Visitors urged not to be reckless in Marloth Park
Visitors are reminded that the wildlife in Marloth Park is not tame and that feeding and approaching them can be dangerous. They are also warned not to go walking or jogging in the evenings.
MARLOTH PARK – A three-year-old was luckily to escape unscathed after being kicked by a zebra on Saturday night.
Field Security and Nadine Edgecombe of the community policing forum (CPF) posted warnings on Facebook following the incident, urging visitors and residents not to approach animals.
According to Edgecombe, the child approached the zebra, which had been wandering close to where the family were staying and was kicked. Field Security’s medical team was summoned and the toddler taken to hospital for a thorough check-up, but was luckily given the all-clear.
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Edgecombe has witnessed people getting out of their cars and approaching the animals to take a closer look or get a perfect photo, only to startle the animals and cause them to lash out.
“Residents are reminded that, even if animals approach you, they are still wild and can seriously injure you. Parents should not allow their children to approach the animals under any circumstances,” she warned.
Deidre Joubert of Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre also recently cautioned people against feeding the animals, as this causes them to become dependent on humans. She stated that these animals would lose their instinctive fear of people and start causing damage to houses to find their food or wander into roads and get hit by vehicles.
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A kudu, warthog and vervet monkey were all killed by speeding vehicles in one week and Edgecombe warned motorists that they would be fined if they are caught speeding, especially on Olifant Road. She also spoke out strongly against people allowing their children to drive in Marloth Park. Children had been caught driving on Olifant Road, which is a municipal road, and is therefore a criminal offence.
Guests and residents are also cautioned against going walking or jogging in the evenings or night. Predators slip through the Kruger National Park fence from time to time and can pose a danger to people walking through the bush at night.
Four lions were spotted wandering Marloth Park on Monday, first near Gate 1 and then they moved around the area. Rangers tried tracking them on Tuesday, but they had not been found.
Edgecombe also mentioned that a pack of wild dogs had been spotted in the area. Kholofelo Nkambule of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) confirmed that a pack of 12 were seen close to the Komati sugar mill on Monday morning. MTPA staff were dispatched but didn’t find them.
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The MTPA keeps a close eye on Nkomazi, as predators regularly slip out of the Kruger National Park and other local reserves. Lions and elephants are mostly spotted in the Malelane and Strydomblok areas, as well as close to the Kruger National Park and bordering the Crocodile River in the Marloth Park and Komatipoort areas.
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Sightings are investigated and the animals tracked and if the animals pose a serious danger, the MTPA, KNP and authorities work together to ensure the safety of the animals and community.
Sightings of dangerous animals can be reported to the MTPA on 013-759-5300/01 or the local police station, who assists them.
