Cape Fox.

[treeman]

The problem is when you set traps for other predators usually the first thing you catch is an ystervark, they have good noses.

Also, cape fox sounds so....exotic.
For the city folk, without googling it what is the afrikaans(volksmond) name for them?

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For me its just a lovely looking non "crime" committing animal, they pretty innocent when it comes to farm rules.

[TStone]

Bakoorjakkals?

Draaijakkals, but in some areas it is known as a silwervos or kaapsevos. Scientific name Vulpes chama. It is a bit bigger than a bakoorjakkals (bat eared fox).

Oops. Sorry Messor, I replied before seeing your post.

Volksmond names can be somewhat confusing, with the same animal having different names in different areas. As an example, I have heard the aardwolf referred to as a weerwolf (werewolf) and a genet referred to as a tabernakeltjie in the Waterberg area.

[Messor]

There you go.

Also check the fine for shooting one.

[treeman]

Our porcupine population have multiplied to plague proportions. The same thing happened a few years ago. When food grow scarce they start ring barking trees which, in an area that is not exactly overgrown with trees in the first place, is not desirable. So we are reducing their numbers by shooting and trapping. None of the carcasses get wasted though, our workers enjoy the meat.

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Yea............ the question was aimed at reason, not at right or wrong. I really like all the little creatures and feel sorry for most things living that need killing, but I have a special fondness for Porcupines.
I have also been called to kill as many as I can on occasion because of same reason and the chewing through of water pipes, one of the saddens me jobs.
I have to balance this out against like you say though, 100 year old trees dying for a mouthful of food at most.
T, do you have any idea what sets these explosions in population off? Dassie do the same thing occasionally, and then always the big die back again.
The big hikes in population have interested me for some years.

[TStone]

Treeman, I don't really know the exact reason. I guess circumstances and conditions must be favorable for them. The same happens with bat eared fox. Porcupine do not have a lot of natural enemies in our area which might contribute to the problem. Like you, I am fond of them and do not like killing them but it need to be done at times.

[TStone]

Also check the fine for shooting one.

Same as for shooting a leopard, last time I checked.

[TStone]

Bakoorjakkals?

Bakoorjakkals

[Luker]

Bakoorjakkals

Love these little guys.

[Pirate]

Draaijakkals

Thanks muchly, I plead stadsjapie

[Messor]

Thanks muchly, I plead stadsjapie

See, I said once people learn more from T-Stone's posts than they do from anything else, and we are all better off for it.

I just see the potential and ask the required questions.