THE ever present poaching threat of our province’s wildlife requires that the maintenance and monitoring of our nature reserves boundaries need to be stepped up.
Shortly before Christmas, the fence along the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park’s (HiP) Okhukho loop in the far north-west of the iMfolozi section, appeared to have been partially pushed over from the outside.
The electric cables have been cut in places and in other nearby areas are at odd angles to the fence.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Media Officer, Musa Mntambo, said, ‘The fence, in some areas, is standing at an angle. A small section was pushed over by an elephant in December and temporary measures were used to fix it’.
But, as the accompanying photo clearly shows, the fence was pushed inwards towards the reserve’s side, placing a question mark behind the statement that an elephant was responsible.
‘The fence is sound. No animal can get through it. Our staff will be repairing the damaged fence next week’.
Mntambo said Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife employs ‘fenceliners’ who monitor the condition of the fence on a daily basis.
Regular visitors to HiP last year reported Nguni cattle inside the reserve on several occasions, the last sighting which was late last month. One cow was seen grazing near the junction marked 24, a few kilometres south-east of the damaged fence.
Mntambo said they are not aware of this incident and nobody has reported any missing cows.
Not only does the presence of cattle inside the reserve call into question the soundness of this section of HiP’s boundary, it also raises concerns of possible transference of Bovine Tuberculosis from cattle grazing the immediate perimeter of the park, to the park’s buffalo.
Mntambo declined to comment on the potential TB threats.
