Preserve Wild Life. I like the sound and feel of the heading Conservation Conversation and will unpack it in different ways during the weeks of the 2025 Season of Creation, with its theme PEACE WITH CREATION. logo and symbol of a garden of peace. it is a helpful approach to looking at creation but a special emphasis that we must not leave out, of course, is the role of the Creator, who has been involved right from the beginning.
In 2023 during this season I put together a video with the theme “Pilanesberg, a haven for creation” It can still be viewed on Bryanston Catholic church’s youtube page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSR089CgxBc I introduced the Pilanesberg National Park and its conservation focus, its task and role in the process of preserving wild life. I interviewed a park game guide, Koketso Morane, mainly about animals and birds. This August, on my annual visit to the park, I asked him about another aspect of conservation namely the impact of climate change. It was one of my topics of interest in 2024 when the UN 30th anniversary of the International Year for the Family theme was Families and Climate Change. (A powerpoint presentation I presented to the SA Department of Social Development on this is available from MARFAM)
Before we delve into a new interview with Koketso let me share some brief explanations. What do we understand by the process of conservation? (A1 instead of Wikipedia gives us the answers today) “Conservation is the careful management and protection of Earth’s natural resources in a sustainable manner to ensure they are available for future generations and to maintain healthy ecosystems. It involves PRESERVATION of natural environments, managing their use to prevent exploitation or neglect, and often includes RESTORATION of degraded areas. Conservation practices are divided into eight main types: soil, water, forest, wildlife, energy, marine, urban, and agricultural. Think of conservation as wise use, and preservation as non-use. “
Is it true as can be said that conservation is the sustainable use and management of natural resources and ecosystems to meet human needs, while preservation is the active protection of these resources to prevent any human access or consumption, keeping them in their original, untouched state? That must be a question to be examined further.
In 2024 In spoke to Koketso briefly about a serious fire caused by neglectful braai at a very windy time, that had destroyed significant parts of the grazing in the park but had almost totally destroyed one of the lodges. Fires are a serious hazard but necessary in the process of conservation.
My 2025 interview with Koketso – which will hopefully also result in a video in due course, is on the topic of climate change and conservation. Late summer rains, almost into winter, have had an effect on the vegetation, water resources and so on the food availability for the herbivores feeding on the different types of grasses which are their main food needs. For example bulk feeders like zebras eat type of grass, rhinos are selective feeders, and intermediate feeders like impala eat most types of grass. Elephants eat almost any type of vegetation from grass to branches and leaves of trees. They eat enormous quantities but only fully digest half of what they consume so their dung is a source of nutrients for other animals and enriches the soil. This circular effect, recycling as it were, is the type of ideal that we humans need to develop in order to reduce the vast amount of waste, much of which, like plastic, is not recyclable.
Koketso explained that climate change does have an impact but has not had a particularly serious effect in the park. Burning of dry grass, which encourages needed green growth, is an essential part of conservation and has been effected, but at this time although winter is a dry season in the park enough water is still available.
Have those late rains had an effect on breeding patterns? I did not ask specifically, but we did discuss the serious problem of over-population of elephants at this time. Conservation requires there to be an optimum balance between animals, food, water and soil. Too many elephants disturbs the balance. What is to be done has become an emotive issue with protagonists for the different options. Selling, culling, hunting or use of contraceptives are under consideration. Each option has implications for the elephants and the park as a whole. We as the human family, carers of creation have become the decision-makers in a situation that is in essence an unnatural one as the optimum and healthy balance between wild life and human development in terms of needs and wants of biodiversity has long been upset by us.
Climate change of course does have major effects in areas experiencing serious droughts, extreme heat or cold and flooding due to heavy rains. Part of South Africa have experienced floods and very cold conditions in recent months. Climate change then will impact both the human family and also the wild life, domestic animals and the land itself.
To continue the wild animal conservation conversation listen to the interview on Radio Veritas this day 3 September, between Toni Rowland and Koketso Morake recorded at Kwa Maritane in the Pilanesberg National Park August 8 2025. for further interest read the reflection PRESERVE WILD LIFE and CLIMATE CHANGE in the MARFAM booklet BECOMING ECO-FRIENDLY FAMILIES. contact [email protected] That is our calling. TR 3 September 2025.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY SEPTEMBER 3
September 3. FEED THE WORLD, DON’T KILL THE WORLD. (From BECOMING ECO-FRIENDLY FAMILIES) The Boney-M song “Don’t kill the world” goes back some 40 years. Environmental awareness was just starting to take off. It made a strong impact then. but hasn’t stopped us killing the world, which seems to just carry on. In those early days activists were often ridiculed, seen as tree huggers or bunny huggers but they were already aware of the hunger caused by droughts, famine and the extreme weather patterns which are now almost accepted as normal. The average world temperature is rising almost every year, heating the oceans, melting icecaps, affecting marine life, causing hurricanes and floods as well as drought in other places.
Killing the world is killing opportunities to grow and produce food to feed the world, resulting in hunger. This affects especially the poorest people living in villages and small towns, who often grow some of their own food. Feeding the world and the hungry is also providing aid to those affected by no, or low, rainfall and crop failures or floods and destroyed farmlands. Those displaced due to the wars and internal conflicts in parts of the world are among the hungry. Such conflicts kill the world through the massive damage to infrastructure that we see daily on our TV news programmes. War cuts food production, as in Ukraine where reduced wheat and sunflower exports are affecting staple foods of other countries. In addition wild fires brought on by temperature rises destroy many of God’s creatures and their habitats.
Reflect, share, act. Scripture: Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever and they asked him about her. He stood over her and rebuked the fever and it left her and immediately she rose and served them. Luke 4:38-44. Pope Francis. A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness. Love is more than just a series of benevolent actions. Our love for others for who they are moves us to seek the best for their lives. FT 94. With the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures let us establish a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and provide development in the most impoverished countries so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory solutions or have to leave their countries to seek a more dignified life. FT 262. Eco-tip.Offer help to someone who is sick, mentally or physically challenged or works with sick animals. As families revive the song, listen and meditate on the words, share and sing along. DAILY PRAYER. God of love show us as families how to be channels of Your love for all Your creatures. Pour out Your Spirit upon us as we pray and work together to tend the garden and foster peace with creation.
DON’T KILL THE WORLD.
o not destroy basic ground
Don’t kill the world, our means of life
Lend ear to nature’s cry
Don’t kill the world, the only one we have
And surely she is worth to save
Don’t let her die, fight for the trees
Pollution robs her breath
Don’t kill the world, help her survive
And she will be gone, you will die
And don’t just talk, go on and do
The one who wins is you
Cherish the world, a present from God
On behalf of all creatures made by the Lord
Care for the Earth, foundation of life
Slow progress down, help her survive
Don’t kill the world, don’t let her down
Do not destroy basic ground
Don’t kill the world our means of life
Don’t kill the world, our world.
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