KLIPRIVIERSBERG NATURE RESERVE – The CHRONICLE spoke to Morné Brits, Chairman of the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Association (KNRA), to find out more.
He said there has been no communication from JCP&Zoo (JCP&Z) about this and other important matters. “The KNRA has a threefold mandate: to ensure the long term conservation of the KNR, to communicate important issues to our members and to liaise with the authorities. If we get no feedback from JCP&Z on pertinent matters, we cannot fulfil the other two parts of our mandate as conservation NGO. We have to take this type of rumour seriously, even if it ends up that there is no truth to it.”
JCP&Z initiated a stakeholder forum for the management of the KNR in November 2014. According to Morné there has been no follow up from JCP&Z and none of the agreed upon monthly meetings have happened in the four months since then. He is concerned that introducing zoo animals in camps will cause further damage to the reserve that’s already been impacted by long term overgrazing. “Management decisions are being made without consultation with us and other stakeholders. We do not want to be presented with another fait acompli as far as the keeping of zoo animals in the KNR is concerned”.
The KNR is the Jewel of the South, and will be so for a very long time, provided that all role players work together. Morné feels that the KNRA has contributed a lot to the area over the last 30 and more years, and they still have a lot to offer. He mentioned their stalwart employee, Mellow Mantholozi as an example. The KNRA has employed Mellow on a fulltime basis since August 2012, to assist with management and maintenance issues in the KNR. He has proved to be worth his weight in gold.
The high stocking rates of game animals in the KNR is still a cause for concern. JCP&Z commissioned two game captures in August 2013 and again in October 2014. During the last capture they removed 23 zebra, 31 Blesbok, 26 black wildebeest and 20 red hartebeest. According to Morné JCP&Z promised to have another game capture in 2015; he is hoping that they will remove the excess game in the next month or two to avoid going through another winter with very little available grazing.
The CHRONICLE tried to contact Bishop Ngobeli, Manager of Nature Reserves at JCP, for his comment on the above but was unable to reach him.
