Safaritalk is inviting member's questions for the upcoming interview with John Hanks. Please feel free to add your question below. (One per member, and please review previous questions before adding your own to avoid overlap.)


John Hanks is a zoologist by training with his first degree in Natural Sciences from Magdalene College, Cambridge, followed by a PhD on the reproductive physiology, growth, and population dynamics of the African elephant in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia.

He has over 35 years of experience in a wide variety of conservation management and research projects and several African countries, particularly Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

John has a vast African Conservation CV which includes, since 1985:

1985-1990:

Appointed August 1985 as International Projects Manager for WWF International in Gland, Switzerland. Responsible for establishing Projects Management Department (until December 1988). Then appointed Director, Aid Agency Relations, and Director, Africa Programme for WWF International.

Elected as Honorary Life Member of the Family Planning Association of South Africa (1986).

External Examiner (Ph.D.) for the University of Pretoria (1986).

External Examiner (Ph.D.) for the University of Cape Town (1988).

1990 - January 1997:

Appointed May 1990 as Chief Executive of WWF South Africa.

Chairman of the Advisory Committee appointed at the request of the Minister of Environmental Affairs to advise the Minister on scientific aspects of sealing (1990).

External Examiner (1992-1994) for the M.Sc. Course in Conservation Biology at the University of Cape Town.

Member of the Board of KaNgwane Parks Corporation (1990-1995).

Member of the Mpumalanga Parks Board (1996 -2003).

Trustee of The Green Trust (appointed 1990 and ongoing) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Green Trust (1990-1996).

Member of the Board of Control of the BP Chair in Environmental Management (1991-1995).

Trustee of the SAA African Wildlife Heritage Trust (appointed 1990 and ongoing).

International Director of Safari Club International (appointed 1992 and ongoing).

Editorial Board of Biodiversity & Conservation (appointed 1992 and ongoing).

Member of IUCN/SCC Specialist Group on Sustainable Use of Wild Species (appointed 1993 and ongoing).

Editorial Board of the South African Journal of Environment Law & Policy (appointed 1993 and ongoing)

Council Member of Diocesan College (1993-1994).

Chairman of the Western Cape branch of the South African Friends of Cambridge University Board (1993-1995).

Board Member of the Monkey Valley Trust (appointed 1993 and ongoing).

February 1997 - August 2000

Appointed as the first Executive Director of the newly established Peace Parks Foundation.

Board Member of the Southern African Wildlife College (1997 - 2005)

External Examiner (Ph.D.) for the University of Natal (1997).

Board Member of the Institute of Natural Resources (1997 - 2005).

Board Member of Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana (appointed 1999 and ongoing).

October 2000 – August 2004

Appointed as Director of Conservation International’s TFCA Initiatives in Southern Africa.

(2001 – 2006) Board Member of the Western Cape Nature Conservation. Chair of the Board’s Fundraising and Development Sub-Committee.

External Examiner (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) for the University of Pretoria (2003, 2004 & 2005).

September 2004

Joined the consulting team at International Conservation Services.

Activities include leading the team undertaking the KAZA TFCA Pre-feasibility Study, developing the Project Profiles for the KAZA TFCA, and a study of the use of chilli peppers for the mitigation of human-elephant conflict.

July 2005

Chairman of the Board of Lapalala Wilderness School (ongoing).

October 2005 – October 2007

Chaired / presented weekly radio program Talking of Nature for RadioToday

April 2007

Board of Trustees of WWF-SA (ongoing).

May 2007

Board Member of Outward Bound South Africa (ongoing).

John has published over 100 scientific papers, and amongst his numerous awards is the 2007 WWF South Africa’s Lonmin Conservation Award for outstanding contributions to the protection and conservation of South Africa’s environment.

ok I've got a couple.

The KAZA TFCA will have people living in it. What challenges do you see this causing and how do you anticipate these issues being addressed ?

and a more controversial one...

What are your views on trophy hunting in community areas ?

Can you give us a synopsis of your PhD research on elephants in the Luangwa Valley, including anything that a visitor to that region should pay attention to?

I have many questions for John Hanks, but I reduced them somewhat.

1. With reference to the proposed TCFA to extend Kruger into Mozambique, what is the status? Do you think this will help with the elephant population in Kruger?
2. In a TCFA, how do you determine how each country utilizes the land? How do you ensure that there is no abuse?
3. Its one thing making vast areas open for tourists, but do you think there will be a point where Safari tourism is over traded? What other methods of utilization are considered and what is the potential of those methods?
4. Do you think tourists expectations of game parks is too high, thus forcing game parks to be more inventive to give the tourist what they want? I see this from the success of private game reserves in close proximity to large cities crammed with game and sometimes being a glorified zoo.
5. I see that you support some bush schools. How important is this type of education to conservation in the long term? Do you think they should also educate foreigners as well?
6. Do you believe that there is any way that the demand for animal parts in the east can be catered for in a sustainable and humane manor? There is a debate that SA should sell the rhino horn stockpile and start harvesting horns from live rhinos.

Howdy John - 3 from me

Following the massive poaching in the Luangwa Valley in the 70s through 90's the social and cultural lives of the elephants were badly impacted by the loss of the matriarchs and other elders in their herds and that females were getting pregnant very young.

1) Has your reasearch found there has been a restoration of wisdom and learning ie. routes, relationships, heirachcy etc and has this grown over the past 18 years or so even though the elders were all or mostly all killed?

2) Is there a balance again regarding the age at which females are coming into eostrus?

3) Have the calves of the very young mothers become succesful mothers themselves?

With increasing pressure from human population, can you foresee a time when the smaller national parks will be de gazetted and what will then become of the wildlife?

As landprices increase, and at what stage will the governments, eg South Africa, see the land value as a greater asset than that of the wildlife? What safeguards are in place to protect such areas?

How are / will land claims affect such areas?

Is this information correct: Member of WWF, Safari Club International and IUCN/SCC Suistanable Use of Wild Species and is being a member of Safari Club International not at odds with being a member of WWF?