One of the problems still being experienced in the Kruger National Park as a whole is rhino poaching, and this problem has had some staggering effects on small camps such as Little Bush Camp. For those visiting on holiday or for business, the issue of rhino poaching is brought to the forefront by posters and signs proclaiming that poachers will be severely punished.
But even with the warnings in place, the number of rhinos in danger is still rising every year, and this is a problem for the park and for its economy. Many visitors to the park are afraid to step out of their camps, as poachers could be anywhere and in terms of sightseeing, many rhinos are now being tranquilized and de-horned as a preventative measure. Rangers have also been on high watch for poachers and this means that guests must contend with this on an everyday basis.
Rhino horns are one of the premium black market exports of South Africa and considering the high volume of rhinos within a small area in the Kruger National Park, poaching is at an all-time high. When visitors go to smaller camps to stay, such as the Little Bush Camp, the worries about poachers being around are a constant.
But what does this all mean to your experience if you are planning to visit the camp? Well, though it won’t affect your stay in a negative way, it does mean that at some point in the future, you may not be able to show your children what a rhino is, as they will be extinct for the most part. And one has to consider what will happen when the next animal du jour becomes the target of these poachers. Will elephants become completely extinct, the only reminder of their passage the ivory tusks they are so famous for? Will leopards will be nowhere to be found, thanks to the poachers who want their glorious pelts?
Perhaps the time has come for residents and visitors to places such as Little Bush Camp to rise up and take action against poachers, or at least to take a stronger stand against those who would empty parks of their valuable animals. The only question that remains is, as a guest of such a glorious resort, what can you do to make a mark on the harm being done to animals?
