About the
Symposium

The 9th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium will be hosted at the Safari Hotel in Windhoek, Namibia from 12-16 September 2016. It is the ideal network opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow game ranchers from all around the world to meet new people and to solidify existing relationships.

The 9th IWRS will incorporate a plenary session and three elective specialist streams, as well as site visits to game ranching establishments in Namibia. Various sessions are planned and excellent speakers are invited from all over the world to share practical knowledge, skills and attitudes with private and communal sectors.

The timing of this Symposium precedes the CITES COP 17 meeting, which will be held in South Africa from 24 September 2016 – 5 October 2016. Attendance of the 9th IWRS will benefit discerning delegates and national stakeholders, to network for the upcoming discussions at CITES CoP 17, such as the global Rhino Imperative.

You will have the opportunity to attend incredible field trips to private game ranches, a game capture experience or a cultural tour to the vibrant city of Windhoek – experience Africa at its best! A partner programme will provide for extraordinary day-trips in and around Windhoek. A few highlights will include a diamond works experience, spa visits, shopping at an African craft market and visits to private game ranches with delightful activities like carnivore feeding, learning ancient skills from San people and game drives. Special post-conference trips can be arranged for delegates who would like to make use of the opportunity to explore Southern Africa and visit breath-taking places around Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. A few possibilities include the charming town of Swakopmund, world-famous Etosha National Park, the world’s highest dunes at Sossusvlei, the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in Botswana, the magnificent Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Kruger National Park in South Africa.

The 9th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium will also host the 2nd African Buffalo Symposium.

2nd African Buffalo Symposium

As announced during the 1st African Buffalo Symposium held in Paris on the 5th-6th November 2014, we are pleased to hold this 2nd symposium in the heart of the African buffalo’s continent.

Under the auspices of the Antelope Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of IUCN and the African Buffalo Interest Group (AfBiG), the 2nd African Buffalo Symposium will be hosted by the 9th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium and organised by the CIRAD Research Centre (Daniel Cornélis and Alexandre Caron) and the International Foundation for Wildlife Management (Philippe Chardonnet, IGF Foundation).

The idea of organising African Buffalo Symposia arose from the important increase, over the last few years, in diverse activities related to the African buffalo.

The African buffalo is a key-species for the conservation of African savannahs and forests and for the livelihoods of many stakeholders. The multiple uses of the species range from bushmeat for local communities to tourism attraction. Buffalo is now a high-value species for the game ranching industry in Southern Africa where their number and distribution on private land have substantially increased during the last decade. However, although the buffalo is listed as “Least Concern” by IUCN, its conservation status is worrying in many other parts of the continent. Both decreasing and increasing trends raise questions about the conservation status of the African buffalo.

This symposium provides a unique opportunity to discuss buffalo issues with scientists, wildlife managers, game ranchers, rural leaders, government agencies etc. Recent discoveries in buffalo genetics will be presented. The role of the species in the epidemiology of many diseases will be addressed, especially in view of strategic plans to contain or eradicate diseases. Advances in the understanding of the buffalo ecology will be reported. Updates on buffalo conservation, management, ranching etc. will be delivered.

This 2nd African Buffalo Symposium will allow everyone with an interest in the species to present their work, findings and thoughts. The detailed programme of the symposium will be provided later.