Texas rangers to fight poaching in KNP

Representatives of this elite unit recently travelled to the KNP to begin an annual professional exchange programme with SANParks game rangers.

A news release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) confirmed that the programme is aimed at providing professional growth and leadership development opportunities between the two agencies. It is also an effort to increase education and awareness of international wildlife trafficking.

TPWD said they have increased the focus on wildlife trafficking operations over the last decade, including navigating through Internet marketplaces, where both live wildlife and wildlife parts frequently pop up.

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“Game wardens are currently working to identify suspect sales and negotiate undercover transactions with willing sellers to purchase a wide variety of native and non-native wildlife species from around the world, removing them from the harmful animal trafficking trade,” said Col Grahame Jones, TPWD law enforcement director.

He added that the illegal sale and exploitation of wildlife resources is a global problem and could lead to the loss of Texas-native species, either through the harvest of native species or introduction of non-indigenous invasive species.

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For many years SANParks rangers have battled against heightened rhino poaching efforts, elephant poaching for ivory and recently an increase in lion poaching for the sale of teeth, claws and bones in international markets, in addition to subsistence poaching.

The release says while at KNP, the Texan wardens met with park management to discuss shared issues and how they relate to wildlife crimes in Texas.

“Game wardens also participated in a snare patrol to locate and remove 95 snares along the Sabie River and conducted foot patrols, which included a crime scene overview at the location of a poached rhino and death investigation and tusk removal of a deceased elephant. The wardens also toured the Kruger K9 facility and participated in a tracking scenario.”

Chief of TWPD law enforcement division, Chris Davis, said that the opportunity to work beside the dedicated and passionate game rangers at KNP, and to firsthand see the challenges and strategies to overcome those challenges, was an insightful and invaluable learning experience.

“Places like KNP are the epicentre for conservation law enforcement and the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking.”

The release closed by saying plans are under way for KNP staff to visit the US in January of 2020.