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Metro
12-05-2025
- Metro
Safari tourist on nighttime walk trampled to death by elephants
A tourist on safari was trampled to death by a heard of elephants after taking a nighttime walk. The 68-year-old had been staying at Sirheni Bushveld Camp in South Africa's Kruger National Park when she left her husband sleeping in their accommodation, and took a stroll outside just before 11pm. CCTV cameras captured her walking out of the gates of the camp and onto a dark road, at which point she was met by a herd of elephants with calves. Panicked, the animals charged at the pensioner, trampling her to death. A spokesman for Kruger National Park confirmed the woman – who was staying with her partner in self-catered accommodation – died on Saturday night. Mr JP Louw said: 'SANParks who operate the bush camp have been attending to the unfortunate incident of a visitor who lost her life after encountering elephants. 'In compliance with the law, the matter has been handed over to the police who must be approached for updates, and we will not be making any further comment on it. 'That is both out of respect for the family and also in appreciation of the law.' The SANParks website said that elephants, lions, hippo, buffalo and leopard all walk the fence line at night and warn tourists that if they 'must walk' to take a torch with them. Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the woman's death was reported at the Saselamani Police Station and that officers were investigating. He added: 'The circumstances surrounding the incident are still a subject for investigation and we will not be revealing the identity until we have contacted the victim's next of kin.' The nationality of the tourist has not been revealed. Sirheni Bushveld Camp is 360 miles north of Johannesburg, at the top of the Kruger National Park and lies on the banks of the Mphongolo River. It runs two daily trips out into the park, which are accompanied by armed rangers. In January this year tourist Shaik Ahmed, 59, was trampled to death by an elephant in the Kruger as he tried to protect his five and 11-year-old grandchildren. The eldest boy suffered leg injuries after it was swung around by the elephant's trunk but when Mr Ahmed ran to help the child the animal dropped the youngster and killed the man. In July last year, meanwhile, a Spanish tourist who was with his bride-to-be was trampled to death in the Pilanesberg National Park near Sun City, two hours from Johannesburg. More Trending Carlos Luna, 43, had got out of the couple's hire car despite being warned not to and approached a herd of elephants drinking out of a lake. A mother who had two calves charged and trampled him to death as his fiancée screamed in horror. The African elephant, which kills around 500 people a year in Africa, can weigh six tons, stand 13 feet to the shoulder and run up to 25mph. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Woman's rant at cafe's shoe policy ignites debate over 'rude' tourism MORE: Tourists outnumber locals on 'crammed' Greek island named most crowded in Europe MORE: More than 70 people now infected with parasite after visiting petting zoo
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- The Citizen
Herd of elephants trample woman to death in Kruger National Park
An elderly tourist was trampled by a herd of elephants in the Kruger National Park on Saturday night. Lowvelder reports the 68-year-old woman was a visitor at the Sirheni Bushveld Camp in the northern part of the Kruger. She reportedly woke up and walked out of the chalet she was sharing with her husband just before 23:00. The circumstances surrounding her death are uncertain, and police investigations are ongoing. SANParks spokesperson JP Louw confirmed the incident but declined to provide details, referring Lowvelder to the SAPS. 'SANParks has been attending to the unfortunate incident of a visitor who lost her life after encountering elephants. In compliance with the law, the matter has been handed over to the SAPS who must be approached for updates. Out of respect for the family and also appreciative of the law, SANParks will not provide commentary on the incident,' said Louw. Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the matter was reported at the Saselamani Police Station in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality near the Kruger's Punda Maria Gate. 'The information at our disposal is that at around 23:00 on May 10, a female tourist (68), who was a visitor at a well-known lodge, was attacked and killed by elephants. The circumstances surrounding the incident are still a subject for investigation,' said Ledwaba. He added the victim's identity would not be revealed until her next of kin could be notified of the incident. It is also not clear whether the victim was a local or a foreign tourist. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
08-05-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Rescue teams work through night after second mass poisoning of Kruger Park vultures in days
One of the biggest wildlife rescue operations took place in the Kruger National Park this week when scores of environmental organisations, conservationists and vets joined forces to rescue as many poisoned birds as possible. The incident, described as a national wildlife tragedy, was a mass poisoning event detected early on Tuesday by the Endangered Wildlife Trust's (EWT) pioneering wildlife poisoning surveillance and detection system, which triggered an alert at 6.05am when suspicious activity was flagged in a remote section of the park. Numerous teams were mobilised and arrived on site in little more than two hours to find an elephant carcass laced with toxic pesticides — poison laid by poachers to harvest body parts for the illegal wildlife trade. This led to the most extensive co-ordinated response effort and rescues to date. More than 20 individuals across conservation, veterinary, and enforcement sectors played a role in the rescue and response. SANParks spokesperson JP Louw said six SANParks rangers and two EWT officials were the initial responders who found a mass of dead vultures on the scene, along with hordes of others that were poisoned and sick. All were within about 500m of the carcass. They were quickly joined by deployed reinforcements in the form of support teams from the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Briner Veterinary Services and Wildscapes Veterinary Services. What followed was one of the biggest, most high intensity co-ordinated efforts in Kruger Park history as ranger aerial support and the Hope for Wildlife helicopter joined the efforts. The teams arrived to find 116 dead vultures, with another seven dying before they could be helped. In total 102 White-backed vultures, 20 Cape vultures and one Lappet-faced vulture — all listed as endangered or critically endangered species — died. Rescue teams set to work to rescue the many other poisoned birds encountered on the scene. Using emergency vulture first aid, they hooked the birds up to drips, pumping them with fluid therapy, atropine and activated charcoal. They managed to rescue 84 vultures — including White-backed, Cape and Hooded vultures. The EWT vulture ambulance transported 45 birds to treatment facilities, while another 39 were airlifted by chopper to the SANParks K9 facility in Phalaborwa. Late on Tuesday night a final group was taken through to Moholoholo for continued intensive care. Rescue workers toiled through the night to stabilise the birds and keep them alive. During the night one of the birds died, leaving 83 still alive and recovering on Thursday morning. Louw said the incident was part of a broader crisis unfolding across Southern Africa in which wildlife poachers have increasingly taken to using agricultural toxins to target high-value species — not just vultures, but also lions, whose body parts are in growing demand for traditional medicine or muti. This incident was the second in five days. Last Friday 49 vultures died after feasting off a poisoned giraffe carcass on Mooiplaas in Kruger. A conservationist, who asked not to be identified because of sensitivities and protocols in the industry, said several wildlife organisations were being hampered as their international funding had recently been suspended under US President Donald Trump's presidency. He said little is known about what is fuelling and motivating the poisonings, and more work is needed to capture offenders and track whoever is behind them. The poisons used are believed to be the powder pesticide Temik, also known as Two-Step because of the speed at which it kills. While it is relatively cheap and easy to get hold of, it is controlled and buyers need to be registered. However, once it has been bought by a farmer, it is often no longer strictly controlled and can be pilfered. Only a small amount is needed for a big kill.
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Watch: Parts of Augrabies Falls National Park closed as water levels surge
Certain parts of the Augrabies Falls National Park have been closed due to a dramatic increase in water volumes. The waterfall has reached an impressive flow rate of 3 991 cubic metres per second (m³/s) as the Orange River plunges over the 56m-high falls. 'Typically, the flow at the falls ranges between 30 and 50m³/s. The current surge is attributed to widespread rainfall across the country, resulting in increased water releases from both the Vaal and Gariep dams upstream,' SANParks spokesperson JP Louw said in a statement. Due to the rising water levels, certain sections of the park have been temporarily closed to ensure visitor safety. This includes the game viewing area and the picnic site. Only three of the park's viewing decks remain open. 'Despite these closures, the park remains open to visitors, and the falls are offering a spectacular and thunderous display that is expected to continue for several weeks. 'We encourage guests to take advantage of this rare natural phenomenon. The falls are truly a magnificent sight at these volumes,' Louw said. Watch the video here: Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Mail & Guardian
01-05-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Phosphate mine proposal in national park sparks outrage
SANParks and the WWF are blocking the mining application inside West Coast National Park Last September On 14 March, it formally applied for a portion of phosphate-bearing land to be excluded from the park in the Western Cape to allow it to mine in the area. 'To compensate for the potential deproclamation of the relevant area, Kropz has formally offered This proposed land swop 'would not only consolidate' the park's footprint but also support SANParks' 'long-term biodiversity goals' with the addition of infrastructure and land access, it said. The focal conservation point of the 40 000ha park is the SANParks person JP Louw said: 'SANParks cannot allow any mining activities within a declared national park, as this is prohibited under section 48(1)(a) of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act [Nempaa]. We have communicated this official position to Kropz and other relevant stakeholders.' Last week, environmental group WWF-SA 'WWF will do anything in its power to preserve the long-term security of irreplaceable biodiversity assets within our national parks system, which at best represents a relatively small proportion of our total land surface area,' it said. Its chief executive, Morne du Plessis, told the Mail & Guardian : 'The land on which the phosphate-bearing deposit sits inside the park is immediately adjacent to the existing mine, which is just outside. 'The land with the phosphate inside the park technically belongs to the 'SANParks have transferred the request from the mining company to us because, as owners, we could or should give a response as to whether we would be open to stepping away. 'We would just say no; we wouldn't entertain this because we've said it in public and that would be the end of going after the phosphate inside the park.' The trust owns 17 separate properties that have been declared to be part of the West Coast National Park. Five properties form part of the park that are either contiguous or located in close proximity to the Elandsfontein mine. 'The thing that can't be underemphasised is its importance in terms of migratory pathways,' said Du Plessis. 'That's what gives it Ramsar status, which means you're not just messing with impacting with something that is local but you're also messing with large numbers — tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands — of migrating shorebirds and they belong to everybody along the migration route, all the way to their breeding grounds in Eurasia.' The park is also home to more than 250 bird species, including large populations of waders and flamingos, and is known for its spring wildflower displays. Kropz' response Kropz said it was granted a mining right by the then-department of mineral resources and energy in January 2015 to mine phosphate on portions 2 and 4 of the farm Elandsfontein 239. The farm is owned by Elandsfontein Land Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of the Kropz Group. 'The phosphate ore body extends into the adjoining farm (portion 3 of Elandsfontein 349), which was incorporated in the West Coast National Park in 2013, at a time when Kropz was already in the process of applying for its mining rights.' In accordance with section 20(2) of Nempaa, Kropz submitted an application on 14 March to SANParks, requesting the exclusion of this portion of land from the park. 'Section 21(2) of Nempaa provides a lawful mechanism for such an exclusion when there is agreement between the parties.' The company said the 'phosphate-rich nature of the land in question' is a matter of public record, with official drilling data held by the Council of Geoscience. Phosphate is used to produce fertilisers for agriculture. The mine supports more than 500 direct jobs, primarily from the neighbouring town of Hopefield. 'With a conservative estimate of 1:10 dependency, over 5 000 individuals rely on the continued operation of the mine. In a country with one of the highest unemployment rates globally, the socio-economic contribution of Elandsfontein Mine is significant.' 'We are committed to responsible environmental stewardship and deeply committed to the sustainable use of South Africa's natural resources,' said Kropz's chief executive, Louis Loubser. 'At the same time, we are fully aware of our responsibility to protect the livelihoods of our employees and their families. We operate under the firm belief that economic development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive — we can and must do both.' The company said it has always complied with all its environmental authorisations and undergoes regular audits by the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment, the department of water and sanitation and the department of mineral resources. 'I do think the company, if they pursue this further, will try and make a very strong social argument for the unemployment and destitute communities. One should also remember that these deposits have a 15-year lifespan. After that, what could be mined would have been mined and then what?' Du Plessis said. Biodiversity offset that never was But legal action is already playing out over Kropz's failure to implement earlier biodiversity offset conditions imposed on it in 2015 to mitigate damage done through its opencast mine operation. In March, WWF-SA filed papers in the Western Cape high court to set aside the decision by Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dion George to dismiss appeals filed in 2020 against an offset exemption granted to the Elandsfontein mine. On 10 September, George, who acts as an environmental appeal authority, upheld the decision of the minister of mineral resources to remove the offset requirement from Kropz Elandsfontein's environmental management programme (EMPr). The mining company was first given permission to mine at Elandsfontein in 2015 but failed to implement the biodiversity offset conditions, which were to have been implemented within the first year of operation. This offset involved the company's purchase and donation of about 10 000ha to the West Coast National Park. In 2019, Kropz successfully negotiated with the department of mineral resources to have these conditions removed. 'No decision was made by the appeal authority, which was the [former] minister of environment, Barbara Creecy, for four years until Dion George, the new minister was appointed and within two or three months,he rejected all the appeals. He said, 'no, it's cool, mineral resources was right; there was legally no justification for granting this appeal',' Du Plessis said. 'That's the issue we've taken on review at the high court because we believe he's been poorly advised. We are arguing that that biodiversity offset condition has to be reinstated.' In his founding affidavit, Du Plessis noted: 'Reduced to its essence the right to mine Elandsfontein, was procured by Kropz based on assurances of a biodiversity offset. Several conditions aimed at enforcing the implementation of the biodiversity offset were included in the environmental management programme report in consequence of the environmental impact assessment process. 'Despite the requirements in the EMPr that the offset be established within one year, it was not. Nearly five years later, precipitated no doubt by the poor financial performance of the mine, a less costly solution presented itself to Kropz, the amendment of the EMPr.' The amendment was achieved 'through the impugned decisions of the regional manager and the minister (on appeal) to purportedly 'remove' the offset condition'. 'This has had the effect of clearing Kropz of the duty to establish an offset, and in so doing, adequately compensate for the environmental damage caused by its mine. WWF, would have expected a company like Kropz with its associated shareholders to have held itself to a higher level of environmental and social responsibility than that which has been evidenced in the facts of this matter,' he said. He added that 'the main game for us in town' is taking George's appeal decision on review. Kropz, the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment and of mineral resources and petroleum had not responded to the M&G' s enquiries by the time of publication. WWF-SA doesn't readily opt for litigation, Du Plessis said. 'We've only ever once taken a minister to court. This is really not our preferred way of solving issues but in this case it's the only way.'
