Africa Wild

Should I post BC's pics there to start it off?

Go for it Flutty! Sounds like a good idea iNdy did see the education possibility already in his first post....or was it BC

Any way if all of those sightings' sites and their users start educating, first of all themselves and secondly all off the track users, it could lead to something; not less traffic jams at the sightings, but maybe more educated ones.

Done...I will still put up a header pic, but have to go out now.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/170165529784708/

I've also chatted to Gunner...he's going to start a topic on the Blackberry sightings group for people to post pics and any incidents of rule-breaking. I will then post the pics on FB.

Flutterby wrote:I've also chatted to Gunner...he's going to start a topic on the Blackberry sightings group for people to post pics and any incidents of rule-breaking. I will then post the pics on FB.

Great stuff This could turn into a positive

OD?

Should help...but not so sure...what do we have to lose!?

The facebook gallery of shame is brilliant, and could be massive as a Non-SanParks one!


Just careful moderation there!

Hi all!

I just found out about this topic and I would really love to come in and try and answer all I can!
For those who don't know, I am the Admin and run Latest Sightings - on all BBM, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and http://www.latestsightings.com sightings reports.

I firstly want to reply to some posts that I think need some comment:

Penga Ndlovu wrote:

Bushcraft wrote:I have been thinking about this and there’s one way to turn it into a positive:

Encourage all those that receive and post sighting updates to also post speeding, suspect activity, rule breakers, etc.

The auto update gang could police themselves and it could make KNP a better place as all types of issues could be reported

Yeah.

Did that while touring around Skukuza with the gang 2 weeks ago.
mr. Mabunda himself overtook us at 70kms an hour while going to our meet with BC and the gang and I reported that "sighting" on the Kruger sightings Whatssapp group.

This is what I received back:

"This sight is for sightings only and if we continue this we will be reported to the sightingsboard and Sanparks will shut us down."

I would definitely like to point out that I didn't reply with this statement, and that isn't what he said, this is straight from the group:
"This is a sightings page - if there is any complaints contact parks board number provided on the green pamphlet. This is a second time in a week (That staff has been reported for speeding) If it keeps on going on as a member of parks board this speeding will stop!"

So I think he ment that SANParks will stop the speeding, not the sightings?

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iNdlovu wrote:I hear and support you 100% BC, my problem is this...so you post about someone breaking the rules at a sighting, then what? SanParks sure as heck won't do anything about it and you'll probably find they will accuse people of interfering in their business without their consent (similar to what we had with the Needs Attention exercise of RP's)

I see where you are coming from but I don't totally agree. I report at least 3 reports of bad behavior reports sent to me privately per day! I send them to my contact who then issues those people a fine that afternoon if I give them sufficient enough proof.

So if you speak to the right people you can get some action done. Reporting to the reception more often than not , nothing will even be looked at.
I see that nearly every bad report I report to my contact I get a reply that they have issued them a R1,500 fine.

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Bushcraft wrote:
But please answer these questions:

1. Do you honestly believe that if SANParks staff monitored these updates and responded that they couldn’t make a difference? (They definitely would, surely)

2. Do you honestly believe that there’s no merit in utilizing technology to report bad behaviour? (There’s definitely merit)

1. I do know for a fact that I have asked SANParks to help me monitor these sightings and reports. I get lots of injured animal reports where they reply that they can't help them (I understand of course) but I also get replies where they can't fine the speeders and bad behave-rs as I don't receive enough proof. Such as a photo of them in the act with a licence plate.
This now brings up a problem of reporting speeding. How are we suppose to "Prove" that the people were speeding?

2. I think this can bring great merit, a R1500 fine would teach a person a lesson!

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Theuns wrote: How many bird, hippo, croc, kudu, wildebeest, monkey, insect, tortoise, impala, etc sightings are reported by these groups? Let me guess...nothing or maybe next to nothing! How many lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, cheetah, painted dog, etc sightings are reported? Let me guess again...ALL OF IT with hordes of Big 5 seekers chasing chaotically after it!!

I actually post quite a few of the more common animals and birds, but not as much as the rest because the reporters don't send in as many to me. This is not my fault that people don't take as much notice to those animals, everyone wants to see different animals. Some just want to see trees, some just want to see birds and some just want to see spots.
But then again if I posted more sightings of the more common species then traffic would be big around them too, would you want that?
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Theuns wrote: What can be done about it? I don't think anything...they are here to stay and unfortunately/sadly it will get more and more chaotic by the day.

I think that instead of saying nothing can be done, I want you and everyone else who is interested in finding a solution to come up with ideas that we can try out to stop the bad behavior.

Here are some tips that I came across in this topic.

RobertT wrote:Not sure if anyone has mentioned before, but why don't people use the bbm group for policing as well. I think also if you talk to mods or originators of the group, they would agree that it is wrong if rule breaking is occuring because of their sightings report. So they could let the people on bbm report rule breaking with registration numbers and description exactly like the sightings and thus name and shame them on the bbm group or cancel their participation once reported? A person arriving at a sighting after being reported will get the gist from the rest of people there.

Bushcraft wrote: Use the BBM as an electronic policeman

Dewi wrote:I reiterate, it's not the information that's the problem, it's some of the people that use it that are the problem. They need educating.

iNdlovu wrote:How about broadcasting rules and expected etiquette a few times per day as well as sightings, we need to get the message across somehow.

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Some points I would like to raise:

1. I have a great contact that I send all reports to and something is ALWAYS done about what I send in. This could maybe be a good start in getting people to behave.

2. I didn't start this sighting sharing for people to rush to each sighting, I started it: 1. I love and miss the bush and I want everyone to feel like they are there every second! 2. For research!
EWT has appointed me as their youngest Eco Ambassador as these sightings have helped them tremendously with their Wild Dog projects, Ground Hornbill project and road kill project. They have come up with a few discoveries due to following the wild dog sightings.

3. All the speeding is not only from "techno sightings" users, I would like to point out that staff members are allowed to go at 60kmph on tar and 50kmph on sand, this might lead them to think that going 10kms above doesn't sound like a lot. So they end up going at 70kmph. A lot of them drive at night at those speeds which cause most road-kills. So I'm not blaming them, I'm just saying that "techno sightings" users aren't fully to blame for road kills and speeding.

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I come here in an open manner.

We have a problem (Speeding, bad behavior etc...), let's think of a valid way to try and fix it.

If any of you have any ideas you would like to share of how to go a head and try and fix it, let's brainstorm now.

No use of just complaining when we can do our best in trying to keep our most beloved place in the world the best place to be!

I'm a major wildlife lover and I also want to do my all to help, since I run these sites Ill do my best and listen to everything each of you bring forward!


I look forward to hearing what you all have to say and I can't wait to solve this!

ossendryver wrote:I come here in the open manner.

We have a problem (Speeding, bad behavior etc...), let's think of a valid way to try and fix it.

If any of you have any ideas you would like to share of how to go a head and try and fix it, let brainstorm now.

No use of just complaining when we can do our best in trying to keep our most beloved place in the world the best place to be!

I'm a major wildlife lover and I also want to do my all to help, since I run these sites Ill do my best and listen to everything each of you bring forward!


I look forward to hearing what you all have to say and I can't wait to solve this!

Great stuff OD, hats off to you

Excellent post OD.
Nobody is blaming the techno boards for anything, like I said in a previous post, all you are doing is listing interesting sightings and there's nothing wrong with that. However it does have the potential to cause "stampedes" around the park because of the very nature of a lot of park visitors.

What we are saying is the same as you, it is about educating park goers in whatever way we can. Your techno sighting boards have the unique advantage that people (numbers from what I've heard are quite high) check them out often whilst in the park. You have the unique opportunity of being able to get the correct etiquette message out there to many people often. Seeing as bad behavior tends to happen fairly regularly around traffic jams at sightings, I submit that many of your members also witness these (if not participating in them) exhibitions of rule breaking and you are therefore in a position to hit the right target market so to speak.
It's not whether or not SanParks prosecutes people, we all know it doesn't happen as much as it should, it is all about educating park visitors