HELMETED GUINEA-FOWL NUMIDA-MELEAGRIS IN KWAZULU-NATAL - A CASE FOR NON-SUSTAINABILITY

Helmeted guineafowl Numida meleagris populations in KwaZulu-Natal whic h once provided some of the best gamebird hunting in Africa have decli ned significantly over the past 15 years. This study investigated, by means of a questionnaire survey, the apparent collapse of guineafowl p opulations in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and Drakensberg regions, and the potential agricultural causes thereof. The number of pesticides us ed, their toxicity levels, and the proportion of land under cultivatio n can be used to discriminate significantly between extinct and declin ing versus stable and increasing guineafowl populations, being higher in the former populations. These results suggest that efficient, inten sive farming practices have not only compressed the period in the farm ing year over which food is available to the guineafowl, but also redu ced the suitability of farmlands as wildlife habitat. Remedies are sug gested to resuscitate declining populations and optimize their long-te rm preservation for potential sustainable utilization. Recommended man agement actions include the judicious use of pesticides and the creati on of suitable habitat at the landscape scale.