructed artificial island at Kamfers Dam, a large pan just north of Kimberley - the second successful annual breeding effort since the S-shaped island was completed. January was the first time chicks of this species have hatched naturally in South Africa, and the massive breeding effort currently underway - conservationists have reported "hundreds, perhaps thousands" of eggs on the island - has started significantly earlier this season. "The breeding event is six weeks earlier than last summer, perhaps an indication of the flamingoes' acceptance of the new breeding site," says the Save the Flamingo Association that is battling controversial housing and sewage concerns.The Lesser Flamingo is a threatened species known to breed at only three other sites in Africa - Lake Natron in Tanzania, Etosha Pan in Namibia and Sua Pan in Botswana - and occasionally at two in India.This species only breeds successfully at Etosha Pan once every 12 years, and all five breeding sites are threatened by a number of factors, including dam construction in the catchment areas and a soda ash plant at Lake Natron.Conservationists are hoping the birds will now breed annually at Kamfers Dam."This will almost certainly reverse the current negative population trend that has been observed in southern Africa during recent decades," the association notes.During the previous breeding season an estimated 9 000 chicks were produced. "If one considers the southern African Lesser Flamingo population only numbers about 100 000 individuals, Kamfers Dam contributed significantly to this relatively small population during the past summer."Recenly, the dam has been shrouded in controversy. Conservationists raised serious concerns about a malfunctioning sewerage works which supplies the dam and a proposed housing development a few hundred metres from the dam. The project has been authorised by the Northern Cape government, although an appeal is pending.Three conservation scientists were suspended in August because of their involvement with the flamingo association and their outspoken concerns.One of them, Eric Herrmann, is now back at work, and a second, Mark Anderson, has taken up a senior position with BirdLife South Africa. The third, Julius Koen, remains suspended. This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Argus on November 28, 2008 http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 & click_id=14 & art_id=vn20081128122047710C188394 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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