Mayibuye chairman appeals for end to poaching
“Our people must learn to love animals, not just their cattle, goats and dogs at home, but game, which they need to realise is far more valuable for trading than cattle.”
Photo Frances Park-Ross.
The Chairperson of the Mayibuye Community Trust, Mr Welcome Mphanga, has called for an urgent end to poaching to preserve the legacy of future generations.
Speaking on behalf of his community in the Camperdown area where the big five Mayibuye Community Game Reserve is currently under development, he explained; “Our people must learn to love animals, not just their cattle, goats and dogs at home, but game, which they need to realise is far more valuable for trading than cattle.”
“We have a big educational problem on our hands and we need government support to teach the community about the negative effects of poaching. If they poach, they are stealing from their children in future generations.”
He added, “There is a time and place for hunting, within the culling season, but it must be controlled and must be part of a culling programme.”
The urgent Mayibuye Community Trust plea to end poaching comes ahead of the introduction of the big five, including rhino and elephant to the Camperdown area by early 2015. This will see the re-introduction of free-roaming elephant to the area for the first time in 150 years.
A residential component, including 3 luxury lodges, will add to the tourism appeal of the development. The reserve, which currently covers 4 650ha, will eventually stretch from Camperdown to Inanda Dam in the east and up to the Wartburg area in the north.
