Drought plays positive role in Kruger National Park

Head of the SANParks scientific unit Danie Pienaar says the drought is nature's way of regulating the ecosystem.

"Drought is a way to keep the ecosystem moving. Even though the drought is bad in agricultural areas, in KNP it regulates animal populations," he said.

Decreasing surface water, small fires, pollution, increase in diseases like anthrax and of course animal mortalities are some of the effect of the drought in the KNP. 

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During droughts, animals in the KNP die due to a lack of food and not due to a lack of water. There are poor veld conditions which means less food. This also gives rise to poaching as people hunt animals for food to feed their families. 

Pienaar mentioned that people have also been found walking through the park from Mozambique due to the drought across the border. 

"People always think because its dry we need to provide water, but animals also need to eat otherwise they will die"

Pienaar says the drought is set to last until at least November, when some rain is expected. He added that different species also respond differently to the drought. 

"A drought targets the old animals, the weak of sick ones, as a way of resettling the system." He said 

Grazers struggle during a drought while predators thrive.  The hippo population current stands at 8000 - the largest in the history of the KNP. Due to the drought, the number is expected to dwindle to 2000. 

Plans are being drawn up to assist communities around the park to minimize effects of the drought.

Pienaar says the park needs help from national and local departments to create sustainable ways to deal with the effects of drought. Some of the plans include the rehabilitation of plantation around municipal dams and promoting water-wise crops.

The KNP has put strict water-saving measures in place and is engaging with water user associations. 

Due to the vast size of the KNP Pienaar says there is very little they can really do to mediate the effects of the drought.

Edited by Marius van der Walt