REMEMBERING SKYE – THE LEADER OF THE WESTERN PRIDE OF LIONS IN THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

HUNTING KRUGER ANIMALS

“Surely we cannot condone the destruction of a national asset for the commercial gain of a private institution and the pleasure of a select group of rich hunters.”

Bantu Holimisa

From 1988 until 1994 the fences between the Kruger National Park and the Associated Private Nature Reserves were removed allowing the free movement of wild animals and creating a larger open ecological system.

The National Environmental Management Act Protected Areas Amendment Act 31 of 2004, clause 50 (1) allows the management authority of a national park to enter into a written agreement with a community resident inside or adjacent to the park to allow members of the community to use in a sustainable manner the biological resources in the park.

There are ongoing issues of concern with regard to the terms of the law governing trophy hunting in the greater Kruger National Park and the contractual arrangements between the management of the park and the managers of the Association of Private Nature Reserves.

Trophy hunting has emerged repeatedly as an increasing contentious issue in the management of the Associated Private National Reserves. On 2^nd April 2007 David Mabunda, CEO of SANParks said there will be no hunting in national parks. “As an organisation we have nothing against hunting, however, as custodians of the nationals parks system on behalf of the nation, we cannot allow hunting or any form of extractive use in nationals parks. Whereas hunting in South Africa is a perfectly legal activity that is governed through a number of enabling and restrictive legislation it is a form of activity that is not allowed in the national parks of South Africa based on the principles and values held by this nation.”

On the 17^th May 2009, David Mabunda made a further statement because of a recently revived debate about hunting on the borders of the Kruger National Park.

SANParks is not opposed to hunting in buffer areas as long as it is done transparently and according to the management plans and protocols that have been agreed to between the adjoining land owners and the management of SANParks.”

There seems to be the mistaken belief that there is a marked difference between the wild animals that live in SANParks Kruger National Park and those that live in the privately owned buffer zones of the Associated Private National Reserves. Wild animals we know are not static.

The trophy hunting of elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, hippo, kudu, waterbuck, zebra and other species has taken place in Timbavati, Balule, Klaserie and Umbabat, all of these are Associated Private Nature Reserves forming part of the Greater Kruger National Park. Most international and local eco-tourists and photographic tourists visiting South Africa are blissfully unaware of this fact.

Minister Creecy states in her Draft Policy Position on the Conservation and Ecological Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros: Trophy hunting is under increasing international scrutiny and all activities related to this must be done using best practice and full transparency to prevent irresponsible hunting practises creating reputational damage and international outcry”.

The EMS Foundation disagrees, trophy hunting remains as an abhorrent reminder of both colonialism and apartheid. There cannot be any best practise with regards to trophy hunting, we must learn to successfully protect and conserve these species without killing them.

IMAGE CREDIT: SKYE, Charlie Lynam WILDAFRICAPTURE.COM