NPR

I am not talking about Scotland rugby here.

Poaching is very real in South Africa. We are so spoiled with wild life. On the south coast its perlemoen and kreef. Inland its elephants and rhino's. Plants its everywhere.

My son is heavy in nature conservation and is going north from next year to join up north with the anti poaching security mostly Rhinos.

Never knew these poachers are like the mafia, so it will be tough on him but worth a while for his experience. We did army , so this is his time for leapard crawling and patrolling by foot.

OomStruisbaai wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:56 am I am not talking about Scotland rugby here.

Poaching is very real in South Africa. We are so spoiled with wild life. On the south coast its perlemoen and kreef. Inland its elephants and rhino's. Plants its everywhere.

My son is heavy in nature conservation and is going north from next year to join up north with the anti poaching security mostly Rhinos.

Never knew these poachers are like the mafia, so it will be tough on him but worth a while for his experience. We did army , so this is his time for leapard crawling and patrolling by foot.

Good luck to him and hope he stays safe
A worthy cause

Absolutely great thing to do, as Saint says hope he stays safe and gets plenty of the buggers.

On a recent photographic safari, we were told if we took photos of rhinos, not to post on social media and certainly not to tag where they were. These were even dehorned ones. We did not even asked our guide to find them.
We were lucky enough to see them horned some time ago but did not want to see them like this. Also let them try and recover their numbers, if possible, with as little intrusion from us.
Good luck to your son. it is a great job they are doing.

Best of luck to him.

Our guide told us the poachers poison carcasses to avoid having vultures and other circling scavengers revealing the presence of a dead large animal. Dreadful business.

Good luck to him I hear it can be dangerous work.

He is doing good.

All the best to him. Tried to get on a couple of anti-poaching deployments with the army but no joy. Great thing to be involved with.

Thanks for the nice replies. He is also involved with the NSRI . They are station 30, Struisbaai. It's a small town and they do all medical call outs aswell. It's all volunteering work.

OomStruisbaai wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2024 11:56 am I am not talking about Scotland rugby here.
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Great OP. Only thing that would have made it better would have been a reference to Namibia.

What are the rhino numbers like in SA? Last I saw they were on a one-way ticket to extinction.

As honourable as I find the anti-poaching initiatives, it appears that people very high up in government are enabling it.

assfly wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:49 am What are the rhino numbers like in SA? Last I saw they were on a one-way ticket to extinction.

As honourable as I find the anti-poaching initiatives, it appears that people very high up in government are enabling it.

Pretty sad. SanPark is pretty useless. The private owners however drive their own thing. My kid will be trained by a Rekkie. surely he will tough as nails after his training.

Good for your boy, Oom.

Animals need as many champions as they can get these days.

OomStruisbaai wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:20 am Pretty sad. SanPark is pretty useless. The private owners however drive their own thing. My kid will be trained by a Rekkie. surely he will tough as nails after his training.

SanParks will never win, so long as people in government are involved in the profits of poaching.

If South Africa is serious about stopping poaching, it will. In Kenya it was out of control in the 1980s to the point where they realised they may have no elephants left. Now we're a success story of wildlife, our elephant and rhino numbers are soaring. National parks and private conservancies work together.

When you look at the map of South Africa, it's tragic how few places there are to go and enjoy wildlife.

We don't have Rhino on the farm. Last week there was a drone flying over the farm. We called the Farm Watch and Security Company. They chased followed it with their own drone and got the registration number of the vehicle that it returned to and photos of the operator. This has been handed over to the Cops.

Stock Theft and poaching are an ongoing problem in this area. One of the local businessmen is a well known Abalone poacher.

Chilli2 wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 10:33 am We don't have Rhino on the farm. Last week there was a drone flying over the farm. We called the Farm Watch and Security Company. They chased followed it with their own drone and got the registration number of the vehicle that it returned to and photos of the operator. This has been handed over to the Cops.

Stock Theft and poaching are an ongoing problem in this area. One of the local businessmen is a well known Abalone poacher.

That's insane. How do you fight that, apart from having a small private army to shoot them down.

Chilli2 wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 10:33 am We don't have Rhino on the farm. Last week there was a drone flying over the farm. We called the Farm Watch and Security Company. They chased followed it with their own drone and got the registration number of the vehicle that it returned to and photos of the operator. This has been handed over to the Cops.

Stock Theft and poaching are an ongoing problem in this area. One of the local businessmen is a well known Abalone poacher.

Abalone poaching along the coast is a massive problem. They need to arrest the whole townships to kill it. And thats what make anti poaching so dangerous. Once they identify you, it put your whole family in danger.

OomStruisbaai wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:14 am They need to arrest the whole townships to kill it.

I disagree. They have to go after the top dogs. The township folk just want to put food on the table.

assfly wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:22 am

OomStruisbaai wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:14 am They need to arrest the whole townships to kill it.

I disagree. They have to go after the top dogs. The township folk just want to put food on the table.

Dunno why you disagree. Top dog or brakkie, once they get caught, they will react. Brakkies listen to the top dogs. They need to fight them all.

OomStruisbaai wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 6:24 pm https://www.k9conservation.com/

Dogs are the best.
Drones work as well.

assfly wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 10:49 am

Chilli2 wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 10:33 am We don't have Rhino on the farm. Last week there was a drone flying over the farm. We called the Farm Watch and Security Company. They chased followed it with their own drone and got the registration number of the vehicle that it returned to and photos of the operator. This has been handed over to the Cops.

Stock Theft and poaching are an ongoing problem in this area. One of the local businessmen is a well known Abalone poacher.

That's insane. How do you fight that, apart from having a small private army to shoot them down.

If they fly low enough you can take them down with a shotgun.
Using anything else is a bit dangerous. They security company just follows them with their own drones, if they have them with them.

assfly wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:22 am

OomStruisbaai wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:14 am They need to arrest the whole townships to kill it.

I disagree. They have to go after the top dogs. The township folk just want to put food on the table.

The guys on the ground commit crimes of poverty. It's the big dogs (sic) who make money out of the poaching.

Like most things in our country the problems are socio economic for those on the ground. They are in turn exploited by the big dogs.

A lot of the coastal poaching stems from fishing quotas going to politically connected companies getting the tenders.

If the government really wanted to they could sort it out, but they don't really want to.

Cheetah poaching (also rugby players) is a big worry. Less then 7000 left and only 10% living in its historical habitat. In nature they struggle with Lions, Hyenas, ext poaching their prey and killing pups.

Chilli2 wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2024 10:45 am If the government really wanted to they could sort it out, but they don't really want to.

This is what any discussion on poaching in SA boils down to.

OomStruisbaai wrote: Mon Dec 09, 2024 6:29 am Less then 7000 left and only 10% living in its historical habitat. In nature they struggle with Lions.

Sharks supporters

average joe wrote: Mon Dec 09, 2024 8:12 am

OomStruisbaai wrote: Mon Dec 09, 2024 6:29 am Less then 7000 left and only 10% living in its historical habitat. In nature they struggle with Lions.

Sharks supporters

Veld fires are hectic this time of year. NSRI involve here with this this.

Fukkers killed and slaughtered a stud Holstein bull on a neighbouring farm last night.

Chilli2 wrote: Tue Dec 31, 2024 7:11 am Fukkers killed and slaughtered a stud Holstein bull on a neighbouring farm last night.

Hope they catch them.

assfly wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2024 12:27 pm

OomStruisbaai wrote: Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:20 am Pretty sad. SanPark is pretty useless. The private owners however drive their own thing. My kid will be trained by a Rekkie. surely he will tough as nails after his training.

SanParks will never win, so long as people in government are involved in the profits of poaching.

If South Africa is serious about stopping poaching, it will. In Kenya it was out of control in the 1980s to the point where they realised they may have no elephants left. Now we're a success story of wildlife, our elephant and rhino numbers are soaring. National parks and private conservancies work together.

When you look at the map of South Africa, it's tragic how few places there are to go and enjoy wildlife.

Rhino populations are still under pressure. There needs to be a number of interventions and government isn't really stepping up. There needs to be more breeding, harsher punishment and they need to flood the market with synthetic rhino horn to tank the black-market price and ruin the economics.

Ironically, the over-population of elephants is also contributing to the struggles of rhinos. Pretty much every big reserve in South Africa and Botswana is under severe pressure from elephant over population and the reluctance to ramp up culling programs and sell off ivory is going to cause many of these ecosystems to collapse...especially if there is a big drought. Madikwe game reserve has a carrying capacity of around 300 elephants and are currently sitting with 1500 of them. Many are now dying due to starvation.

OomStruisbaai wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 6:59 pm Veld fires are hectic this time of year. NSRI involve here with this this.

Are many of them started deliberately?

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2025 10:00 am

OomStruisbaai wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 6:59 pm Veld fires are hectic this time of year. NSRI involve here with this this.

Are many of them started deliberately?

A couple are arson, but most are accidental. Usually cigarette butts out of car windows or homeless people living on the mountain starting campfires for cooking, stuff like that. Fynbos is designed to burn to germinate their seeds, so during the dry hot Western Cape summers the whole area is a massive tinderbox waiting for any flame.

Blake wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2025 9:00 am Rhino populations are still under pressure. There needs to be a number of interventions and government isn't really stepping up. There needs to be more breeding, harsher punishment and they need to flood the market with synthetic rhino horn to tank the black-market price and ruin the economics.

Ironically, the over-population of elephants is also contributing to the struggles of rhinos. Pretty much every big reserve in South Africa and Botswana is under severe pressure from elephant over population and the reluctance to ramp up culling programs and sell off ivory is going to cause many of these ecosystems to collapse...especially if there is a big drought. Madikwe game reserve has a carrying capacity of around 300 elephants and are currently sitting with 1500 of them. Many are now dying due to starvation.

Ja elephants require such huge areas to move around and eat.

We are having similar problems in Kenya; the success of anti-poaching and the work of the David Sheldrick Trust has led to numbers rising rapidly. Thankfully we have Tsavo, Masai Mara, Amboseli and a huge number of conservancies to house them. But South Africa just doesn't appear to have the space. I always wonder if there would be good cause to find an empty quarter like in the north-west to start a new conservancy for elephants.

Blake wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2025 12:00 pm

Slick wrote: Fri Jan 03, 2025 10:00 am

OomStruisbaai wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 6:59 pm Veld fires are hectic this time of year. NSRI involve here with this this.

Are many of them started deliberately?

A couple are arson, but most are accidental. Usually cigarette butts out of car windows or homeless people living on the mountain starting campfires for cooking, stuff like that. Fynbos is designed to burn to germinate their seeds, so during the dry hot Western Cape summers the whole area is a massive tinderbox waiting for any flame.

Thanks, very interesting

Like Blake posted. When the wind blow the fires are nearly unstoppable. I have now more respect for the fire fighters. My lion who is very fit, had a few call outs for it. It take him three days to recover from fighting fires. It is a skill making before fires to stop it. If the wind turn direction it's a vokop

Ja, the firefighters that specialise in mountain brush fires are beasts.

My previous manager was a volunteer firefighter and the training they go through carting all the heavy gear up and down the mountain is insane. They train once or twice a month and are broken for days afterwards. No need for a gym membership.

Son will be on his way to Hoedspruit tomorrow.