Poaching crippling tourism

By LUCKY TSABEDZE on August 30,2011

MLAWULA – Poaching in the country’s game reserves is crippling the tourism industry as tourists are discouraged from visiting game reserves where they can only see a handful of animals.

As the tourism industry is being touted as an alternative driver of the country’s economy, it is under threat from poachers who are wreaking havoc in the country’s game reserves.

For instance, the Mlawula Nature Reserve is said to be experiencing an increased number of poaching cases, as shown during a drive through the game reserve on Friday in the past week.

Though a detailed analysis with poaching at the game reserve is hard to get, game rangers did mention that the number of game has been reduced over the years.

In an estimated hour’s drive over a 17.5 kilometre stretch of road only impalas, inyalas, and baboons could be seen.

Even these animals were skittish; they would run at the earliest human presence. The Warden of Mlawula Nature Reserve, Ngwane Dlamini, said this could be attributed to numerous unpleasant encounters with humans. Dlamini estimated that poachers bring about 60 dogs for their illegal hunting expeditions in the game reserve.

After an interview at noon, Dlamini and some game rangers led this reporter on a drive-through.

In about 10 minutes from the workshop where the interview was conducted, baboon screams were heard tearing through the quiet forest as the rangers made their way towards a wild beast that was killed by a snare. Only glimpses of the speeding baboon could be caught.

The animal, a wildebeest or gnu (ingongoni), had already decomposed by the time it was discovered by game rangers and it lay in its skeletal form.

"Imagine the waste that we have made by the death of this animal. We could have generated income with it through people coming here to view it during its life, then later when we sold it as meat," said Dlamini as he stood near the bones.

Then the game rangers took this reporter on the 17.5 kilometre road from Mlawula to Magadzavane lodge near Sitsatsaweni (Siteki) in the hope of viewing zebras, impalas, inyalas, warthogs, bush pigs and the elusive leopard. The impalas could mostly only be seen from a distance as they quickly took off if further advances were made. The slightest click of the camera would throw them into full flight.

"People come here to look at these animals, but because of the attacks and unpleasant encounters with humans, the behavior of the animals has changed – they just run away. So this discourages people from coming back because they do not see these animals," lamented Dlamini.

From an adjacent mountain it was almost impossible to notice the zebra spotted by the trained eye of the game ranger, Phillip Vilane, who noticed the pair from a distance. None of the animals viewed were within a near enough distance to allow a clear picture, which could mean that Mlawula Nature Reserve could be one of the reserves most affected by poaching.

Visits to some game parks have declined

MLAWULA – The economic downturn is hitting the tourism industry hard as visits to some game parks have declined.

Mlawula Nature Reserve, which normally boasts of about 200 visitors, most of whom are international tourists from countries like Germany, is experiencing a fewer number of people.

Ngwane Dlamini said the nature reserve has its days when it is very busy, but generally the place has grown quiet.

"We suspect that this has to do with the world economy being down at the moment, it shows that everybody is affected.

"These days it is quiet but we will be fully booked at our Magadzavane Lodge soon.

"At times we have about 200 visitors coming here.

"We often have people from European countries like Germany frequenting the place," said Dlamini, who said their lodge is set to host a wedding and a bikers’ event in the coming weeks.

At Hlane Royal National Park, Jubela Reilly said there was a reduced number of people going to the game parks. He said this could be blamed on the world’s poor economy.

"We are seeing less people coming to the parks, but then that can be blamed on the poor economy. But we must mention that 50 per cent of our customers are locals, which I believe shows that Swazis are coming out to enjoy the wildlife instead of going to Skukuza (in South Africa) to see a lion," said Reilly.

Game rangers feel let down

MLAWULA – Game rangers feel let down that no one tells their side of the story about the dangers of fighting poachers.

Phillip Vilane, a game ranger at Mlawula Game Reserve, told of stories of attacks by poachers on him and on fellow game rangers while in the line of duty.

Years ago, Vilane was on a shift in the bushes of Mlawula Nature Reserve when he spotted poachers within the game reserve.

Vilane was carrying a firearm, which he restrained himself from using even when the pack of hunters descended on him. The hunters wanted to take the gun away from him but Vilane clung to it in fear of what the hunters could do with it.

"The hunters were trying to grab the firearm from me but I just would not let them have it. I was lucky that the other game rangers who were with me had run for back-up and returned in time to save me. Otherwise, I do not know what they could have done," said Vilane.

There have been serious attacks on game rangers by poachers, which underline the fact that poachers go to hunt ready for a confrontation with the rangers.

"We have a ranger who was hacked on the head with a bush knife after poachers met him inside the game reserve. Almost everybody here has scars earned from this secret war with poachers inside the game reserve," said Vilane.

The confrontations between game rangers and poachers goes beyond the boundaries of the game reserves.

"The poachers are people we know who even recognise our faces, even when we meet outside the game reserves and they pass snide comments. Imagine being on a bus and meeting a poacher who starts making funny comments to make you feel offended," said Vilane.

Poaching syndicate has grown, say experts

MLAWULA – The crime of poaching is driven by syndicates and is no longer about people doing it because they are hungry.

This is evident from the fact that the culprits who are caught poaching are, in most cases, repeat offenders according to game experts. The Director of Nature Conservation and National Parks, Wisdom Dlamini, said it has been widely reported in other countries that poaching in game parks is perpetrated by poaching syndicates.

Mlawula Nature Reserve’s Warden, or Manager, Ngwane Dlamini said people with financial resources who purchase the poached game are also backing the poachers. Dlamini said the theory that there could be syndicates behind the rife poaching in the country’s game reserves is cemented by the commercialisation of this illegal activity.

"Hunting has always been done by people, but the fact back then was that people hunted strictly for the pot. These days it does not happen like that, these poachers now hunt to sell. Some of these people who poach here are unemployed and they are not even looking for employment because they make money through poaching," explained Dlamini.

It is feared that people with financial resources could be helping poachers become more efficient in their illegal exercise. It is believed that poachers work for businesspeople. Game rangers said poachers’ illegal operations have grown complicated and efficient over the years.

Dlamini said rangers have begun using modern-day communication gadgets like mobile telephones and cars for getaways after killing the game. Dlamini said poaching is no longer meant to feed the family. He said people have turned to the activity to generate income.

"These people do not come here to hunt for the pot, so to speak. This illegal practice has become a serious income-generating activity. That is why game rangers are in more danger than they ever were before," said Dlamini.

Dlamini said, in some instances, gunshots are heard and rangers rush to the scene but find nothing.

"You find that when the rangers rush to the scene they find that there is nothing there because these poachers have become more efficient in what they do. Immediately when they kill game, you see them make a call on their mobile telephones and soon a vehicle comes to fetch the carcase," said Dlamini. Trespassers into game parks at times do not only go inside the nature reserves looking for animals.

"They come into game reserves looking for rare plants to make traditional medicine. Some want the bark of rare plants while others want the roots to make muti," added Dlamini.

Wild animals noticeable at Hlane National Park

HLANE – At Hlane Royal National Park, the animals are noticeable from the entrance and they behave very differently.

The animals are scattered inside an area where they seem to graze almost comfortably within close proximity with human beings. Though the game park is also affected by poaching, recently a white rhino was poached there; the number of the animals are stable said Jubela Reilly.

Reilly said they in fact cull some animals to control their numbers.

In a game tour lasting an hour, animals such as a lion, elephant, gnu (ingongoni), impalas, rhinos and giraffes could be viewed from close range.

Inside the enclosure where lions and elephants are kept the animals could be easily spotted.