SA Wildlife College To Expand
HOEDSPRUIT- The Southern African Wildlife College will establish a world-class veterinary training and research facility next to the Kruger National Park in Limpopo.
Negotiations will be concluded soon with the Limpopo government to establish the centre at the existing Hans Hoheisen research facility. The planned facility will be used for research into diseases.
Willem van Riet, the chief executive officer of the Peace Park Foundation, which is a major funder of the college, says research and knowledge of the proper management of animal diseases is lacking.
Van Riet says the recent establishment of transfrontier parks in the SADC region allows for the cross-border movement of animals and therefore facilitates the spread of disease.
The college was opened in 1997 and is located 10 kilometres west of the Orpen Gate of Kruger National Park. It accommodates students from all over the continent and upon completing the courses; they are awarded with certificates and diplomas.
Apart from the planned research facility, R32 million will be used to expand the existing college premises. The expansion will entail duplicating the tourism training of the SA College of Tourism in Graaff Reinet - in the end it will be known as an International Centre of Excellence in Environmental Training and Research.
Although the World Wildlife Fund- South Africa and the Peace Parks Foundation are the major funders and supporters of the college, there are other initiatives that will also contribute toward making the college self-sustainable.
All the students trained at the college are professionals with at least three to five years experience. Some already have doctorates, but need to upgrade their conservation management skills.
The latest group of certificate and diploma students graduated yesterday. Felix Chadwala, a representative of the Malawian ministry of tourism, parks and wildlife at the Nkhota-kota Reserve, says the diploma course content directly addresses conservation challenges experienced in his home country.
The college will soon be able to accommodate more of these students, as well train people from the local communities in tourism-related skills, like lodge management.
Negotiations will be concluded soon with the Limpopo government to establish the centre at the existing Hans Hoheisen research facility. The planned facility will be used for research into diseases.
Willem van Riet, the chief executive officer of the Peace Park Foundation, which is a major funder of the college, says research and knowledge of the proper management of animal diseases is lacking.
Van Riet says the recent establishment of transfrontier parks in the SADC region allows for the cross-border movement of animals and therefore facilitates the spread of disease.
International appeal
The college was opened in 1997 and is located 10 kilometres west of the Orpen Gate of Kruger National Park. It accommodates students from all over the continent and upon completing the courses; they are awarded with certificates and diplomas.
Apart from the planned research facility, R32 million will be used to expand the existing college premises. The expansion will entail duplicating the tourism training of the SA College of Tourism in Graaff Reinet - in the end it will be known as an International Centre of Excellence in Environmental Training and Research.
Although the World Wildlife Fund- South Africa and the Peace Parks Foundation are the major funders and supporters of the college, there are other initiatives that will also contribute toward making the college self-sustainable.
College students
All the students trained at the college are professionals with at least three to five years experience. Some already have doctorates, but need to upgrade their conservation management skills.
The latest group of certificate and diploma students graduated yesterday. Felix Chadwala, a representative of the Malawian ministry of tourism, parks and wildlife at the Nkhota-kota Reserve, says the diploma course content directly addresses conservation challenges experienced in his home country.
The college will soon be able to accommodate more of these students, as well train people from the local communities in tourism-related skills, like lodge management.
Labels: conservation, education
posted by Kruger2Canyons.com at
Saturday, October 30, 2004
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