Hazyview community prevents elephants from returning to Kruger Park
Community members prevented the elephants from returning to the Kruger National Park by blocking their path with bakkies.
Six Kruger National Park elephants will spend the night outside the safety of the park’s fences in a wilderness of a different kind.
This after they escaped from the park in the Mkhuhlu area near Hazyview this afternoon, September 4, and community members interfered with authorities’ efforts to push the elephants back into the park.
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The SANParks spokesperson, Ike Phaahla, said because their responsibility only stretched as far as the park’s fences, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) asked SANParks for helicopter assistance.
“We tried our best for two hours, but were unsuccessful because community members used their bakkies to block the elephants’ way back into the park,” Phaahla said.
The SAPS was notified to control the crowd, however, according to MTPA spokesperson, Simphiwe Shungube, the mission was called off and the elephants remain outside the park.
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The last reported sighting from the SANParks Airwing and section rangers was along the Sabie River.
A frustrated Shungube said had it not been for the community’s interference the elephants would have been back in the park by now.
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“We are monitoring the situation on the ground and putting our heads together to find other options to explore. Our team is well trained, but the community is disturbing our efforts. We are appealing to the community to give our team the opportunity to assist in this situation,” Shungube said.
The motive for blocking the elephants’ safe return is not yet known and neither Phaahla nor Shungube would be drawn into speculation.
@lowvelder Yet more wild animals have been spotted roaming the streets of Matsulu C, neighbouring the Kruger National Park. Community members say they live in fear as these elephants are seen roaming in their yards and on the streets. They had apparently trampled through a fence out of the Kruger National Park and invaded the neighbourhood. #Elephants #elephantsoftiktok #MTPA #Wildlife #Mbombela #Matsulu
