The first National Park in South Africa for the preservation of an unspoilt environment was created in 1894, the name of which has survived as a tribute to its president: Paul Krüger. It all began with a small area of 17,000 ha in the Eastern Transvaal and in 1898 the Sabi Game Reserve was added to it. From such small beginnings, grew the world-famous Krüger National Park.
One hundred years hence, South Africa can boast 16 National Parks (30,700 km2) and more than 120 provincial parks: 62 of which are in KwaZulu-Natal (3,120 km2); 45 in the Cape Provinces; (1,350 km2) and 9 in the old Transvaal Province (1,150 km2). Fortunately, the people of South Africa embraced the idea of preserving their environment to the extent that the efforts of the state were matched by the efforts of private individuals.
The three Provinces of Mpumalanga, North West and Northern Province alone account for 560 private Nature Reserves (12,900 km2) and on 800 specially fenced-in private farms (12.000) the flora and fauna are protected by private initiative. The past decade has seen a quantum leap in private commitment to preserving the natural assets of this country. But those here mentioned alone represent a total area of 60.997 km2 - not far off the size of the Republic of Ireland.
It is therefore not surprising that the successes of such commitment have contributed to make South Africa a leader in "Eco-Tourism", which ever way you might define it. Protection of wildlife within limited resources, has however led to a need of proper game management. The over-population of game in reserves and on farms can and has led to imbalances within the plant world, making game management as much a necessity as stock management on commercial farms. While the latter has been accepted by general consensus, the latter has become and remains a contentious issue. The conservationists call it culling for the sake of preserving a balance within a sensitive ecosystem, the antagonists call it hunting for sport and pleasure and with all the negative connotations that have morally outlawed this practice. Excesses and bad practices have added fuel to the flames. But this cannot negate the fact that conservation and hunting are the inseparable "Siamese twins" of modern environmental management.
Hunting in South Africa forms an integral and necessary part of Nature Conservation.
It has nothing to do with the senseless massacre of the past century. And it represents an important source of income to the guardians of nature. More than 50 types of game need to be culled on a regular basis. But South Africa is fortunate in having a good infrastructure and highly qualified personnel to manage this delicate balance of conservation and hunting. Although the animals do live freely within Nature, their habitat is limited to the size of the Game Reserve, the Nature Reserve or the farm, all of which are fenced in to keep them in. This means that their numbers have to be limited to the number that the land and plants can sustain. If the number of game expands beyond the carrying capacity of the land, their numbers have to be reduced accordingly. This takes place either by re-location, natural causes or by culling. If this balance is not maintained, the land will be ruined, turn into a semi-desert or full desert and will not be able to sustain animal life in the long term.
By way of a well managed culling process, the game is culled to prevent overgrazing and soil erosion on the one hand and to provide valuable meat and protein supplies to the local population on the other. Only a limited quota of between 2-3% is allocated to the trophy hunting. The outfitters and hunting guides have to be registered and are constantly controlled by the local representative of the Department of Nature Conservation. The income derived from trophy hunting is finally re-invested into nature conservation. Initially it provides jobs for the conservationists, food for the local communities and in the long term more land can be set aside for the game in order to sustain greater numbers.
Hunting in South Africa is subject to very strict laws.
But they protect the hunter and the conservationists alike and thus make it possible that a wide range of game can be hunted. The dream of hunting the "big five", Lion. Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino and Elephant, can only be realized in South Africa.
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