Elephants seriously injured game warden.

A game ranger was seriously injured when his vehicle was attacked by a herd of elephants in the Kruger National Park (South Africa)Park
spokesman Raymond Travers said Thomas Mathosi was returning from a staff function in the far north of the Park with colleagues on Tuesday
when they happened on a herd of breeding elephants. As they watched the herd, a smaller group stormed them from behind, overturning the
vehicle. Two men were trapped while the other rangers were thrown clear, sustaining minor injuries.

 

Project to increase the distribution area of Black Rhinoceros

A Project has been launched in Dikholo (South Africa) with the aim of increasing the distribution areas of the Black Rhinoceros in Kwa-Zulu-Natal.462 Black Rhinos are currently located in that province, while the whole of South Africa has 1,000 and together with Namibia, Zambia and Kenia, the Black Rhino now totals 3,600. In 1970, more than 65,000 Black Rhinos could still be found in those four countries. Although those figures have been turned around, the Black Rhino still remains on the critical endangered species list. The problem now emerges that the growth of the Rhino population is slowing down as the Parks are reaching their saturation point. The idea is to settle the Black Rhino on privately owned ground that is suitable for them. The Rhino will remain the property of Enzemvelo KZN Parks but half of the newly bred calves, will be handed over to the property owners. The aim is to increase the Black Rhino numbers in the province to 1,000 and in South Africa to 3,000.

 

South African elephants could be culled

South African elephants could be culled in terms of the Draft Norms and Standards for Elephant Management (DN&S) released Wednesday, but only once other options had been considered.Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk made the announcement at the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape, at the release of the DN&S for public comment.”And the standard itself is that: Culling may be used to reduce the size of an elephant population subject to due consideration of all other population management options,” said the minister.
“I want to emphasise that each proposed intervention will have to be part of a site-specific integrated management plan that is subject to stakeholder consultation and approval by the Minister or relevant MEC as the case may be.”
Growing numbers of elephants, in game reserves with finite space, are known to put a strain on the biodiversity of these areas.

Canned lion hunting laws

Canned lion hunting laws
South Africa environment minister announced long-awaited restrictions on lion hunting Tuesday, declaring he was sickened by wealthy tourists shooting tame lions from the back of a truck and felling rhinos with a bow and arrow.
Dismissing threats of legal action by the hunting industry, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk said the new law would ban “canned” hunting of big predators and rhinos in small enclosures that offer them no means of escape.
In addition, lions bred in captivity would have to be released into the open for at least two years before they could be hunted. Van Schalkwyk said a previously proposed six-month delay would not give lions enough time to develop self-defence instincts.
“Hunting should be about fair chase … testing the wits of a hunter against that of the animal,” he told a press conference. “Over the years that got eroded and now we are trying to re-establish that principal.” read more

Cape Buffalo kills game viewer

Cape Buffalo kills game viewer

This tragic story comes from Mokopane (Potgietersrus) in the Limpopo province in South Africa. Two brothers-in-law, Willem Kotze(36) and Hudson, went game viewing from the back of a game viewing truck on a Private Game Reserve near the town. The buffalo was kept in a camp surrounded by electric fencing and were very tame according to a Police spokesman. Nearing the herd, a big male buffalo suddenly charged the van and jumped on the back of the van with his front feet.

According to Hudson, he managed to jump clear from the flailing hooves and horns but it is thought that the buffalo trampled on his brother-in-law. Hudson declined to describe the detail of the attack but his brother -in -law died on the scene of the attack. The reserves owners, which stays in Pretoria, 200km’s away, could not be reached for comments but a Police spokesman, Supt. Maggie Matembuls from the Mussina office, said that the buffalo was not shot.

Hunters and visitors are well adviced that even if game appears to be tame, wild animals will always remain wild and are to be treated as such. Approach wild animals with care and preferably in the company of a knowledgeable person or guide and always from the safety of a sturdy vehicle.

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Is crime out of control in South Africa

This burning question has certainly come to the fore again during the past couple of weeks with the senseless murders of innocent people,mostly old and vulnerable people and sad to say, mostly white. Although the South African Governmant denies that crime is out of control, this situation has forced one of the countries biggest banking institutions,First National Bank to lauch a public anti crime campaign only to retract it before publishing. This in itself had raised controversy as the SA Government is one of the banks biggest customers and it thus appear that pressure was applied on FNB to retract the campaign. Although the Government strongly denies it, suspicion is rive and it bodes ill fortune for the countries “free press” policy.

Prominent South Africans has come to the fore to show their support in the anti crime campaign and momentum is gathering behind them. This situation cannot continue and this author will support any effort to curb the senseless crime against civilians.

Add your voice – apply international pressure on the SA Government – help save this country.

Travel Advisory to Zimbabwe

Air Travel to Zimbabwe Advisory
The Netherlands has joined England in implementing a ban on firearm shipment (and trans shipment) to Zimbabwe. Hunters cannot fly from The Netherlands, or via The Netherlands, with a firearm on a ticket that shows as final destination Zimbabwe. The Hunting Report huntingreport confirmed this with Dutch Customs in Gronigen after a hunter was refused a transiting permit because he indicated Zimbabwe as final destination on his application. Hunters should either avoid Amsterdam (and London) on their way to Zimbabwe, or fly to Zimbabwe on two separate tickets

read more : huntersouthafrica

Canned Lions

Lion breeders slam hunting laws

South African lion breeders are prepared to go to court to test regulations on canned hunting, specifically of lions, South African Predator Breeders’ Association (SAPBA) deputy chairperson Thys Mostert said on Wednesday.

While the regulations, to come into force in March, do not ban lion hunting outright, they stipulate the circumstances under which it can take place.

What they did not specify was the size of properties on which hunting would be allowed to take place, Mostert complained.

The new laws also required that lions be free-ranging for six-months before they could be hunted, he said.

An Environment Department statement on the Biodiversity Act regulations on threatened and protected species noted only that hunting camps be “reasonably big”, said Mostert.

“We have a problem with this. This could mean that certain people would hunt lions in a two hectare area. We want the area to be a thousand hectares,” he said.

Free-ranging for 6 months

Questioning the period for which the lions had to be free to roam, Mostert said lion breeders did not understand the provision.

“Where does (Environment and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk) get the six months from? Why must other animals not walk six months before being hunted?” he asked.

Mostert said lion breeders were aware of the problems in the industry and wanted to resolve them.

“Things need to happen in a proper and ethical manner,” he said.

In the Free State alone, 88 to 100 people had bred lions in captivity in one way or another — some for tourism purposes, he said, estimating there were about 3000 captive-bred lions in the country.

Mostert said the answer to the problem of canned hunting did not lie in a complete ban on lion hunting.

“Then you have to ban all hunting. This includes buck hunting. Everything,” he said.

Banning hunting would be costly

Banning lion hunting altogether would also leave the government open to claims for costly infrastructure put in place in line with legislation.

The draft regulations on norms and standards for hunting in South Africa were put together by a panel of experts appointed by Van Schalkwyk.

In December 2006, the environmental affairs and tourism department said they had recommended a ban on captive-breeding for anything other than scientific and conservation purposes.

Captive-bred was defined as “bred in a controlled environment” and referred to enclosures which prevented the escape of listed, threatened or protected species, but facilitated intensive breeding.

It excluded breeding on fenced land on which self-sustaining wildlife populations were managed in an extensive wildlife system.

The panel also recommended a prohibition on hunting in national and provincial parks

source: huntersouthafrica

Green Hunting

Green hunting in Southern Africa

“Some innovation theorists (like Smith, 2006) believe innovation is meaningless without technology. I do not think so. Technology is a great platform for innovation achievement, but it is certainly not the only one. Technology is a good enabler for certain types of innovation. But real innovation comes from the inner self and individual contributions and thoughts need to be given a place in organisations and in society to breed We maintain that innovation takes place in the specific domains of product, process and/or service. However, there is more: innovation takes places in leadership, culture, processes and systems, design, products and technology. Innovation is a thinking skill more than a doing skill. It transforms our views of current reality and focuses on renewal and regeneration. Danah Zohar (1990) believes that ‘Most transformation programmes satisfy themselves with shifting the same old furniture about in the same old room. Some seek to throw some of the furniture away. But real transformation requires that we design the room itself. Perhaps even blow up the old room. It requires that we change the thinking behind our thinking – literally that we learn to rewire our corporate brains.”

So quotes Prof.René Pellissier[1] (PhD)in her paper on WHAT LIES BEYOND INNOVATION – IF ANYTHING-delivered at the start of the innovation Hub recently introduced at the CSIR[2],South Africa. This may be a strange start to the article, but certainly pays tribute to the innovators of the concept of Green Hunting[3] in South Africa.It required innovation by the dedicated few to introduce this concept which is fast becoming the favourite means of hunting by hunters concerned about conservation and preservation of the wildlife resources of Southern Africa. What is Green Hunting? Green hunting – or dart safaris – offer a unique synergy between sport hunting and conservation, allowing trophy wildlife to be shot and wildlife research and management to be conducted at the same time.

Hunters and conservationists are now on the same side of the fence. Pioneered in South Africa, “green hunting” is fast winning the favour of traditional hunters, who see it as a chance to enjoy their sport while contributing to conservation.

The brainchild of Dr Paul Bartels, head of the Wildlife Biological Resource Centre of the National Zoological Gardens[4], green hunting requires more skill and precision than hunting with a rifle. Not only must the animal be shot from close range, but darted animals are also highly unpredictable – sometimes charging or bolting.

“At the end of the day,” says Bartels, “we want the animal to jump up and run into the sunset, with the hunter having experienced the thrill of the hunt while also having played an important role in conservation. “So from an ethics point of view, it’s important that the hunter has the same goals.”

Having hunted the hunt-able species of South Africa, for many years, and seen the carnage sometimes left behind and the indiscriminate shooting of many animals, I certainly support and have done this openly, this innovation. Any effort, how-ever insignificant,towards conservation of wildlife, should be hailed and the innovators behind such drives, must be awarded

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