A male leopard who was found with a cable noose around his body on Friday in the Manyeleti nature reserve in Mpumalanga has raised renewed concern about the safety of wildlife in nature reserves.
Footage shows Tavangumi, a well-known leopard in the reserve, struggling and walking with a noose around his body. The incident was reported to the authorities, after which the male leopard could be freed from the trap.
The leopard suffered serious cuts, but according to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Park Agency (MTPA) is recovering well.
“We are delighted to say that the leopard is doing well. The rangers of Manyeleti Nature Reserve will continue to monitor the leopard through the collar tracking device together with private veterinarians,” reads a post on the agency’s Facebook page.
According to Werner Weber, provincial leader of the FF Plus, the rampant poaching of wild animals in nature reserves, and especially in the Manyeleti nature reserve – which borders the Kruger National Park – is getting completely out of hand.
“It was shocking to see the pictures of the poor leopard. The snare tightened so tightly that it left a large and deep wound all around his body,” said an angry Weber.
“Invasive steps must be taken urgently to put a stop to this cruel behaviour. This is not the first predator to be caught in a trap in this reserve.”
Landé Willemse, media officer for the FF Plus in Mpumalanga, says it is disturbing how often snares of predators have to be removed.
“Snares must be regularly removed from lions and hyenas. There is a lion in the same reserve with the ugliest scars on his face after his mouth was caught in a snare. He looks like the ‘Joker’, his whole face is full of marks.
“Necessary anti-poaching measures are not taken in our reserves, which means that these cruel things continue to happen to our animals,” says Willemse.
According to Weber, the fence between the Manyeleti nature reserve and the surrounding local community is in a terrible state and poachers simply walk into the reserve on foot with hunting dogs.
“The local community simply let their livestock graze in the reserves. There is practically nothing. There is hunting every day; traps are set every day; every day there are people who walk into the reserve unhindered and kill our animals.”
Weber says there is also no border between the Manyeleti Nature Reserve and the Kruger National Park, which makes it even easier for poachers to enter the reserves and hunt protected wildlife.
“Especially at night, there is little or no anti-poaching action by Mpumalanga’s Tourism and Park Board,” says Weber.
“The MTPA simply says that there is a shortage of staff, but that is not an excuse.”
According to Willemse, however, it is not only the Manyeleti nature reserve that is deteriorating due to alleged mismanagement.
“There are probably seven state reserves in Mpumalanga – among them the Bosbokrand nature reserve – which are falling further and further into disrepair due to mismanagement.
“The management of our reserves is a joke; we have been trying to do something about this for so long now. The buildings in the reserves are falling apart, the grass of thatched roof roundabouts is being pulled out and wild grass is growing along the paths. It’s simply not managed properly.”
Willemse says approximately two billion rand was allocated in the budget meeting last week for renovation work on roads.
“For what? It doesn’t help that roads are upgraded if the destinations fall apart? And if the animals are killed…
“Nowhere in the budget for the new financial year was provision made for anti-poaching programmes, but the MTPA budgeted R18 million for marketing. How does it work? It’s ridiculous.”
Willemse says the MTPA falls under the same department that is responsible for job creation and economic transformation.
“Anti-poaching is clearly not a priority for this department.”
In a letter to Nompumeleleo Hlophe, the MEC for tourism and economic development, the FF Plus posed pertinent questions regarding anti-poaching action and also requested an urgent meeting on this.
According to Willemse, Hlophe inherited the problems of the previous MEC. “This is not her creation. We have confidence in her, she is really capable and we hope that she will tackle these issues.
“Policing of wildlife and anti-poaching measures must be stepped up urgently. A permanent anti-poaching unit must be appointed which patrols reserves day and night, because at the current rate of poaching there will be few of certain species left in this Big Five reserve in a decade,” says Willemse.
- RNews has approached the Manyeleti Nature Reserve and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) for comment and this will be updated as soon as it is received.
