A species becomes endangered when the specific specie’s population is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predator parameters. Even deforestation or a lack of food and/or water can cause a species to become endangered.

Many nations have laws offering protection to conservation reliant species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves.

Only a few of the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to the lists and obtain legal protection.

Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice if we do not start captive breeding programs in order to help increase the numbers of South Africa’s rare and beautiful creatures.

In order to obtain this, CBGES feels that the conservation of wildlife can be released onto the pet market to increase numbers in order to be released into the wild. If you take the red tail boa, (Boa constrictor imperator) was introduced to captivity in order to create numbers and now the numbers of the red tail boa have increased tremendously, creating public awareness. These boas have been released back into the wild and now have a greater survival rate.

Captive breeding programs

CBGES aims to start the process of breeding rare or endangered species in human controlled environments with restricted settings in order to save species from going extinct. Through Custodial Wildlife Management, it is supposed to stabilize the population of the species so it is no longer at risk for disappearing.

Captive breeding techniques are usually difficult to implement for highly mobile species and if the captive breeding population is too small, inbreeding may occur due to a reduced gene pool; this may lead to the population lacking immunity to diseases. This is the main cause CBGES has been trying to breed reptiles using advanced methods to keep the gene pool intact.

Our aim is to obtain permits from the South African Reptile Board for South African reptiles who are classified as endangered and start captive breeding programs in order to be able to re-introduce them into South African environment and hopefully have helped in the start of increasing their once lacking numbers. However we have so far have had no luck in obtaining these permits from the South African Reptile Board of South Africa, but our fight for our wildlife will continue until we succeed. The legal route will be the obvious route to undergo. CBGES has had a lot of individual people offering endangered animals and we have no permits to keep them. We however have contacted the WWF (World Wildlife federation) and are awaiting a response. CBGES has no inclination to breed these reptiles for a profit, yet our encouragement to repopulate our national animal reserves.

In the search to learn more about these species, many ecologists do not take into consideration the impact they leave on the environment and its inhabitants by the foolish rules and decision they force upon the efforts of conservationists.

It is apparent that the “quest for ecological knowledge”, which is so critical for informing efforts to understand and conserve Earth’s biodiversity, along with valued ecosystem goods and services, frequently raises complex ethical questions and there is no clear way to identify and resolve these issues.

Environmentalists tend to focus on the whole ecological sphere instead of the welfare of individual animals. Focusing on such a broad view tends to diminish the value of each individual creature.

Being listed as an endangered species can have negative effect since it could make a species more desirable for collectors and poachers. Humans also set standards for which species they think should be saved and which species they find unimportant or undesirable.

Large portions of life occur in our very own country and must be taken into consideration if the conservation of endangered species is going to be effective.

Below is a list of a few of the Endangered Reptiles in South Africa so that you may gain a clearer image of the efforts we are trying to make and hope you will see our passion and perseverance to achieve our goal through breeding programs.

The fearsome Nile crocodile - Crocodylus niloticus - is most probably the most well known of South Africa's reptiles.

Endangered Reptiles:

Species - English common name
Bradypodion caffer - Transkei Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion damaranum - Knysna Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion dracomontanum - Drakensberg Chameleon
Bradypodion gutturale - Robertson's Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion karroicum - Karoo Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion melanocephalum - Black-headed Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion nemorale - Zululand Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion pumilum - Cape Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion setaroi - Setaro's Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion taeniabronchum - Smith's Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion thamnobates - Natal Midlands Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion transvaalense - Transvaal Dwarf Chameleon
Bradypodion ventrale - Southern Dwarf Chameleon
Caretta caretta - Loggerhead Turtle
Chamaeleo dilepis - Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo namaquensis - Namaqua Chameleon
Chelonia mydas - Green Turtle
Chersina angulata - Angulate Tortoise
Cordylus cataphractus - Armadillo Girdled Lizard
Cordylus coeruleopunctatus - Blue-spotted Girdled Lizard
Cordylus cordylus - Cape Girdled Lizard
Cordylus giganteus - Gaint Girdled Lizard
Cordylus lawrencei - Lawrence's Girdled Lizard
Cordylus macropholis - Coastal Spiny-tailed Lizard
Cordylus mclachlani - McLachlan's Girdled Lizard
Cordylus minor - Dwarf Girdled Lizard
Cordylus niger - Black Girdled Lizard
Cordylus oelofseni - Oelofsen's Girdled Lizard
Cordylus peersi - Peer's Girdled Lizard
Cordylus polyzonus - Karoo Girdled Lizard
Cordylus tasmani - Tasman's Girdled Lizard
Cordylus tropidosternum - Tropical Girdled Lizard
Cordylus vittifer - Transvaal Girdled Lizard
Cordylus warrenis - Warren's Girdled Lizard
Crocodylus niloticus - Nile crocodile
Dermochelys coriacea - Leatherback Turtle
Eretomochelys imbricata - Hawksbill Turtle
Geochelone pardalis - Leopard Tortoise
Homopus areolatus - Parrot-beaked Tortoise
Homopus boulengeri - Boulenger's Cape Tortoise
Homopus femoralis - Greater Padloper
Homopus signatus - Speckled Cape Tortoise
Kinixys belliana - Bell's Hinged Tortoise
Kinixys natalensis - Natal Hinged Tortoise
Lepidochelys olivacea - Olive Ridley Turtle
Pelomedusa subrufa - Marsh Terrapin
Phelsuma ocellata - Namaqua Day Gecko
Psammobates geometricus - Geometric Tortoise
Psammobates oculiferus - Serrated Tortoise
Psammobates tentorius - Tent Tortoise
Pseudocordylus capensis - Graceful Crag Lizard
Pseudocordylus langi - Lang's Crag Lizard
Pseudocordylus melatonus - Drakensberg Crag Lizard
Pseudocordylus microlepidotus - Cape Crag Lizard
Pseudocordylus spinosus - Prickley Girdled Lizard
Python sebae - African Rock Python
Varanus albigularis - Rock monitor
Varanus niloticus - Water monitor

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