Poaching in the Drakensberg

Helloo Guys. I wrote an email to John Crowson, KZN Wildlife and here they are:

Helloo John

Hope this email finds you well.

I have been getting inquiries about the poaching problem at Vergelegen and would like to know if there has been any developments/progress in this regard?

Its been nearly a month now since our last contact and you did say you would keep us informed.

Kind regards
Richard

Hi Richard,

I have raised the issue with Lesotho authorities through our Joint Management Meetings. There is a way we can possibly identify the poachers as for herders to graze cattle in the highlands need authority. This avenue is being pursued with the Lesotho Mounted Police and Chiefs in the area.

I am hoping to attend a cross border liaison meeting during October 2016 to address this issue.

The issue has been discussed with the Field Rangers and the OIC and it will depend on their patrol schedule.

Regards,

John

Helloo John

Thanks for your reply and hopefully the Lesotho authorities can identify and deal with these poachers in a way that will stop this activity from continuing to happen. To go into another countries national park and poach their wildlife is a serious offence!!

I reckon this poaching has been going on for a long time as one of my friends also mentioned that a year ago possibly the same poachers were shouting at him from their lookout on Mlahlangubo Peak. He had to tent in another valley as these guys never gave up on their shouting....possibly to get him to leave so they could come down the pass in the afternoon and poach.

I have attached another photo of 3 of the 5 poachers for easy identification.

Would it be possible if you could find out something for me. I would like to know if the poaching problem at iNjashuti in Dead Dog Cave and surrounding area has been sorted out. I did email KZN Wildlife last year and they never replied to my email. I also took photos of dogs for identification in that cave eating the remains of a butchered Eland. The Eland sleep in that cave and they are an easy target for poachers.

Kind regards
Richard

Thanks for pressing this issue Richard H.

I must say I am troubled by the lack of urgency in the response:
"I am hoping to attend a cross border liaison meeting"
and
"The issue has been discussed with the Field Rangers and the OIC and it will depend on their patrol schedule."

None of that sounds the problem is being grasped to the extent that is needed.

Those Field Rangers would need to have been blind, indifferent or involved with the poaching not to have reported the issue themselves. And if they can't adapt their patrol schedule to deal with a serious poaching issue, what is the point of the patrols?

@tiska: I totally agree with you. It seems that they are going through the motions of correct procedures without any flippen passion for conservation. In the last month maybe all the Eland have been poached in the Vergelegen area "depend on their patrol schedule" The following was taken out of a KZN Wildlife newsletter by the very person who trained the KZN Wildlife rangers...makes one think!!!!

By Ed Ostrosky:

“Conservation demands of people to bear hardship, accept sacrifice and endure sometimes overwhelming challenges. These character traits are needed to face the huge pressures of today’s conservation world, epitomised by burgeoning development, financial austerity, greed and indifference in so many quarters to the health of our natural environment,”
Sacrifice? “A soldier, game ranger, or other guardian of the environment, is required to practice the greatest act of religion or faith – sacrifice; to sacrifice for the cause. This is one of the noblest developments of mankind.”

@Viking: thanks for approaching EKZNW regards this poaching matter. It seems that we are a bother to them in discovering the poaching problem at Vergelegen and now they reluctantly have to do something about it. Their response is a sad reflection of their inability to manage this World Heritage Site. To set the record straight.....they stated in response to your email "A (one) poaching problem" In fact we witnessed 3 Basotho poaching gangs with dogs operating in that area and 2 dead Eland and I am sure this is just the tip of the ice berg. This is not a small problem that can be pushed aside but an international act of conservation warfare that must be tackled with passion and force.

This is very sad news.

It has been 50 days since this incident, how many more have occurred since then, is anybodies guess.

Richard, do you know the date of the cross border liaison meeting that John might be attending? I am all for giving people a chance and the time to try sit around a table and sort this out. How much time is to be given though is a pertinent question.

Both the media, and the UNESCO WHC (World Heritage Centre) would be obvious routes to look into should there be no traction on remedying the situation.

With regards the WHC, here is an interesting quote on their site - 'It is the duty of the international community as a whole to cooperate in the protection of World Heritage - please join us in this noble task - Kishore Rao - Director of the World Heritage Centre'

I think that we should allow 'some' time to elapse before this is moved forward, but with the knowledge this is not all that is available to leverage.

I emailed Charl Brummer, conservation manager at Cobham as thought Vergelegen fell under Cobham's management.

My comms and his response are below:

Sept 13
Hi Mr Brummer

I hope this finds you well.

I am writing as a concerned hiker to find out if you are aware of, or if any action has been taken towards the poaching situation at Vergelegen?

It was highlighted on the Vertical Endeavour forum by Richard Hunt who witnessed poaching by Basotho first hand well within the parks confines.

I also did a hike in June, where I was harassed while trying to set up camp on the contour path at Ngaqamadola pass. Basotho were thowing rocks down the cliffs and shouting at me from a cave up on the south side of ngaqamadola pass. I packed up camp and had to leave because I felt very threatened. Richard Hunt reported people shouting from the same spot as I did, and witnessed an Eland Hunt by a full pack of Basotho dogs very close to Birds Nest Cave, along with Basotho carrying bags of meat within close range of Vergelegen camp. He documented all of this with his camera.

I know that Richard has reported the issue to Mr John Crowson but thought maybe you could shed light on the situation also.

Many Thanks

Sept22

Hi Charl

Hope you are well.

Just checking to see if you have any info with regards to the email I sent?

Kind Regards


Sept 23

Good Morning Justin,

Not quite sure why I received this e-mail but since I did, I will try to answer it. My area of responsibility is Cobham but I know what’s happening at most stations and here is my response.

Unfortunately hiking in the Drakensberg with small groups of people has security problems and it’s been this way for many years, I remember in the 1970’s when a hiker was scalped killed and thrown off the escarpment in the Amphitheatre area. Hikers need to be aware of the security risks they take when out, especially if they go to the top of the escarpment. Dogs and poaching are rampant throughout the Drakensberg Maluti Park and it is not new. Yes, you mention Vergelegen but it’s not only there it’s everywhere. More poaching takes place from South African communities then from the Lesotho people.

Both the old Natal Parks Board and EZEMVELO KZNwildlife have had this problem for years. It’s a way of life and we live it. Traditional hunting both past and present is very real. Very little has changed over the 25 years that I have been a manager in the Drakensberg. Every fire season we have a huge amount of arson fires, then during the year its hunting with dogs, Dagga smuggling, Stock theft, murder and small crimes which include robbing hikers gear. Nothing has changed. I do not see it increasing but it probably is unfortunately I do not have the states to prove either way.

Now you may be thinking that I am not answering your query but I am in a roundabout way. EKZNW staff are very aware of the problems in the Park on all stations not only Vergelegen. The number of law enforcement staff are not adequate for the task we are expected to do, nor are the SAPS. Staff cannot be at all places at all times. The areas are just too big (e.g. Cobham 47000 ha patrolled by 10 Field rangers, that’s 147 square km. Not all staff are on station at the same time, some are on time off, others on leave, so taking an average call it 5 to 6 staff at any one time) it’s an impossible task. Yes, hikers see a lot, but so do the Field Rangers that patrol these areas. Many arrests are made every year. It is unfortunate that you have experienced some of this crime but believe me when I tell you that it is just a drop in the ocean.

Without big money and manpower we can only struggle along and do the best we can. I wish it was different but that’s the facts as they are and I take my hat off to the guys that are doing a very good job with the resources at their disposal.

Please enjoy the Mountains and go into them, enjoy them, but at the same time be aware that there are security issues just like most places in South Africa so take precautions when going out into the wilderness areas.

I hope this answers your questions and I wish I could change it but unfortunately the reality is as it is.

Keep well and go into the wilderness it’s still good for the soul even with the threats that abound.

Be Safe

Charl Brummer
OIC Cobham

Well that sounds like a bit of a defeated response. I suppose one encouraging factor is that he says that the poaching does not seem to be increasing. I suppose we will need to try lobby for more financial and logistical support for the EKZNW teams.

I hear Charl's pain. He is a likeable chap who loves the mountains.

More funds might be made available if there was a threat of loosing their heritage status for the berg.

More funds like a transfer of funds for the ludicrous cable car to actually managing out the crime and poaching issues in the berg. I could just imagine the ruckus that would be caused when the first over-seas tourists who have stepped off the cable car get walloped in the head with knobkerrie and their fancy Leica and Hassie cameras get swiped. O sorry, this is the poaching thread, not the cable car git a bit carried away!!!