Projects
Greater Anysberg Conservation Initiative
The aim of this project is to extend the area of protected habitat around the existing Anysberg Nature Reserve in the Western Cape, by identifying eligible properties, securing legal protection for these sites, and enhancing ecosystem services. The project also strives to increase and enhance terrestrial species research and monitoring, particularly through the use of environmental DNA (eDNA). We have selected eight species, which we are calling “The Elusive Eight”, to use as flagship indicators to test the use of soil eDNA as a tool to detect rare/elusive species.
Population Genetics
of the Riverine Rabbit
The Critically Endangered riverine rabbit is regarded as one of Africa’s most endangered mammals, threatened predominantly by habitat transformation across the Karoo, resulting in a limited geographical distribution and seemingly small population size.
Golden Moles of
the West Coast
Golden moles (Chrysochloridae) are subterranean mammals endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. They are characterised by poor dispersal ability and, consequently, most species are seriously range-restricted and vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, degradation, and population isolation.
Cape Stag Beetles (Colophon)
programme
Colophon beetles are an endemic genus of beetles, commonly called Cape stag beetles, widely sought after by collectors.
Threatened tortoises of the Karoo
Southern Africa contains one of the most diverse tortoise faunas globally. Six of the 11 southern African tortoise species are threatened with extinction, of which three are listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered (Chersobius boulengeri and C. signatus) or Critically Endangered (Psammobates geometricus).