UPDATE: SANParks’ latest comment on impala video

The Kruger National Park’s (KNP) response to a video of an impala carcass being loaded into the back of a taxi, has caused an uproar among enthusiasts of the park.

In a video that SANParks released on Wednesday, veterinary wildlife services operations coordinator, Noah Konaite, said the men in the video were in fact KNP officials.

“The guys ran out of food so I gave them permission to go to Acornhoek to go and buy some. On their way back, they found an impala carcass on the road. They were told that the impala had been hit by a car,” Konaite said.

He said the men loaded the carcass and took it to the Satara section ranger.

“We did not do a post-mortem on it, but according to what they observed, the animal had been hit by a car and was long dead,” Konaite said. Isaac Phaahla, KNP spokesman, did not answer the questions posted by Lowvelder and said the video and statement that they made on Tuesday are their official comments on the matter.

The statement on Tuesday reiterated that the men are SANParks employees and that it is “part of their mandate to remove carcasses they find on the road and hand it to their section ranger”.

See the KNP’s latest video on the SANParks – Kruger National Park Facebook-page

The following concerns were raised and were left unanswered by SANParks
1. Why was a post-mortem not conducted?
2. The wounds on the impala suggested a kill by a leopard. How did the employees then decide that it was roadkill?
3. SANParks advocates people not interfering with nature. Why then was the carcass picked up from the side of the road and not left to decompose or be food for animals like a leopard?
4. What happened to the carcass of the animal after it went to the station ranger at Satara?
5. What would have happened if the leopard had returned to the scene?
6. Why was a taxi used, and not an official SANParks vehicle?

TUESDAY:

A video showing a group of men in the Kruger National Park (KNP) loading a dead impala into their vehicle, has caused major uproar in the wildlife community.

According to Yvonne Breytenbach, whose husband Martin took the video on Saturday, they came across the dead impala at around 12:00 close to Satara.

She said that they asked another visitor who was standing by the carcass what had happened. The visitor told them that the impala had just been killed by a leopard and that everyone was waiting for the leopard to return to claim its kill.

The Breytenbachs proceeded to switch off their engine and wait for the leopard to return.

“Suddenly we saw a taxi passing all the cars which were waiting for the leopard. The taxi stopped next to the carcass of the impala. A man got out of the taxi and kicked the buck. At that point my husband started taking the video,” Yvonne explained.

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She said that the men in the taxi then got out and loaded it into the vehicle.

“We are not sure what happened. I mean, you are not even allowed to get out of your car.”

They decided to post the video today for more clarification.

SANParks posted on social media that “all is above board”.

According to KNP spokesman, Isaac Phaahla, the people in question were SANParks employees.

“Those are SANParks employees who are employed by Veterinary Wildlife Services. Part of their mandate is to remove carcasses they find on the road and hand it to their section ranger. In this instance it was handed in to the Satara section ranger,” Phaalha said.

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