will be given to surrounding communities as
part of harmonising relations between the
communities and the park.
Neighbouring communities often complain that
some animals force their way out of the park and
feed on their crops and livestock such as goat and
cattle.
“We are grateful for the little rain that we have
but I think it is too little to late. We have seen the
devastation that the drought has caused to vegetation
but as our scientist have told us this is good for the
ecosystem of the Kruger Park. So we are still going to
see some mortality to animals that are much weaker
and that are sickly, but those who are still strong and
are able to move to food reserves and back to the
water sources that are going to survive,” says Phaahla.
Culling is one of the best options the park is
considering to save hippos from drought. The meat
If the drought is not broken, and the grazing land
inside the park continues to be reduced, more
animals may escape from the park and feed on
community crops.
Desmond Andrews says giving the hippo meat to
the surrounding communities will also be a way of
preventing them from poaching animals inside the
Kruger Park.
“The big impact that we are seeing now during this
current drought at this point in time is with our hippo
population, because the hippo population is larger
than it has ever been in the park’s history, about 8000
animals at the moment,” says Andrew.
2016
MAY
17