Two men were arrested at 07:45 last Wednesday for illegally hunting a wild animal in the Highveld Nature Reserve on the N12.
According to Const. Kelebogile Trom, the SAPS spokesperson, the suspects were found inside the game reserve with a slaughtered warthog and surrounded by eleven dogs.
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The reserve manager at North West Parks Board, Gift Ramoitheki, said a community member informed them that there were people in the game reserve who had come to hunt. ‘Our game rangers and security found them with a dead warthog in the morning.’
Ramoitheki says the manner in which the warthog was killed was very cruel. ‘They force it into the pit with two dogs. While the warthog is trying to escape from that pit, they wait at the exit with a sharp object like a spear and gouge its eyes out. At that moment, the warthog is defenceless and vulnerable and it is easy to kill it,’ he said.
He has condemned the incident and says the illegal hunting of animals is rife. The perpetrators apparently hunt the animals to sell the meat to the community later. ‘If they do not catch any wild animals, they resort to killing donkeys and cows,’ he said.
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He warned the community that it is dangerous to eat the meat of the wild animals because of the diseases. ‘The animals are diseased and the meat is poisonous; the consumption of the meat by humans is very harmful. The community should not buy the meat,’ he warned.
Ramoitheki also said that the illegal hunting of animals on the game reserve has a negative impact on the tourism industry and hampers the objective of the NW Parks Board which is trying to build a game reserve for the locals as a tourist attraction. ‘We are going to need rangers, tour operators and other personnel in the game reserve. We will train and employ the people from the Potchefstroom community. We are aligned with the N12 Treasure Route. This is also a good opportunity for tourism and employment,’ he said.
Ramoitheki says people are not allowed to hunt animals in the reserve without a permit. The hunting seasons are regulated by the game reserve.
‘We are running conservation awareness programmes in schools in Potchefstroom. People who would like to report illegal hunting should contact the offices at 018 293 8917/8.
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