KNP fears losing game due to ongoing drought
South Africa’s conservation authorities have warned that the continuing drought could pose a serious threat to the Kruger National Park, Africa’s premier wildlife reserve.
South African National Parks said they were carrying out study on decades old boreholes to as a possible means to provide alternative sources of water to the species in the park.
The authority said most of the dams in the park were dry due to the lack of rain that has precipitated the drought stretching back some six months.
Kruger National Park spokesman William Mabasa said most of the animals in the park were becoming stranded in the park as dams and grazing was effectively dry, frustrating warm water habitant species.
If it does not rain, we may start losing some wildlife such as buffalo, hippo and others that need more water to survive, said Mabasa.
He said some six rivers that flowed from outside the park and passed through, provided very little water and not nearly enough to sustain wildlife.
“It is very dry in the park, you can even spot a wildlife from distance the way it is dry. Our fear is that the weaker game will not survive, because drought has got potential of killing weaker games and retaining the stronger ones,” said Mabasa.
He said to mitigate a looming ecological disaster, a study was being conducted to resuscitate boreholes drilled during 1960s drought.
“There were boreholes drilled in the park that are not utilised but we have taken a resolution to determine which once can be used.”
Weeks ago, the Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo was saved by mid-January rainfall, with reports that some rivers had started flowing again. - ANA
(File photo: Gallo Images)