It is becoming increasingly expensive for the majority of private and state-run parks in South Africa to protect their rhinos effectively from poaching, according to Anthony Minnaar, of the Department of Criminology and Security Science at the School of Criminal Justice, College of Law at the University of South Africa. He was speaking at the recent International Rural Crime Conference in Pretoria.
The views expressed in our weekly opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer’s Weekly.
Private game reserves are mostly self-funded in South Africa and the cost of keeping rhinos safe from poachers is becoming prohibitively expensive for many private rhino reserves.
Depending on the size of the operation, private game reserves that have a resident rhino population might need to employ the services of a specialist security company to protect the rhinos. Typically, such a company would have to deploy between 10 and 15 trained and armed game guards who go out on patrol. The use of trained tracker dogs has also been instituted in many game reserves and parks.
Some security companies carry out undercover operations to infiltrate poaching syndicates, or use air patrols or drones to track down poachers. Such services are expensive, ranging from R30 000 to R100 000 a month, depending on how many security guards are deployed by the security company.
Expenses such as these are an added burden on private game reserves and have a negative impact on their long-term viability. These costs are incurred over and above their general running costs, such as wildlife management and monitoring, repairs and maintenance to fences, roads and other infrastructure, and large community lease payments.
In 2016, it was estimated by Project African Rhino that the cost of rhino security on private, state and some national reserves amounted to close to R1,2 billion a year. The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) had an anti-poaching budget of R200 million for the Kruger National Park (KNP) alone in 2016.
Denne historien er fra 17 November 2017-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 17 November 2017-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
