Vetnews | September 2025 20 « BACK TO CONTENTS The altitude of the study area ranges from 338 m.a.s.l in the east to 360 m.a.s.l in the west. The study area is arid savannah [42, 43] with granitoid-based geology of the Swazian and Randian age group, derived from the Basement complex [42, 43]. The predominant soil types found in the study area are granitic- and gabbro-derived [42–44]. Climate data was collected from a weather station located at the OWNR research facility at the study site (Fig 2). Climate for the Savannah Biome is characterised by a clearly defined summerrainfall pattern [45], with most of the rainfall occurring in the warm wet months between November and April. The cool dry months (May to October) are cooler and dryer, characterised by night-time temperatures that drop as low as 0˚C in high altitude areas [45]. The OWNR is located entirely in the Savannah Biome characterised by a grass and forb dominated ground layer with an upper woody vegetation layer [45]. The vegetation is classified as belonging to the Granite Lowveld (SVI3) vegetation type [45]. Waterhole selection Four artificial waterhole types were present at the study site and selected for this study, namely, earth dams, concrete pans, reservoirs and troughs (Fig. 3). These waterhole types were either already present or were established after the creation of the Balule Private Nature Reserve in the early 1990s. Earth dams did not have a concrete base or sides and were established around natural features. Earth dams were in woody areas where there was no need for clearing bush to build concrete structures. Reservoirs had a concrete base with high sides and were placed close to boreholes in relatively dense woody vegetation. Concrete pans had a concrete base with low sides and were in relatively open areas dominated by grass. Troughs were often associated with reservoirs, had a concrete base and were usually placed some distance away from reservoirs in open areas dominated by grass. All waterhole types provided water perennially and were chosen based on their spatial orientation and ease of access from the road network in the reserve. Eleven waterholes (Table 1) were monitored for the wet (November to April) and dry (May to October) seasons. Days were split into four daily periods, constituting night (18:01 to 06:00), morning (06:01 to 10:00), midday (10:01 to 14:00) and afternoon (14:01 to 18:00). Waterhole monitoring Camera traps were used to monitor the selected waterholes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from January to December 2013. Camera traps used included Bushnell (model 119466), Tasco (model 9215), Scoutguard (model SG550) and Reconyx Rapidfire (RC55). All camera brands had similar specifications and were the models available for use by the researcher. Camera settings were standardised for all camera types to take five megapixel photographs every 1.2 seconds once movement was detected. All cameras could take infrared photos at night. The cameras were placed in the field for a two-week period prior to starting with the data collection to ensure that the correct camera settings and angles were used, and to ensure that all batteries, cameras and SD cards were functional. Figure 1: Location of the Balule Private Nature Reserve in relation to the Kruger National Park within South Africa. (Image created by the researcher) Figure 3: Examples of the different waterhole types in the study area. (a) is an example of an earth dam, (b) is an example of a pan, (c) is an example of a reservoir, and (d) is an example of a trough. (Photographs taken by the researcher) Figure 2: Temperature and rainfall data for the 2013 study period Research Article
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTc5MDU=