Durban - THE DA has called on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube to immediately place a moratorium on the killing of Big Five animals by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, unless in self-defence, after 10 lions were killed within the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park during the past three months.
Heinz de Boer, DA spokesperson on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, said the latest killing of lions followed the DA exposing that Ezemvelo rangers had killed 32 buffalo instead of relocating
them.
“We’re appalled that Ezemvelo - the very custodians of our provincial wildlife - are the biggest culprits in the killing of the Big Five. According to a report compiled by MEC Dube-Ncube, some of the lions escaped after two rhino crashed through the park fence.
“But other lions have repeatedly escaped after Ezemvelo failed to effectively police the fence and repair holes made by poachers,” he said.
Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo denied that lions were being slaughtered.
“It’s all part of conservation. If the lions keep escaping, it’s more likely that we’ll destroy them after the third escape. We then burn the body as our lions have tested positive for tuberculosis,” he said.
Mntambo said the park was currently quarantined due to a TB outbreak.
He said the fence around the park had been repaired, ensuring that the animals could not escape again.
De Boer said Ezemvelo’s mandate was to preserve animals and not kill them. He threatened that Ezemvelo staff behind the killing of lions would be removed from their positions and disciplined.