Poaching rife in SED

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday March 4, 2016 13:19

 

Poachers use wire snares in their illegal activity. Because of poaching in the area, vultures are on the verge of extinction due to poisoning, Mmegi has learnt.

“We are concerned about anti-poaching which is on the rise in our district. I believe strict measures should be taken against anyone who might be caught in this illegal act.

A total of 112 wire snares were found at Sunnyside, Mannyelanong perimetre fence and Nnywane dam,” principal district officer development Kgomotso Kesianye said.

The principal officer said they have made recommendations to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to strengthen patrols in the area.

She said of the 112 wire snares, 104 were removed from Sunnyside farm with the help of Sunnyside workers, five were from Mannyelanong perimeter fence and three from Nnywane dam.

The principal officer said there is need for the same department to be assisted with a vehicle not only for patrols but also to enable mobile services to create awareness on environmental conservation.

In addition, the council learnt that there is need to engage other stakeholders like interns, cluster scouts, Tirelo Sechaba participants and other law enforcement officers like the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) for patrols. 

In Otse, vulture numbers of one of two known breeding colonies in Botswana have dropped from 600 in the 1990s to about 150 as at last May.

 In July 2013, 600 vultures died in a single incident at the Chobe National Park, while 280 died in yet another at Lesome.

Vultures in Botswana face a triple-threat of poisoning with the major aggressor being poachers who lace their illegal quarry with harmful chemicals to prevent vultures from circling overhead.

Just under 300 birds died in a single poisoning incident in the Okavango Delta in May 2015 while in the latest report, 10 birds were found dead at Tswagare in Borolong in the second week of last September.

The other burning issue is of human-wildlife conflict. It remains an issue of concern in the district as humans have to co-exist with various wildlife species.

“A total of 34 reports were received as complaints on damage caused by wildlife or life threatening incidences as a result of wildlife,” she said.

Meanwhile councillor, Dilo Abram, emphasised that there is need for DWNP to compensate some farmers whose crops are always destroyed by baboons and kudus.

“Baboons are really terrorising people at the fields. About seven cases of baboons damaging crops were reported followed by kudus,” Abram said.