Kruger2Canyons.com

SKUKUZA- The patrolling of the two million hectare Kruger National Park (KNP) became a bit easier today when the KNP’s Executive Director, Dr Bandile Mkhize accepted five brand new motorbikes from a generous Gauteng-based sponsor.



“These motorbikes will considerably enhance the effectiveness of the KNP ranger corps by providing them with tools to patrol ever larger areas,” said Dr Mkhize.

The company, Alberton-based Off Road Caravan Safaris, will not only donate the initial five machines, but will also give two machines every year for the next four years. The motorbikes will be a mixture of 230cc, 250cc and a 650cc machines.

Legendary KNP ranger Mr Louis Olivier said that these motorbikes considerably enhance the ability of rangers to patrol the huge areas under their responsibility.

“Using game paths and management or patrol roads, KNP rangers can access remote areas with these bikes, which might not have been accessible by other means,” Mr Olivier said.

The KNP has been using motorbikes as patrol tools-of-the-trade since the mid-1970s. Other patrols are conducted on foot, with bicycles, vehicles and, most recently, an ultralight “Bantam” aircraft which was introduced last year as part of continued efforts to strengthen the anti-poaching patrol methods in the park.

Labels: conservation, rangers, skukuza

CAPE TOWN- Two suspected poachers, one armed with an AK47, fled into the bush after being shot by rangers on the eastern boundary of the Kruger National Park.

Rangers were patrolling the area on Tuesday as a rhino had been poached earlier this year when they saw two men climbing over the boundary fence, which also acts as the international border between Mozambique and South Africa, said South African National Parks spokeswoman Wanda Mkutshulwa.

"One of the suspects was armed with an AK47 assault rifle. The rangers instructed the men to stand still but the suspect with the rifle turned around.

Interpreting this as a threat the rangers opened fire on the suspects who managed to climb over the fence back into Mozambique, said Mkutshulwa.

"On further investigation, drops of blood were found, suggesting that at least one of the suspects was injured," said Mkutshulwa.

The KNP rangers were still investigating the scene for more evidence.

Labels: central kruger, poaching, rangers

JOHANNESBURG- South African National Parks (SANParks) on Tuesday received the first of its two new helicopters at Lanseria airport near Johannesburg.

"We are one of the biggest users of helicopters in the country and we are ecstatic to have the helicopter as an additional resource," said Sanparks chief executive Dr David Mabunda.

The hand-over ceremony was also attended by Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Martinus van Schalkwyk. He said he was pleased with the new acquisition, and that government supported the aircraft investment as it would help preserve the country's national heritage.

The helicopter was the first of two bought from Eurocopter Southern Africa in July. Sanparks expected to take delivery of the second in December.

It decided to trade in its two older helicopters, acquired in 1999, for ones with more advanced capabilities.

Mabunda said the helicopters would be used for daily park management such as game capture and emergency rescues.

Sanparks spokesperson Wanda Mkutshulwa said: "The new helicopters will be based in the Kruger National Park but will also serve the rest of the country if necessary."

Labels: rangers, SANParks

JOHANNESBURG- Two Kruger National Park elephants "had to be killed" after a group of 15 wandered out of the park through a section of broken fence, a KNP spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The group of 15 adolescent bulls got out recently through a section of fence believed to have been damaged by people stealing parts of it, and wandered onto land adjoining the park, Raymond Travers told the South African press.

Under the law, the owner of the land on which wild animals are found becomes responsible for the animals- in this case the Limpopo government, he explained.

"They [the Limpopo government] reacted and asked us for help," he said. "Only then can we intercede."

At the time, officials were in a helicopter doing work related to buffalo in the park. The helicopter was diverted to the task of returning the elephants.

Travers said it was unusual for 15 bull adolescent elephants to be together, as they usually moved alone.

Park officials managed to drive all but two back into the park.

"The two just seemed to be stubborn," he said.

Because of their proximity to a nearby settlement the remaining two elephants were killed. When the elephants got out of the park, women living in the area were reportedly afraid of being trampled to death when they went to fetch firewood and water.

"We believe that only once one of us has been trampled will the government start doing something," said Madali Maswanganyi, complaining that authorities were doing little to protect them from the elephants.

Travers warned that the fence, meant for disease control, was "in a bad way at the moment" and that elephants may get out again.

He said a committee of park officials and provincial government representatives were holding meetings to discuss the matter.

Labels: elephants, escaped animals, rangers

HOEDSPRUIT (Kruger Park Times)- A 40-year old motorist and three children all sustained minor injuries when an elephant bull overturned their vehicle in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on Friday April 8th.

The incident occurred at about 10h45 between Phalaborwa gate and Letaba camp. An eyewitness said that the people in the car had been watching the elephant from a distance with their car switched off.

The elephant then advanced on the vehicle, and before the driver could drive off the elephant attacked the vehicle between the driver’s door and the bonnet. It then overturned the car. The elephant was driven off by other tourists in the area hooting at it.

Park rangers instigated a helicopter search but could not find the bull.

Kruger’s executive director Dr Bandile Mkhize said, “A few incidences of elephant aggression have been reported recently in the park and we would like to advise tourists to be extra careful when they are at an elephant sighting in order to avoid incidents such as this one.”

by Melissa Wray, Kruger Times

Labels: elephants, hoedspruit, letaba, Phalaborwa, rangers

SKUKUZA- Three lions showed up as unexpected guests while a marathon race was underway in South Africa's famed Kruger National Park, forcing runners to stop until the animals left the road, local media reported on Tuesday.

Three participants of the annual Skukuza Sterling Light half-marathon had a big fright on Saturday when they ran into three lions taking a nap in the middle of the road.

A motorcyclist in front of the athletes noticed them just before the 14km mark and stopped the runners in their tracks.

The nearest field ranger on duty was called and the lions were chased away before the marathon could continue.

But the incident resulted in a large group finishing together, said the newspaper.

On Friday evening, elephants caused havoc in the Skukuza staff village inside the park, which formed part of the race.

The elephants left the village before the race started, but the athletes had to run around heaps of dung, the newspaper said.

Labels: escaped animals, lions, rangers, skukuza

JOHANNESBURG- A man has been killed by lions at the Kruger National Park's Phalaborwa entrance in Limpopo, a spokesperson for the Park said on Friday.

Raymond Travers said the incident occurred on Thursday evening after the man entered the park while security guards were closing the gates.

"The man eluded security guards manning the Phalaborwa gates and ran into the bush near the gate.

"The security guards informed park rangers and began searching for the man, but because of the thick Mopani bushveld and darkness, the man could not be found and the search was called off."

When rangers resumed the search on Friday morning they found the man's remains.

Rangers found a lion with the lower half of the man's body near the Phalaborwa entrance.

Travers said a male lion was shot to recover the man's body.

Rangers are still searching for a female lion as they believe that the lion could endanger communities living near the park.

The director of the Kruger National Park, Bandile Mkhize, appealed to people living nearby not to enter the park once the gates were closed as it was dangerous and illegal.

Police are investigating the incident.

Labels: lions, Phalaborwa, rangers

SKUKUZA- An elephant has killed a ranger in the Kruger, a rare fatality for those who work among dangerous animals in the reserve, the park said on Wednesday.

The park said in a statement that field ranger Wilson Ndlovu was killed on Tuesday morning while on a bicycle patrol.

It gave no details of the attack but said the area was surrounded by two-metre-high grass and the rangers wouldn't have seen the elephants "until the last possible moment".

Rangers in the park are typically armed with heavy-calibre rifles in case they are charged by big game, which in the Kruger includes elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard- or in case they are confronted by heavily-armed poachers.

Park spokesman William Mabasa said Ndlovu and another ranger who survived the incident had come across a pair of adult female elephants and one attacked for no apparent reason. Neither animal had calves, ruling out an aggressive defence of young. "It doesn't happen very often ... In the five years I've been here we've had no fatal attacks on rangers," Mabasa said.

Labels: elephants, rangers

LETABA (Kruger Times)- The Letaba Elephant Museum hopes to have installed an exciting new exhibit by the end of this year; a complete elephant skeleton. The bones are currently being prepared at the University of the North, where they have to dry out before they can be mounted.

Museum personnel have wanted to upgrade the displays for some time and enlisted the aid of field rangers to find a suitable skeleton. Along with the skeleton, all the posters in the museum will be redone to provide the most up-to-date information on elephant behaviour, reproduction and population dynamics. Research and management policies will be included in the new exhibits.

To house the new information, the display area will be extended by removing an existing partition wall. A large mural will be painted on the southern wall, illustrating the lifecycle of elephants. More interactive exhibits are planned, that will allow children and other visitors to the museum to touch the displays.

Films will still be shown from Monday to Saturday at 19h00, and a lounge section will be added where visitors can relax. Coffee, magazines and books will be available.

The big draw card for many of the visitors, the ivory of the "Magnificent Seven", will remain in the museum, but additional information will be provided on 20 living elephants, whose tusks are shaping up to rival those of Mafunyane and Phelwane. Visitors to the park can help contribute to this information through an upcoming photographic competition that is looking for visitor photos of any elephant with substantial ivory.

Mandleve's tusks, thought to be the heaviest tusks ever found, will also be brought from Skukuza and included in the display.

The Letaba Elephant Museum is part of the Goldfields Environmental Centre, and was built in 1993. It is located in Letaba camp, in the heart of mopane veld, where both breeding herds and itinerant male elephants roam. The original artwork and displays were mainly designed and executed by Rob Wishart, with help from Robin Kearny and Jack Swanepoel.

The museum's aim is to create public awareness of the elephant's role in the environment, but is also responsible for ongoing environmental education. School groups visit the museum and are given educational talks by the staff, covering pollution, animal diversity, ecology and the history of the park.

by Melissa Wray and Lynette Strauss, Kruger Times

Labels: elephants, letaba, rangers, tusker