Nkomazi caught in the middle of poaching war

However, never before has there been a siege on its borders and animals such as being experienced of late. Armed gangs cross boundaries from all sides, hoping to find their fortune in the form of a rhino or two. Elephant are not safe either – although the park has recently been spared the ravages of ivory thieves when compared to other parts of Africa, there are signs that they too may increasingly be targeted.

Rhino horn is a sought-after product and used as medicine and aphrodisiacs by misguided individuals in some Asian countries, who fail to realise that chewing their own fingernails would yield the same result from a chemical perspective. Criminal syndicates prey on these myths, driving up the price of an ever-diminishing commodity.

These facts go some way towards explaining why criminals previously involved in cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies, have now transferred their energies to poaching rhino. Gangs are highly organised and a group may include someone with a large calibre hunting rifle, escort guards carrying automatic weapons to protect the hunter and another to do the butchery and carry the proceeds of the incursion. Most are seasoned hunters, skilled in tracking animals, but also highly adept in evading detection and pursuit.

Nkomazi is not exempt from the scourge. It has been established that much of the rhino horn poached on the South African side of the park, is transported along the N4. Poachers enter the country from Mozambique along this route. They often drive luxury cars – poaching is a lucrative business. Gangs are also increasingly infiltrating the park from the South. Local game farms are targeted, losing animals on a regular basis.

Up to 10 such armed incursions into the KNP can occur in a single day. This figure represents only what is known. It does not include incursions into surrounding private reserves. No planetary war zone is said to have such a high and consistent level of activity on the part of insurgents. When one considers that the park is the size of a small country and has a border in length close on a thousand kilometres, the enormity of defending this territory becomes evident. While proportionally few rhino-poaching incursions into the park are successful, one can do the math on how quickly these magnificent animals can finally and permanently disappear from our region. If each poaching party achieves its goal, the population would be irretrievably destroyed within a year. This is a fearful thought indeed, when one considers estimates that the Kruger National Park is habitat to the bulk of the global white rhinoceros population. However, here they are among the most closely guarded in the world.

There exists a “thin green line” of rangers and field personnel who have dedicated their lives to protecting the park from thieves and they risk their lives on a daily basis. Poaching gangs do not always turn and run when accosted. A single day during February this year, saw a total of four pitched gun battles taking place, with three occurring simultaneously. While no rangers were injured, eight arrests were made on that specific day. If one considers the burden of centrally supporting and coordinating counter-insurgency operations under these conditions, one realises the enormous complexity of the task. Not even the South African Bush War of the seventies and eighties saw this level of sustained armed activity. It now rests on the shoulders of civilians to effectively fight an insurgent conflict.

Those defending it cannot do so alone. It will take the commitment of all of us living outside the park to assist in every way possible. This is not limited to financial support. Poachers live in and operate from within our communities. They book into guest houses and frequent taverns on the borders of the park. They are visible and in some cases are even regarded as local folk heroes. The situation will only change when they are acknowledged as the criminals they are and reported like any other.

The KNP has a central control room that will take and act on information relating to criminal activity within its borders. The numbers can be called at any time of the day or night, with alternatives if a given number is unreachable or remains busy. Farmers on the park’s borders are urged to report unknown vehicles or tyre tracks on their property or pass on information received from workers. If shots are heard from within the park or unusual movement seen, the same applies. When visiting the park, suspect vehicle activities or strange tourist behaviour can indicate involvement in poaching activities. This includes people driving on service roads indicated as forbidden to visitors. Report these. Contact numbers are shown below.

Pilots who wish to fly over the park need to consider that under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act it is restricted airspace from ground to 2 500 feet above the highest point of the park. All flights into this restricted airspace require prior authority from SANParks. The majority of the airspace over the park is also restricted military airspace from ground to 10,500 feet and requires pre-authorisation from the military. Heavy fines and/or grounding may apply!

Unmanned aircraft (UAV’s) and drones are not allowed over the park. It will in all likelihood be destroyed and traced back to the owners. The Civil Aviation Authority will fine the owner up to R15 000. This includes flying drones over the Crocodile River. The public will be fined, even if they are not in possession of a pilot’s licence.

To report any illegal or suspected illegal activities in and around the park, contact the Mission Area Joint Operations Centre in Skukuza on 013-735-0197 or 076-801-9679.

The Corridor Gazette wishes to thank Community Policing Forum and the park for supplying the community with this vital information.