KZN Environmental Affairs plans to curb poaching
The Environmental Affairs Department is stepping up its anti-poaching efforts in KwaZulu-Natal.
Deputy Minister Barbara Thomson says the Green Scorpions are being roped in and will be based at Durban's King Shaka International Airport.
"Those are the officers that we use in the department and their duty is to try and detect anybody that passes through with some of these wildlife products. We are making sure that we use advanced technology," she said.
In addition to their deployment, Thomson says iSimangaliso Wetland Park will also take on 30 Environmental Management Inspectors to assist with anti-rhino poaching operations.
The park's Andrew Zaloumis says this will give them their own capacity in terms of law enforcement work.
"Before the end of the year, they will be on training programmes. They go up to near Kruger for a six-week basic training programme in nature conservation.
"They'll come back into the park. They will be deployed with existing field rangers and depending on their skills and their ability, training will continue. So, they'll eventually become very highly-skilled conservationist," he said.
(Photo: Khatija Nxedlana)