Africa Wild

Well said, Robert!

This is rubbish from SANParks in my opinion....they made odie an Honorary Ranger, and he was feted in the media for years as a brilliant young entrepeneur!

I really see SP with the scent of money from looming court cases here, to be honest...

BTW, most jeep jockeys don't use the app, they have their own radios, obviously, and and whatsapp groups, which is sort of the same thing...

Ironically, odie's website was apparently caught infiltrating one of those whatsapp groups!

It's not really odie who is the culprit...he's still a youngster.

One thing is for sure... the only way of stopping people using these apps would be to remove data coverage from the parks. I'm not sure if the cellphone towers can be set to only allow voice calls and not data, but I would imagine the network providers wouldn't be too keen on that idea!

It is certainly a tricky subject. On the one side I can see that people being alerted by an app to a good sighting can result in overcrowding. How much of that is down to the apps as opposed to OSVs using their radios I think is probably a key question and difficult to answer.

don't think they can remove data coverage, their card machines etc all work on cell data as far as I am aware.

Flutterby wrote:There is now a petition to ban all reporting of sightings. Is this the way to go?

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/So ... AEJeb&pv=0

Our animals are under multiple threats from poaching to the visitors applying pressure at sightings. Banning the reporting of sightings will reduce pressure at a sighting and all associated bad behavior as well as stop poaching syndicates from using these public broadcasts to locate their choice of animal. This will assist in the global fight against poaching and ensure minimal pressure at sightings.

Here is the problem I have:

Jul 2012








Jul 2013, from the same person!



Dear members

Please note that SANParks do not endorse any apps.

Not easy to foresee the results of any new invention, especially when it comes to news in the technological business

But they could have said so in a nice way. " we did not expect the kind of etc. etc........and have come to the conclusion that etc. etc."

It is very annoying that SPF think that they can offend their members, often without explanations only because Sanparks is the Guardian of the most important parks

Another angle to look at this is who really benefits from banning the sightings apps? I know the human behaviour etc is a problem, but that can be policed or managed without having to ban the app in fact they could even use the app and place fined people/ vehicles on there to publicly show the consequences.
The OSV's would obviously love the banning of the app as they have radio's to communicate and it will ensure less traffic at their sightings. Wonder if they have enough pull with Sanparks to influence that after the recent agreements etc put in place?

I doubt it, Rob? The radios are instant, and the OSV's crowd each other out anyway!

Yes, but they are also then not competing with public as well?