Fear of fireworks drives dog into the Kruger National Park
Rangers and community members tried to rescue a dog that fled into the Kruger National Park at Malalane last Tuesday after being scared by fireworks set off on New Year's Eve.
MALALANE – The loud fireworks illegally set off in town over New Year’s Eve sent one dog into such a frenzy that it ended up in the Kruger National Park (KNP).
On Tuesday morning, a brown Rhodesian ridgeback was spotted wandering on the steep banks of the Crocodile River, opposite Kruger View Chalets and Rio Vista Lodge.
According to Nomvula Dlamini, a staff member at Kruger View Chalets, the dog seemed very frightened and was briefly spotted before it headed into the bush.
The photo was posted on Facebook in an attempt to locate its owners and find ways to assist it, but to no avail. Many community members offered their assistance and the incident was reported to the SANParks rangers.
The ranger responsible for the Malelane area, Albert Smith, stated that they tried to catch the dog, which looked well-cared for, but it was so scared that it kept running away from them. They even tried coaxing it closer with one of their tracker dogs, with no luck. “Unfortunately it won’t be able to survive for long due to the predators in the park,” Smith explained.
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He said rangers do come across stray dogs from time to time, and they try to catch the ones that seem like lost pets and are well-cared for.
Mel Preddy, chairman of the local community policing forum said that it was extremely rare to spot a domestic dog in the Kruger National Park near Malelane. Poachers sometimes use dogs to help them hunt, but these are not usually spotted by community members.
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Preddy often liaises with rangers regarding any wildlife crime or other problems relating to the KNP and urged community members to report any sightings of domestic animals to the rangers.
