Poaching subsides in reserve
Friends of Kloofendal conducted a snare patrol in the reserve in an effort to determine whether poaching is still prevalent.
Members of the Friends of Kloofendal (FroK) spent their Saturday morning, June 28, scouring the Kloofendal Nature Reserve for snares.
The Roodepoort Northsider reported last year that wildlife at the popular nature reserve and other natural spaces throughout the greater Roodepoort region was being decimated by poachers.
• Also read: Kloofendal wild under siege from poachers
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo took decisive steps at the time, deploying park rangers for regular patrols in the reserve, which seemed to make a difference.
“We had a significant poaching problem last year,” says FroK member Steve Spottiswoode.
“The point of this morning’s exercise is to visit the areas in the reserve which have proven to be hotspots for poachers to try and determine whether the problem is ongoing, and to what extent.”
FroK members were joined by members of the public, an honorary SANParks ranger, members from Rooikat Conservation, as well as a representative from Greenpeace Africa.
• Also read: City Parks on a mission to stop poaching
The group set off shortly after 08:00 to some of the most rugged parts of the reserve, braving a biting chill in the air, jagged rocks and dense bush.
The search revealed that, while poaching is an ongoing problem, it is not nearly as prevalent as it was.
“We found one snare set on a small game path between two shrubs,” says Spottiswoode, who adds that in addition, they found two old small antelope skulls under a tree, and some scattered bones in another area.
“Luckily, the skulls and bones were old, and the area showed no signs of recent human activity.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
