Assessment results (2015–2018) of re-established poached cycad trees in Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Hugo Bezuidenhout

doi:10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1626

Abstract

No abstract available.

Highlights

On 12 February 2015, the South African Police Services confiscated 39 Encephalartos longifolius plants (Thunberg’s cycad or Zuurberg cycad) and nine Encephalartos lehmannii (Karoo cycad) plants illegally removed from the wild on a farm adjacent to the Darlingtondam section of Addo Elephant National Park (AENP)
None of these replanted cycads were killed by the fire
it became clear that baboons caused further injury to cycads that had existing stem damage

Summary

Introduction

On 12 February 2015, the South African Police Services confiscated 39 Encephalartos longifolius plants (Thunberg’s cycad or Zuurberg cycad) and nine Encephalartos lehmannii (Karoo cycad) plants illegally removed from the wild on a farm adjacent to the Darlingtondam section of Addo Elephant National Park (AENP). The confiscated plants were delivered to AENP on Saturday, 14 February 2015 (Figure 1). According to the 1997 and 2006 International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened plant species, 82% of the world’s cycads are listed as threatened and, are facing a major extinction crisis (Singh 2012). Some species are dying out naturally, but the major extinction contributing factor is human activities (Donaldson 2003). All other provinces have implemented strict protective laws and heavy penalties were laid down by the Nature Conservation Ordinances of each province (Singh 2012)

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