Elephant poaching on the rise in KNP: SANParks
SANParks has revealed that elephant poaching is on the rise in the Kruger National Park (KNP).
The park has lost close to 20 elephants so far this year compared to the 22 lost in 2015 with the number expected to double.
KNP currently has around 17 000 elephants.
Nicholas Funda, chief ranger at KNP, said the magnitude of the park was a huge challenge
"We have a 2 million hectare park and the response time is critical. The air wing has been critical to our response," Funda said.
KNP has a few strategies to combat elephant poaching which is mostly occurring at the Northern end of the park. There is a fixed wing dedicated to response based in Phalaborwa.
"What we want is to catch them [and] not to suppress them, because they come back," he said.
A K9 unit is also used to track poachers who are mostly targeting the northern areas of the park, because it has the highest population of elephant.
Elephants are usually shot or poisoned for their tusks.
Rangers at KNP said poachers were very clever, because they poach in groups of four and use poison in order to kill as many animals as possible for muti.
Earlier this year over 100 vultures were killed after eating poisoned elephant meat.
The South African Police Service is assisting with the opening of dockets for apprehended poachers while the SANDF patrols the border and the park.