http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=29681

Poachers crippling tourism - Macford

13 September, 2011 10:43:00 By Winile Mavuso

POACHING COSTLY: Minister of Tourism Macford Sibandze

MINISTER of Tourism Macford Sibandze says poaching is costing tourism and urged that the matter be given the seriousness it deserves. Poaching was not only crippling the tourism sector but was also a barbaric act, he said.

“Besides crippling the country in terms of tourism, killing the animal in cold blood is really pathetic.

“Imagine the rhino that was dehorned. It was a saddening sight. Such used to be witnessed during the austrasivapithecus (the days of the early-man). We don’t need such in the 21st century,” he said.

The Tourism Review website says poachers are devastating the wildlife of the country’s nature reserves more than ever before and tourists are turning their backs on the wildlife sanctuaries due to the lack of animals. In some places, for instance, just a few timpala remain.

“Nobody needs tourism more than poor countries and Swaziland, landlocked by South Africa, fits right into this category.

“Swaziland relies heavily on its game reserves yet the poachers have created a situation whereby the only animals tourists see are baboons. Large game is where the tourists hear huge screams from traps.”

The Tourism Review also states that locals have been quick to point out that the animals have started behaving in a strange manner by running away from humans at any opportunity.

This is not how the animals used to behave and their fears are almost certainly a result of recent experience with people.

The poachers may be earning for themselves yet they are crippling tourism. A few remaining impalas and plants are very unlikely to attract visitors from afar.

“The Mlawula reserve has had an increasing number of poaching cases to deal with. One may ask how such secret incidents can be monitored.

“The answer lies with the increasing screams of entrapped wildlife, their plummeting numbers and the amount of carcasses with traps around them. Indeed, many animals are unfortunate enough to decompose in snares if the poachers are not quick enough to find their prey.

“Even plants, which are used to make traditional medicines have recently fallen victim to the increasing numbers of Mlawula poachers.”

Sibandze noted that a lot of tourists came into the country because of wildlife and added that scarcity of such may cripple the sector.

“A lot of tourists visit the country because they are able to see the animals unlike in other countries such as South Africa where you can travel the whole Kruger Park without seeing animals,” he said.