It might be year-end for many but not poachers and those tasked with stopping them as two suspects found out when they fell foul of the SANParks environmental crime investigation unit (ECIU).
Working with law enforcement and private security, ECIU personnel arrested two suspected poachers at Spelenyane, adjacent to the Kruger National Park (KNP) on the Day of Reconciliation public holiday last week.
In addition to the two arrests the intelligence-led operation saw eight unlicensed firearms, ammunition and a pair of suppressors confiscated. A SANParks statement has it the firearms were suspected to have been used in illegal hunting of plains game (bushmeat) as well as rhino poaching in Kruger.
The arrests, according to SANParks Head of Communication JP Louw, are “significant” in view of bushmeat poaching becoming a serious problem in the area. “The removal of these firearms will hamper poaching operations significantly,” the statement has him saying.
With the objective of “cleaning” Kruger of subsistence and other poachers from outside the iconic game reserve’s boundaries, ECIU personnel backed by the Kruger ranger corps and the SA Police Service continue a campaign to identify illegal firearms and suspects using them.
Much of the bushmeat poaching in Kruger as well as other national parks and protected areas is executed by snaring what is termed smaller plains game, such as young impala.
This criminal activity came under the spotlight in September with an inaugural wildlife snaring symposium in Pretoria. The two-day symposium was a collaborative one involving the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and SANParks with wildlife crime experts, government officials and conservation sector representatives attending.
Snaring, according to a SANParks statement, is motivated by “complex socio-economic and cultural drivers” with the symposium exploring snaring from a myriad of angles and viewpoints”. Information presented at the symposium showed animals are largely snared for personal or commercial use and it is occurring “at unsustainable rates across all provinces and in diverse landscapes”. Species such as leopard, lion, hyena and other predators are killed as by-catch in snares set for bushmeat.
What is termed “a key takeaway” from the gathering is the need for less of a fortress mentality and a move to more community and sustainable use interaction among stakeholders on the snaring threat. No solution will be credible without relevant community voices involved in “co-development of solutions”.
“Solutions,” the statement has it, “need to be diverse, purposely inclusive and tailored to, and by, people living in affected areas.
Among decisions adopted are further research on the drivers and alternative livelihood solutions, more cohesive legislation to address snaring and other wildlife crimes, more centralised reporting and monitoring to ascertain the extent of the problem, as well as creating a greater understanding of the impact of snaring not only on biodiversity as well as on the economy and well-being of communities.
