Question NW2747 to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
17 December 2021 - NW2747
Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
With reference to the elephant guide who was tragically trampled by an elephant at Knysna Elephant Park at the end of October 2021, what (a) steps have been taken by her department to investigate how the tragedy came about. b) Are there protocols in place governing the interaction between wildlife guides and wildlife at privately owned game reserves?
Reply:
- The Knysna Elephant Park is privately owned and neither belongs to, nor is it managed by SANParks or the State. Therefore, the incident in question occurred in a private facility over which SANParks has no jurisdiction or control. SANParks manages the following parks in the Garden Route region: The Knysna National Park (with one remaining elephant), and the Tsitsikamma National Park and the Wilderness National Park – both Parks do not have any elephants.
- SANParks has a mandate to manage national parks. However, the conservation management of private nature reserves resides with the provincial entities, which in this case is Cape Nature. SANParks, therefore, has no role to ensure compliance on private nature reserves.
I suggest the Honourable Member approach Cape Nature through the relevant legislature for details on this case.
Regards
MS B D CREECY, MP
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DATE: 17 December 2021