KNP tightens security for festive season

This means an increase in spot checks inside the park, where rangers will randomly stop tourists’ vehicles to search the occupants for illegally imported goods that some tourists occasionally smuggle through the park, as well as to verify identities and booking receipts of the tourists. The park will also introduce vehicle number-plate recognition technology, remote vehicle monitoring, and radar surveillance as well as a night flying squad equipped with specialised infrared cameras.

“In addition to normal ranger and other security services patrols, the deployment of dedicated dog units with tracking hounds will be enhanced during the festive season,” explained the acting KNP managing executive, Dr. Danny Govender. According to Govender, the SANParks Environmental Investigative Unit which has been successful in operations outside of the KNP will be joining hands with other law enforcement agencies in tackling criminals in the adjoining villages where meat poaching crimes are often reported.

“These operations will mostly target those who recruit poachers and those who supply the rifles and ammunition to commit the crimes,” he continued saying the operation would be accomplished with tip-offs from the local community members. “The ongoing collaboration with the Mozambican authorities is continuing to yield positive results with some of the elusive kingpins now behind bars. There are regular meetings at the border to assess the threat from that country and to implement plans to mitigate against the threat,” he went on saying the sharing of intelligence between the two countries has resulted in successful arrests of poachers before they could kill animals.

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All of these measures are said to have been necessitated by the recent spike in poaching, especially with regard to snaring and poisoning, which indiscriminately kill many animals. The snares are said to have caused serious injuries to many animals to the extent that the Veterinary Wildlife Service had to intervene. The SANParks honorary rangers have also been hard at work every weekend removing up to a thousand snares from the areas where villages border the park’s fence.

“Meanwhile our data on rhino poaching indicates a downward trend and we want to keep it that way,” he said adding that the KNP has introduced smart camera technology systems at most poaching hotspots. These smart cameras are said to have helped in the apprehension of suspected poachers and the confiscation of high-caliber hunting rifles and ammunition. In the last quarter, from July – September 2022 a total of ten suspected poachers were apprehended and six firearms confiscated,” he concluded.