Alarm over antelope deaths

THE department of Environmental Affairs has been asked to investigate the recent deaths of rare roan antelopes at the Kruger National Park.

Earlier this year there were about 100 left in the park, but at least 30 were wiped out by the highly contagious anthrax late last month in a breeding camp near the Mopani rest camp.

The park’s roan population dropped from about 450 animals in 1986 to just 30 in 2001. Since then several attempts have been made to increase the population by breeding them in two fenced-off camps in the north of the park.

SA National Parks estimated that there were only about 30 roaming freely in Kruger, with between 60 and 70 in breeding camps before the latest anthrax deaths.

Now the Aikona wildlife interest group has written to environmental affairs directorgeneral Nosipho Ngcaba urging her to investigate reports that some of the animals died several weeks before their carcasses were noticed.

Group spokesman Gerhard Smit also questioned why the captive antelope had not been vaccinated against given their rarity.

Meanwhile, latest rhino poaching statistics show that 2012 will be the worst year to date for SA’s rhino population.

Government statistics published yesterday showed that at least 430 rhinos had been slaughtered this year. At this rate of killing, the previous worst casualty figure (448 rhinos killed last year) would be overtaken within days.

So far, 258 rhinos have been killed in the Kruger National Park (compared to 252 last year) and 50 in KwaZulu-Natal (compared to 34 last year).

anthrax,