Protrack Anti Poaching team discovered the “harvesting” of approximately 1000

Red billed Queleas near Manyeleti Nature Reserve.

Anti Poaching officers, Tumi Morema and Le Roux Benade were on vehicle patrol on the
morning of the 15th February 2009 at about 09h00. They came across a group of woman
and children carrying some articles, which roused their suspicion. On closer inspection it
was found that they carried 2 25 litre plastic drums, plastic bags, and 2 mielie bags
containing chicks and small adult birds, which were appeared to be Red-billed Quelea’s.
The youngest ones were chicks who had no feathers yet and others seemed to be
mature birds. This occurred on the tar road near the entrance to Manyeleti Nature
Reserve.

According to the applicable Environmental legislation the Red-billed Quelea

(Quelea quelea) is a non protected wild animal along with many other common bird
species. This bird is considered an agricultural pest especially to wheat farmers. Their
natural diet is grass seeds, but the prevalence of suitable crop feed causes an explosion
in their numbers and hence they are considered an agricultural pest in the same way as
locusts are.

Their nesting habits are such that up to 500 fledglings can be found in a single tree and
therefore they are easy pickings for people or predators.

From nature conservation perspective these birds are not considered as threatened and
are as such not protected. Obviously from the agricultural point of view they cause great
destruction and are seen as vermin. Anybody with right of access to property, in the form
of a letter of permission from the owner/occupier, or communal land may without
restriction legally gather, kill or harvest these birds, without restriction.

Should the Red-billed Quelea be utilised as a natural and abundant food resource for
impoverished local communities and simultaneously doing the agricultural sector a
favour?