Latest news with #SANParks
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Rand Merchant, South Africa Parks Mull Conservation, Rhino Bonds
South African National Parks, which runs some of the world's premier wildlife reserves, said it's in discussions with Rand Merchant Bank over the sale of bonds to fund conservation including boosting the number of endangered rhinos. The notes, if sold, would build on a $150 million bond sold by the World Bank in 2022 that pay out returns determined by the rate of growth in Black Rhino populations in two South African reserves. One of those, the Addo Elephant National Park, falls under SANParks management.
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
WSAR responds to 5 hiker rescues across Western Cape in just 48 hours
WSAR teams carry an injured hiker across a remote river trail near the Berg River Dam during one of five mountain rescue operations across the Western Cape over the weekend. Image: Chris Jacobs / WSAR In a remarkable display of coordination and expertise, Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) teams responded to five separate emergencies in just two days, coming to the aid of injured and stranded hikers across the Western Cape. The weekend's incidents, ranging from remote river trails and forest slopes to popular mountain paths and rugged wilderness roads, underscored the critical role WSAR plays in ensuring the safety of outdoor adventurers. "These incidents serve as a powerful reminder of the vital role WSAR plays in ensuring the safety of those who venture into the province's mountains and wilderness areas," WSAR said. In the first incident, a 56-year-old hiker was rescued on Saturday morning after slipping on a remote trail near the Berg River Dam. Hiking with four others, she was unable to continue, and her group promptly called for help. "She was assessed and treated on scene, before being placed into a stretcher and carefully carried across the river," WSAR noted. The operation concluded safely at 2.36pm. Simultaneously, in Cecilia Forest, a 32-year-old hiker became too exhausted to descend further. Rescuers, including SANParks rangers and EMS paramedics, responded swiftly. "The hiker was assessed and treated on scene before being carefully placed into a rescue stretcher," WSAR stated. She was carried to Kirstenbosch Gardens and transported from there. This operation concluded at 2.35pm. Later that evening, two hikers, aged 34 and 49, lost their way in the Helderberg Nature Reserve. With darkness approaching and the reserve gates set to close, they called for help. Rangers located the women and safely guided them down. "The hikers, who were uninjured, were found in good spirits and safely guided back down to the entrance," WSAR reported. The incident ended at 7.28 pm. On Sunday afternoon, WSAR was again called into action when a 60-year-old American tourist injured himself descending Platteklip Gorge. "He was assessed and treated on scene by a paramedic," WSAR said. "With support, he was able to slowly continue descending on foot with assistance from rescuers." Late Sunday, WSAR deployed teams to the Cederberg after reports that two vehicles had veered off-road near the Algeria Camp Site. While personnel were ready to assist, the operation stood down at 7.18 pm after local teams confirmed they had the situation under control. 'We acknowledge and thank all who contribute their time, skills, and commitment to keeping others safe in often difficult and dangerous conditions,' WSAR said. 'We extend our best wishes to those who were injured and hope for their full and speedy recovery.' IOL News
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
SANParks defends its management against #SaveTableMountain petition
SANParks Head of Communications and Spokesperson, JP Louw, has spoken out against these stakeholder claims of Table Mountain National Park mismanagement. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers South African National Parks (SANParks) has hit back at a recent petition issued by a group of stakeholders opposed to the current management of Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). The petition is demanding accountability, calling for comprehensive action to restore and protect Table Mountain, and has crossed 5,800 signatures, with them urging more concerned residents to join them. This campaign, driven by Friends of Table Mountain and supported by Take Back Our Mountains, Love Our Trails, Table Mountain Watch, Table Mountain Bikers and Hikers Network, said that they believe it's their right and responsibility to demand accountability and action. They claim that TMNP suffers from critical issues directly linked to SANParks' poor management and underfunding. They are also concerned by the persistently high crime rates, failure of their conservation mandate, decaying infrastructure, insufficient signage, runaway fires, and the decay of tourism infrastructure. SANParks head of communications and spokesperson, JP Louw, has spoken out against these claims, stating that an independent assessment of the implementation of TMNP's management plan scored the entity an overall high of 75%. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Louw said this assessment was done by Conservation Outcome, a biodiversity non-governmental organisation that supports the development and management of land for biodiversity conservation. They are also a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature - IUCN. 'The scores of specific areas of focus is 43% for bioregional management, 90% for responsible tourism, 66% for biodiversity management, 57% for constituency building, 43% for cultural heritage, 90% for responsible tourism and 89% for effective park management. 'This report provides us with factual and objective information which allows for SANParks to continue with its management of Table Mountain National Park based on science and evidence-based detail,' Louw said. 'This overall positive assessment comes amid the unfortunate circulation of a misleading petition issued by a small group of stakeholders opposed to the current management of TMNP.' Commenting on some of the stakeholders' specific complaints, Louw said they had a crime incident spike in January to March this year, but the figures have since dropped back to single-digit incidents. 'In the past year, the figures were primarily in the region of single digits.' He added that the safety alerts issued by foreign consulates relate to South Africa as a whole and not Table Mountain alone. While fires are started by religious groups, they account for about 10% of fires in the past 3 years. 'Fact is that the majority of fires are caused by arsonists and vagrants. 'We have had a few fires this year, and the infrastructure that burnt down was toilet blocks at Silvermine. No infrastructure was damaged during the Newlands Ravine fire, the Tokai and Muizenberg fires,' Louw said. 'We have a management plan to control alien vegetation. We also have an Extended Public Works programme to clear alien vegetation with the support of collaborative NGOs.' He also addressed the claim that '76% of the R430 million was sent to other parks' and said last year they clarified to Take Back Our Mountain (TBOM) that the R107 million referenced in their claim represents only direct, park-level expenditure. 'It does not account for essential corporate-level costs.' And with regards to the tourism infrastructure left to decay and losing potential revenue, 'we have tenders issued to refurbish and renew infrastructure such as Rhodes Memorial, Hoerikwaggo trail, and Orange Kloof tented camp'. Louw stated that SANParks actively seeks collaborative relationships across all its national parks. 'The organisations concerned are encouraged to rather continue with a relationship that is constructive and collaborative in nature as opposed to acrimony and misleading information.'
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
How SANParks turned conservation into a success story
SANParks' self-funded conservation model proves that tourism and ecology can thrive together for future generations. South African National Parks (SANParks) stands as one of the world's leading conservation agencies. In recent years, SANParks has demonstrated remarkable financial resilience, generating nearly 80% of its own revenue. For the first time, the organisation's annual revenue has exceeded R4 billion in the past financial year. Since 1994, SANParks has undergone a transformative journey, underpinned by a commitment to inclusivity and equity. This shift has been guided by the Vision 2040, which envisions a future where people and nature thrive in sustainable mega living landscapes. SANParks' success story is not only one to be celebrated but also serves as a model for how conservation can be funded effectively. At its core, SANParks remains committed to its primary mandate, protecting and managing South Africa's natural and cultural heritage for current and future generations. Its achievements – and the model it employs to fund conservation – are worthy of recognition through tourism. ALSO READ: Vultures lead rangers to one of SANParks' largest poisoning events Take the story of the bontebok, for instance, a classic case of conservation success. Once on the brink of extinction due to hunting and expanding human settlement, the bontebok population had dwindled to just 17 animals by the late 1930s. In response, a dedicated conservation area was established to protect the species, preventing it from suffering the same fate as the quagga, which went extinct in the late 1800s. Today, bontebok National Park, which was founded in 1931 in Swellendam, is home to over 100 bontebok, with about 3 000 living in private reserves. Despite its limited commercial viability, Bontebok National Park continues to operate because SANParks' model allows for cross-subsidisation. More profitable parks support those that are less financially viable but ecologically essential, ensuring that conservation is not driven solely by profit, but also to ensure biodiversity in perpetuity. ALSO READ: WATCH: Elephant chases away police at Kruger Park The bontebok's original habitat, the renosterveld, is now among the most threatened vegetation types in South Africa, with 70% of it under threat. As a result, the bontebok has become a flagship species for renosterveld conservation. SANParks has developed specific management plans to protect both the species and its critically endangered ecosystem. This approach is not limited to bontebok conservation. In 2023, SANParks launched the Richtersveld Desert Botanical Garden, the country's first botanical garden in a desert biome. Located within the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, it safeguards over 400 succulent species facing extinction due to poaching, mining, climate change and overgrazing. Other success stories abound: after a 170-year absence, lions have been reintroduced to the Karoo National Park, where the population is now thriving to the point of abundance. ALSO READ: Rachel Kolisi finds strength amid Tokai inferno and personal struggles The mountain zebra, once facing extinction with just 80 individuals remaining, has rebounded dramatically, with over 3 200 now recorded. These zebras play a vital ecological role, helping maintain biodiversity and supporting predator populations. In collaboration with archaeologists from the University of Pretoria, SANParks launched a project to rescue and preserve two significant archaeological sites along the Letaba River in the Kruger National Park. These sites, which were inhabited between 1 500 and 1 000 years ago, offer some of the earliest evidence of trade between South Africa and Asia, predating ancient civilisations like Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe. Sadly, the Letaba sites are currently being threatened by severe soil erosion, risking the irreversible loss of a valuable record of Africa's past. Through archaeological research and conservation efforts, the aim is to recover as much material as possible before it is lost, providing greater insight into the lives of the ancient people who once lived in the Kruger National Park. What underpins these efforts and successes is a conservation funding model that works. Most revenue is generated by some of the well-visited parks and those funds are strategically redistributed to support the entire national parks network. ALSO READ: The fight to save the penguins This approach ensures that not only well-known sites like Table Mountain National Park flourish, but also that less-visited parks continue to safeguard South Africa's rich natural heritage. Conservation is not a luxury; it is a necessity. It is an investment in our future generation. SANParks' funding model is a success due to the combination of funding sources, tourism revenue, government grants, volunteers such as honorary rangers and private donors.
The South African
3 days ago
- General
- The South African
Stunning sighting of last remaining Knysna elephant
A rare sighting of Oupoot, the last known elephant of the Knysna forest, has sparked excitement and prompted a conservation response. The footage, captured by Karatara farmer Oubaas Fourie late last week, shows the elusive female elephant calmly traversing farmland near the forest. Oupoot is named after the beloved character in Dalene Matthee's novel 'Kringe in 'n Bos.' The video quickly went viral, drawing national attention due to Oupoot's near-mythical status in the region. Knysna elephant Oupoot photographed by farmer Oubaas Fourie SANParks confirmed it is aware of the footage and is working to verify the sighting. 'We are in contact with our rangers in the area to confirm whether it is indeed Oupoot roaming in Karatara, which is highly likely,' said Phokela 'PK' Lebea, SANParks Regional Communications Manager. Oupoot is believed to be the sole surviving member of the once-thriving Knysna elephant population, which declined over decades due to habitat loss, human encroachment, and hunting. The elephants once roamed freely in the forested areas of the Garden Route, but sightings have become extremely rare in recent years. SANParks is currently conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to guide future decisions about the elephant's protection. 'We remain committed to ensuring that any decision taken is informed by sound scientific, conservation, and stakeholder considerations,' Lebea added. Karatara is a town in the Knysna Local Municipality in the Western Cape province. It is situated 5km west of Barrington and some 40km northwest of Knysna. Think the last remaining Knysna elephant is safe or should it be relocated? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
