From The CEO's Desk

Dr David Mabunda

Poaching in the Kruger National Park has clearly become one of the greatest conservation challenges of our time, , and is something we as SANParks are determined to deal with head on. I recently had the oppertunity to be involved in a five - hour helicopter pursuit of suspected poachers over densely vegetated terrain in the park. Over and above my long past association with the KNP, the experience of this pursuit gave me an additional appreciation of the difficulties that are faced by our rangers in this enviroment. Not only do they have to cope with the inhospitable and sometimes impenetrable terrain, but they also have to deal with heavily armed poachers who are backed by a sophisticated and well - resourced machinery. I am of the view that sometimes the category of "enviromental crime" and the term "poaching" do not fully cover the nature of what we are dealing with. Rhino poaching has become linked with organized crime syndicates, which have a national, regional and international character. We are dealing with a crime syndrome that is akin to crash - in - transit heists and the activities of the international drug cartels. Despite our best efforts in 2012, the number of rhino killed in Kruger continued to escalate, as they did nationally. What we have had to recognize is that we are in a war situation, requiring military measures to stem the tide of rhino mortalities. We have therefore appointed retired SA National Defense Force Maj Gen Jooste to head up a revamped command structure, which will give operations on the ground that extra momentum to contain the threat. We have also entered into partnerships with DANEL (a public-owned arms manufacturer), the Paramount Group (a private-owned arms manufacturer) and the Ichikowitz Family Trust to enable us to deploy cutting-edge technology in assisting the fight against this crime. As with many modern wars it is not just the will and determination of the forces on the ground, but also the ability to develop and utilize advanced technology, that will determine the eventual outcome. We acknowledge, of course, that the long-term solutions lie in dealing with the markets for rhino horn, and within the terrain of international relations, both in Asia and closer to home in respect of our neighbor Mozambique. In relation to the letter we recognize that the concept of Transfrontier Conservation Areas has brought benefits to conservation and to improving international relations. In the case in point, however, the dropping of the fence between the KNP and Mozambique has proved our weakest line of defense against incursions into the park by gangs of poachers. I will refrain from quoting the adage, “good fences make good neighbors", but suffice to say we are compelled to look at all options in order to defend the eastern boundary. You, the public, have been especially supportive throughout this ordeal, and I would like to extend a special word of thanks to all those who have given their time and resources in helping us to deal with this scourge. We know we will not eliminate it in the immediate future, but we are aiming to reverse the trend and at last see a reduction in the rate by the end of the year. We owe it to both current and future generations to ensure that we do not fail in this difficult and yet worthwhile Endeavour.

SANParks Times newspaper March 2013