Vision, a division of leading PC manufacturer and distributor SDD, has donated personal computers and a notebook to the value of R50 000 to the Wildlife Breeding Resource Centre (WBRC), a Working Group of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) that focuses specifically on the collection and banking of wildlife biological materials, and the application of Assisted Reproduction Technology to wildlife species. Intel, Microsoft and Seagate also participated in the donation.
According to Kevin Sanderson, brand manager for Vision at SDD, the donation is important as it enables members of the WBRC to effectively communicate with one another, as well as with remote project partners in other parts of South Africa or abroad while working in the field, as well as allowing them to tap into the vast resources offered by the Internet.
"The WBRC is faced with a daunting task while it has access to only limited resources. SDD and Vision are pleased to be able to bring top technology to bear in the WBRC's projects, allowing it to achieve its goals in the most effective and efficient manner with our products," he said.
The WBRC's Yolan Friedmann said the centre has been in operation as a Working Group of the EWT since 1995. "Using the resources available to us we have developed the largest wildlife Biological Resource Bank in southern Africa containing biomaterials from more than 35 wildlife species including lions, cheetah, black and white rhino, elephant, African buffalo and dolphins. These biomaterials include sperm, egg-cells, embryos, tissues, organ samples, blood and hairs and have been collected from many geographically dispersed areas," she says. The records of each sample, as well as the data relating to its purpose and use, needs to be accurately recorded and made available for conservation and research purposes and therefore the databank is of critical importance to the centre.
Dr Paul Bartels of the WBRC says a major challenge with the breeding and management of wild felines is one that is chillingly familiar to humans - instead of HIV, cats are susceptible to FIV - Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. "It is for this reason that the technology provided by Vision and SDD will be of paramount importance, allowing us to accurately track and record the health statistics of a large number of animals, as well as manage and utilise the data relating to the samples collected and processed," he said.
The machines were handed over at a ceremony held at the Lion Safari Park in Muldersdrift, north of Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 18 April, where the WBRC and the Lion Safari Park are carrying out an extensive lion reproduction and genetics project. A demonstration showed how the Vision notebook's build quality would be tested - two cheetah were darted for sample collection and the machine was used to record data in the field - a task to which it proved to be more than suited.
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