• Conservation & Wildlife

Kruger National Park: SANParks beefs up security to counter the effects of rhino poaching Kruger National Park: SANParks beefs up security to counter the effects of rhino poaching

South African National Parks (SANParks) and security partners in the Greater Kruger Region are jointly implementing a range of interventions as part of an integrated wildlife management approach to counter the effects of wildlife crime in Kruger National Park; in particular rhino poaching. According to SANParks, Kruger National Park has implemented a range of integrated management actions to minimise the impact of rhino poaching such as:

  • Strategic dehorning of rhino in certain core areas of Kruger National Park.
  • Strengthening security measures by deploying more South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) patrols to conduct random stop and search operations within Kruger National Park.
  • Specialised radar, airborne and other detection technologies to even track poachers on foot.
  • Highly trained tracker dogs and hounds to track suspected poachers in the bush.
  • Continue to brief the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on the state of wildlife crime. It has been established that the loss of a rhino cow has a compound effect since it also includes the loss of a dependant calf and future calves. The compound effect is part of various factors that affect the population growth of rhinos apart from the immediate disruptive effect of poaching. The cows are extremely important for the overall population performance and need to be protected by introducing stiffer sentences in incidents where they have been poached for their horn and a calf is left destitute.

"These measures are not new in the fight against the scourge of poaching but we are intensifying them to render the incursions ineffective and counter the infiltration of our Rangers Corps by criminal syndicates. The courts have imposed stiff sentences in recent trials which is welcome as it shows the seriousness of the crimes and the threat posed by the criminal syndicates to the fauna and flora of South Africa." (Managing Executive of Kruger National Park, Gareth Coleman)

Source: TravelComments.com Official Blog