Getaway May_2019

getaway.co.za 83

I metwithchiefrangerXolaniNicholasFundaat SkukuzaHQ’s

MAJOC(MissionAreaJointOperationsCommand)offices.

A wiseandcharismaticman,it struckmethathemusthave

oneofthemostdifficultjobsinKruger.Heoverseesallcounter-

poachingoperationsandis responsibleforthesafetyand

well-beingofmorethan 700 rangersstationedacrossthepark.

Histeamworksshiftsofupto 21 daysat a timeinthebush,

fightingagainsthardenedcriminalswhilehavingtoconduct

themselvesaccordingtothelaw.Therangersareincreasingly

involvedinarmedskirmisheswithpoachers.

‘Oneofmymanyrolesis toensurethatallrangersarewell

equippedandtrainedinparamilitarytechniques,todealwith

poachers,’saysXolani.‘Thecriminalsweinterceptarewellarmed.’

Thenumberofpoachedrhinoshasshowna smalldecreaseover

thelasttwoyears.Thiscould,ofcourse,bebecausetherearefewer

rhinoandthey’rehardertofind,butXolanireportedthatthey’re

makingmorearrestsandconfiscatinggreaternumbersofweapons.

Thosecurrentlybeingcaughtareyoungerandlessexperienced,

asmanywell-knownpoachersarealreadyincustody.

‘Wehavea wholetoolkitofresources,includingaerial

surveillancewithfixed-wingplanesandhelicopters,canineunits

andup-to-datetechnology,suchasnight-timesurveillanceand

military-standarddetectionequipment.Butnoneofthisreplaces

bootsontheground– skilledrangersonthefrontline– although

theycannowcallinchoppersanddogsforbackup.’

Butincursionscontinueandindiscriminatesnaringis also

becominga bigproblem.‘Snaringis togetbushmeat,butit’snot

forthepot,’saysXolani.‘It’sa seriouscommercialenterpriseabout

greed,nothunger.’

HonoraryRangersarenowhelpingSANParkstosearchforsnares

inkeyborderareas,andwithfundraising.Xolanibelievesthat

ultimatelythebattlewillonlybewoninthecourts.‘It’simperative

thattheDepartmentofJusticeis moreeffective,withmore

prosecutionsandconvictions.Toomanytraffickersaregettingoff

withjusta fine,andtoomanysyndicateleadersareoutonbail.’

Xolaniis workinghardtobuildallianceswithSAPSandthe

DepartmentofJustice,andhasbeenencouragedthata seniorjudge

inMpumulangagavethekeynoteat a recentRangerServicesAGM.

‘But,unfortunately,rhinopoachingis nota governmentpriority–

it doesn’twinvotes,‘ hesays.‘Ourgovernmentneedstoconfront

theAsianembassiesinthiscountry,butthisis verydifficultwhen

weconsiderthetradedealsbeingdone.’

Xolanibelievesthatweneedgreaterpubliccondemnationof

thelossofourwildlife.‘Thisis ourcountry’sheritage,andwe

needtotella betterstorytothelocalcommunitiesaboutthepark’s

benefits,’hesays.

Krugeremploys2 400localsandtourismincreaseseveryyear,

withmanyofitsborderingtownstourism-based.SANParkshas

a ‘PeopleandConservation’divisiontohelpimproverelationships

withlocalcommunities,especiallytheyouth.

Xolani,originallya Krugerfieldranger,spent 10 yearslecturing

at theUniversityofTshwaneintheDepartmentofNature

Conservation.HereturnedtoSANParkstobecometheheadof

RangerServicesin2015.Despitenowbeingmainlyoffice-based,

buildingstrategicrelations,hisheartstilllieswithhisteaminthe

bush.Tragically,oneofhisrangerswasmurderedbypoachersin

theCrocodileBridgearealastyear,andinJanuarythreeSANParks

rangerswerearrestedonsuspicionofpoaching,allofwhichwas

devastatingtoXolani.I askedhimwhyhetookthejob,whenit

seemssuchanimpossibletask,nottomentiondisheartening.

‘I believeI havea moralresponsibilitytosaveAfrica’swildlife

andtodowhatI’mdoingasa citizenofSouthAfricaandthe

world.Weowethistoourcountry,tofuturegenerationsandto

theinternationalcommunity.Andwearemakinga difference.’

LEFT Xolani Nicholas Funda, head of Kruger’s counter-poaching

operations. OPPOSITE An anti-poaching ranger (who may not be

identified) based at Skukuza’s K9 Unit, with his German shepherds –

one is trained to sniff out concealed rhino horn and ivory, the other

to detect firearms and ammunition.

The toughest job

Youcanhelp

CalltheAnti-poachingCrimeLinetoreportanysuspicious

activity:071-348-8630.

Join the HonoraryRangersand help supporttheir activities.

sanparks.org

Make adonationto SANParksvia GivenGain. givengain.com

Mike Kendrick, Harriet Nimmo