Illegal hunting scourge continues in Dundee area
Craigieburn residents have reported finding snares in their area.
Illegal hunting, especially with dogs and the setting of snares, has become a plague in the Dundee area with the golf course and Craigieburn being favourite targets.
Golf Club members are to beef up security and clamp down on hunters and their dogs who they say blatantly trespass on the land and hunt duikers among other game that is prevalent on the course.
Residents in the Tandy Street area told the Courier they often see the hunters and their dogs – sometimes numbering up to 15-20 – walking towards the golf club area early on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Craigieburn residents have reported finding snares in their area.
According to Geoff Muller of KZN Wildlife, the law is quite clear in protecting landowners from illegal hunting – with or without dogs.
“The Natal Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1974 provides for the prosecution of anyone hunting or capturing game on land, with a weapon or a dog, where permission has not been granted for the hunter/s to access. Further, anyone hunting or capturing game on the townlands or commonage of any municipal area which is open to the general public, or if any person with a weapon or trap in his possession, enters such land where game is likely to be found, is deemed to be trespassing.
The carcass must be skinned to show the bite marks and photos need to be taken
“Section 10 of the KZN Act on the Licensing and Control of Dogs says that any dog found trespassing, attacking, hunting or worrying any domestic, farm or game animal, whether on a farm or elsewhere, where such a dog is trespassing, may be destroyed by any authorised officer or by the owner or occupier of such land. Remember, it is all about the illegal hunter and the emphasis must be placed on the issue of ‘hunting unlawfully’.
Mr Muller continued that the Ordinance also provides that any dog, under the control of a person found hunting unlawfully on any land, may also be destroyed. “In these circumstances, it is not necessary that the dog was involved in the hunting as long as the accused is alleged to be hunting then the dog may also be destroyed.”
