Kruger National Park elephants roam loose in neighbouring area

More wild animals have been spotted roaming the streets of Matsulu C, a neighbourhood bordering Mpumalanga’s Kruger National Park (KNP).

Community members have raised concerns after elephants seemingly trampled through a fence out of the KNP and invaded the area, roaming in people’s yards.

Yesterday, community member John Sithole told Lowvelder that they fear the elephants will attack them.

“These elephants have been seen in our area for weeks now. We have done our part to contact the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and the KNP.

“We fear that one day these elephants will kill our kids because a child could just decide to throw a rock and it might make the elephant angry. These elephants are seen during the day and night. When we have load-shedding, we do not know if we are safe, because if the power goes off before I get home, I won’t be able to see and might stumble across an elephant.

“We have tried everything we can and we are not getting the assistance we need. The fence is destroyed, so they keep crossing to our side. They have destroyed our gardens and trees.”

According to Sithole, the community is sometimes asked to send photographs before they get assistance.

“When we call the park, they request pictures from us. Sometimes it is at night, and we cannot go out there just to prove there are elephants on the loose. As the community, we are just asking for a permanent solution to this matter for our sake and [that of] our kids. We just want to live in a safe area,” he said.

In a statement, the MTPA’s spokesperson, Simphiwe Shungube, said: “The MTPA confirms that the reported four elephants that were spotted at Matsulu C (Sibuyile Section) have been pushed back into the KNP (Stolznek Section).

“The MTPA promptly responded to the complaint by dispatching a team dealing with damage-causing animals to manage the situation. The community is advised to continue reporting such incidents to the MTPA authorities to avoid human-wildlife conflict.”

According to the KNP’s spokesperson Ike Phaahla, it has lent the necessary assistance required by the community of Matsulu.

“We have notified the state veterinarian, as the fence is their responsibility. The colleagues from the MTPA responded immediately and assisted in chasing the animals back into the park. Community members should also assist by reporting people who tamper with the fence.”

When commenting about the photos requested from the community members, Phaahla said: “We never ask people to take pictures, but remember, any animal outside the KNP is reported to MTPA officials and they are aware of the dangers, so it [is] not possible that they have been asked to supply pictures.

“There are other community members who entice the animals by dumping mangoes next to the fence for nefarious intentions. Community policing forum members should report such to law enforcement agencies.”