Anti-poaching donation received from Macadamia Congress

SKUKUZA – The Honorary Rangers of South African National Parks (SANParks) received a welcome donation of R150 000 from the International Macadamia Congress (IMC) on Tuesday. Members of the IMC were attending the 7th International Macadamia Symposium in Skukuza, Kruger National Park (KNP).

The former chairman of the Honorary Rangers, Mr Janssen Davies, shared the keynote address during the opening of the symposium with member of the executive council (MEC) for the Department of Agriculture in Mpumalanga,
Mr Andries Gamede.  “On behalf of SANParks I want to welcome all our international guests, Chinese, Australians, other Africans and also guests from Paraguay, to this symposium and to the KNP. My wish for you is that you will be blessed during your visit to see a live rhino on a game drive in the park. My wish for you is also that you will find this rhino with its horn beautiful,” Davies added.

In his address Davies highlighted the scourge of rhino poaching in the KNP and the massive efforts made in anti-poaching initiatives as well as the cost of these programmes.  “The Honorary Rangers are working as volunteers in 22 national parks in South Africa. The 1 400 members of my organisation are active in 32 regions. We assist in raising funds for specific projects and campaigns, of which the most recent here in the KNP was the hangar near Phalaborwa Gate for aircraft used in anti-poaching efforts.”
Receiving the IMC cheque from the chairman of South African Macadamia Growers, Mr Carl Henning, Davies said that all the funds raised by Honorary Rangers go towards specific projects.
With ongoing campaigns against rhino poaching, Davies warned that the tipping point in growth in rhino population might have been reached and that a negative growth might be the next crisis.
“Just like we increased the numbers of southern white rhinos in the 1900’s, an ode to the late Dr Ian Player, we are doing the same thing at the moment, with the establishment of alternative herds in other parks of the country. One of the biggest challenges we are facing at the moment, is that today a rhino is worth more dead than alive. One of our recent campaigns was to get information from the users of rhino horn through research undertaken by Masters in Business Administration students in China, and also what can replace the use of rhino horn there.”

During the delivery of his part of the keynote address, Gamede said, “Fifteen years ago, agriculture contributed 20 per cent to the country’s economy. Today it has shrunk to only three per cent. I challenge all of you attending this esteemed symposium to use macadamia nuts to push the share of agriculture in our economy and the economy of the world, higher.”

The cost of international illegal wildlife trade has been measured at $100 billion.

“According to President Barack Obama, during his recent visit to Kenya and Ethiopia, the government of the United States of America will be tightening the screws on the issue of illegal trading. We are all saying enough is enough, but things won’t change unless we work together to change it,” he said.
“Local communities should see the rhino in exactly the same light they might view their cattle. They get very, very angry if somebody steal or damage their cattle. Why don’t they feel the same about rhino? We have to change this. Local communities surrounding KNP should feel that rhinos are part of their heritage,” stated Gamede.

The 7th International Macadamia Symposium started on Tuesday and ended yesterday (Thursday)
August 13.
Four hundred macadamia growers attended.