Private game reserve under fire

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Sprocky
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Private game reserve under fire

Post by Sprocky »

2013-02-16 12:35

Johannesburg - A petition is being circulated against a private game reserve in Limpopo that is offering packages to hunt rhino instead of saving them, it was reported on Saturday.

The petition by Paul Kruger Safaris against the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve offering rhino hunting packages, was supported by various other nature conservationists, the Saturday Star reported.

"Everyone is fighting for the rhino but Timbavati is allowing them to be hunted," said nature conservationist Pieter Odendaal.

He said Timbavati and the Kruger National Park had agreed that no fences would be erected between the parks to allow animals to roam freely.

"These rhinos set to be shot may well be rhinos that belong to the Kruger Park and who, by chance, are in the way of the hunters," said Odendaal.

Timbavati reportedly said photographic tourism operations were far more damaging than sustainable, well managed hunting operations.

"Only male white rhino above a certain age or horn size are hunted, according to a strict protocol," said chairperson Thomas Hancock.

The Kruger National Park said the rhino hunting packages were unethical.

"They tell us that the rhino bulls are old, and ask if they are expected to simply let them die under a tree. I say yes-let nature take its cause," said spokesperson Ike Phaahla.

- SAPA


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iNdlovu
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Re: Private game reserve under fire

Post by iNdlovu »

The amazing truth is that since the Timbivati's inception in 1957, only 2 rhino have been lost to poachers within the Timbivati, a 70,0000 hectare reserve that holds about 3 percent of the world's rhino population.
How have they achieved this incredible record? By doing things right. They have spent millions on anti poaching and the bill is carried by the individual land owners.
We all have the impression that that the Timbivati is owned by people with big money, however the truth is that the majority of landowners are people who farmed the land commercially up until 1957 and decided to stop farming operations in the name of conservation. They derive no income from their land. Certainly there are some pieces on which there are commercial lodges, but this is not the case on the majority of lands owned by the individuals.
If they are to continue their amazing anti-poaching record, these people have to dig deep into their own private bank accounts.
There is currently an "abundance" of male rhino in the Timbivati and as happens in this situation, horrible fights break out amongst them, very often ending in the death of older bulls. Yes, this is natural, but when a cow gets killed in these battles which often happens, it hurts the growth of the general population.
The Timbivati has applied to hunt two old bulls this year that will probably be killed by younger animals and all proceeds will be plowed back into anti-rhino poaching and rhino management.
Odendall's concern that some of these animals may be "Kruger" animals is unlikely when one considers that they are extremely territorial, but there is obviously the chance that this can happen, however in the same breath, the Timbivati owners are spending R8000 per animal in dehorning, DNA sampling, micro chipping horns and bodies of rhino within the Timbivati and they are not getting one cent for this from anyone. Maybe some animals that they have worked on are "Kruger" animals as well.
They are currently building state of the art fences on their western boundry which sees a huge threat of poachers entering from the Acornhoek area and having seen these new fences, I can assure anyone that they don't come cheap.
The Timbivati does not receive one cent of funding from any ant-rhino poaching groups or anywhere else, the entire cost of their amazing endeavors is born by the individual landowners.

There is the other side of the story in a nutshell


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Flutterby
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Re: Private game reserve under fire

Post by Flutterby »

Thanks iNdy...food for thought! \O


leachy
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Re: Private game reserve under fire

Post by leachy »

:-) :-) :-) :-)

thanks for this information indy........

interesting !!!!!! \O \O \O \O


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Bushcraft
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Re: Private game reserve under fire

Post by Bushcraft »

Thanks iNdy and definitely food for thought \O \O


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H. erectus
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Re: Private game reserve under fire

Post by H. erectus »

Very interesting Sprocky/iNdy


Heh,.. H.e
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