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Eco
Watch Saturday 21 November, 1998 R1-m boost
for conservation The financial woes which beset South African provincial conservation authorities have, in part, been put aside by the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service thanks to an anonymous donor. The service's acting chief executive George Hughes said a Swiss trust had donated $157 000 (almost R1 million) to the service. The money will partially go to financing the anti-poaching unit in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park and also to finance building of additional classrooms in three schools in communities neighbouring the Drakensberg Park in Cathedral Peak, Injasuti and Loteni. KZN bravery
awards Field Ranger Bheki Mkwanazi received the Meritorious Award for Bravery for his courage and quick thinking when a colleague was attacked by a lioness while they were on anti-poaching operations in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in July. One of three field rangers in the party, Lance-Corporal Ernest Mthetwa, was attacked by the lioness which gripped him by the right leg and began dragging him away. He shouted for help and ranger Mkwanazi reacted instantly by telling him to lie flat, cocking his rifle and shooting the lioness. Solomon Nomandla received the Service's highest award for deliberate exposure to grave personal injury - the Purple Bar - following an incident at Sodwana Bay in August this year. He was on voluntary patrol to curb theft in the campsite accompanied by Themba Ntuli when he noticed three men ransacking a campsite. They gave chase and after splitting up, Mr Nomandla encountered one of the suspects who drew a pistol and fired two shots at him. Armed only with a sjambok Mr Nomandla pursued the suspect striking him repeatedly in an attempt to stop him. The suspect fired at Mr Nomandla at point blank range, missing him before running to the fence and trying to crawl under it. As Mr Nomandla grabbed the suspect's legs, another shot was fired, missing him again. The thief escaped but was later arrested with the pistol he used. Springbok
hiking trail to be closed The trail was the first phase of visitor facilities in the Karoo and with systematic development and growth as laid out in the park management plan, was re-routed several times to fit in with expanding facilities, such as the rest camp opened in 1989. The reintroduction of endemic wildlife species also forms an integral park of park development and Cape buffalo and black rhino have been relocated to Karoo. Both species use riverine thickets as habitat and this could lead to possible encounters between hikers and dangerous animals. To ensure the safety of both man and animal, SanParks have decided to close the Springbok trail as from December 31, said Karoo Park warden Leighton Hare. "The topography of Karoo National Park lends itself to a diversity of tourism facilities and outdoor experiences and we will look into alternative outdoor adventures for the Park," he said. Living Lakes
conference The proceedings included the proclamation of the first World Lake Day under the patronage of Mangosuthu Buthelezi and presentation of the Best Conservation Practice Award by Mr Buthelezi and Professor Gerhard Thielcke, president of GNF. The Living Lakes project was named a worldwide Expo 2000 Hanover project. The main theme of the conference was sustainable tourism and conservation and presentations included ecotourism in South Africa, the international experience, sustainability criteria, ecotourism incentive schemes and strategies for lake areas. At present the Living Lakes Network comprises Mono Lake in America, Lake Nestos in Greece, Lake La Nava in Spain, Lake Constance, which borders Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Lake Biwa in Japan and Lake St Lucia. During the conference delegates, hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, experienced the beauty and tourism potential of the area through guided trails and boat trips. |