The Kruger National Park (KNP) has spent more than R250 million to deter poaching for the 2023 financial year alone, spokesperson Ike Phaahla said.
Relentless poaching of various animals in the renowned park threatens the well-being of the park that brings millions of rand to the national fiscus yearly.
Speaking to a media contingent visiting the park this week, Regional Ranger Richard Sowry said poaching in the park had become an everyday problem that might threaten its existence.
“Poachers use all forms of methods including poisoning, which could be the worst kind because of the ripple effect it causes,” Sowry said.
He added that the poaching was unsustainable and had accumulative damage to the economy.
“If we don’t deal with poaching, it could spell the end of the park. Economically, socially and ecologically, there will be consequences … Humans seem to think that there would not be adverse problems from it … We all see the problems because we are all connected ecologically.
“The system is very connected to us as humans, it affects water and clean air, the amount of people the KNP directly employs will be affected.
“Even those that live outside the park work here and they go buy their food and clothes at shopping centres out there, but without the park those shopping centres would have to close down,” he said.
Sowry said that there was subsistence and commercial poaching involved.
“Some of the poachers are forced into the criminal industry because they need to sustain their lives and some, especially rhino poaching, are commercial because they would have been sent by someone to come into the park for that rhino horn,” Sowry added.
The Star
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